Applicability of the Obligation to Arbitrate under Section 21 of the United Nations Headquarters Agreement of 26 June 1947 - Oral proceedings held

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INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE

Peace Palace, 2517 KJ The Hague. Tel. 92 44 41. Cables: Intercourt, The Hague

Telex 32323

Communiqué

Members of the Court and Staff 10-30
List - Post Office P.P. 12.30 Ko. 88/10
14 April 1988

Applicability of the Obligation to Arbitrate under Section 21
of the United Nations Headquarters Agreement of 26 June 1947

Oral proceedi.ngs held

The following i.nformation is made available to the Press by the
Registry of the 1ntei'nati.onal Court of Justice.

In the course of the accelerated procedure applied by the
International Court of Justfce in connection with the request submitted
on 2 March 1988 by the General Assembly of the United Nations for an
advisory opinion on the question whether the United States is obliged to
have recourse to arbl-tration under Section 21 of the United Nations

Headquarters Agreement, the Court, at pub1i.c sitt Lngs on 11 and
12 April 1988, heard the Legal Counsel of the United Nations,
Mr. Carl-August Fleischhauer, make comments on behalf of the Organization
and reply to questions put £rom the bench by Judges Oda, Scnwebel,
Gui llaume and Shahabuddeen.

The General Assé!mbLy's request arose frcrn the situation which had
developed following t-he signing of the 1987 Anti-Terrorisa Act adopted by
the United States Corigress, a law whictt, if implemented, would result in
the closure of the office of the Observer Mission to the Unlted Nations
maintained by the Pal-cstine Liberati on Organizat Lon.

Tne Court is now deli.berat ing I.ts decision,