Application of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (Armenia v. Azerbaijan) - Conclusion of the public hearings on the request for the indication of pr

INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE
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Press Release
Unofficial
No. 2023/5
30 January 2023
Application of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (Armenia v. Azerbaijan) Conclusion of the public hearings on the request for the indication of provisional measures submitted by Armenia The Court to begin its deliberation
THE HAGUE, 30 January 2023. The public hearings devoted to the request for the indication of provisional measures submitted by the Republic of Armenia in the case concerning Application of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (Armenia v. Azerbaijan) were concluded today. The Court will begin its deliberation.
During the hearings, which were held on Monday 30 January 2023 at the Peace Palace, the seat of the Court, the delegation of Armenia was led by H.E. Mr. Yeghishe Kirakosyan, Representative of the Republic of Armenia on International Legal Matters, as Agent. The delegation of Azerbaijan was led by H.E. Mr. Elnur Mammadov, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Republic of Azerbaijan, as Agent.
The Court’s decision on the provisional measures will be delivered at a public sitting, the date of which will be announced in due course.
Requests of the Parties
At the close of Armenia’s oral argument, the Agent of Armenia made the following request to the Court:
“On the basis of its Request for provisional measures dated 27 December 2022, its letter dated 26 January 2023 and its oral pleadings, Armenia respectfully requests the Court to indicate the following provisional measures pending its determination of this case on the merits:
 ‘Azerbaijan shall cease its orchestration and support of the alleged ‘protests’ blocking uninterrupted free movement along the Lachin Corridor in both directions.’
 ‘Azerbaijan shall ensure uninterrupted free movement of all persons, vehicles, and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions.’
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 ‘Azerbaijan shall immediately fully restore and refrain from disrupting or impeding the provision of natural gas and other public utilities to Nagorno-Karabakh.’”
At the close of Azerbaijan’s oral argument, the Agent of Azerbaijan made the following request to the Court:
“In accordance with Article 60 (2) of the Rules of Court, for the reasons explained during these hearings, the Republic of Azerbaijan respectfully asks the Court to reject the request for the indication of provisional measures submitted by the Republic of Armenia.”
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History of the proceedings
The history of the proceedings can be found in Press releases Nos. 2021/20, 2021/34, 2022/55, 2022/76 and 2023/2, available on the Court’s website.
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Note: The Court’s press releases are prepared by its Registry for information purposes only and do not constitute official documents.
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The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. It was established by the United Nations Charter in June 1945 and began its activities in April 1946. The Court is composed of 15 judges elected for a nine-year term by the General Assembly and the Security Council of the United Nations. The seat of the Court is at the Peace Palace in The Hague (Netherlands). The Court has a twofold role: first, to settle, in accordance with international law, through judgments which have binding force and are without appeal for the parties concerned, legal disputes submitted to it by States; and, second, to give advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by duly authorized United Nations organs and agencies of the system.
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Information Department:
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