INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE
Peace Palace, Carnegieplein 2, 2517 KJ The Hague, Netherlands
Tel.: +31 (0)70 302 2323 Fax: +31 (0)70 364 9928
Website: www.icj-cij.org
Press Release
Unofficial
No. 2011/38
5 December 2011
Request for Interpretation of the Judgment of 15 June 1962 in the Case concerning
the Temple of Preah Vihear (Cambodia v. Thailand)
(Cambodia v. Thailand)
The Court authorizes the Parties to furnish
further written explanations
THE HAGUE, 5December2011. The International Court of Justice(ICJ), the principal
judicial organ of the United Nations, has authorized Cambodia and Thailand to furnish further
written explanations in the case concerning Request for Interpretation of the Judgment of
15June1962 in the Case concerning the Temple of PreahVihear (Cambodia v. Thailand)
(Cambodia v. Thailand).
By letters dated 24November2011, the Registra r of the Court informed the Parties of the
decision, which is based on Article 98, paragraph 4, of the Rules of Court.
The Court has fixed 8March2012 and 21June 2012 as the respective time-limits for the
filing of such explanations by Cambodia and by Thailand.
The subsequent procedure has been reserved for further decision.
History of the proceedings
The history of the proceedings can be found in Press Release No.2011/22 of 18July2011
and in paragraphs 1 to 18 of the Order made by the Court on the same day. These documents are
available in the section of the Court’s website relating to this caswww.icj-cij.org, under the
heading “Contentious Cases”).
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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 Char ter in June1945 and began its activities in
April1946. The seat of the Court is at the Peace Palace in The Hague (Netherlands). Of the six
principal organs of the United Nations, it is the only one not located in New York. The Court has a
twofold role: first, to settle, in accordance with international law, legal disputes submitted to it by
States (its judgments have binding force and are without appeal for the parties concerned); and, - 2 -
second, to give advisory opinions on legal questi ons referred to it by duly authorized United
Nations organs and agencies of the system. The Court is composed of 15judges elected for a
nine-year term by the General Assembly and the Security Council of the United Nations. It is
assisted by a Registry, its international secretariat, whose activities are both judicial and diplomatic,
as well as administrative. The official languages of the Court are French and English.
The ICJ, a civil court open only to States for contentious proceedings and to certain organs
and institutions of the United Nations system fo r advisory proceedings, should not be confused
with the other ⎯ mostly criminal ⎯ judicial institutions based in The Hague and adjacent areas,
such as the International Criminal Tri bunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY, an ad hoc court
created by the Security Council), the Internati onal Criminal Court (ICC, the first permanent
international criminal court established by treat y, which does not belong to the United Nations
system), the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL, an independent judicial institution composed of
Lebanese and international judges, which is not a United Nations tribunal and does not form part of
the Lebanese judicial system), or the Permanent C ourt of Arbitration (PCA), an institution founded
in 1899, which is independent of the United Nations.
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Information Department:
Mr. Andrey Poskakukhin, First Secretary of the Court, Head of Department (+31 (0)70 302 2336)
Mr. Boris Heim, Information Officer (+31 (0)70 302 2337)
Ms Joanne Moore, Associate Information Officer (+31 (0)70 302 2394)
Ms Genoveva Madurga, Administrative Assistant (+31 (0)70 302 2396)
Request for Interpretation of the Judgment of 15 June 1962 in the Case concerning the Temple of Preah Vihear (Cambodia v. Thailand) (Cambodia v. Thailand) - The Court authorizes the Parties to furnish further written explanations