INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE
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Press Release
Unofficial
No. 2015/31
14 December 2015
Armed Activities on the Territory of the Congo
(Democratic Republic of the Congo v. Uganda)
Extension of the time-limit for the filing of the Parties’ Memorials on reparations
THE HAGUE, 14 December 2015. The President of the International Court of Justice (ICJ),
the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, by an Order dated 10 December 2015, has
extended to 28 April 2016 the time-limit for the filing, by the Democratic Republic of the Congo,
of a Memorial on the reparations which it considers to be owed to it by the Republic of Uganda,
and for the filing, by the Republic of Uganda, of a Memorial on the reparations which it considers
to be owed to it by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in the case concerning Armed Activities
on the Territory of the Congo (Democratic Republic of the Congo v. Uganda).
The subsequent procedure has been reserved for further decision.
The decision to extend the time-limit was made taking account of the views of the Parties.
In his Order, the President indicates that, by a letter dated 16 November 2015 and filed in the
Registry on 23 November 2015, the Minister of Justice and Human Rights and Keeper of the Seals
of the Democratic Republic of the Congo requested the Court, for the reasons given in that letter, to
extend the time-limit for the filing of the Memorials of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and
the Republic of Uganda until “late April or mid-May 2016”.
The President adds that, by a letter dated 3 December 2015 and received in the Registry on
8 December 2015, the Agent of the Republic of Uganda indicated that his Government had no
objection to the extension of the time-limit requested by the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
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History of the proceedings
For the history of the proceedings, please see the Court’s 2005-2006 Annual Report
(paragraphs 121-134) and press release 2015/18 of 9 July 2015, both of which can be found on the
Court’s website (www.icj-cij.org).
* - 2 -
The full text of the Order of 10 December 2015 is available in the case file on the Court’s
website (under “Cases/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 Charter in June 1945 and began its activities in
April 1946. 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,
second, to give advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by duly authorized United
Nations organs and agencies of the system. 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.
Independent of the United Nations Secretariat, it is assisted by a Registry, its own international
secretariat, whose activities are both judicial and diplomatic, as well as administrative. The official
languages of the Court are French and English. Also known as the “World Court”, it is the only
court of a universal character with general jurisdiction.
The ICJ, a court open only to States for contentious proceedings, and to certain organs and
institutions of the United Nations system for 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 Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY, an ad hoc court created by the
Security Council), the International Criminal Court (ICC, the first permanent international criminal
court, established by treaty, which does not belong to the United Nations system), the Special
Tribunal for Lebanon (STL, an international judicial body with an independent legal personality,
established by the United Nations Security Council upon the request of the Lebanese Government
and composed of Lebanese and international judges), or the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA,
an independent institution which assists in the establishment of arbitral tribunals and facilitates
their work, in accordance with the Hague Convention of 1899).
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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)
- Extension of the time-limit for the filing of the Parties’ Memorials on reparations
Armed Activities on the Territory of the Congo (Democratic Republic of the Congo v. Uganda) - Extension of the time-limit for the filing of the Parties’ Memorials on reparations