Order of 12 July 2013

Document Number
149-20130712-ORD-01-00-EN
Document Type
Date of the Document
Document File
Bilingual Document File

COUR INTERNATIONALE DE JUSTICE

RECUEIL DES ARRÊTS,
AVIS CONSULTATIFS ET ORDONNANCES

DIFFÉREND FRONTALIER

(BURKINA FASO/NIGER)

DÉSIGNATION D’EXPERTS

ORDONNANCE DU 12 JUILLET 2013

2013

INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE

REPORTS OF JUDGMENTS,
ADVISORY OPINIONS AND ORDERS

FRONTIER DISPUTE

(BURKINA FASO/NIGER)

NOMINATION OF EXPERTS

ORDER OF 12 JULY 2013

4 CIJ1047.indb 1 8/05/14 09:44 Mode officiel de citation :
Différend frontalier (Burkina Faso/Niger),
ordonnance du 12 juillet 2013, désignation d’experts,
C.I.J. Recueil 2013, p. 226

Official citation :

Frontier Dispute (Burkina Faso/Niger),
Order of 12 July 2013, Nomination of Experts,
I.C.J. Reports 2013, p. 226

o
N de vente:
ISSN 0074-4441 Sales number 1047
ISBN 978-92-1-071162-3

4 CIJ1047.indb 2 8/05/14 09:44 12 JUILLET 2013

ORDONNANCE

DIFFÉREND FRONTALIER

(BURKINA FASO/NIGER)

DÉSIGNATION D’EXPERTS

FRONTIER DISPUTE

(BURKINA FASO/NIGER)

NOMINATION OF EXPERTS

12 JULY 2013

ORDER

4 CIJ1047.indb 3 8/05/14 09:44 226

INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE

YEAR 2013
2013
12 July
12 July 2013 General List
No. 149

FRONTIER DISPUTE

(BURKINA FASO/NIGER)

NOMINATION OF EXPERTS

ORDER

Present: President Tomka ; Vice-President Sepúlveda-Amor ; Judges
Keith, Skotnikov, Cançadgo Trindade, Yusuf, Greenwoogd,

Xue, Donoghue, Gaja, Sebutignde, Bhandari ;Judges ad hoc
Mahiou, Daudet ; Registrar Couvreur.

The International Court of Justice,

Composed as above,
After deliberation,

Having regard to Article 48 of its Statute,

Makes the following Order :

Having regard to Article 7 of the Special Agreement concluded between
the Parties on 24 February 2009, whereby the Parties agreed to effect
the demarcation of their common frontier in the disputed area within
18 months following the Judgment of the Court, and to request the
Court “to nominate, in its Judgment, three (3) experts to assist them as

necessary in the demarcation”,
Having regard to the Judgment delivered by the Court on 16 April 2013,
paragraph 113 of which states :

“The Court is ready to accept the task which the Parties have thus

entrusted to it. However, having regard to the circumstances of the

4

4 CIJ1047.indb 5 8/05/14 09:44 frontier dispute (ordger 12 VII 13) 227

present case, the Court is of the opinion that it is inappropriate at thgis
juncture to make the nominations requested by the Parties. It will do

so later by means of an Order, after ascertaining the views of the Par-
ties, particularly as regards the practical aspects of the exercise by tghe
experts of their functions (see Frontier Dispute (Burkina Faso/Repu -
blic of Mali), Judgment, I.C.J. Reports 1986, p. 648, para. 176)” ;

Whereas the Agent of Burkina Faso and the Agent of Niger have com -
municated the views of their respective Governments on, inter alia, the
practical aspects of the work of the experts to be appointed by the Courgt;

whereas the Agent of Burkina Faso indicated, by letter of 30 May 2013,
that
“[the said] experts w[ould] be able to assist in particular with : the

determination of the conversion parameters between the map system
(Clarke 1880) and WGS 84 ; the determination of the median line of
the Sirba in accordance with the reasoning of the Court ; the course
of the frontier in the areas where the IGN line is broken and where a
straight line must be used or a natural line followed” ;

and whereas the Agent of Niger stated, in a letter of 23 May 2013, that
the said experts should help the Parties to identify “the 1960 IGN Frgance
line, from the Tao astronomic marker to the River Sirba at Bosséban -

gou” and the “points defined by the Court in its Judgment of 16 April 2013
(points SB, A, B, C and I) through which the frontier passes” ;
Whereas the Parties are requesting the Court, not to order an expert

opinion within the meaning of Article 50 of the Statute of the Court, the
purpose of which would be “to assist the Court in giving judgment upogn
the issues submitted to it for decision” (Application for Revision and Inter-
pretation of the Judgment of 24 February 1982 in the Case concerning the
Continental Shelf (Tunisia/Libyan Arab Jamahiriya) (Tunisia v. Libyan
Arab Jamahiriya), Judgment, I.C.J. Reports 1985, p. 228, para. 65), and

any costs of which would be borne by the Court under Article 68 of its
Rules, but to exercise a power, conferred upon it by the Special Agree -
ment, of nominating three persons whom the Parties have themselves
decided to entrust with the task of giving an expert opinion for the purg -
pose of implementing the Judgment of the Court ;

Whereas there is nothing in the Statute to prevent the Court from exercis -
ing this power, the very purpose of which is to enable the Parties to acghieve
a final settlement of their dispute in implementation of the Judgment gwhich

it has delivered; and whereas the Court has already exercised such a power
in the past (see Frontier Dispute (Burkina Faso/Republic of Mali), Nomina -
tion of Experts, Order of 9 April 1987, I.C.J. Reports 1987, p. 7);

The Court,
1. Nominates, pursuant to Article 7, paragraph 4, of the Special Agree -

ment, the following three experts who will assist the Parties in the opegra-
tion of demarcation of their frontier in the disputed area :

5

4 CIJ1047.indb 7 8/05/14 09:44 frontier dispute (ordger 12 VII 13) 228

Mr. Gérard Cosquer, of French nationality, State Senior Survey Engi -

neer ;
Mr. Luc Ghys, of Belgian nationality, Surveyor and Geodetic, Carto -
graphic and Topographic Consultant ;
Mr. Cyril Romieu, of French nationality, Topographic and Geodetic
Surveyor, Geodetic and Topographic Consultant ;

2. Authorizes the President, in the event of a vacancy in the group of
three experts thus appointed, to nominate a substitute to carry out or

complete the demarcation.

Done in French and in English, the French text being authoritative, at
the Peace Palace, The Hague, this twelfth day of July, two thousand and
thirteen, in three copies, one of which will be placed in the archives ogf the

Court and the others transmitted to the Government of Burkina Faso
and the Government of the Republic of Niger, respectively.

(Signed) Peter Tomka,

President.

(Signed) Philippe Couvreur,
Registrar.

6

4 CIJ1047.indb 9 8/05/14 09:44

Bilingual Content

COUR INTERNATIONALE DE JUSTICE

RECUEIL DES ARRÊTS,
AVIS CONSULTATIFS ET ORDONNANCES

DIFFÉREND FRONTALIER

(BURKINA FASO/NIGER)

DÉSIGNATION D’EXPERTS

ORDONNANCE DU 12 JUILLET 2013

2013

INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE

REPORTS OF JUDGMENTS,
ADVISORY OPINIONS AND ORDERS

FRONTIER DISPUTE

(BURKINA FASO/NIGER)

NOMINATION OF EXPERTS

ORDER OF 12 JULY 2013

4 CIJ1047.indb 1 8/05/14 09:44 Mode officiel de citation :
Différend frontalier (Burkina Faso/Niger),
ordonnance du 12 juillet 2013, désignation d’experts,
C.I.J. Recueil 2013, p. 226

Official citation :

Frontier Dispute (Burkina Faso/Niger),
Order of 12 July 2013, Nomination of Experts,
I.C.J. Reports 2013, p. 226

o
N de vente:
ISSN 0074-4441 Sales number 1047
ISBN 978-92-1-071162-3

4 CIJ1047.indb 2 8/05/14 09:44 12 JUILLET 2013

ORDONNANCE

DIFFÉREND FRONTALIER

(BURKINA FASO/NIGER)

DÉSIGNATION D’EXPERTS

FRONTIER DISPUTE

(BURKINA FASO/NIGER)

NOMINATION OF EXPERTS

12 JULY 2013

ORDER

4 CIJ1047.indb 3 8/05/14 09:44 226

COUR INTERNATIONALE DE JUSTICE

ANNÉE 2013
2013
12 juillet
Rôle général 12 juillet 2013
n 149

DIFFÉREND FRONTALIER

(BURKINA FASO/NIGER)

DÉSIGNATION D’EXPERTS

ORDONNANCE

Présents : M. Tomka, président ; M. Sepúlveda-Amor, vice-président ;
MM. Keith, Skotnikov, Cançado Trindade, Yusuf,
Greenwood, M mesXue, Donoghue, M. Gaja, M meSebutinde,
M. Bhandari, juges ; MM. Mahiou, Daudet, juges ad hoc ;

M. Couvreur, greffier.

La Cour internationale de Justice,

Ainsi composée,

Après délibéré en chambre du conseil,
Vu l’article 48 de son Statut,

Rend l’ordonnance suivante :

Vu l’article 7 du compromis conclu entre les Parties le 24 février 2009,
par lequel les Parties sont convenues de procéder dans les dix-huit mois

suivant l’arrêt de la Cour à la démarcation de leur frontiègre commune
dans la zone contestée et de prier la Cour «de désigner dans son arrêt
trois (3) experts qui les assisteront en tant que de besoin aux fins de la
démarcation »,

Vu l’arrêt rendu par la Cour le 16 avril 2013, au paragraphe 113 duquel
la Cour s’est exprimée comme suit :

«La Cour est prête à accepter la mission que les Parties lui ont aignsi
confiée. Toutefois, eu égard aux circonstances de la présente espèce, la

4

4 CIJ1047.indb 4 8/05/14 09:44 226

INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE

YEAR 2013
2013
12 July
12 July 2013 General List
No. 149

FRONTIER DISPUTE

(BURKINA FASO/NIGER)

NOMINATION OF EXPERTS

ORDER

Present: President Tomka ; Vice-President Sepúlveda-Amor ; Judges
Keith, Skotnikov, Cançadgo Trindade, Yusuf, Greenwoogd,

Xue, Donoghue, Gaja, Sebutignde, Bhandari ;Judges ad hoc
Mahiou, Daudet ; Registrar Couvreur.

The International Court of Justice,

Composed as above,
After deliberation,

Having regard to Article 48 of its Statute,

Makes the following Order :

Having regard to Article 7 of the Special Agreement concluded between
the Parties on 24 February 2009, whereby the Parties agreed to effect
the demarcation of their common frontier in the disputed area within
18 months following the Judgment of the Court, and to request the
Court “to nominate, in its Judgment, three (3) experts to assist them as

necessary in the demarcation”,
Having regard to the Judgment delivered by the Court on 16 April 2013,
paragraph 113 of which states :

“The Court is ready to accept the task which the Parties have thus

entrusted to it. However, having regard to the circumstances of the

4

4 CIJ1047.indb 5 8/05/14 09:44 227 différend frontalier g(ordonnance 12 VII 13)

Cour est d’avis qu’il n’y a pas lieu de procéder pour l’ignstant à la
désignation sollicitée par les Parties. Elle y procédera plus tgard, par

voie d’ordonnance, après s’être informée des vues de cellges-ci, notam -
ment en ce qui concerne les aspects pratiques de l’exercice par les
experts de leurs fonctions (voir Différend frontalier (Burkina Faso/
République du Mali), arrêt, C.I.J. Recueil 1986, p. 648, par. 176) »;

Considérant que l’agent du Burkina Faso et l’agent du Niger ont com -
muniqué les vues de leurs gouvernements respectifs en ce qui concerne,
notamment, les aspects pratiques de l’exercice, par les experts qui seront

désignés par la Cour, de leurs fonctions ; que l’agent du Burkina Faso a
indiqué, par lettre du 30 mai 2013, que les
«axes d’intervention des[dits] experts pourr[aie]nt être : la détermina-

tion des paramètres de passage entre le système de la carte (Clargke
1880) et le WGS 84 ; la détermination de la ligne médiane de la Sirba
en conformité avec les motivations de la Cour; le tracé de la frontière
dans les zones où la ligne IGN est discontinue et où il faut utiliser un
segment de droite ou suivre une ligne naturelle »;

et que l’agent du Niger a indiqué, par lettre du 23 mai 2013, que lesdits
experts devraient aider les Parties à identifier « le tracé IGN France 1960,
de la borne astronomique de Tao à la rivière Sirba à Bossébagngou», ainsi

que «les points de passage de la frontière définis par la Cour dans lg’arrêt
du 16 avril 2013 (points SB, A, B, C et I) »;
Considérant que ce que les Parties demandent à la Cour n’est pags d’or-

donner une expertise au sens de l’article 50 du Statut de la Cour, dont le
but serait « d’aider la Cour à se prononcer sur les questions qu’elle est
appelée à trancher » (Demande en revision et en interprétation de l’arrêt
du 24 février 1982 en l’affaire du Plateau continental (Tunisie/Jamahiriya
arabe libyenne) (Tunisie c. Jamahiriya arabe libyenne), C.I.J. Recueil
1985, p. 228, par. 65) et dont le coût serait, le cas échéant, supporté par la

Cour conformément à l’article 68 de son Règlement, mais est d’exercer un
pouvoir qui lui est conféré par le compromis, celui de désigner trois per -
sonnes auxquelles les Parties elles-mêmes ont décidé de confier une exper -
tise en vue de la mise en œuvre de l’arrêt de la Cour ;

Considérant que rien dans le Statut ne s’oppose à ce que la Cougr exerce
ce pouvoir, dont le but est précisément de permettre aux Parties dge parve -
nir à un règlement définitif de leur différend en applicgation de l’arrêt

qu’elle a rendu ; et que la Cour a déjà exercé un tel pouvoir par le passé
(voir Différend frontalier (Burkina Faso/République du Mali), désig▯nation
d’experts, ordonnance du 9 avril 1987, C.I.J. Recueil 1987, p. 7) ;

La Cour,
1. Désigne, conformément à l’article 7, paragraphe 4, du compromis,

les trois experts suivants, qui assisteront les Parties aux fins de l’gopération
de démarcation de leur frontière dans la zone contestée :

5

4 CIJ1047.indb 6 8/05/14 09:44 frontier dispute (ordger 12 VII 13) 227

present case, the Court is of the opinion that it is inappropriate at thgis
juncture to make the nominations requested by the Parties. It will do

so later by means of an Order, after ascertaining the views of the Par-
ties, particularly as regards the practical aspects of the exercise by tghe
experts of their functions (see Frontier Dispute (Burkina Faso/Repu -
blic of Mali), Judgment, I.C.J. Reports 1986, p. 648, para. 176)” ;

Whereas the Agent of Burkina Faso and the Agent of Niger have com -
municated the views of their respective Governments on, inter alia, the
practical aspects of the work of the experts to be appointed by the Courgt;

whereas the Agent of Burkina Faso indicated, by letter of 30 May 2013,
that
“[the said] experts w[ould] be able to assist in particular with : the

determination of the conversion parameters between the map system
(Clarke 1880) and WGS 84 ; the determination of the median line of
the Sirba in accordance with the reasoning of the Court ; the course
of the frontier in the areas where the IGN line is broken and where a
straight line must be used or a natural line followed” ;

and whereas the Agent of Niger stated, in a letter of 23 May 2013, that
the said experts should help the Parties to identify “the 1960 IGN Frgance
line, from the Tao astronomic marker to the River Sirba at Bosséban -

gou” and the “points defined by the Court in its Judgment of 16 April 2013
(points SB, A, B, C and I) through which the frontier passes” ;
Whereas the Parties are requesting the Court, not to order an expert

opinion within the meaning of Article 50 of the Statute of the Court, the
purpose of which would be “to assist the Court in giving judgment upogn
the issues submitted to it for decision” (Application for Revision and Inter-
pretation of the Judgment of 24 February 1982 in the Case concerning the
Continental Shelf (Tunisia/Libyan Arab Jamahiriya) (Tunisia v. Libyan
Arab Jamahiriya), Judgment, I.C.J. Reports 1985, p. 228, para. 65), and

any costs of which would be borne by the Court under Article 68 of its
Rules, but to exercise a power, conferred upon it by the Special Agree -
ment, of nominating three persons whom the Parties have themselves
decided to entrust with the task of giving an expert opinion for the purg -
pose of implementing the Judgment of the Court ;

Whereas there is nothing in the Statute to prevent the Court from exercis -
ing this power, the very purpose of which is to enable the Parties to acghieve
a final settlement of their dispute in implementation of the Judgment gwhich

it has delivered; and whereas the Court has already exercised such a power
in the past (see Frontier Dispute (Burkina Faso/Republic of Mali), Nomina -
tion of Experts, Order of 9 April 1987, I.C.J. Reports 1987, p. 7);

The Court,
1. Nominates, pursuant to Article 7, paragraph 4, of the Special Agree -

ment, the following three experts who will assist the Parties in the opegra-
tion of demarcation of their frontier in the disputed area :

5

4 CIJ1047.indb 7 8/05/14 09:44 228 différend frontalier g(ordonnance 12 VII 13)

M. Gérard Cosquer, de nationalité française, ingénieur divisionnaire

des travaux géographiques et cartographiques de l’Etat ;
M. Luc Ghys, de nationalité belge, ingénieur géomètre, expert consugl -
tant en géodésie, cartographie et topographie ;
M. Cyril Romieu, de nationalité française, ingénieur topographe et
géodésien, expert consultant en géodésie et en topographie ;

2. Autorise le président, au cas où il se produirait une vacance au sein
du groupe des trois experts ainsi nommés, à désigner un suppléant pour

effectuer ou achever l’opération de démarcation.

Fait en français et en anglais, le texte français faisant foi, au Palais de
la Paix, à La Haye, le douze juillet deux mille treize, en trois exemplaires,
dont l’un restera déposé aux archives de la Cour et les autres gseront trans-

mis respectivement au Gouvernement du Burkina Faso et au Gouverne -
ment de la République du Niger.

Le président,

(Signé) Peter Tomka.

Le greffier,
(Signé) Philippe Couvreur.

6

4 CIJ1047.indb 8 8/05/14 09:44 frontier dispute (ordger 12 VII 13) 228

Mr. Gérard Cosquer, of French nationality, State Senior Survey Engi -

neer ;
Mr. Luc Ghys, of Belgian nationality, Surveyor and Geodetic, Carto -
graphic and Topographic Consultant ;
Mr. Cyril Romieu, of French nationality, Topographic and Geodetic
Surveyor, Geodetic and Topographic Consultant ;

2. Authorizes the President, in the event of a vacancy in the group of
three experts thus appointed, to nominate a substitute to carry out or

complete the demarcation.

Done in French and in English, the French text being authoritative, at
the Peace Palace, The Hague, this twelfth day of July, two thousand and
thirteen, in three copies, one of which will be placed in the archives ogf the

Court and the others transmitted to the Government of Burkina Faso
and the Government of the Republic of Niger, respectively.

(Signed) Peter Tomka,

President.

(Signed) Philippe Couvreur,
Registrar.

6

4 CIJ1047.indb 9 8/05/14 09:44

ICJ document subtitle

Nomination of experts

Document file FR
Document Long Title

Order of 12 July 2013

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