INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE
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Press Release
Unofficial
No. 2017/17
10 May 2017
Proceedings instituted by the Republic of India against the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
Urgent Communication to Pakistan from the President
under Article 74, paragraph 4, of the Rules of Court
THE HAGUE, 10 May 2017. Acting in accordance with the powers conferred upon him by
Article 74, paragraph 4, of the Rules of Court, Judge Ronny Abraham, President of the
International Court of Justice (ICJ), the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, addressed
yesterday an urgent communication to the Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, with
a copy to the Government of the Republic of India, in the proceedings instituted by India against
Pakistan, on 8 May 2017 (see Press Release No. 2017/16).
Article 74, paragraph 4, of the Rules of Court stipulates that “[p]ending the meeting of the
Court, the President may call upon the parties to act in such a way as will enable any order the
Court may make on the request for provisional measures to have its appropriate effects.”
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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 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. - 2 -
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 and Ms Joanne Moore, Information Officers (+31 (0)70 302 2337)
Mr. Avo Sevag Garabet, Associate Information Officer (+31 (0)70 302 2394)
Ms Genoveva Madurga, Administrative Assistant (+31 (0)70 302 2396)
Proceedings instituted by the Republic of India against the Islamic Republic of Pakistan - Urgent Communication to Pakistan from the President under Article 74, paragraph 4, of the Rules of Court