Application of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (Armenia v. Azerbaijan) - Request for the indication of provisional measures The Court to hold public hearings on Thursday 12 October 2023

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
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Press Release
Unofficial
No. 2023/52
6 October 2023
Application of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (Armenia v. Azerbaijan) Request for the indication of provisional measures The Court to hold public hearings on Thursday 12 October 2023
THE HAGUE, 6 October 2023. The International Court of Justice, the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, will hold public hearings in the case concerning Application of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (Armenia v. Azerbaijan) on Thursday 12 October 2023, at the Peace Palace in The Hague, the seat of the Court.
The hearings will be devoted to the request for the indication of provisional measures submitted by the Republic of Armenia on 28 September 2023.
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Schedule for the hearings
Thursday 12 October 2023 10 a.m.-12 noon: Single round of oral argument (Armenia)
4 p.m.-6 p.m.: Single round of oral argument (Azerbaijan)
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History of the proceedings
On 16 September 2021, Armenia filed an Application instituting proceedings against Azerbaijan with regard to alleged violations of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. The Application also contained a Request for the indication of provisional measures. By an Order dated 7 December 2021, the Court indicated certain provisional measures. Armenia subsequently requested that the Court’s Order be modified. By an Order of 12 October 2022, the Court decided that the circumstances cited by Armenia “[did] not constitute a change in the situation justifying modification of the Order”.
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On 28 December 2022, Armenia submitted a second Request for the indication of provisional measures, in which it sought, in particular, to have the Court direct Azerbaijan to “cease its orchestration and support of the alleged ‘protests’ blocking uninterrupted free movement along the Lachin Corridor in both directions” and to “ensure uninterrupted free movement of all persons, vehicles, and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions”. By an Order dated 22 February 2023, the Court, by thirteen votes to two, indicated a provisional measure.
On 21 April 2023, Azerbaijan raised preliminary objections to the jurisdiction of the Court and, in accordance with Article 79bis, paragraph 3, of the Rules of Court, the proceedings on the merits were therefore suspended, pending a decision of the Court on these preliminary objections.
On 15 May 2023, the Court received a Request from Armenia to modify its Order of 22 February 2023. In its Order of 6 July 2023, the Court concluded that the circumstances to which Armenia referred to in its Request did not “constitute a change in the situation justifying modification of [its] Order”.
On 29 September 2023, Armenia submitted a new Request to the Court for the indication of provisional measures. The requested measures are set out in press release 2023/51, available on the Court’s website, together with earlier press releases relating to this case.
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Members of the diplomatic corps, the media and the public will find practical information regarding the organization of the hearings, which will take place in person, below.
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A. Practical information and admission procedures
There will be no parking on the Peace Palace grounds.
1. Members of the diplomatic corps
Owing to the limited number of seats available in the Great Hall of Justice, members of the diplomatic corps who wish to attend the hearings are requested to kindly fill in an online registration form by Tuesday 10 October 2023 at the latest, indicating which session(s) they wish to attend. Seats in the Great Hall of Justice will be allocated on the basis of availability. On presenting a confirmation of registration from the Information Department and a valid diplomatic ID at the main gate of the Peace Palace on the day of the hearings, diplomats will be provided with a badge giving access to the Great Hall of Justice.
2. Members of the public
A limited number of seats in the public gallery will be available for members of the public on a first-come first-served basis. There will be no advance registration procedure, and admission requests submitted beforehand will not be considered. Members of the public wishing to attend the hearings are requested to present themselves at the main gate of the Peace Palace 40 minutes before the start of the public session they wish to attend. They will be provided with a badge giving access to the public gallery upon presentation of valid ID. The security officers at the gate will notify those
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concerned once all seats available for members of the public have been filled. Admission to the public gallery will close 20 minutes before the start of the hearings.
3. Media representatives
Media representatives who wish to attend the hearings are subject to an online accreditation procedure, which will close at midnight on Tuesday 10 October 2023 (The Hague time). Requests submitted after this deadline will not be considered. The Court’s Press Room can accommodate 30 people only. Accreditation requests will be considered on a first-come first-served basis.
B. Further practical information for the media
1. Entry to the Peace Palace
Only duly accredited individuals with valid identification will be permitted to enter the Peace Palace grounds. Accredited media representatives must bring with them their personal ID and press card. They are asked to arrive at the Peace Palace gates no later than 30 minutes before the start of the hearings. The Press Room will be open one and a half hours before the start of the hearings and will close one hour after they conclude.
2. Access to the courtroom
Photographers and camera crews will only be permitted to enter the courtroom for a few minutes before the opening of the oral arguments of each Party. They will be accompanied by a member of the Information Department. Other media representatives will not have access to the courtroom.
3. Press Room
The hearings will be transmitted live on a large screen in the two official languages of the Court, English and French, in a press room equipped with shared internet access (Wi-Fi and Ethernet). TV crews can connect to the Court’s PAL (HD and SD) and NTSC (SD) audiovisual system, and radio reporters to the audio system.
4. Multimedia
The hearings will be streamed live and on demand (VOD) in the two official languages of the Court, English and French, on the Court’s website and on UN Web TV. High-resolution video clips and still photos produced by the Registry during the hearings will be available free of charge and free of copyright for editorial, non-commercial use, on the Court’s website and X (formerly Twitter) feed (@CIJ_ICJ) (to download, click on Multimedia).
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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, 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:
Ms Monique Legerman, First Secretary of the Court, Head of Department: +31 (0)70 302 2336
Ms Joanne Moore, Information Officer: +31 (0)70 302 2337
Mr Avo Sevag Garabet, Associate Information Officer: +31 (0)70 302 2394
Email: [email protected]