Public hearings to be held from Monday 19 to Monday 26 February 2024

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. 2024/15
9 February 2024
Legal Consequences arising from the Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem (Request for Advisory Opinion) Public hearings to be held from Monday 19 to Monday 26 February 2024
THE HAGUE, 9 February 2024. The International Court of Justice will hold public hearings on the request for an advisory opinion in respect of the Legal Consequences arising from the Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, from Monday 19 to Monday 26 February 2024 at the Peace Palace in The Hague, the seat of the Court.
Fifty-two States and three international organizations have expressed their intention to participate in the oral proceedings before the Court.
Schedule for the hearings
The schedule for the hearings adopted by the Court is as follows:
Monday 19 February 2024
10 a.m.-10.15 a.m.
Opening of the oral proceedings
10.15 a.m.-1.15 p.m.
State of Palestine
Tuesday 20 February 2024
10 a.m.-10.30 a.m.
South Africa
10.30 a.m.-11 a.m.
Algeria
11 a.m.-11.30 a.m.
Saudi Arabia
11.30 a.m.-11.40 a.m.
Break
11.40 a.m.-12.10 p.m.
Netherlands
12.10 p.m.-12.40 p.m.
Bangladesh
12.40 p.m.-1.10 p.m.
Belgium
3 p.m.-3.30 p.m.
Belize
3.30 p.m.-4 p.m.
Bolivia
4 p.m.-4.30 p.m.
Brazil
4.30 p.m.-4.40 p.m.
Break
4.40 p.m.-5.10 p.m.
Canada
5.10 p.m.-5.40 p.m.
Chile
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Wednesday 21 February 2024
10 a.m.-10.30 a.m.
Colombia
10.30 a.m.-11 a.m.
Comoros
11 a.m.-11.30 a.m.
Cuba
11.30 a.m.-11.40 a.m.
Break
11.40 a.m.-12.10 p.m.
Egypt
12.10 p.m.-12.40 p.m.
United Arab Emirates
12.40 p.m.-1.10 p.m.
United States of America
3 p.m.-3.30 p.m.
Russian Federation
3.30 p.m.-4 p.m.
France
4 p.m.-4.30 p.m.
The Gambia
4.30 p.m.-4.40 p.m.
Break
4.40 p.m.-5.10 p.m.
Guyana
5.10 p.m.-5.40 p.m.
Hungary
Thursday 22 February 2024
10 a.m.-10.30 a.m.
China
10.30 a.m.-11 a.m.
Iran
11 a.m.-11.30 a.m.
Iraq
11.30 a.m.-11.40 a.m.
Break
11.40 a.m.-12.10 p.m.
Ireland
12.10 p.m.-12.40 p.m.
Japan
12.40 p.m.-1.10 p.m.
Jordan
3 p.m.-3.30 p.m.
Kuwait
3.30 p.m.-4 p.m.
Lebanon
4 p.m.-4.30 p.m.
Libya
4.30 p.m.-4.40 p.m.
Break
4.40 p.m.-5.10 p.m.
Luxembourg
5.10 p.m.-5.40 p.m.
Malaysia
5.40 p.m.-6.10 p.m.
Mauritius
Friday 23 February 2024
10 a.m.-10.30 a.m.
Namibia
10.30 a.m.-11 a.m.
Norway
11 a.m.-11.30 a.m.
Oman
11.30 a.m.-11.40 a.m.
Break
11.40 a.m.-12.10 p.m.
Pakistan
12.10 p.m.-12.40 p.m.
Indonesia
12.40 p.m.-1.10 p.m.
Qatar
3 p.m.-3.30 p.m.
United Kingdom
3.30 p.m.-4 p.m.
Slovenia
4 p.m.-4.30 p.m.
Sudan
4.30 p.m.-4.40 p.m.
Break
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4.40 p.m.-5.10 p.m.
Switzerland
5.10 p.m.-5.40 p.m.
Syria
5.40 p.m.-6.10 p.m.
Tunisia
Monday 26 February 2024
10 a.m.-10.30 a.m.
Türkiye
10.30 a.m.-11 a.m.
Zambia
11 a.m.-11.30 a.m.
League of Arab States
11.30 a.m.-11.40 a.m.
Break
11.40 a.m.-12.10 p.m.
Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
12.10 p.m.-12.40 p.m.
African Union
3 p.m.-3.30 p.m.
Spain
3.30 p.m.-4 p.m.
Fiji
4 p.m.-4.30 p.m.
Maldives
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Members of the diplomatic corps, the public and the media will find below practical information regarding the organization of the hearings.
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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 of States not participating in the case will not be able to access the courtroom, but will be able to follow the proceedings live in a separate room in the Academy Building on the Peace Palace grounds. Those who wish to do so are requested to kindly fill out an online registration form by midnight (The Hague time) on Wednesday 14 February 2024. On presenting a confirmation of registration from the Information Department and valid diplomatic ID at the main gate of the Peace Palace on the day of the sitting, diplomats will be given a badge providing access to the viewing room. The online registration process may be closed sooner, should capacity be reached before the indicated deadline.
2. Members of the public
Only 15 seats will be available in the public gallery for each morning and afternoon session; these will be allocated to 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 a morning or afternoon session are requested to present themselves at the main gate of the Peace Palace 40 minutes before the start of the sitting at the latest. They will be given a badge providing access to the public gallery upon presentation of valid ID.
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3. Media representatives
Media representatives who wish to attend the hearings are requested to kindly fill out an online accreditation form by midnight (The Hague time) on Wednesday 14 February 2024. Requests submitted after this deadline will not be considered. Accreditation requests will be considered on a first-come first-served basis. The online accreditation process may be closed sooner, should capacity be reached before the indicated deadline. No requests received by phone or email will be accepted.
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
A limited number of professional photographers and camera operators will be permitted to enter the courtroom for a few minutes at the start of the morning and afternoon sessions. They will be accompanied by members 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 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 (to download, click on Multimedia) and X (formerly Twitter) feed (@CIJ_ICJ).
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Procedure of the Court and history of the proceedings
An explanatory note setting out the procedure followed by the Court with regard to requests for advisory opinions has been published on its website.
On 30 December 2022, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted resolution A/RES/77/247 in which, referring to Article 65 of the Statute of the Court, it requested the
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International Court of Justice to give an advisory opinion. The relevant part of the resolution reads as follows:
“The General Assembly,
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
18. Decides, in accordance with Article 96 of the Charter of the United Nations, to request the International Court of Justice, pursuant to Article 65 of the Statute of the Court, to render an advisory opinion on the following questions, considering the rules and principles of international law, including the Charter of the United Nations, international humanitarian law, international human rights law, relevant resolutions of the Security Council, the General Assembly and the Human Rights Council, and the advisory opinion of the Court of 9 July 2004:
(a) What are the legal consequences arising from the ongoing violation by Israel of the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, from its prolonged occupation, settlement and annexation of the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including measures aimed at altering the demographic composition, character and status of the Holy City of Jerusalem, and from its adoption of related discriminatory legislation and measures?
(b) How do the policies and practices of Israel referred to in paragraph 18 (a) above affect the legal status of the occupation, and what are the legal consequences that arise for all States and the United Nations from this status?”
By a letter dated 17 January 2023, the Secretary-General of the United Nations transmitted the request for an advisory opinion to the Court. By letters dated 19 January 2023, the Registrar gave notice of that request to all States entitled to appear before the Court, pursuant to Article 66, paragraph 1, of the Statute.
By an Order dated 3 February 2023, the Court decided “that the United Nations and its Member States, as well as the observer State of Palestine, are considered likely to be able to furnish information on the questions submitted to the Court for an advisory opinion and may do so within the time-limits fixed in th[e] Order”. Pursuant to Article 66, paragraph 2, of its Statute, the Court fixed 25 July 2023 as the time-limit for the presentation of written statements on the questions. Fifty-seven written statements were filed in the Registry within that time-limit (see press release No. 2023/43). By the same Order, the Court fixed 25 October 2023 as the time-limit within which States and organizations having presented written statements may submit written comments on the written statements made by other States or organizations, in accordance with Article 66, paragraph 4, of its Statute.
The Court subsequently authorized, at their request, the League of Arab States, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the African Union to participate in the proceedings.
Pursuant to Article 106 of the Rules of Court, the Court may decide to make the written statements accessible to the public on or after the opening of the oral proceedings.
Earlier press releases relating to this case are available on the Court’s website.
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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]