International Court of Justice (ICJ)

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, established to resolve legal disputes between sovereign states based on international law. It also provides advisory opinions on legal questions referred by authorized UN bodies. Composed of 15 judges elected by the UN General Assembly and Security Council, the ICJ’s authority is limited by its inability to initiate cases independently and its reliance on the UN Security Council for enforcement of its rulings.