“The Court had a significant role to play in promoting and encouraging the peaceful settlement of international disputes in accordance with the relevant statutes of the Charter — especially Articles 33 and 94 — and the Statute of the Court,” said the Permanent Representative of the Islamic republic of Iran to the United Nations, Gholamali Khoshroo on Thursday.
The Iranian UN ambassador made the remarks addressing a meeting of the UN General Assembly to study the annual report of the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Speaking on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement, Mr. Khoshroo reaffirmed and underscored the group’s principled position concerning the peaceful settlement of disputes and the non-use or threat of use of force.
Noting that the Security Council had not sought an advisory opinion from the Court since 1970, he urged the Council to make greater use of it as the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, including as a source of interpretation of relevant international law.
Also inviting the Assembly, along with the other organs and specialized agencies of the United Nations that were duly authorized, to request advisory opinions on legal questions arising within the scope of their work, he went on to reaffirm the importance of the Court’s 1996 advisory opinion on the “Legality of the Threat or Use of Nuclear Weapons”, which had concluded there existed an obligation to pursue in good faith and bring to a conclusion negotiations leading to nuclear disarmament in all aspects under strict and effective international control.
Additionally, he called on ‘Israeli regime’, the occupying Power, to fully respect the Court’s 2004 advisory opinion entitled, “Legal Consequences of the Construction of a Wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory”, and called on all States to respect and ensure respect for the provisions therein.
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