{"id":14120,"date":"2025-10-29T15:10:44","date_gmt":"2025-10-29T13:10:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jhb-webdevelopers\/channelafrica\/news\/icj-president-yuji-iwasawa-highlights-courts-mission-to-uphold-peace-international-law\/"},"modified":"2026-02-27T16:26:45","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T14:26:45","slug":"icj-president-yuji-iwasawa-highlights-courts-mission-to-uphold-peace-international-law","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/news\/icj-president-yuji-iwasawa-highlights-courts-mission-to-uphold-peace-international-law\/","title":{"rendered":"ICJ President Yuji Iwasawa highlights court\u2019s mission to uphold peace, international law"},"content":{"rendered":"

Speaking to <\/span>UN News<\/span><\/em>, Iwasawa outlined his priorities since assuming office in March this year, including improving the court\u2019s efficiency, maintaining public confidence, and making the ICJ\u2019s work more accessible to people around the world.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Iwasawa explained that the ICJ, also known as the World Court, is the UN\u2019s top judicial body and is responsible for settling disputes between states based on international law.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThe task of the court is to settle disputes among states peacefully <\/span>on the basis of<\/span> international law,\u201d he said. \u201c<\/span>It\u2019s important that people understand<\/span> we do not deal with individuals, but with interstate cases.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He noted that the ICJ\u2019s work is often misunderstood and confused with that of the International Criminal Court, which prosecutes individuals for war crimes and crimes against humanity.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The ICJ\u2019s rulings often carry political implications, with some decisions sparking controversy among member states. Iwasawa acknowledged these sensitivities but said the court\u2019s focus remains firmly on the rule of law.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWhile the court is not blind to the political or humanitarian context behind disputes, its task is to apply international law to the legal questions before it,\u201d he explained.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He added that the ICJ can only act when states consent to its jurisdiction, highlighting the importance of state cooperation and mutual respect in the international system.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Iwasawa discussed two major advisory opinions issued this year, one clarifying Israel\u2019s obligations to Palestinians living under occupation, and another recognising states\u2019 duty to prevent environmental harm.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Although advisory opinions are not legally binding, he said they are widely regarded as \u201cauthoritative statements of international law\u201d that help guide policy decisions worldwide.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThe obligation to prevent significant harm to the environment is now recognised as a norm of customary international law,\u201d he said, adding that this opinion could influence ongoing and future climate litigation.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Iwasawa said his main goal is to strengthen trust in the ICJ by delivering impartial, high-quality judgments. He also plans to modernise the court\u2019s procedures and improve public engagement.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWe are celebrating the 80th anniversary of the court\u2019s inaugural session next April,\u201d he said. \u201cOne of our aims is to make our work more accessible to the public through short videos and other outreach initiatives.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He emphasised that maintaining the ICJ\u2019s credibility and accessibility will be key to ensuring that states continue to view it as a cornerstone of international peace and justice.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

–UN\/ChannelAfrica–<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":14121,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"news-type":[78,26],"class_list":["post-14120","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-type-featured","news-type-general_news","entry"],"acf":{"short_description":"The new President of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Yuji Iwasawa, has reaffirmed the court\u2019s vital role in promoting the peaceful resolution of disputes between nations and strengthening global trust in international law.","published_date":null,"news_description":"The new President of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Yuji Iwasawa, has reaffirmed the court\u2019s vital role in promoting the peaceful resolution of disputes between nations and strengthening global trust in international law.","form_embed":"","author":"","image_caption":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/14120","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/14120\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18925,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/14120\/revisions\/18925"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14121"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14120"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"news-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-type?post=14120"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}