Who sits on the International Court of Justice? What is standing before the ICJ?

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations (UN) and the only international court that adjudicates general disputes between nations, and gives advisory opinions on international legal issues. It is located in The Hague, Netherlands, and has 15 judges elected by the UN General Assembly and Security Council for nine-year terms.

The ICJ has jurisdiction over cases involving international law, treaties, conventions, declarations, and other sources of law. The ICJ can hear cases brought by states against other states, or by certain UN organs and agencies seeking its advisory opinions.

The ICJ cannot hear cases involving individuals, non-governmental organizations, corporations, or other non-state entities. Currently, the ICJ has 16 pending cases before it, involving various issues such as maritime disputes, territorial sovereignty, human rights, environmental protection, genocide, and diplomatic immunity.

Some of the parties involved are Iran, the United States, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Somalia, Kenya, Myanmar, Gambia, Colombia, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Guyana, and Equatorial Guinea.