THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) 鈥� The United Nations secretary-general warned on Friday that international law was eroding before the world鈥檚 eyes, during a speech celebrating the 80th year anniversary of the World Court.
鈥淭he force of law must always prevail over the law of force,鈥� Ant贸nio Guterres told dignitaries gathered in the ornate Great Hall at the in The Hague.
The celebration at the highest court of the United Nations stood in contrast to the strain on the international legal framework. U.S. President Donald Trump recently , an action that would be so far-reaching that some experts in military law said it could constitute a war crime. Sudan just between the military and paramilitary forces and in violation of an order from the ICJ.
鈥淧owerful states have thrown out the rule book and perform disdain for international law,鈥� Janina Dill, an expert in international law at Oxford University, told The Associated Press.
The court is the busiest it has been in its history, , the and even .
In his address to the ceremony, presiding judge Yuji Iwasawa said the court responds to these challenges simply by carrying out its function of 鈥渋nterpreting and applying international law rigorously and in good faith.鈥�
Set up in the aftermath of World War II, the ICJ adjudicates disputes between countries. Certain U.N. bodies, including the General Assembly, can request advisory opinions from the court鈥檚 15 judges.
All 193 U.N. member states are members of the ICJ, though not all of them automatically recognize its jurisdiction.
When the court held its inaugural session in 1946, it only counted 51 countries as its members. That event was attended by Queen Juliana of the Netherlands. Her grandson, King Willem-Alexander, attended the 80th anniversary celebration on Friday.
A year after the opening, the United Kingdom filed the court鈥檚 first case when it brought a complaint against Albania over damage to naval ships on the Corfu Channel.
The judges are currently considering allegations of genocide against of the and against . Both countries deny the allegations.
Some disputes on the court鈥檚 docket predate its existence. Guyana has asked the court to weigh on a , a legal battle which has been waged since 1899.
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