The Role of the International Court of Justice in Maintaining International Peace and Security

Maintaining international peace and security is considered to be the mission or at least one of the primary missions of the United Nations. As such, the rules and principles of the United Nations, as reflected in the UN Charter, are directly and indirectly tied to international peace and security. This contribution will study the role of the International Court of Justice in fulfilling this mission. After examining the conceptual evolution of international peace and security, the paper will examine the capacity and performance of the ICJ, as a court with international jurisdiction on a global scale and a pillar of the United Nations. As the main judicial organ of the United Nations, the ICJ plays an important role in maintaining international peace and security by way of its judgements and advisory opinions. It will be argued that due to the ICJ’s effect on the development of international law, the court plays an indirect but crucial role in maintaining international peace and security. It will also be argued that the court can play an even more active role in maintaining international peace and security through so-called normative supplementary jurisdiction.