New york: The Hague: Ambassador Jamal Fares Al Rowaie, Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the United Nations in New York, participated in the official ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of the inaugural session of the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
According to Bahrain News Agency, the event took place in the Great Hall of Justice of the Peace Palace in The Hague, Kingdom of the Netherlands. Distinguished attendees included His Majesty King Willem-Alexander of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Ant³nio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, Judge Iwasawa Yuji, President of the International Court of Justice, Tom Berendsen, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, and Annalena Baerbock, President of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly.
In his remarks as President of the United Nations Security Council for April, Ambassador Al Rowaie commended the ICJ, its judges, and its Registry for their dedication to the international community. He highlighted the anniversary as an opportunity to reaffirm the Court's central role and the importance of international law in supporting the United Nations' purpose of peaceful dispute settlement and adherence to the principles of the UN Charter.
Ambassador Al Rowaie emphasized the significance of the ICJ's establishment in 1945 as a milestone in international legal institutions, reflecting efforts to create a permanent judicial body for peaceful dispute resolution. He noted that the Court was established under Article 92 of the UN Charter and contributes to strengthening judicial settlement in line with Article 33 of the Charter, as reaffirmed by the Security Council in Resolution 2788 (2025).
He further highlighted the Court's role since 1946 in peacefully settling disputes and preventing crises through state consent-based cases. The election of ICJ judges by both the General Assembly and the Security Council underscores the collective responsibility to ensure the Court comprises jurists of the highest standing from various legal systems and civilizations.
The Permanent Representative also noted the increasing number of cases brought before the Court, reflecting states' confidence in judicial settlement according to international law. He welcomed the ICJ Judicial Fellowship Programme's positive impact in developing new generations of public international law professionals since its inception in 1999.