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The ICJ and the Security Council

The complex relationship between the Court and the Council, from enforcement to parallel proceedings.

Structural Relationship

The ICJ and the Security Council are both principal organs of the United Nations, but they operate independently. The Council is a political body responsible for maintaining international peace and security. The Court is a judicial body that applies international law. Their relationship is defined by several provisions: the Council participates in electing ICJ judges, can recommend terms for non-UN members to access the Court, and is the enforcement mechanism for ICJ judgments under Article 94.

The Council can also request advisory opinions from the ICJ, though it has done so rarely. More controversially, the Council has sometimes taken action on matters simultaneously under consideration by the Court, raising questions about whether the two organs respect each other's roles.