The Responsibility of International Organizations and the International Court of Justice (Summary)

Abstract

Due to the recognition of the possibility to impose international legal responsibility on international organizations, the issue of international legal means to address disputes involving international organizations as parties to them is of particular interest. It should be noted, however, that the International Court of Justice as the principal judicial organ of the United Nations does not have jurisdiction to hear cases in which international organizations are parties. However, it does not deprive the International Court of Justice to issue an advisory opinion, and to resort to the procedure of inter-state proceedings as an indirect way to invoke the responsibility of international organizations.This strongly suggests the need for more detailed study of this issue, not only on a theoretical level, but also in practice. To this end, the article seeks to illustrate the very important role that the International Court of Justice has played and continues to play in matters relating to the responsibility of international organizations.

Keywords

• international organization
• international legal responsibility
• international court of justice
• advisory opinions
• invocation of responsibility