Welcome to the International Court of Justice
Dear Delegates,
Welcome to the International Court of Justice at the twenty-eighth session of the Ivy League Model United Nations Conference! My name is Gandharv Bedi, and it is my pleasure to serve as Chair of what will no doubt be one of the most interesting and dynamic committees at this year's conference. A little background about myself: I am a senior studying Finance and Accounting at the Wharton School. I was born in India, lived in Indonesia and currently reside in Singapore. Aside from Model UN, I love to act in theatrical productions and play soccer and cricket. I joined the International Affairs Association at the beginning of my freshman year, have vice-chaired at ILMUNC the past two years, and have also served as an Assistant Secretary-General and Business Director for our college conference, UPMUNC. I am currently the Director-General for UPMUNC.
As justices of the ICJ, our committee this year will focus on two important cases. Both these cases are currently pending at the ICJ and the results of which are extremely pertinent. Therefore, I look forward to hearing your innovative and creative solutions to the problems at hand. In order to ensure that all members of the committee have an exciting and interesting four-day experience through lively debate and successful opinion writing, I recommend taking time to thoroughly research the history and evidence provided by each party in regards to the cases.
I will run the Court in perpetual moderated caucus, except where noted. Moderated caucuses can also be called should a majority of Justices believe that a particular topic needs to be discussed explicitly. This might change in the coming months and your USG will communicate any such changes to you. Until then, feel free to contact our USG – Natasha Gabbay – at any time if you have questions regarding the committee, ILMUNC, or Penn. I look forward to meeting you all at ILMUNC XXVIII!
Sincerely,
Gandharv Bedi
Chair, International Court of Justice
Ivy League Model United Nations Conference XXVIII
Topic Summaries
Topic A: Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Croatia v. Serbia)
On July 2, 1999, the Republic of Croatia instituted proceedings in the International Court of Justice against the former Federal Republic of Yugoslavia for numerous violations of the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. This case addresses complex international issues, particularly the distinction between ethnic cleansing, crimes against humanity, and genocide. Numerous concerns regarding national sovereignty are also raised by the proceedings, due to the ambiguous geographic boundaries of the Balkans and the transitory nature of the ruling governmental parties.
Topic B: Certain Questions of Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters (Djibouti v. France)
The proceedings instituted against the French Republic by the Republic of Djibouti on January 9, 2006 are formally known as the Case Concerning Certain Questions of Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters. The case addresses the issue of the enforcement of requests for judicial assistance between states. The government of Djibouti felt that the French government was not compliant in its responsibilities regarding assistance in their investigation of Bernard Borrel, a French judge who was found dead in Djibouti while advising the country’s ministry of justice. The case additionally addresses the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation between the countries and the issue of diplomatic immunity.