Secretary-General Activities in the Netherlands: ICJ 80th Anniversary Commemoration
Summary
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres visited The Hague, Netherlands, on 16-17 April 2026 to participate in the commemoration of the International Court of Justice's eightieth anniversary. He held bilateral meetings with the Mayor of The Hague, the Prime Minister, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, and other officials. Discussions addressed conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, and the Secretary-General reaffirmed the binding nature of ICJ decisions under the UN Charter and the principle of restoring respect for international law, including freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
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This press release documents the United Nations Secretary-General's diplomatic visit to the Netherlands, including participation in commemorative events marking the International Court of Justice's eightieth anniversary. The Secretary-General held bilateral meetings with Dutch government officials and addressed a solemn sitting to celebrate the ICJ's milestone. The visit included discussions on the conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, with the Secretary-General emphasizing the binding nature of ICJ decisions, including provisional measures, under the UN Charter. For compliance and legal professionals, this document underscores the UN's continued emphasis on multilateralism, the primacy of international law, and the Charter-based obligations of member states to respect ICJ rulings.
The practical implications for affected parties are limited as this is a commemorative and diplomatic engagement rather than a binding regulatory instrument. However, the Secretary-General's explicit statements affirming that ICJ decisions are not optional and constitute Charter obligations may be relevant for legal practitioners advising on international dispute resolution and states' compliance obligations under international law.
Archived snapshot
Apr 24, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
Press Release
- Secretary-General
- Travel
SG/T/3462
24 April 2026
Activities of the Secretary-General in the Netherlands, 16-17 April
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres arrived in The Hague, the Netherlands, early on Thursday morning, 16 April, to participate in the commemoration of the International Court of Justice's eightieth anniversary.
On Thursday afternoon, the Secretary-General held a bilateral meeting with the Mayor of The Hague, Jan Van Zanen. During the meeting, the Secretary-General said that he could not be in The Hague at a better moment: The commemoration of the eightieth anniversary of the International Court of Justice — a fundamental pillar of international justice in our common efforts to make international law prevail. On Friday morning, 17 April, the Secretary-General held a meeting with the Prime Minister and Minister for General Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Rob Jetten. The Secretary-General expressed his gratitude for the support of the Netherlands to the United Nations and multilateralism. They discussed the conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, and the Secretary-General reasserted the principle of the need to reestablish respect for international law, including freedom of navigation, particularly in the Strait of Hormuz.
Following the meeting, the Secretary-General also briefed the Council of Ministers of the Netherlands.
Soon after, the Secretary-General had lunch with Members of the International Court of Justice, the President of the General Assembly and the President of the Security Council.
Afterward, the Secretary-General addressed a solemn sitting to celebrate the eightieth anniversary of the International Court of Justice's inaugural session.
In his remarks, the Secretary-General said that it is easy to forget the world of eighty years ago. Europe, and far beyond, lay in ruins, and The Hague itself was scarred and shaken. And yet, he said, in that dark and difficult moment, world leaders made a defining choice, a choice to reject a future ruled by coercion and violence, and to embrace a future rooted in the United Nations Charter and international law.
The Secretary-General stressed that the Court’s decisions, including provisional measures, are binding on the parties to a case, and respect for those decisions is not optional; it is a Charter obligation. Yet today, he said violations of international law are unfolding before our eyes, warning that when the law of force replaces the force of law, instability becomes contagious. The Secretary-General emphasized that to weaken international law is to erode the foundations of global stability, and to strengthen it is to invest in a world governed by justice, not fear.
Before leaving The Hague, the Secretary-General met the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Tom Berendsen, and also met with Judge Graciela Gatti Santana, President of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals.
The Secretary-General left the Netherlands in the evening of Friday, 17 April.
Netherlands
For information media. Not an official record.
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