What is the name of the UN body that settles legal disputes between member states?

Question

What is the name of the UN body that settles legal disputes between member states?

1. A. General Assembly
2. B. Security Council
3. C. International Court of Justice (Correct answer)
4. D. Human Rights Council

Correct Answer

Option C — International Court of Justice

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is International Court of Justice.

Key Points

• The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations and settles legal disputes between member states.
• It sits at the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands, and is the only principal UN organ not located in New York.
• It has 15 judges elected for nine-year terms by the General Assembly and Security Council.
• The ICJ should not be confused with the International Criminal Court, which tries individuals rather than states.

Additional Information

• The ICJ has 15 judges elected to nine-year terms by the General Assembly and the Security Council voting separately, with one-third of the bench renewed every three years.
• It is the only principal organ of the UN not based in New York, sitting instead at the Peace Palace in The Hague.
• Do not confuse it with the International Criminal Court (ICC), also at The Hague: the ICJ hears disputes between states, while the ICC prosecutes individuals for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity — and the ICC is not a UN body.