How does the International Court of Justice resolve disputes between countries?

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) resolves disputes between countries through a process of judicial settlement. Only sovereign states can be parties in cases before the ICJ, and they must consent to the court's jurisdiction. This consent can be given through a special agreement, a convention that grants the court jurisdiction, or by accepting the court's compulsory jurisdiction in advance via a declaration.12

Cases can be settled if the parties reach an agreement at any time, or if a state withdraws its case. If no settlement is reached, the ICJ delivers a binding verdict based on international law, including conventions, customs, general principles of law, judicial decisions, and scholarly writings. The court's judgments are final and without appeal. While the ICJ has no enforcement powers itself, the UN Security Council can be involved if a party fails to comply with a judgment. The ICJ also has advisory jurisdiction, allowing it to provide non-binding opinions on legal questions posed by authorized UN organs.234