What is the primary significance of the International Court of Justice (ICJ)?

• A. To settle legal disputes between states
• B. To enforce domestic regulations
• C. To monitor elections
• D. To provide military enforcement

Answer: (A)

The ICJ’s main purpose is to settle legal disputes between states. It serves as the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, providing a forum where states can bring cases over treaties, boundaries, or other international legal questions and receive binding judgments after they consent to the court’s jurisdiction. Its authority is voluntary—states must agree to be bound by its decisions—which means the court does not enforce domestic laws, monitor elections, or provide military enforcement. When states do accept its authority, the judgments are binding on those states, but enforcement relies on other mechanisms, such as the UN Security Council or the cooperation of states, rather than the ICJ acting on its own.