Romania and International Jurisdiction

Romania is signatory to the treaty setting up the International Court of Justice, a voluntary act which grants it the right to sue in that court another signatory state.

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Corina Cristea, 05.02.2015, 13:28

The Romanian Senate is taking a final vote on the bill by which Romania accepts the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice, the main judicial organ of the United Nations and one of the most prestigious, important and respected international courts, set up 70 years ago. Until last year, 70 states recognized the jurisdiction of the ICJ, and of them 21 are EU member states, now joined by Romania. Addressing the Senate, Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu said that this bill shows that Romania makes international law the center of its foreign policy. Bogdan Aurescu won six years ago the Hague prosecution of the dispute between Romania and Ukraine for the Black Sea shelf:

“In an international environment as difficult as we have today, the peaceful settlement through legal means is an aim that Romania should constantly pursue.”

The previous foreign minister, Titus Corlatean, who is a Social Democratic senator, recalled that this bill is part of Romania’s constant proportion of peaceful resolution of international disputes:

“According to international practices and Romania’s specific interests, after the vote we should encourage states in the region who have not yet recognized the obligatory jurisdiction to do so.”

This initiative taken by the foreign minister, who introduced the bill, was praised by the opposition as well, in the person of Liberal Dorin Dobra:

“I salute the Romanian foreign policy’s return to its fundamental guidelines, I salute the initiative taken by the Foreign Ministry which is honorable, noble, transparent, as it well should be.”

The decision made by Bucharest once again confirms the trust that the Romanian side has in the ability of one of the most important international courts to issue equitable solutions, founded in international law. At the same time, this makes access easier to the jurisdiction of the ICJ, especially in relation to some states which themselves have submitted a similar declaration, allowing the peaceful and equitable settlement in possible disputes, in a timely fashion and in compliance with international law.