International Court of Justice

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is the main judicial organ of the United Nations (UN) assigned to settle disputes between member states according to international law or to act as advisors on legal questions forwarded by other United Nations organs or specialized committees. For this years CTMUN, delegates will be debating two topics that are at the forefront of international policy and legal discussions: “ The Legality of Cross-Border Drone Strikes Under International Law” and “Determining Jurisdiction in the Prosecution of Transnational Fentanyl Trafficking.”

The Legality of Cross-Border Drone Strikes Under International Law: In this topic delegates will be exploring the legality behind the use of drone strikes across sovereign state borders, especially without prior approval of the affected state. It will explore how such actions interact with the principles of international law, as well as international humanitarian law, state sovereignty, and prohibition of use of force under the UN Charter. This topic will discuss the justifications like self defense, the presence of non-state actors, and the extent to which international humanitarian law affects modern warfare.

Determining Jurisdiction in the Prosecution of Transnational Fentanyl Trafficking: On account of the growing effect of fentanyl use on the general populous, there has been increasing discussion around the legal prosecution of the networks responsible for fentanyl. This topic will be focusing on which states have the legal right to claim jurisdiction over the organizations and individuals that are related to the international production and distribution of Fentanyl. This topic will examine the core ideas of international law such as nationality, territoriality, and universal jurisdiction. The roles of extradition agreements and international cooperation in resolving the international crime will also be explored in this topic.

Both of these topics are currently being debated within the international legal circle. Although there is not a consensus on how the present legal frameworks should be applied, in this simulation the goal is to provide delegates with the opportunity to explore competing interpretations of existing international law, and to use legal precedents as well as fundamental principles when analyzing these present issues.

Chair

Topics

1. The Legality of Cross-Border Drone Strikes Under International Law

2. Determining Jurisdiction in the Prosecution of Transnational Fentanyl Trafficking

Rules and Procedure

This committee follows parliamentary procedure as defined in our Standard Committee Parley Pro Document. However, procedure during committee may be modified at the Chair’s discretion.

Position Paper

All delegates wishing to be considered for an award must submit a position paper before the start of conference. Position paper quality will be included in consideration of awards, however paper quality will not hold as much weight in award consideration as actual committee performance. Position papers are meant to ensure a basis for delegate research and help delegates feel confident while participating during the conference.

Detailed instructions for writing and submitting Position Papers can be found in the Position Paper Guidelines Document.

Questions

If you have questions about committee content or the format of your committee, please contact your Chair at contact@ctmun.org with “ICJ” in the subject line.

For questions about CTMUN conference and logistics, please contact contact@ctmun.org.