Private International Law Disputes before the International Court of Justice.

The recent growth of international dispute resolution has led to a reinforcement of the intersection between private and public international law. The International Court of Justice is no stranger to this phenomenon. In reality, several disputes that have been or will be resolved by the International Court of Justice involve individuals or show aspects of private international law. The recently initiated case regarding jurisdiction and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters, opposing Belgium to Switzerland, illustrates this evolution in the nature of the Court’s case load. This article examines, on an empirical basis, what has been so far the World Court’s approach to issues of private international law. It further argues that the Court, as the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, has a role to play in the development of private international law. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]