News item | 11-02-2018

Secretary-General António Guterres of the United Nations is visiting the Peace Palace on Friday 22 December. The Secretary-General will first bring an official visit to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the Peace Palace. Thereafter, Guterres will speak at a seminar organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, that will launch the membership of the Netherlands to the UN Security Council in 2018. Finally, the Secretary-General will be the guest of honour in the Dutch tv programme College Tour, that will be filmed at the Peace Palace.

International Court of Justice

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) that is located at the Peace Palace, is the principal juridical organ of the United Nations. It is the only of the six principal organs of the UN that is not located in New York. Secretary-General Guterres will meet with President H.E. Judge Ronny Abraham, Vice-President H.E. Judge Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf and Registrar H.E. Philippe Couvreur of the ICJ.

UN Security Council

The Secretary-General will subsequently speak at a seminar about the membership of the Netherlands to the UN Security Council in 2018, which is organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands. The Security Council consists of five permanent member states and ten changing member states. With the Peace Palace as symbol for the Netherlands as country of peace and justice, the Netherlands guaranteed a seat in this important organ of the UN in 2018. Also minister Zijlstra of Foreign Affairs and minister Kaag of Foreign Trade and Development are speaking at the seminar.

Follow the seminar through livestream (starting Friday 22 December 11:15 GMT+1):

College Tour

After the seminar, the Secretary-General will be the guest of honour at the Dutch tv programme College Tour, that will be filmed at the Peace Palace. The programme will be broadcasted on Sunday 14 January at 21:05 GMT+1 on NPO2. More information about College Tour (in Dutch) can be found at the website of College Tour.

Photo UNSG Guterres: UN Photo/Mark Garten