ICJ Marks 80th Anniversary: UN Secretary‑General Guterres Received by Mayor Van Zanen

ICJ Marks 80th Anniversary: UN Secretary-General Guterres Received by Mayor Van Zanen

Today marks a special milestone for The Hague as the international city of peace and justice: the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is celebrating its 80th anniversary. On the occasion of this jubilee, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres is visiting the Netherlands. Ahead of the official celebrations, he was received yesterday at 4:45 p.m. by Mayor Jan van Zanen at The Hague's Historic Town Hall on the Dagelijkse Groenmarkt.

The visit underscores the special recognition accorded to the city. Secretary-General Guterres visited the Historic Town Hall to thank the city for hosting the International Court of Justice for eighty years.

During the bilateral meeting, Mayor Van Zanen and Secretary-General Guterres discussed the long-standing and special relationship between The Hague and the United Nations. The Mayor emphasised that The Hague intends to remain a stable and reliable host city for the United Nations and the international legal order in the future. He also expressed the city's willingness and capacity to host additional UN bodies and meetings, noting that this would also contribute to employment in the city.

'The Hague has been the legal heart of the United Nations for eighty years'

During the meeting the Secretary-General said that: "he couldn't be in The Hague in a better moment, because we are commemorating the 80^th anniversary of the International Court of Justice, that is the fundamental pillar of the international justice system in our common efforts to make international law prevail."

He added that: "this is a difficult moment, a moment in which international law has been put into question by many. Some of those who have more responsibility in abiding by the law, are the ones undermining it. But the truth is that lawlessness brings chaos, lawlessness brings debts, lawlessness brings destruction, and so, it is very important, in The Hague, at this moment, to reaffirm the primacy of international law, and to reaffirm that the force of the law must prevail over the law of the force."

Mayor Van Zanen underlined the special responsibility borne by The Hague within the international legal order:

"The Hague has been the legal heart of the United Nations for eighty years. The international legal order is one of the most important achievements of the modern world, and the International Court of Justice stands at its centre.

For The Hague, the responsibility is clear: we support the institutions and the people working here to uphold international law. As a host city, we welcome international organisations and work closely with the Dutch national government to ensure the safety and effective functioning of these institutions and their staff. These institutions exist because previous generations understood the cost of their absence."

The Hague Charter for Municipal Peace and Safe Cities

The discussion also addressed the shared importance of defending and strengthening the international legal order and international cooperation at a time when both are under increasing pressure. Municipalities play an indispensable role in this effort, the Mayor stressed, also in his capacity as Chair of the International Committee of the Association of Netherlands Municipalities (VNG). Local governments are where global challenges intersect with the daily lives of residents, making strong local institutions essential.

In this context, Mayor Van Zanen presented Secretary-General Guterres with The Hague Charter for Municipal Peace. The Charter, developed by a wide range of partners under the coordination of the Association of Netherlands Municipalities (VNG) and the City of The Hague, was adopted in October 2025 at the World Counsil of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), the global association of local and regional governments.

International City of Peace and Justice

For more than a century, The Hague has played a unique role in advancing international peace and justice. Since the Hague Peace Conferences 1899 and 1907, the city has developed into a global centre for international institutions.

In addition to the International Court of Justice, The Hague is home to the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), the International Criminal Court (ICC), the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Europol, Eurojust, and a wide range of United Nations-related organisations and tribunals. In total, approximately 500 international organisations are based in the city, providing employment for more than 20,000 people.

Historic Setting: The Historic Town Hall

Mayor Van Zanen received the UN Secretary-General in the historic Mayors' Chamber of the Historic Town Hall, which served for centuries as the working office of The Hague's mayors. The ceiling still features paintings from 1682 by Theodorus van der Schuer, including representations of the Eye of Justice and Lady Justice, symbolising the importance of the (international) rule of law.

Prior to the meeting, the Mayor guided Secretary-General Guterres through the Vierschaar (Sheriffs' Chamber), the oldest room of the former City Hall, where justice was administered from a seventeenth-century sheriff's bench.

General

Second Meeting Between Mayor and Secretary-

This was the second meeting between Mayor Van Zanen and Secretary-General Guterres. On 12 February 2025, the UN Secretary-General received Mayor Van Zanen at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, in his role as Chair of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG). At that time, they discussed the structural involvement of local and national governments in UN decision-making.

Secretary-General Guterres' Visit to the Netherlands

The Secretary-General arrived in the Netherlands on Thursday and will attend today's 80th anniversary celebrations of the International Court of Justice. On 3 April 1946, the Court's elected judges met for the first time at the Peace Palace in The Hague, followed by the inaugural sitting of the International Court of Justice on 18 April 1946.

On Friday, 17 April at 3:00 p.m., a solemn sitting will be held in the Great Hall of Justice of the Peace Palace to mark the anniversary. The ceremony will be attended by His Majesty King Willem-Alexander, the President of the United Nations General Assembly, representatives of the UN Security Council, representatives of the Dutch government and Mayor Jan van Zanen.