Dear Judges and Advocates,
Welcometo the International Court of Justice at BERMUN 2024!
This year, we will be deliberating the case Georgia v. Russian Federation on the Application of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD). In August 2008, the Russian Federation, alongside the separatist states of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, launched a full-scale invasion of Georgia.
Georgia applied to the ICJ, where it claimed that, “the Russian Federation [...] is responsible for serious violations of its fundamental obligations under CERD, including Articles 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6,” which relate to racial discrimination, the crime of apartheid and hate speech. Georgia alleges that the Russian Federation engaged in the ethnic cleansing of civilians based on their affiliation with Georgia, which constitutes a violation of the CERD. By addressing accusations of ethnic cleansing, this case upholds principles of justice and equality, regardless of nationality.
I am a 12th grader at the John F. Kennedy School in Berlin. In my free time, I enjoy playing video games, taking walks, and hanging out with friends. This will be my 13th MUN conference, my fifth conference as a student officer, and my ninth conference as a part of a court program. Being a participant in the ICJ has spurred my interest in international law, and has motivated me to pursue legal study in the future.
If you have any questions relating to the ICJ program or preparations for the conference, feel free to contact me and my co-chairs at bermunicj@googlemail.com.
I look forward to seeing you all in November!
Justin Böhlen
