Dear Advocates and Judges,
Welcome to this year’s BERMUN 2026 International Court of Justice!
With regard to this year's conference theme, “Resilient & Sustainable Development to Combat Climate Inequality,” the International Court of Justice (ICJ) will be deliberating the case on the Gabčíkovo-Nagymaros Project between Hungary and Slovakia. This was a project that aimed to build dams on the Danube River and was agreed to by both countries in a signed treaty. Hungary, concerned by the potential severe environmental impacts of the dam, argued on environmental necessity with three main concerns: risk of groundwater disruption, harm to the water supply to Budapest, and ecological harm to the river itself. They suspended work, on their side, on this project in 1989, and this was followed by Slovakia's unilateral decision to implement their "Variant C" operation, which diverted the river with the aim of securing proportional use of the Danube river's hydroelectric potential in the absence of Hungary's work on the project. Facing this dispute, both countries decided to bring this case to the ICJ in 1993 in the hopes of resolving it amicably. This case integrated sustainable development in international law by requiring the states to balance economic projects with environmental protection, especially in shared water resources. The Gabčíkovo-Nagymaros case also relates to climate inequality as it highlights how shared watercourse developments can disproportionately distribute environmental risks between upstream and downstream communities.
At this conference, I will have the honor of serving as the president of the ICJ for the second time. I have been an active participant in the MUN program at my school since autumn 2024. I have participated in six former MUN conferences. My former experience as a judge for the ICJ sparked my interest and deepened my knowledge of the court and its solutions to international disputes using international law. Furthermore, the ICJ created a space where you can speak for yourself during deliberation, which I greatly enjoyed.
On a more personal note, I am 17 and attend the John F. Kennedy School in Berlin. Outside of school and MUN, I enjoy singing, dancing, playing the guitar, as well as spending time with friends and family.
I look forward to meeting all of you in November!
Sincerely,
Karma Zilberkweit
