Dear Judges and Advocates of the ICJ,
I am thrilled to welcome you to this year's International Court of Justice. It is my distinct honour to serve as one of the Assistant Presidents of the ICJ at BERMUN2 XXI!
The ICJ will deliberate over the highly compelling case of Cameroon v. Nigeria 2002. This year's conference theme, “Decolonize.”, and this case sit at the heart of the decolonization debate. It concerned a long-standing territorial and maritime dispute, most notably over the Bakassi Peninsula. Cameroon brought the case before the International Court of Justice in 1994, relying primarily on colonial-era treaties, especially the 1913 Anglo-German Agreement, to assert sovereignty. Nigeria, while emphasizing effective control and the interests of local populations, challenged the validity and interpretation of these colonial instruments.
Cameroon v. Nigeria invites critical reflection on whether decolonization is merely the transfer of authority within inherited colonial frameworks, or a deeper process that questions the legitimacy, justice, and human impact of those frameworks themselves.
I‘ve been a part of the MUN program since 2023. This BERMUN2 marks my 9th conference overall and my second time working as a member of the Student Officer Team. Besides MUN, I like to spend my free time playing the tenor saxophone, playing golf at my leisure, and engaging politically. Furthermore, I profoundly enjoy traveling and exploring beaches and cities around the world. Additionally, I take great pleasure in listening to, composing, writing, and discussing music, with a plethora of genres. I’m a 15-year-old 9th grader at the John F. Kennedy School in Berlin and have been a student there for ten years.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns. I am looking forward to seeing you in February!
Sincerely,
Maxim Schnabel
