The institutions of justice we turn to today—the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court—stand as beacons of accountability and hope.

At DAIMUN 2025, you will explore two powerful cases that reveal the legal and moral fault lines of our time. In DRC v. Uganda, you will examine the consequences of foreign military aggression and the pillaging of a sovereign nation. In the Philippines v. Duterte, you will confront the harrowing question of how far a leader may go before law turns against power.

These legal disputes are battles for truth, accountability, and the rule of law in a global order increasingly tested by impunity and fear.

Our first case explores the conflict between two African nations: the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Republic of Uganda. Brought before the International Court of Justice in 1999, this case addresses a turbulent period marked by armed intervention, human rights violations, and deep-rooted regional instability. At the heart of the dispute lies Uganda’s alleged military aggression on Congolese soil, the plundering of resources, and grave breaches of international humanitarian law.

This case commences a dialogue surrounding the precarious state of international order and today’s increasing globalisation which stems from the past. The involvement of multiple armed groups, cross-border military operations, and accusations of violations of the Geneva Conventions, human rights treaties, and civil aviation laws reflect a broader crisis of accountability, sovereignty, and power politics.

Our second case examines the struggle between a state and its own citizens: the Philippines under former President Rodrigo Duterte. In front of the International Criminal Court, this case represents a dark page of extrajudicial executions, with violence endorsed by the state, and coordinated attacks on human rights, posing as a "war on drugs." The core of the case is composed of charges of crimes against humanity, murder, persecution, and other acts of a similar character that are committed as part of a widespread and systematic attack.

This case goes further than referring to the past, it also poses as a mirror of rising tensions for democratic institutions. Duterte's campaign, supported by terror, has showcased the vulnerability of the social contract alongside the risks of alleged unchecked executive authority.

Persecuted in the context of the Rome Statute, this trial challenges us to pose an immediate question: if the world is a place where great leaders can use the law as a weapon against citizens, how can justice be served, and who ensures that power-holders are held accountable? In the poly-crisis world today, this case serves as a wake-up call for the importance of the International Criminal Court in enforcing the rule of law, ensuring human dignity, and confirming that no individual, however powerful, is above the law.

Today, the world faces a polycrisis of conflict, repression, and fractured norms. Yet the promise of justice endures. These cases compel us to ask: who is accountable when norms are broken, and how can global institutions protect those failed by their own governments?

At DAIMUN 2025, you will debate, deliberate, and deliver judgments that reflect not only legal reasoning, but ethical clarity. You will play a part in shaping how justice is understood in a world still learning how to uphold it.

On behalf of the International Courts, we warmly welcome you to this vital platform—where law meets leadership, and justice demands your voice.