The International Court of Justice (ICJ), the top United Nations (UN) court, has recently refused an appeal by Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The appeal contested the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO) authority to adjudicate on the Qatar blockade’s legality. Both UAE and Bahrain, alongside Saudi Arabia and Qatar, are located in the Persian Gulf Region and are members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The ICAO is the UN’s international aviation agency.
Understanding the Qatar Blockade
Back in June 2017, Qatar’s neighboring Arab nations – Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, and Egypt – closed off shipping routes and airspace with Qatar. The blockade was put in place due to Qatar’s alleged support for terrorism and its relationship with Iran, leading to severed diplomatic and economic ties. However, Qatar denied support for Islamic extremism and condemned its isolation as a violation of its sovereignty.
These four neighbors issued a 13-point list of demands for Doha, the capital of Qatar, to comply with in order to restore previous relations. The demands included closing down news outlets like Al-Jazeera, ending ties with radical Islamist groups like the Muslim Brotherhood, scaling down ties with Shia-majority Iran, and removing Turkish troops stationed in the country.
Since 2017, the blockade has involved several measures, including closing its only land border with Saudi Arabia, stopping Qatari ships from entering ports, banning Qatari planes from their airspace, and expelling Qatari citizens from these countries.
The Dispute at the ICJ
Qatar approached the ICAO, claiming that the blockade violated its rights of free passage under the 1944 Convention on Civil Aviation. Saudi Arabia and its allies argued that the dispute extends beyond aviation matters, suggesting that the ICJ should have the authority to settle the dispute instead of the ICAO.
In 2018, the ICAO ruled against the Saudi coalition, stating that it did have jurisdiction to hear the case. The ICJ recently backed this ruling. Despite this, the blockade still remains in place, with the ICAO’s verdict expected to be delivered in 2021. This ruling is anticipated to favor Qatar, which would mean a significant win for the country and its national carrier, Qatar Airways.
About the International Civil Aviation Organisation
Established by the Convention on International Civil Aviation signed on December 7, 1944, in Chicago, this organization laid the ground rules for standards and procedures concerning global air navigation. It established core principles allowing international air transport.
The main goal of the ICAO is to foster the planning and development of international air transport to ensure the safe and orderly growth of international civil aviation worldwide. Among its 193 members is India, and its headquarters is located in Montreal, Canada.
