Today marks a special milestone for The Hague as an international city of peace and justice: the International Court of Justice (ICJ) celebrates its eightieth anniversary. On the occasion of this jubilee, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres is in the Netherlands. Prior to the official celebration, he was received yesterday by Mayor Jan van Zanen at the Old City Hall on the Dagelijkse Groenmarkt.
It is remarkable that a UN Secretary-General is received separately by a mayor. Guterres visited the Old Town Hall to thank the city for eighty years of hosting the International Court of Justice.
During the bilateral meeting, Mayor Van Zanen and Secretary-General Guterres discussed the special relationship between The Hague and the United Nations. The Mayor underscored that The Hague intends to remain a stable and reliable host city for the United Nations and the international legal order in the future. He offered that The Hague is willing and able to host additional UN organizations and meetings. This can also contribute to employment in the city.
The Hague has been the legal heart of the UN for eighty years.
During the meeting, the Secretary-General said that he: “could not have been in The Hague at a better time, as we are marking the eightieth anniversary of the International Court of Justice. In our joint efforts to ensure international law prevails, that Court forms a fundamental pillar of the international legal system.”
Guterres added:
This is a difficult moment, a moment in which international law is being called into question by many. Some who bear a greater responsibility to uphold the law are precisely the ones who undermine it. But the truth is: lawlessness brings chaos, lawlessness brings debt, lawlessness brings destruction. Therefore, at this moment, here in The Hague, it is of great importance to reaffirm that international law is the guiding principle. To underscore that the force of the law must prevail over the law of the strongest.
During the conversation, Mayor Van Zanen emphasized The Hague’s special responsibility within the international legal order: “The Hague has been the legal heart of the United Nations for eighty years. The international legal order is one of the most important achievements of the modern world. The International Court of Justice forms its center.”
For The Hague, the responsibility is clear: we support the institutions and the people working here to uphold international law. We welcome international organizations and, as a host city, work closely with the Dutch government to ensure the safety and functioning of these institutions and their staff. These institutions exist because previous generations understood the price of their absence.
The Hague Charter for Peace and Safe Communities
The shared interest in defending and strengthening the international legal order and international cooperation was also discussed, at a time when these are under increasing pressure. Municipalities play an indispensable role in this, the mayor emphasized, partly in his role as chair of the international committee of the Association of Netherlands Municipalities (VNG). Municipalities are the place where global issues impact the daily lives of residents. Strong governments and institutions at the local level are therefore indispensable.
Partly for this reason, Mayor Van Zanen presented ‘The Hague Charter for Municipal Peace’ to Secretary-General Guterres during his visit: a Hague charter for peace and safe cities. The charter, which was compiled by a wide variety of partners under the coordination of the Association of Netherlands Municipalities (VNG) and the Municipality of The Hague, was adopted in October 2025 during the General Assembly of the global association of local governments: United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG).
International City of Peace and Justice
For more than a century, the city of The Hague has played a unique role in promoting international peace and justice. Since the Hague Peace Conferences in 1899 and 1907, the city has grown into a global center of international institutions.
In addition to the International Court of Justice, The Hague is home to, among others, the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), the International Criminal Court (ICC), the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Europol, Eurojust, and various UN (related) organizations and tribunals. In total, approximately 500 international organizations are based in the city, accounting for over twenty thousand jobs.
Historic setting Old Town Hall
Mayor Van Zanen received the UN chief in the historic Mayor’s Office of the Old City Hall, which served as the office of The Hague mayors for hundreds of years. The paintings from 1682 by Theodorus van der Schuer can still be seen on the ceiling, including the Eye of Justice and Lady Justice, which underscore the importance of the (international) rule of law.
Prior to the meeting, the Mayor showed Mr. Guterres around the Vierschaar (Schepenzaal), the oldest hall of the former town hall, where justice was administered from the seventeenth-century magistrates’ pews.
Second meeting between the two
It was the second time that Mayor Van Zanen and Secretary-General Guterres met. On 12 February 2025, the Secretary-General received Mayor Van Zanen in New York at the United Nations headquarters, then in his role as Chair of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG). At that time, they discussed the structural involvement of local and national governments in UN decision-making.
Visit Guterres to the Netherlands
The Secretary-General landed in the Netherlands on Thursday and will attend the 80th anniversary of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) today. On 3 April 1946, elected judges of the Court met for the first time at the Peace Palace in The Hague. The inaugural session of the International Court of Justice took place on 18 April 1946.
On Friday, April 17 at 3:00 PM, the solemn session marking the anniversary will take place in the Great Hall of Justice of the Peace Palace, in the presence of, among others, His Majesty King Willem-Alexander, the President of the United Nations General Assembly, and representatives of the Security Council. Mayor Jan van Zanen will also be present.
Text and images: Gemeente Den Haag
Translation to English: The Hague Online