The International Court of Justice (ICJ) will give its advisory opinion on the legality of the unilateral declaration of independence by Kosovo on 22 July.

According to a statement issued by the ICJ, its President Hisashi Owada will announce the decision at 15.00.

In response to a request by the UN General Assembly, the ICJ will decide whether the unilateral declaration of independence made by the interim institutions in Pristina on 17 February 2008 was in line with international law or not.

The UN General Assembly sought an advisory opinion from the ICJ at Serbia’s initiative. Serbia’s stance is that the unilateral declaration of independence undermines the fundamental principles of international legal order.

An unprecedented number of countries took part in the debate held on the issue at the ICJ. The debate lasted from 1 to 11 December 2009, during which 36 countries submitted written opinions.

All permanent members of the UN Security Council, including China for the first time, also took part in the debate.