On 25 July 2025, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that four additional countries — Slovenia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Belgium, and Ireland — will be permitted to formally intervene in the ongoing case concerning allegations of genocide committed by Myanmar against the Rohingya population.
These countries now have until 25 September 2025 to submit written observations, specifically addressing how the Genocide Convention should be interpreted and applied in the context of the case.
This decision marks another significant step in the proceedings initiated in 2019, when The Gambia filed a case accusing Myanmar of breaching its obligations under the Genocide Convention.
Key developments in the case so far include:
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January 2020: The Court issued provisional measures ordering Myanmar to prevent further acts of genocide against the Rohingya and to preserve all evidence related to the alleged crimes.
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July 2022: The ICJ rejected Myanmar’s preliminary objections and affirmed its jurisdiction to hear the case in full.
Several other nations — including Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the Maldives — have already been granted permission to intervene.
It is important to note that these interventions do not alter the principal parties to the case — which remain The Gambia and Myanmar — but they underscore broad international concern and growing global support for accountability under the Genocide Convention.
The case is ongoing, and a final judgment on Myanmar’s responsibility for the alleged acts of genocide is yet to be delivered.
