Certain Phosphate Lands in Nauru Case (Nauru v Australia)

Abstract On 19 May 1989, Nauru instituted proceedings against Australia before the → International Court of Justice (ICJ) in respect to a dispute over the rehabilitation of certain phosphate lands in Nauru (see also → Pacific Islands). The Pacific coral island of Nauru, from 1888 onwards administered by the German Reich until occupied by Australian forces in 1914, was granted as a class ‘C’ mandate under the mandate system of the → League of Nations to ‘His Britannic Majesty’ in 1920 (Mandate for the Island of Nauru, (signed 17 December 1920) 113 BSP 1111; see also → Colonialism; → Mandates). Pursuant to the Nauru Island Agreement of 2 July 1919, concluded between Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom to discharge performance of the mandate and to reconcile the conflicting claims of the three parties over the extensive deposits of high-grade phosphate that were discovered on the island in 1900, the administration of Nauru was vested in an administrator, alternatively to be appointed by each of the three → governments, although de facto always by Australia (Nauru Island Agreement (signed 2 July 1919) 113 BSP 151).