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'Mechanisms' abound in today's United Nations. Yet 'mechanism's' ubiquity represents more than the popularity of a word. Its use is broader, employed today not only as a name but also as a category. The term has come to be applied broadly to characterize organizational devices of all types, regardless of the names given to them, that are established and designed to achieve specified goals or to carry out distinct tasks. The proliferation of mechanisms at the United Nations and the trajectory in the development of their functions provide some insight into changes in the way the organization approaches the implementation of its policies.

The International Court of Justice rendered four judgments in 2012: on February 3, a ruling on the merits inJurisdictional Immunities of the State(Germany v. Italy; Greece intervening), finding that Italy had violated its obligations under customary international law and requiring Italy to ensure that the decisions of its judicial authorities that infringed Germany's immunities would cease to have effect; on June 19, a ruling on the compensation owed by the respondent inDiallo(Guinea v. Democratic Republic of the Congo), awarding Guinea $85,000 for non material injury to Diallo and $10,000 for material injury to his personal property;on July 20, a ruling on jurisdiction, admissibility, and the merits inQuestions Relating to the Obligation to Prosecute or Extradite(Belgium v. Senegal), finding jurisdiction and admissibility, and holding that Senegal had breached its obligations under Articles 6 and 7 the UN Convention Against Torture (CAT); and on November 19, a ruling on admissibility and the merits inTerritorial and Maritime Dispute(Nicaragua v. Colombia), finding admissible one of Nicaragua's final submissions(which Colombia had challenged as a new claim), deciding that Colombia has sovereignty over a number of contested maritime features, and establishing a single maritime boundary delimiting the continental shelf and exclusive economic zones of the two countries.