paragraph 406 in volume 3, chapter 30, Advisory Proceedings
Under Article 96 of the UN Charter, both the General Assembly and Security Council ‘may’ request an advisory opinion ‘on any legal question’, while other organs of the UN and specialized agencies ‘so authorized by the General Assembly’ also ‘may’ request advisory opinions on legal questions ‘arising within the scope of their activities’. However, under certain circumstances, a duty rather than a discretion to seek such an opinio…