iii. Order the Applicants to pay costs. V. JURISDICTION 16. Article 3 of the Protocol provides: 1. The jurisdiction of the Court shall extend to all cases and disputes submitted to it concerning the interpretation and Application of the Charter, this Protocol and any other relevant human rights instrument ratified by the States concerned. 2. In the event of a dispute as to whether the Court has jurisdiction, the Court shall decide. 17. The Court observes that pursuant to Rule 49(1) of the Rules,6 it “shall conduct a preliminary examination of its jurisdiction […] in accordance with the Charter, the Protocol and these Rules.” 18. Based on the above-cited provisions, the Court must, in every Application, preliminarily ascertain its jurisdiction and rule on objections thereto, if any. 19. The Court notes that the Respondent State does not raise any objection to its jurisdiction. Nonetheless, in line with Rule 49(1) of the Rules, the Court must satisfy itself that all aspects of its jurisdiction are fulfilled before proceeding. 20. The Court finds that it has material jurisdiction, insofar as the Applicants allege a violation of their rights guaranteed by Articles 3(1) and (2) of the Charter, Article 26 of the ICCPR, and Article 13(2) of the ICESCR, instruments to which the Respondent State is a Party.7 6 Formerly, Rule 39(1), Rules of Court, June 2010. The Respondent State became a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights on 16 July 1974. 7 7