The General Assembly and Security Council held separate secret ballots to confirm candidates from France, Jordan, Kenya, Singapore, and the United Kingdom to the 15-member bench. Kenya's Phoebe Okowa secured the contested fifth seat after Ecuador's candidate withdrew following conflicting initial votes between the two United Nations bodies. These jurists will join the tribunal as it adjudicates major international matters, such as South Africa's genocide case against Israel. The court is also scheduled to deliver an upcoming judgment on November 19 regarding Myanmar's alleged genocide against the Rohingya minority.
Key points
Successful candidates must obtain an absolute majority in both the United Nations General…: Successful candidates must obtain an absolute majority in both the United Nations General Assembly and the Security Council.
The 15-member court staggers its membership by electing one-third of the international be…: The 15-member court staggers its membership by electing one-third of the international bench every three years for continuity.
The newly confirmed judges will help manage a record-high workload consisting of 24 pendi…: The newly confirmed judges will help manage a record-high workload consisting of 24 pending contentious disputes.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
The election, held at UN headquarters, required several rounds of voting to fill the fifth and final seat.
The United Nations has elected five judges to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for nine-year terms, as the court faces a record caseload, including South Africa’s genocide case against Israel over its war on Gaza.
The vote was held on Tuesday at UN headquarters, with candidates requiring an absolute majority in both the General Assembly and the Security Council to win.
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Dapo Akande of the United Kingdom, Francois Alabrune of France, Mahmoud Daifallah Hmoud of Jordan, Rena Lee of Singapore and Phoebe Okowa of Kenya were elected to the 15-member panel.
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