SC/7094
 6 July 2001

SECURITY COUNCIL SETS 12 OCTOBER AS DATE FOR ELECTION TO FILL VACANCY ON INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE

NEW YORK, 5 July (UN Headquarters) -- The Security Council this afternoon set 12 October as the date for an election to fill a vacancy on the International Court of Justice which would occur from 30 September.

Unanimously adopting resolution 1361 (2001), the Council decided that the election to replace Justice Mohammed Bedjaoui would take place at concurrent meetings of the Council and the General Assembly. The successful candidate will serve the remainder of the judge's term of office.

Judge Bedjaoui was first elected from 19 March 1982 and re-elected from 6 February 1988 and from 6 February 1997. He was President of the Court from 1994 to 1997 and presided over the chamber formed to deal with the border dispute between Burkina Faso and Mali (1984 to 1986).

According to a note by the Secretary-General (document S/2001/615), Judge Bedjaoui informed the President of the Court, by a letter dated 12 June, of his intention to resign effective 30 September. In accordance with Article 14 of the Court's Statute, "the Secretary-General shall, within one month of the occurrence of the vacancy, proceed to issue the invitations provided for in Article 5, and the date of the election shall be fixed by the Security Council".

Article 4 (paragraph 2) of the Statute states that in the case of United Nations Member States that are not represented in the Permanent Court of Arbitration, candidates shall be nominated by national groups appointed by their governments under the same conditions as those prescribed for members of the Permanent Court of Arbitration.

This afternoon's meeting began at 3:39 p.m. and adjourned at 3:43 p.m.

The text of resolution 1361 (2001) is as follows:

"The Security Council,

"Noting with regret the resignation of Judge Mohammed Bedjaoui, taking effect on 30 September 2001,

"Noting further that a vacancy in the International Court of Justice for the remainder of the term of office of Judge Mohammed Bedjaoui will thus occur and must be filled in accordance with the terms of the Statute of the Court,

( "Noting that, in accordance with Article 14 of the Statute, the date of the election to fill the vacancy shall be fixed by the Security Council,

"Decides that the election to fill the vacancy shall take place on 12 October 2001 at a meeting of the Security Council and at a meeting of the General Assembly at its fifty-sixth session."

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