General Assembly Elects 27 Ad Litem Judges to Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia; Appoints 4 Members of Joint Inspection Unit

GA/10372
25 August 2005

NEW YORK, 24 August (UN Headquarters) -- The fifty-ninth session of the General Assembly today elected 27 ad litem judges to the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in one round of secret balloting, and appointed four members to the Joint Inspection Unit.

The Assembly elected, out of a list of 31 candidates, Mr. Melville Baird (Trinidad and Tobago), Mr. Frans Bauduin (Netherlands), Mr. Ali Nawaz Chowhan (Pakistan), Mr. Pedro David (Argentina), Ms. Elizabeth Gwaunza (Zimbabwe), Mr. Burton Hall (Bahamas), Mr. Frederik Harhoff (Denmark), Mr. Frank Höpfel (Austria), Ms. Tsvetana Kamenova (Bulgaria), Mr. Uldis Kinis (Latvia), Mr. Raimo Lahti (Finland), Ms. Flavia Lattanzi (Italy), Mr. Antoine Mindua (Democratic Republic of the Congo), Mr. Jawdat Naboty (Syria), Ms. Janet Nosworthy (Jamaica), Ms. Chioma Egondu Nwosu-Iheme (Nigeria), Ms. Prisca Matimba Nyambe (Zambia), Ms. Michèle Picard (France), Mr. Brynmor Pollard (Guyana), Mr. Árpád Prandler (Hungary), Ms. Kimberly Prost (Canada), Ms. Vonimbolana Rasoazanany (Madagascar), Mr. Ole Bjørn Støle (Norway), Mr. Krister Thelin (Sweden), Mr. Klaus Tolksdorf (Germany), Mr. Stefan Trechsel (Switzerland) and Mr. Tan Sri Dato Lamin Haji Mohd Yunus (Malaysia).

The ad litem judges were elected for a four-year term of office, commencing today. The curricula vitae of the judges are contained in document A/59/888.

Before voting, the Assembly adopted, without a vote, an amendment to the voting procedures submitted by the representative of Liechtenstein.

The Assembly appointed Gérard Biraud (France), István Posta (Hungary), Papa Louis Fall (Senegal) and Cihan Terzi (Turkey) as members of the Joint Inspection Unit for a five-year term of office beginning on 1 January 2006 and expiring on 31 December 2010.

At the outset of the meeting the Assembly paid tribute to the memories of: King Fahd Bin Abdul-Aziz al Saud of Saudi Arabia, the late Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques; John Garang, Vice-President of Sudan; and the late Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka, Lakshman Kadirgamar. It observed a minute of silence in tribute to the memory of King Fahd.

Background

The fifty-ninth session of the General Assembly met this morning to appoint four members of the Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) and elect 27 ad litem judges to the "International Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia since 1991" (ICTY).

The purpose of the JIU, established in 1966, is to ascertain that the activities undertaken by the organizations of the UN system are carried out in the most economical manner and that the optimum use is made of resources available. The Unit consists of 11 inspectors, appointed by the Assembly for a term of five years. A note by the President of the Assembly contained in document A/59/889 sets out the procedures followed prior to today's appointment.

The Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, located in the Hague, Netherlands, was established by Security Council resolution 827 on 25 May 1993. It is mandated to prosecute and try persons responsible for serious violations of international humanitarian law committed in the former Yugoslavia since 1991. The Tribunal prosecutes and tries four clusters of offences: grave breaches of the 1949 Geneva conventions; violations of the laws or customs of war; genocide; and crimes against humanity.

A letter dated 26 July from the President of the Security Council (document A/59/886) addressed to the President of the General Assembly transmits the text of resolution 1613 (2005), adopted unanimously on 26 July, which contains the names of 34 nominees for the election of a pool of 27 ad litem judges established by resolution 1329 (2000). Procedures for the election are set out in document A/59/887. Curricula vitae of the candidates are contained in document A/59/888).

Tributes

The General Assembly paid tribute to the memory of King Fahd Bin Abdul-Aziz al Saud of Saudi Arabia, the late Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, who died on 1 August. The Assembly's President, JEAN PING (Gabon), requested the representative of Saudi Arabia to convey condolences to the Government and the people of Saudi Arabia and to the family of the King. The Assembly observed a minute of silence.

The Assembly also paid tribute to the memory of the late Vice-President of Sudan, John Garang, who died on 30 July, and to the late Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka, Lakshman Kadirgamar, who died on 12 August. Mr. PING requested the representatives of Sudan and Sri Lanka to convey condolences to the people and the Governments of Sudan and Sri Lanka and to the bereaved families.

Statements were made by the representatives of: Morocco (on behalf of the Group of African States); Fiji (on behalf of the Group of Asian States); Lithuania (on behalf of the Group of Eastern European States); Antigua and Barbuda (on behalf of the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States); Andorra (on behalf of Western European and Other States); United States; Lebanon (on behalf of the Group of Arab States); Yemen (on behalf of the Organization of the Islamic Conference); Saudi Arabia; Sudan; and Sri Lanka.

Appointment of Members of Joint Inspection Unit (JIU)

Election of 27 Ad Litem Judges for International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia

The Assembly's President, Mr. PING, announced that Syria had withdrawn its candidate Ahmad Farawati. As document A/59/887/Add.1 contained the withdrawals of Muhammad Muzammal Khan and Sheikh Abdul Rashid, both from Pakistan, there were now 31 candidates.

The representative of Liechtenstein submitted an amendment (contained in document A/59/898) to paragraph 18 of the memorandum by the Secretary General (document A/59/887) to the effect that "If, in the first ballot, more than 27 candidates obtain an absolute majority of votes, those candidates having obtained the highest number of votes shall be considered elected. In the event of a tie for a remaining seat, there shall be a restricted ballot limited to those candidates who have obtained an equal number of votes. [According to the Secretary-General's memorandum, candidates should be elected by an "absolute majority" of at least 97 votes.]

The representatives of Jordan and Sierra Leone expressed support for the amendment.

Without a vote, the Assembly adopted the amendment.

After a short order debate, in which the representatives of Morocco (on behalf of the Group of African States), Syria and Pakistan participated, the Assembly proceeded to the vote.

The Permanent Observer of the Holy See announced that it would abstain from voting.

Voting Results

First Round of Balloting

Number of ballots: 189

Number of invalid ballots: 1

Number of valid ballots: 188

Number of Members voting: 189

Required absolute majority: 97

Number of Votes per Candidate

Mr. Tanvir Bashir Ansari (Pakistan) 87

Mr. Melville Baird (Trinidad and Tobago) 175

Mr. Frans Bauduin (The Netherlands) 152

Mr. Giancarlo Roberto Belleli (Italy) 107

Mr. Ishaq Usman Bello (Nigeria) 90

Mr. Ali Nawaz Chowhan (Pakistan) 130

Mr. Pedro David (Argentina) 159

Ms. Elizabeth Gwaunza (Zimbabwe) 133

Mr. Burton Hall (Bahamas) 167

Mr. Frederik Harhoff (Denmark) 159

Mr. Frank Höpfel (Austria) 173

Ms. Tsvetana Kamenova (Bulgaria) 157

Mr. Uldis Kinis (Latvia) 142

Mr. Raimo Lahti (Finland) 158

Ms. Flavia Lattanzi (Italy) 132

Mr. Antoine Mindua (Democratic Republic of the Congo) 175

Mr. Jawdat Naboty (Syria) 145

Ms. Janet Nosworthy (Jamaica) 173

Ms. Chioma Egondu Nwosu-Iheme (Nigeria) 112

Ms. Prisca Matimba Nyambe (Zambia) 158

Ms. Michèle Picard (France) 164

Mr. Brynmor Pollard (Guyana) 164

Mr. Árpád Prandler (Hungary) 139

Ms. Kimberly Prost (Canada) 162

Ms. Vonimbolana Rasoazanany (Madagascar) 174

Mr. Ole Bjørn Støle (Norway) 153

Mr. Krister Thelin (Sweden) 161

Mr. Klaus Tolksdorf (Germany) 170

Mr. Stefan Trechsel (Switzerland) 155

Mr. Abubakar Bashir Wali (Nigeria) 101

Mr. Tan Sri Dato Lamin Haji Mohd Yunus (Malaysia) 176

Having obtained the required majority and the largest number of votes, Mr. Melville Baird (Trinidad and Tobago), Mr. Frans Bauduin (Netherlands), Mr. Ali Nawaz Chowhan (Pakistan), Mr. Pedro David (Argentina), Ms. Elizabeth Gwaunza (Zimbabwe), Mr. Burton Hall (Bahamas), Mr. Frederik Harhoff (Denmark), Mr. Frank Höpfel (Austria), Ms. Tsvetana Kamenova (Bulgaria), Mr. Uldis Kinis (Latvia), Mr. Raimo Lahti (Finland), Ms. Flavia Lattanzi (Italy), Mr. Antoine Mindua (Democratic Republic of the Congo), Mr. Jawdat Naboty (Syria), Ms. Janet Nosworthy (Jamaica), Ms. Chioma Egondu Nwosu-Iheme (Nigeria), Ms. Prisca Matimba Nyambe (Zambia), Ms. Michèle Picard (France), Mr. Brynmor Pollard (Guyana), Mr. Árpád Prandler (Hungary), Ms. Kimberly Prost (Canada), Ms. Vonimbolana Rasoazanany (Madagascar), Mr. Ole Bjørn Støle (Norway), Mr. Krister Thelin (Sweden), Mr. Klaus Tolksdorf (Germany), Mr. Stefan Trechsel (Switzerland) and Mr. Tan Sri Dato Lamin Haji Mohd Yunus (Malaysia) were elected.

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