General Assembly Elects Judges to United Nations Appeals, Dispute Tribunals, Also Fills Vacancies in Eight of Its Subsidiary Bodies

The General Assembly today elected judges to the United Nations Appeals Tribunal and United Nations Dispute Tribunal as well as appointed members of eight subsidiary bodies, taking up several reports of its Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) on the matter.

The Assembly voted by way of secret ballot to elect judges to the Appeals and Disputes Tribunals to replace judges whose terms are set to expire on 30 June 2023.  To the Appeals Tribunal, it elected Nassib Ziadé (Lebanon/Chile), Abdelmohsen Ahmed Sheha (Egypt), Katharine Savage (South Africa) and Leslie Formine Forbang (Cameroon) for a term of office beginning on 1 July 2023 and ending on 30 June 2030.  Gao Xiaoli (China) was elected judge for a term starting immediately upon appointment and ending on 30 June 2026.   To the Dispute Tribunal, Xiangzhuang Sun (China) was elected full-time judge in Geneva, Sean Daniel Wallace (United States) was elected for the judge post in Nairobi, while Solomon Waktolla (Ethiopia) was elected half-time judge, all for terms beginning on 1 July 2023 and ending on 30 June 2030.

Before voting on the judges, the Assembly considered the memorandum by the Secretary-General (document A/77/285) and a report of the Internal Justice Council (document A/77/129/Rev.1) on the candidates and the terms of office.

For the Committee for Programme and Coordination — the main subsidiary organ of the Economic and Social Council and the General Assembly for planning, programming and coordination — the Assembly declared those States nominated by the Economic and Social Council — Liberia, Morocco and Tunisia for the three seats among the African States; China, Philippines and Republic of Korea for three seats among the Asia-Pacific States; and Argentina for the one seat among the Latin American and Caribbean States — elected as members for a three-year term beginning on 1 January 2023.

For the Committee on Conferences, an oversight body of the Department for General Assembly and Conference Management, the Assembly President — following consultations with the Chairs of the Groups of the African States, the Asia-Pacific States and the Western European and other States — appointed Austria, China, Djibouti, Egypt, Japan and United States for a period of three years beginning on 1 January 2023.

For the Assembly’s consideration of those candidates, it had before it notes of the Secretary-General on the Committee on Programme and Coordination (document A/77/540) and the Committee on Conferences (document A/77/84).

The Assembly then considered candidates nominated by its Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) for six other subsidiary bodies.

For the 16-member Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), which plays a crucial role in helping the Fifth Committee examine the Organization’s budget and manage its employees, the Assembly appointed or reappointed for a three-year term beginning on 1 January 2023 Udo Fenchel (Germany); Olivio Fermín (Dominican Republic); Carlo Jacobucci (Italy); Ji Haojun (China); Ji-sun Jun (Republic of Korea); and Matsuda Yukiko (Japan).  For a term beginning on 1 January 2023 and ending on 31 December 2023, the Assembly appointed Stephani Scheer (United States), and for a term beginning on 15 November 2022 and ending on 31 December 2023, it appointed Surendra Kumar Adhana (India).

Next, for the 18-member Committee on Contributions, which advises the Assembly on the distribution of the Organization’s expenses among Member States, the Assembly also decided to appoint or reappoint as members for a three-year term beginning on 1 January 2023: Cheikh Tidiane Dème (Senegal); Gordon Eckersley (Australia); Helena Concepción Felip Salazar (Paraguay); Bernardo Greiver del Hoyo (Uruguay); Marcel Jullier (Switzerland); and Joseph Masila (Kenya).

For the nine-member Investments Committee, which advises the Secretary-General on investment strategy and reviews the investments of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund, the Assembly confirmed the appointment or reappointment by the Secretary-General of Jens Fricke, Michael Klein and Luciane Ribeiro as regular members for a three-year term beginning on 1 January 2023.  It also confirmed the reappointment of Simon Jiang (China) as a member and Macky Tall (Mali) as an ad hoc member, both for a one-year term starting 1 January 2023.

For the 15-member International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), which advises the Assembly and the executive heads of the United Nations system member organizations on staff employment conditions, the Assembly appointed or reappointed as members for a four-year term beginning on 1 January 2023 Andrew Gbebay Bangali (Sierra Leone); Xavier Bellmont Roldán (Spain); Ali Kurer (Libya); João Vargas (Brazil); and Boguslaw Winid (Poland).  The Assembly designated Larbi Djacta (Algeria) as Chair for a period of four years beginning on 1 January 2023, subject to a corresponding extension of his term of office as an ICSC member.

Turning its attention to the five‑member Independent Audit Advisory Committee, which serves in an expert advisory capacity and helps the Assembly fulfil its oversight responsibilities, the Assembly appointed Anton Kosyanenko (Russian Federation) and Suresh Raj Sharma (Nepal) as members for a three-year term beginning on 1 January 2023.

For the United Nations Staff Pension Committee, which helps administer the Joint Staff Pension Fund, the Assembly appointed Yamada Jun (Japan) as a member for a term of office beginning on 15 November 2022 and ending on 31 December 2024.

Turning to the Joint Inspection Unit, an oversight body that conducts evaluations, inspections and investigations of the United Nations system-wide, the Assembly noted the resignation of Inspector Kamioka Keiko effective 31 December 2022.  Assembly Vice-President Amrit Bahadur Rai (Nepal) noted that the Chair of the Asia-Pacific States had informed the Assembly that the Group endorsed Japan to propose a candidate.  He said Japan will be requested to submit the name of a candidate and curriculum vitae.  After holding consultations, the Assembly President will submit the name of the candidate for appointment.

Before voting on their recommendations, delegates considered the Secretary-General’s notes on the appointment of members of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (document A/77/567); Committee on Contributions (document A/77/568); Investments Committee (document A/77/569); International Civil Service Commission (document A/77/570);Independent Audit Advisory Committee (document A/77/571); and the United Nations Staff Pension Committee (document A/77/572).

The Assembly will meet again at 10 a.m. on Thursday, 17 November to consider the question of equitable representation on and increase in the membership of the Security Council and other matters related to the Security Council.

Voting Results for the United Nations Appeals Tribunal

The Assembly also voted on two candidates for a non-renewable term of office starting immediately upon appointment and ending on 30 June 2026.

Voting Results

Having obtained the required majority and the highest number of votes, the following were elected judges of the United Nations Appeals Tribunal for a term of office beginning on 1 July 2023 and ending on 30 June 2030:  Nassib Ziadé (Lebanon/Chile), Abdelmohsen Ahmed Sheha (Egypt), and Katharine Savage (South Africa).

Having obtained the required majority and the highest number of votes, Gao Xiaoli (China) was elected judge of the United Nations Appeals Tribunal for a term of office starting immediately upon appointment and ending on 30 June 2026.

As no other candidate received the required majority, the Assembly took a vote on the two candidates that received the most votes.

Voting Results

Having obtained the required majority and the highest number of votes, Leslie Formine Forbang (Cameroon) was elected judge for a term of office beginning on 1 July 2023 and ending on 30 June 2030.

Voting Results for the Dispute Tribunal (Appointment in Geneva)

Voting Results (Appointment in Nairobi)

Voting Results (Appointment of a Half-time Judge)

Having obtained the required majority of votes, Xiangzhuang Sun (China) was elected full-time judge in Geneva, while Solomon Waktolla (Ethiopia) was elected half-time judge of the United Nations Dispute Tribunal for terms of office beginning on 1 July 2023 and ending on 30 June 2030.

As no candidate received the required majority, the Assembly took another vote for the appointment of a judge in Nairobi.

Voting Results (Appointment in Nairobi)

Having obtained the required majority of votes, Sean Daniel Wallace (United States) was elected full-time judge in Nairobi for term of office beginning on 1 July 2023 and ending on 30 June 2030.

Source: United Nations