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STORY: UN / ICJ MEMBER ELECTION
TRT: 2:24
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 05 NOVEMBER 2021, NEW YORK CITY
FILE - NEW YORK CITY
1. Close up, UN flag outside headquarters
05 NOVEMBER 2021, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, General Assembly Hall
3. Wide shot, delegates
4. Wide shot, staff inspecting ballot boxes
5. Various shots, delegates casting votes
6. Various shots, staff with ballot boxes
7. Wide shot, Security Council
8. Med shot, Mexican ambassador presiding over Security Council
9. Various shots, Security Council members casting votes
10. Wide shot, General Assembly Hall
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Abdulla Shahid, President of the 76th Session of the General Assembly, United Nations:
"As a result of the independent voting in the Security Council and in the General Assembly, Hillary Charlesworth of Australia has obtained an absolute majority in both organs. Hillary Charlesworth of Australia is therefore duly elected a member of the International Court of Justice to serve a term of office commencing today, 05 November 2021, and ending on 05 February 2024."
12. Wide shots, delegates applauding
The UN General Assembly and Security Council elected Hillary Charlesworth of Australia to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the principal judicial organ of the United Nations.
Candidates are required to obtain an absolute majority of votes in both chambers: that is 97 in the General Assembly and eight in the Security Council. Five seats come up for election every three years and there is no bar on consecutive terms. Charlesworth received 119 votes in the General Assembly and 11 votes in the Security Council.
Charlesworth will serve on the Court starting today (05 Nov) until 05 February 2024. She is replacing her fellow compatriot Judge James Crawford, who had passed away in May.
Judges are chosen on the basis of their qualifications, not their nationality, but no two judges can be from the same country. Effort is also taken to ensure that the principal legal systems of the world are reflected in the composition of the court.
The ICJ is composed of 15 judges and settles legal disputes between states in addition to providing UN entities with advisory opinions on legal matters.
Located in The Hague, in the Netherlands, it is one of the six principal organs of the UN and the only one not situated in New York.
The others are the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, the Trusteeship Council and the Secretariat.
The General Assembly and the Security Council conduct simultaneous but separate votes for the election of a new member of the International Court of Justice.
