A/69/PV.53 General Assembly

As members are aware, there is still one vacancy on the Court to be filled. I should like to inform members of the General Assembly that I have received a letter from Her Excellency Mrs. María Cristina Perceval, Permanent Representative of Argentina to the United Nations, dated 11 November 2014, communicating the decision of the Government of Argentina to withdraw the nomination of Ms. Susana Ruiz Cerutti for election to the International Court of Justice. The letter has been circulated as document A/69/575. I have also received a letter from the Legal Counsel, dated 14 November 2014, informing me, on behalf of the Secretary-General, that the Permanent Mission of Argentina to the United Nations communicated to the Legal Counsel that the decision to withdraw Ms. Ruiz Cerutti’s candidacy has been conveyed to the national groups that nominated her through their Missions. No objections have been received. *1463057* 14-63057 (E) The Assembly will now proceed to vote with respect to the remaining vacancy. I should like to remind representatives that, pursuant to rule 88 of the Assembly’s rules of procedure, “After the President has announced the beginning of voting, no representative shall interrupt the voting except on a point of order in connection with the actual conduct of the voting.” We shall now begin the voting process. Ballot papers will now be distributed. Only the candidate whose name appears on the ballot paper is eligible. I would like to remind delegations that only the name of the candidate that appears on the ballot paper should be marked with a cross. Any ballot paper on which there is more than one name will be considered invalid. Votes may be cast only for the name that appears on the ballot paper.

The result of the voting is as follows: Number of ballot papers: 189 Number of invalid ballots: 0 Number of valid ballots: 189 Abstentions: 4 Number of members voting: 185 Required absolute majority: 97 Number of votes obtained: Mr. Patrick Lipton Robinson (Jamaica) 185 Mr. Patrick Lipton Robinson has obtained an absolute majority in the General Assembly. I have communicated the result of the voting to the President of the Security Council. I have also received a letter from the President of the Security Council, which reads: “I have the honour to inform you that at the 7313th meeting of the Security Council, held on 17 November 2014, for the purpose of electing one member of the International Court of Justice for a term of office beginning on 6 February 2015, Mr. Patrick Lipton Robinson obtained an absolute majority of votes.” As a result of the voting that has taken place independently in the General Assembly and the Security Council, Mr. Patrick Lipton Robinson has obtained an absolute majority in both bodies. The following five candidates have therefore obtained an absolute majority in both bodies: Mr. Mohamed Bennouna, Mr. James Richard Crawford, Ms. Joan E. Donoghue, Mr. Kirill Gevorgian and Mr. Patrick Lipton Robinson. They are therefore duly elected members of the International Court of Justice to serve for a nine-year term commencing on 6 February 2015. I would like to take this opportunity to extend to them the congratulations of the Assembly on their election, and to thank the tellers for their assistance. May I take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to conclude its consideration of sub-item (c) of agenda item 111?