S/PV.1671 Security Council

The Security Council will now proceed to elect five members of the International Court of Justice, in accordance with Article 13, paragraph 1, of the Statute of the Court, to fiil the five seats which will become vacant on 5 February 1973 on the expiration of the terms of office of Sir Muhammad Zafrulla Khan, Sir Gerald Fitzmaurice, Mr. Luis Padilla Nerve, Mr. Isaac Forster and Mr. Andre Gras.!

No one has been elected. We shall therefore have to proceed to another vote, in accordance with paragraph 14 of the memorandum of the Secretary-General as follows: 2. The list of candidates nominated by national groups for the election to fill the five vacancies is contained in documents S/10745 and Add.1.61 and in document S/10772. The curricula vitae of all the candidates are to be found in document S/10761. We have been informed that Mr. Carlos Holguin, Sir Muhammad Zafrulla Khan, Mr. Abdullah El-Erian and Mr. Roberto Ago have withdrawn their candidacies [S/1074.5/Add.6], “14. Cases have arisen in the Security Council in which more than the required number of candidates have received an absolute majority on the same ballot. The practice followed by the Council on 6 December 1951, 7 October 1954 and 21 October 1963, when this occurred, was to hold a new vote on all the candidates and the President of the Security Council made no notification to the President of the General Assembly until only the required number of candidates, and no more, had received an absolute majority in the Council,” 3. The Council also has before it a memorandum by the Secretary-General [S/107441] setting out the procedure to be followed in the election. In accordance with Article 10, paragraph 1, of the Statute of the Court, “those candidates who obtain an absolute majority of votes in the General,, Assembly and in the Security Council shall be considered as elected.” The majority required in the Security Council is 6. We shall accordingly proceed to a new vote. AU. the candidates mentioned on the list are eligible. A vote will now be taken. A vote was taken by secret ballot. Number of ballot papers: Invalid ballots: 15 0 7. The PRESIDENT fititerpretation porn French): More than five candidates have obtained the required majority; therefore, we shall have to take another vote. I would make it clear that all the candidates are eligible. A third vote will now be taken. A vote was taken by secret ballot. Number of ballot papers: 15 Invalid ballots: 0 Number of valid ballots: 15 Required majority: 8 Number of votes obtained: Mr. Isaac Forster (Senegal) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Mr. Nagendra Singh (India) . , . . . . . . . . . , . 14 Mr. Andre Gros (France) . . . . I . . . . . . . . . , 13 Sir Humphrey Waldock (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) . . . . . . 13 Mr. Jose Maria Ruda (Argentina) . , , , . . . . , 10 Mr. Carlos Garcia-Bauer (Guatemala)! . . . . . . . 7 Mr. And& Cbrdova (Ecuador) j, . . . , , . . . . . 2 Mr. Luis Padilla Nervo (Mexico) . . . . . . . . . . 2

The following five candidates have received the required majority: Mr. Isaac Forster,\Mr. Andre Gros, Mr. Nagendra Singh, Mr. Jose Maria Ruda and Sir Humphrey Waldock. In accord-. ante with the provisions of the provisional rules of procedure, I shall now communicate the results to the President of the General Assembly and would ask the Litho in United Nations, New York Price: $U.S. 1.00 (or equivalent in other currencies) 72-82236-March 197~~2,~~~

I should like to read out to the members of the Council the text of the letter I have just received from the Presidenl of the General Assembly: “I have the honour to inform you that at the 207Sth plenary meeting of the General Assembly, which was held today for the purpose of electing five members of the International Court of Justice, the following five candl. dates received an absolute majority of votes: Mr,& Forster, Mr. Andri Gros, Mr. Nagendra Singh, Mr, Jo$ Maria Ruda and Sir Humphrey Waldock, “I note, from your letter of 30 October, that at the 1671st meeting of the Security Council, the following five candidates received the required majority of votesin the Council: Mr. Isaac Forster, Mr. Andrd Cros, Mr. Nagendra Singh, Mr. Josh Maria Ruda and Sir Hum. phrey Waldock. “I have informed the General Assembly that Mr. Isaac Forster, Mr. Andre Gras, Mr. Nagendra Singh, Mr. JoJc! Maria Ruda and Sir Humphrey Waldock, having obtained the absolute majority of votes both in the General Assembly and the Security Council, have been elected members of the International Court of Justice.” 10. The above-mentioned five candidates, having obtained the required majority in the Security Council ana fhE General Assembly, have been elected members of the International Court of Justice for a term of office of ai% years, beginning on 6 February 1973. 11. It remains only for me to thank the members of tht Council for their patience and to congratulate those wh@ have today been elected to their high office, The meeting rose at 11.50 a.m,