S/PV.2760 Security Council

Before we take up the item on the agenda for this morning, it is my sad duty to inform the Security Council of the untimely death of the President of the Supreme Military Council and Bead of State of the Republic of Niger, Ais Excellency General Seyni Kountche. It is fitting for the Security Council, as the principal organ of the United Nations on which the Members have conferred primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, to pay a tribute to General Kountchi's deep commitment to the cause of world peace and understanding. Permit me, as President of the Security Council and on behalf of the other members of the Council, to convey to the representative of Niger and through him, to the Government and the people of Niger, and to the bereaved family our sincere condolences. I now invite members of the Council to stand and observe a minute of silence in tribute to the memory of General Seyni Xountchg. The members of the Security Council observed a minute of silence. EXPRESSION OF TRANKS TO TBE RETIRING PRESXDEBT The PRESIDEE: I should like, on behalf of the Council, to pay a tribute to Bis Excellency Mr. Maurizio Bucci, Permanent Representative of Italy to the United Nations, for his services as President of the Security Council in October. Ambassador Bucci earned our profound gratitude for the diplomatic skill and unfailing courtesy with which he guided the Council's deliberations last month. I should like also to take this opportunity to welcome the new Permanent Representative of the Federal Republic of Germany to the United Nations, Ambassador Alexander Count York von wartenburg, whose cualities are well known to many of US, and to wish him, on behalf of the Council, success in the exercise of his new functions. ADOPTIclNOPTm3AGmr!A *#ii WbMiCI -8 adCSPtad. BLBCFION OF FIVE -KS OF TSE INTBEIATIONRL CoaRT OF JU8TICB (S/19155, s/19156/Kev,l and S/19158) The PRKSIlX?Wr: This morning the Security Council and the General Assembly will procaed independently with the election of five members of the International Court of Yuatfce, in accordance with t-be relevant provisions of the Statute of the International Court of Justice, to fill the five seats which will heconte vacant on 5 February 1988 on the expiry of the terum of office of the following five Judges: Mr. Rotirto Ago, Wr. Jo4 Sette-Camars, Mr. Stephen Schwebel, Mr. @Iohaumed Bedjaouf and Hr. Nikolai Konstantinovich Tarassov. (The President) The consolidated list of candidates nominated by national groups is contained in document S/19156/Rev. 1. Document S/l9158 contains the curricula vitae of all the candidates. The Security Council also has before it a memocandum by the Seccetary-General in document S/19155, setting out the procedure to be followed in the conduct of the election. I should like to remind the buncil that Article 9 of the Statute of the International court of Justice requires electors to bear in mind not only that the persons to be elected should individually possess the qualifications required but also that in the body as a whole the representation of the main forms of civilisation and of the principal legal systems of the world should be assured. Article 10, paragraph 1 of the Statute indicates that “Those candidates who obtain an absolute majority of votes in the General Assembly and in the security Council shall be considered as elected”. The absolute majority in the Security Council is eight votes. If in the first ballot fewer than five candidates obtain an absolute majority of votes, the Council will proceed to a second ballot, and balloting will continue in the same meeting until five candidates have obtained the required majority of votes. If avxe than five candidates obtain the required majority of votes, the Council will hold a nev ballot on all the candidates. This is consistent with the practice followed on previous occasions, as set forth in paragraph 14 of the Secretary-GeneralPs maorandum. (The President) The voting will k by semet ballot. When ve pmceed to the vote lerrbers of the Council will receive a ballot containing ttm names of all the candidates. Only those candidates whose namas appear on the ballot paper are eligible. Hesbers of the Council will indicate the candidates for vha they wish to vote by placing au “Xm against their names on the ballot papat. I Should like to remind member6 of paragraph 11 of the Secretary-General’s mmorandum, which specifies that ‘Each elector may vote for not more than five candidates on the first ballot . . . . . tiy ballot containing votes for more than five candidates will be considered invalid. On subsequent ballots, if any, each elector may vote for five, less the number of candidates who have already obtained absolute majorities. When five candidates have obtained an absolute majority of votes, I shall notify the President of the General Assembly of tha namss of those candidates, and I shall request the Council ta remain in session pending receipt from the President of the General Assembly of the result of the vote in tha Assembly. I shall now proceed to draw lots to seleot the names of two mesbers of the Council to act as Tellers. l ** The PRPSIDENTz The names of the delegations of Ghana and rambia have been dram. I therefore request each of then to appoint one of its members to serve as teller. At the invitation of the President, Mr. Nwaneaapeh (Ghana) and Hr. WUla (Zambia) acted as tellers. The PRESIOCIWP: f take it that the COWId iS MU ready WB pKOCehd With the election of five mem&re of the International Court of Justice. It ia so decided. I shall ask the Conference Officer to dietribute the ballots. Members of the Council ehould indicate the candidates for whom they wish to vote by placing an 'X* at the left of theit names on the ballot papr. A vote wm taken by sectet ballot. l ** The PRBSIDSNT: I t&m it that all the umber6 of the Council have now voted, and I ask the Gonfersn~ C&?&ear to collect the ballots. . All the ballot *z.yzf 'LFWY &mm collected. I have been informed that the ballot papeKe have P.-.A cu1h&zW& s2a the General Assembly as well. The counting of the kmaa~&~& in the Security Council will now b&n. The tellers will now count tbe ballots. There will be two independent countinga of the ballots. one by each of the tellers. l ** The PRE8fDBm: The result of the voting te as follows: Number of ballot parmtsr 15 Number of invalid ballots: 0 Number of valid balloter 15 Required majorityz 8 Number of votes obtained: nr. Stephen $@hwbel Iunited States of America)......... 1s Mr. Nikolai Taraseov (Union of Sovist Socialist Republics). 15 Mr. Roberto Ago (Itely! . . . . . . . . . . 14 Mr. lhhanmed Bedjaoui (Alyeria) . . . . . . . . ?.4 Mr. Yoei Sette-Camra (smzil! _......... 11 The PRESIlX!rm Five candidates have obtained an absolute majority in the first ballot: Mr. Stephen Gchwebel, Mr. Nikolai Tarassov, Mr. Roberto Agot Mr. Mabamed Bedjaoui and Hr. Joe6 Sette-Camra. I shall communicate the result of the vote to the President of the General Assembly. I reuuest the Council to remain in session while we wait for the President of the Assembly to inform the Council of the r@ault of the voting in the General Afisembly. l ** The PRsSIDE#p: I hawe just been informud that the ballot in the General Assenbly is Still inconclusive. The President of the Assembly hag suqended the meeting for two hours. with the concurrence of the Council, I propose, therefore, to euspend this meeting for two and one-half houta. We shall met again at 4.30 p.m. The meeting wa8 suspended at 2.10 p.m. and resumed at 5.30 p.m. The PRESIDEWP: I have juek received from the President of the General Aeeembly the fallaPing letter: "I have the honour to inform you that, at the 64th plenary meeting of the Generul Assembly held today for the purpose of electing five members of the International Court of Justice, the following five Candidate8 obtained an abscrlute majority of vote8 in the General Assemblyt Mr. RoLerto Ago Mr.mhammed Bedjaoui Mr. Stephen M. Schwebel Mr. t4ohamed Shahabuddeen Mr. Nikolai II. Tarassov "Accept, Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration." As a result of the independent voting in the Security Council and in the &ueKsl Assembly the fOllowiug four candidates, ME. Roberto Ago, Mr. Mohammed Bedjaoui, Mr. Stephen Schwebel and Mr. Nikolai Tarassov, having obtained the required majority of votes in both bodies, are elected members oE the International Court of Justice for a term of office nf nine year8 begiming on 6 February 1988. On behalf of the CoUnCiL I should like to congratulate them and wi8h them every success in the high office to which tbey have been @lected. In accordance with the provisions of Article 11 of the Statute of the Court, it will be necessary to hold a second meeting to fill the remaining vacancy. I propose that this meeting be adjourned and that a second meeting be called to order this afternoon at 5.45 p,m. to vote on the remaining vacancy.