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ASP Opens Nomination Period for Judges 
to the International Criminal Court 

10 September 2002

New York, United Nations - The Assembly of States Parties (ASP) to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court yesterday opened the period for nomination of candidates for the first eighteen judges of the court. The nomination period will close on 30 November 2002 and the elections will be held from 3-7 February 2003.

"We hope that governments realize the significance of the first elections for this Court and understand that they cannot go about this as if it's business as usual," said Vahida Nainar of the Women's Caucus for Gender Justice. "Women must be present on this Court in significant number and we hope the procedures adopted will help ensure this."

After the adoption of procedures that will govern the election process Prince Zeid Ra'ad Zeid Al-Hussein, the Jordanian Ambassador and President of the ASP, strongly appealed to governments not to participate in the "regime of reciprocal agreements or swaps" of votes in the conduct of ICC elections.

In an address to the ASP this week, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan spoke to this issue, saying, "the judges, Prosecutor and other high officials must meet the highest standards of legal rigour, human sensitivity and professional probity." 

The Rome Statute requires that candidates have established competence in either criminal law and procedure or relevant areas of international law, and that they be persons of high moral character, impartiality and integrity who possess the qualifications required in their respective States for appointment to the highest judicial offices. The treaty furthermore specifies that countries may choose between their own nomination procedures for appointment to the highest judicial offices, or those of the International Court of Justice. 

The nomination period will close on November 30, 2002 and he elections of the first 18 judges will be held from 3-7 February 2003. 

To date, a number of candidates have been announced, including Mr. Georghios M. Piokis of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr. Karl Hudson-Philips, Q.C. of Trinidad and Tobago, Ms. Barbara Ott of Switzerland, Mr. Adrian Fulford of the United Kingdom, Mr. Marc Bossuyt of Belgium, Mr. Almiro Rodrigues of Portugal, Mr. Doudou Ndir of Senegal, Mr. Mauro Politti of Italy and Mr. Philippe Kirsch of Canada. The governments of Mongolia, France, Brazil and Bolivia have also announced their intention to nominate candidates. 

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