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Huge diplomatic win for India;
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi credited the efforts of external affairs minister Smt. Sushma Swaraj and foreign ministry officials for the re-election of Dalveer Bhandari to the International Court of Justice.
BJP National President Shri Amit Shah described Bhandari’s re-election as a huge diplomatic win and applauded PM Shri Narendra Modi and Smt. Sushma Swaraj. Congratulating Shri Bhandari, Shri Amit Shah said his win was a reflection of a strong and decisive leadership.
Dalveer Bhandari sailed through after Britain withdrew its candidate from a hard-fought race to the World Court on 21 November, 2017. Bhandari and UK’s Christopher Greenwood were locked in a neck-and-neck fight for re-election, as the UN could not decide between them after electing four out of five judges to the ICJ.
Bhandari, 70, received 183-193 votes at the General Assembly and secured all 15 votes in the Security Council to fill the final vacancy on the ICJ after separate but simultaneous elections were held at the UN headquarters in New York.
After the results came out, PM Shri Narendra Modi expressed gratitude to members of the UN General Assembly and the UN Security Council for their support and trust in India.For its part, Britain congratulated Dalveer Bhandari and said it will continue to cooperate closely with India at the United Nations and globally.
Matthew Rycroft, Britain’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, said in a statement that his country decided to withdraw Greenwood’s candidature. We are naturally disappointed, but it was a competitive field with six strong candidates, he said. “If the UK could not win in this run-off, then we are pleased that it is a close friend like India that has done so instead. We will continue to cooperate closely with India, here in the United Nations and globally,” he said.
Rycroft said the UK will continue to support the work of the ICJ in line with our commitment to the importance of the rule of law in the UN system and in the international community more generally.
Britain’s withdrawal from the election to the prestigious world court would mean that there will not be a British judge on the UN’s most powerful court for the first time in its history.
Based in the Hague, the ICJ has a bench of 15 judges, five of whom are elected every three years for a nine-year term. Established in 1945, the role of the ICJ is to settle, in accordance with international law, legal disputes submitted to it by states and to give advisory opinions on legal questions.
@narendramodi
Congratulations to EAM @SushmaSwaraj and her entire team at MEA & diplomatic missions for their untiring efforts that have led to India’s re-election to ICJ. Our deep gratitude to all the members of UNGA as well as UNSC for their support and trust in India.
@AmitShah
“With every step and effort of the Modi Government, we see the reflection of a strong and decisive leadership. I applaud Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj for this huge diplomatic win.”
@SushmaSwaraj
“Vande Matram – India wins election to the International Court of Justice. JaiHind.”