Haiwaiwang, November 9th. As the re-election of the judges of the International Court of Justice is imminent, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines issued an instruction on the 8th asking the Philippine representative to the United Nations to vote for the Chinese candidate.
Based on Philippine News Agency, Reuters and other media reports, the Philippine Foreign Minister Teodoro Locsin said on social media on the 8th that he had instructed the Philippine representative to the United Nations to vote for the Chinese candidate for the International Court of Justice. To “This is the only clear instruction.”
On November 11, local time, the International Court of Justice will hold elections to fill the five seats that will be vacant in 2021. Among the eight candidates competing for the five seats, four are current judges, including Xue Hanqin, the current vice-chairman of the International Court of Justice and a Chinese.
According to a UN document dated June 29, the Philippines nominated a Japanese judge. The Philippine Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated that in the election on the 11th, the Philippines can support more than one candidate because there will be five vacancies.
Foreign media pointed out that the International Court of Justice was established in 1946 and is located in The Hague, the Netherlands. It is the highest court of the United Nations for handling disputes between nations.
It is composed of 15 judges elected by the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council for a term of 9 years. The judge is eligible for re-election. Candidates must obtain an absolute majority of votes in both the UN General Assembly and the Security Council before they can be elected.
