(Jamaica Gleaner) – Jamaican jurist, Patrick Lipton Robinson was elected yesterday to serve as a judge in the International Court of Justice.
His nine-year tenure begins in February 2015.
His eventual election broke a deadlock in the United Nations General Assembly and the fifteen-member United Nations Security Council.
Both bodies are required to record a majority vote for the winning candidate.
However, over the course of the elections, Robinson consistently received more than a two-thirds majority of votes in the General Assembly, while Argentina’s candidate Susana Ruiz Cerutti received the required majority in the Security Council.
The deadlock between the Security Council and the General Assembly was ultimately resolved following Cerutti’s withdrawal last Wednesday.
This allowed for Robinson election.
He received a total of 185 votes in the General Assembly and 15 votes in the Security Council in the elections today.
Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller has congratulated Robinson.
“Judge Robinson’s elevation to this high office marks a historic moment, not only for Jamaica but for the entire Caribbean,” she said.
“The overwhelming support that he received throughout the rounds of voting from the UN membership is a reflection of the excellence of the Jamaican candidate, and the high regard with which the country is held in the international arena.”
Foreign Affairs Minister AJ Nicholson, said the “impressive outcome” is an indication of the level of respect that Jamaica enjoys for its “principled and balanced foreign policy” and the result of an effective and strategic campaign waged by the Foreign Ministry and its overseas Missions.
