The International Court of Justice (ICJ) will elect a new judge on 9 September. Judge Thomas Buergenthal will resign as member of the ICJ on 6 September 2010, five years before his term would have expired.

The new judge will complete Judge Buergenthal’s term. Buergenthal served at the ICJ for a decade.

The ICJ consists of 15 judges elected for a term of nine years each by the General Assembly and the Security Council. Five seats fall vacant for re-election every three years. Candidates who obtain more than 50 percent of votes in both the General Assembly and in the Council are elected.

Impressive career
In addition to Buergenthal’s academic career, among which various professorships,
Buergenthal served as president of the Administrative Tribunal of the Inter-American Development Bank. He was a member of the UN Human Rights Committee and the UN Truth Commission for El Salvador, and is currently a member of the Ethics Commission of the International Olympic Committee. Buergenthal is honorary president of the Inter-American Institute of Human Rights in San José, Costa Rica.