Judges from China blaze trail for UN tribunals

Two Chinese candidates on Tuesday were elected to be judges of the United Nations Appeals Tribunal and Dispute Tribunal at the 77th UN General Assembly, making it the first time since the establishment of the two bodies that candidates from China have been elected.

According to the statement from the Permanent Mission of China to the UN, Gao Xiaoli from China's Supreme People's Court was elected judge of the Appeals Tribunal for the term of office starting immediately upon appointment on Nov 15 and ending on June 30, 2026.

Sun Xiangzhuang, also from the Supreme People's Court, was elected full-time judge of the Dispute Tribunal in Geneva beginning on July 1,2023, and ending on June 30, 2030.

The Dispute Tribunal was established in 2009 by the General Assembly resolution 62/228 and has nine judges based in New York, Geneva and Nairobi. The Appeals Tribunal, also established in 2009 in the same resolution, has seven judges, all of whom are based at the UN headquarters in New York.

As important parts of the UN internal justice system, the two tribunals have played a key role in safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of UN staff members and promoting the effective functioning of the UN system on the basis of the rule of law.