Renowned Jamaican and international jurist Patrick Robinson has been appointed to serve as a judge of the International Criminal Court of Justice for nine years starting in February 2015.
Both the United Nations General Assembly and the 15-member United Nations Security Council are required to record a majority vote for the winning candidate in the recent elections.
Robinson received 185 votes in the General Assembly and 15 votes in the Security Council.
Robinson is the only Jamaican and the second Caribbean national to serve on the body since its establishment 70 years ago. He will join four other candidates from Australia, Morocco, Russia and the United States of America, who were elected to serve on the court.
Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller, in welcoming the results, said Robinson’s elevation marks a historic moment, not only for Jamaica but the entire Caribbean.
Foreign Affairs Minister A.J. Nicholson said the outcome is an indication of the level of respect that Jamaica enjoys for its principled and balanced foreign policy and an effective and strategic campaign waged by the foreign ministry and overseas missions, particularly mission to the United Nations in New York.
