UNITED
NATIONS
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
News and Highlights from the President
President
delivered a message of congratulation to the Secretary-General; election
of a member of International Court of Justice
12 October 2001
General Assembly President Han Seung-soo, who is in the Republic of Korea, learnt late Friday Korean time, that the Nobel Peace Prize Committee had decided to award the Prize to the Secretary-General and the United Nations. In a message of congratulation, he said among other things that, “The award of the Nobel Peace Prize is a tribute not only to your tireless efforts to hone the United Nations into a tool that will serve all of mankind but also to the thousands of UN staff members who work with such dedication and often in perilous circumstances to make this world a better and safer place”. The President also spoke with the Secretary-General over the phone this morning.
In the General Assembly Hall, the Acting President, informed the Member States that the Secretary-General and the United Nations had been awarded this most prestigious prize. His announcement was greeted with sustained applause. He then delivered a statement on behalf of the General Assembly President and the Member States.
The Secretary-General then spoke whereupon representatives of regional groups and of the host country offered words of congratulations.
The General Assembly then turned to its scheduled business, namely the election of a member of the International Court of Justice. In a secret ballot, 174 Member States voted as follows:
Mr. Nabil Elaraby
124 votes
Mr. Francis Romain Wodie 50 votes
There were no abstentions or invalid ballots.
As Mr. Elaraby obtained
an absolute majority of the votes in the General Assembly and in the Security
Council, he was declared a duly elected member of the International Court
of Justice.