The International Court of Justice consists of 15 members and is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. FILE

• It will be in Office for a period of three years

The International Court of Justice, based in the Hague, Netherlands, is composed of 15 members and is the principal judicial organ of the UN

Geneva, Switzerland (06/FEB/2012)-the judges Peter Tomka, of Slovakia, and Bernardo Sepúlveda Amor, Mexico, were elected today President and Vice-President of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), as appropriate, for a period of three years, announced United Nations (UN).  

The International Court of Justice, based in the Hague, Netherlands, is composed of 15 members and is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations.  

Sepúlveda Amor was born in the city of Mexico on December 14, 1941, an eminent lawyer graduated from the Faculty of rights of the Universidad National Autónoma of Mexico, has postgraduate studies in international law at the University of Cambridge, and has been a Professor of the school of Mexico.  

He served as Ambassador of Mexico in United States in 1982 and from December of that year held the post of Secretary of Foreign Affairs during the Government of Miguel de la Madrid was one of the promoters of the Contadora Group.  

Between 1989 and 1993 he was Ambassador in United Kingdom and in 1985 received the award Simón Bolívar of the Organization of the United Nations for education, science and culture organization (UNESCO) for its renowned diplomatic work.  

Since November 2006 he is member of the ICJ, international body responsible for settling disputes submitted States (contentious proceedings), through statements recalled the institution said in a statement.  

Also the ICJ issues opinions or advisory opinions in response to any legal issue will be raised by the General Assembly of the United Nations, the Security Council or some of its agencies.  

There are currently 13 cases in the general list of the Court, including the Avena case on Mexicans sentenced to death in United States.  

From today the ICJ is integrated by its President Peter Tomka (Slovakia), Bernardo Sepúlveda Amor (Mexico) Vice-President and the judges Hisashi Owada (Japan), Ronny Abraham (France), Kenneth Keith (New Zealand), and Mohamed Bennouna (Morocco).  

In addition, the judges Leonid Skotnikov (Russian Federation), Antonio Augusto Cançado Trindade (Brazil), Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf (Somalia), Christopher Greenwood (United Kingdom), Xue Hanqin (China), Joan e. Donoghue (United States), Giorgio Gaja (Italy) and Julia Sebutinde (Uganda).  

The ICJ is currently formed by 14 members awaiting that UN select this year to the successor of the judge Awn Shawkat al – Khasawneh, who was elected Prime Minister of Jordan last October.