Bhandari’s re-election to ICJ, a diplomatic coup

The re-election of Justice Dalveer Bhandari to the UN’s judicial arm The International Court of Justice (ICJ) at The Hague, Netherlands, is seen as a big diplomatic win for India.

“The re-election of Justice Dalveer Bhandari is a major diplomatic victory for India, having secured an overwhelming majority from the General Assembly,” said Pavani Reddy, Managing Partner of Zaiwalla & Co. based in London.

Reddy added that while the UK lost out on the race, without having secured a place on the bench for the first time in the 70-year history of the United Nations, it is hoped that the UK will work with India closely.

“This can definitely be considered as a diplomatic victory for India, as the overwhelming support from the General Assembly is a testimony to the faith the UN holds on India and its judiciary,” Reddy said.

She said the election into the judicial bench was rather “complex” for India. With unexpected entrants into the electorate, India was forced to contend away from the reserved Asia seats and instead challenge those reserved usually for Europeans.

“While the seat on the bench is a favourable diplomatic win, it cannot be seen as a trump card for India, as the bench is impartial and impenetrable for judicial favouritism. It is a moral high-ground for the country,” she cautioned.

The UN Security Council and the General Assembly voted overwhelmingly in support of India. Justice Bhandari received all 15 votes in the UN Security Council and 183 out of the 193 votes in the UN General Assembly in New York.

“The extraordinary support from the UN membership is reflective of the respect for strong constitutional integrity of the Indian polity and the independence of the judiciary in India,” the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

The statement also said that the Indian National Group to the Permanent Court of Arbitration had re-nominated Justice Bhandari as India’s national candidate in June 2017.

India, through its Permanent Representative in UN Syed Akbaruddin, has been supporting the campaign of Bhandari through diplomatic efforts at different fora.

India said it also appreciated the UK’s decision to withdraw from the closely fought electoral process.

Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj took to twitter and applauded the efforts of Akbaruddin and his team at the UN.

“Our deep gratitude to all the members of UNGA as well as UNSC for their support and trust in India,” stated Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Twitter.

President Ram Nath Kovind said it is a diplomatic milestone for India.