Latest news with #MahmoudDaifallahHmoud
Scoop
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
New Judge Elected To The International Court Of Justice
27 May 2025 Mahmoud Daifallah Hmoud was appointed following a parallel and independent voting process in the General Assembly and Security Council, conducted by secret ballot. He will fill the vacancy left by former ICJ President Nawaf Salam of Lebanon, who resigned in January to become the country's Prime Minister. He will hold office for the remainder of Judge Salam's term, which was set to end on 5 February 2027. Absolute majority Mr. Hmoud was the sole person vying for the slot and he was nominated by Egypt, Jordan, Romania, Slovakia and Sweden. Candidates must secure an absolute majority in both the General Assembly and the Security Council, or 97 and eight votes respectively. All 15 Council members voted in his favour while in the General Assembly, which comprises all 193 UN Member States, he received the support of 178 out of 181 countries who took part in the vote. Three countries abstained. Mr. Hmoud has been Jordan's Ambassador to the UN in New York since September 2021 and his other postings include Legal Adviser and Director of the Legal Department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He is also a former chairman and member of the International Law Commission, a UN expert body that promotes the development and codification of international law. The 'world court' The ICJ, informally known as the 'world court', settles legal disputes between UN Member States and gives advisory opinions on legal questions that have been referred to it by UN organs and agencies. It has been in the spotlight following an advisory opinion, issued last July, which said that Israel's occupation of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, 'is unlawful.' Last month, hearings began into Israel's continuing restriction on the work of UN and other international agencies operating in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories (OPT). The Court is composed of 15 judges who serve nine-year terms. Five seats come up for election every three years and there is no bar on consecutive terms. Judges are chosen on the basis of their qualifications, not their nationality; however, no two judges can be from the same country. The ICJ was established in June 1945 and is based at the Peace Palace in The Hague, a city in the Netherlands. It is one of the six main organs of the UN – alongside the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the Trusteeship Council, and the Secretariat – and is the only one not based in New York.
Jordan Times
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Jordan Times
Jordan urges UN to stop ‘bloodshed' in Gaza, pressure Israel to open crossings for aid
By AFP - May 01,2025 - Last updated at May 01,2025 Caption: Palestinian children queue for a hot meal at a charity kitchen in Gaza City on April 30, 2025 (AFP photo) AMMAN — Jordan on Wednesday called on the United Nations Security Council to take immediate action to ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza and to hold Israel accountable for its obligations under international law. Speaking during a Security Council session, Jordan's Permanent Representative to the UN Mahmoud Daifallah Hmoud, urged the council to enforce Resolution 2735 and other relevant decisions that call for the opening of border crossings and the unimpeded entry of essential supplies—including food, medicine, fuel, and shelter materials—across all areas of Gaza. Hmoud condemned Israel's actions as severe breaches of international law, including the Fourth Geneva Convention and rulings issued by the International Court of Justice. He stressed that Israel's role as an occupying force carries legal obligations that are being systematically ignored, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra. Reiterating Jordan's firm position, he called for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, an end to the blockade, and the full implementation of a prisoner exchange deal facilitated by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States. Hmoud also emphasized the urgent need to launch a reconstruction process for Gaza, based on the joint Egyptian-Palestinian plan. The proposal, he said, has been adopted by Arab and Islamic states and enjoys broad international support. Addressing the situation in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, Hmoud described rising violence and escalating Israeli policies as dangerous and destabilizing. He condemned the ongoing targeting of Jerusalem's residents and its Islamic and Christian holy sites, including repeated incursions into Al Aqsa Mosque/ Al Haram Al Sharif by Israeli settlers and extremist government officials. 'These actions—home demolitions, forced displacement, land seizures—are designed to change the facts on the ground and alter Jerusalem's historical and legal status,' Hmoud said. 'They are clear violations of international law and must be firmly rejected.' He reaffirmed Jordan's commitment to the Hashemite Custodianship over Jerusalem's Muslim and Christian holy sites and called on the international community to support the Palestinian people's resilience in the face of Israel's annexation and settlement policies. Jordan also reiterated its demand for the Security Council to compel Israel to stop these violations, warning that continued inaction risks igniting a broader regional crisis. Highlighting the critical role of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), Hmoud denounced recent Israeli legislation targeting the agency's operations in the occupied Palestinian territories. He called for increased international support to ensure UNRWA can continue providing life-saving services to millions of refugees. He also reaffirmed Jordan's position on the right of return and compensation for Palestinian refugees, as enshrined in UN resolutions. 'Peace is our strategic choice,' Hmoud concluded. 'But it can only be achieved through the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the June 4, 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in line with a two-state solution and the Arab Peace Initiative.
