Professor Bimal N. Patel of India has been elected to the International Law Commission, a UN body of legal experts, for a five-year term beginning in January 1, 2023.  He bagged the highest votes in the Asia-Pacific region, with 163, out of 192, UNI news agency said. 

India’s Permanent Mission in the UN tweeted: “Professor Bimal Patel of India is elected to the #ILC for a 5 year term.

“Our contribution to #ILC will reflect the commitment to uphold rules-based international order, underpinned by #RuleOfLaw,” it posted.

T.S. Tirumurti, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, in a congratulatory tweet, said:

“Hearty felicitations to Prof Bimal Patel @RakshaUni

for election to International Law Commission by topping the group.

“Thank all UN Member States for overwhelming support to our India candidature,” he wrote.

Patel is Vice-Chancellor, Rashtriya Raksha University, and Member, National Security Advisory Board of India. He is also the Lead Academic Adviser, on India’s Membership of UN Security Council (2021-22) , and was a member of the 21st Law Commission of India, Government of India (2015-2018).

The ILC is a UN body of legal experts responsible for developing and codifying international law. It is composed of 34 members who are voted onto the Commission by UN member states to serve 5-year terms.

(SAM)