The election for judges of the United Nations Appeals Tribunal (UNAT) and the UN Dispute Tribunal took place during the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, held in New York on November 17th, local time. Ms. Zhang Lingling, a former postdoctoral fellow at CASS Institute of Law (2015) and a current judge of the Supreme People's Court of China, was elected to the United Nations Appeals Tribunal. As the sole candidate from the Asia-Pacific region, she was elected with the most votes. Her term will begin on July 1, 2026, and will last for seven years.

 

 

The UNAT, which was established in 2009, is a key institution within the UN's internal justice system, is aimed at safeguarding the legal rights of UN staff and promoting the rule of law across UN operations. It is composed of seven judges, all based at the UN headquarters in New York.