Mr. Sayeman Bula-Bula

The Democratic Republic of the Congo has chosen Mr. Sayeman Bula-Bula and the Kingdom of Belgium Ms Christine Van den Wyngaert.

Article 20 of the Statute of the Court provides that "[e]very Member of the Court shall, before taking up his duties, make a solemn declaration in open court that he will exercise his powers impartially and conscientiously".By Article 31, paragraph 6, of the Statute, that provision applies to judges ad hoc.I shall first say a few words about the career and qualifications of each of the two judges who will be making the required declaration.I shall then invite them, in order of precedence, to make their declaration.

Mr. Sayeman Bula-Bula, of Congolese nationality, is professeur ordinaire at the Law Faculty of the University of Kinshasa, where he teaches international law, specializing in the law of the sea, environmental law, the law of peace and of international security, human rights, and international humanitarian law.He has also served as expert or consultant to the Congolese Government and to various international organizations and learned bodies, in addition to having held important administrative positions at the University of Kinshasa and its Law Faculty.

Ms Christine Van den Wyngaert, of Belgian nationality, is Professor of Law at the University of Antwerp, where she teaches international criminal law, Belgian criminal law and procedure and comparative criminal law.She has also been a Visiting Fellow at the University of Cambridge.Ms Van den Wyngaert has also served as an expert, in particular with the Belgian Government, notably as Vice-chair of the Commission for the Reform of the Criminal Procedure Code, and with the European Commission as well as various learned bodies.

I shall now invite each of these two judges to make the solemn declaration prescribed by the Statute, and I request all those present to rise.Mr. Bula-Bula.

Mr. BULA-BULA: "I solemnly declare that I will perform my duties and exercise my powers as judge honourably, faithfully, impartially and conscientiously."

The PRESIDENT: Ms Van den Wyngaert.

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I take note of the solemn declarations made by Mr. Bula-Bula and Ms Van den Wyngaert, and declare them duly installed as judges ad hoc in the case concerning the Arrest Warrant of 11 April 2000 (Democratic Republic of the Congo v. Belgium).

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The proceedings were instituted on 17 October 2000 by the filing in the Registry of the Court of an Application by the Democratic Republic of the Congo against the Kingdom of Belgium.In that Application the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo cites, as basis for the Court's jurisdiction, the fact that "Belgium has accepted the jurisdiction of the Court and [that], in so far as may be required, the present Application signifies acceptance of that jurisdiction by the Democratic Republic of the Congo".