Marcin Czepelak, Poland’s current ambassador to the Netherlands, has been chosen as the new secretary general of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague. He becomes the first ever non-Dutch person to hold the role in the organisation’s 123-year history.
Czepelak was chosen in a secret ballot by diplomatic representatives of the 122 signatory states of the Hague Conventions. The PCA itself was established at the first Hague Peace Conference in 1899, making it the world’s oldest international tribunal.
The Polish candidate obtained 57 votes out of the 111 cast, thereby finishing ahead of rivals from Mauritius and the Netherlands, who received 33 and 21 votes respectively, reports Polskie Radio.
Congratulations to Ambassador @Marcin_Czepelak @PLinNederland on having been elected today as the next Secretary-General the Permanent Court of Arbitration @PCA_CPA.
👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/Lz0tin9Lnj— Poland in the UN (@PLinUN) February 14, 2022
“This is one of the most important functions in the international judiciary,” deputy foreign minister Piotr Wawrzyk told Polskie Radio. “It shows what a good, strong candidacy [Czepelak’s] was, but also how effective Polish diplomacy can be in running for these really important functions for our representative.”
Czepelak has served as Poland’s ambassador to the Netherlands since 2017. Before that, he worked as an assistant professor at the department of private international law at the Jagiellonian University.
During his academic career, he also participated in research projects and postings at the Max Planck Institute in Hamburg, the University of Cambridge, and the Hague Academy of International Law.
The PCA functions as an arbitration tribunal to resolve disputes between member states, as well as international organisations and private parties. It operates at the Peace Palace in the Hague, which is also home to the International Court of Justice.
Czepelak will take over from the current secretary general, Hugo Siblesz, whose second term ends this year. He will become the first person not of Dutch nationality to ever hold the post, notes the Polish foreign ministry.
Main image credit: Just Booked A Trip/Flickr (under CC BY 2.0)
Daniel Tilles is editor-in-chief of Notes from Poland. He has written on Polish affairs for a wide range of publications, including Foreign Policy, POLITICO Europe, EUobserver and Dziennik Gazeta Prawna.
