Author: 
Coalition for the ICC
Read our blog to know about the CBF Election process and the candidates for this year's elections

Made up of 12 members, the Committee on Budget and Finance (CBF) is the body responsible for assessing documentation submitted to the Assembly of States Parties (ASP) that have financial or budgetary implications. The CBF is tasked with reviewing the proposed programme budget of the Court and making recommendations to the Assembly and also considers reports of the Auditor concerning the financial operations of the ICC.

As the terms of six members of the Committee will end on 20 April 2020, an election is to be held to replace these positions. There is also a seventh position to be filled, following the resignation of Ms. Ingrid Eiken Holmgren of Sweden in March 2019.

The Nomination Process

States Parties nominate candidates from their own states and must describe how their candidates are qualified. States Parties must nominate candidates during the nomination period, which this year was from June 3rd to August 25th, 2019. There are currently seven candidates for seven positions.

Eligibility for Nomination

Overall, the Committee is composed of two members from the African States, two from the Eastern European States, two from the Latin American and Caribbean States, and four from the Western European and other States. Candidates must be from the same group of states as the outgoing members, and no two members can be citizens from the same state.

For this upcoming election, there is one vacancy in the African States group, one in the Eastern European States group, one in the Latin American and Caribbean States group, and four in Western European and other States group.

In terms of qualifications for the role, the Rome Statute outlines that “the members of the Committee shall be experts of recognized standing and experience in financial matters at the international level from States Parties”.

The Election Process

The election will take place in The Hague during the eighteenth session of the Assembly of States Parties, from December 2-7 2019. The candidate that obtains the highest number of votes and a two-thirds majority of States Parties is selected. The election will be by secret ballot.

The member replacing Ms. Holmgren will be elected for the remainder of her term, until 20 April 2021, and may run for reelection afterwards. The other six elected candidates’ terms will last for three years, and they may also run for reelection.

The Candidates for the Election

Mexico nominated Ms. Carolina Maria Fernandez-Opazo for reelection. Ms. Fernandez-Opazo has held many positions at Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and her most recent position is the Director for Financial Issues of the United Nations Division of the MFA. 

The Republic of Malawi nominated Mr. Loudon Overson Mattiya, who is currently serving as  the Deputy Permanent Representative at the Permanent Mission of Malawi to the UN and other international organizations in Geneva.

The United Kingdom nominated Mr. Daniel McDonnell, who is currently Head of the United Kingdom’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Financial and Business Planning. His previous responsibilities have included providing financial management and investment advice to the FCO’s entire overseas network, financial management of operations in the Middle East, and managing the development of security programs in Africa.

The Federal Republic of Germany nominated Dr. Klaus Stein. He served on the Board of Directors of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and chaired the Budget and Administrative Affairs Committee of EBRD.

The Republic of France nominated Mr. Richard Veneau for reelection. In addition to serving on the CBF for the last five years, Mr. Veneau has experience working with the General Secretariat of the European Bank of Investment as well as the Development Bank of the Council of Europe.

The Republic of Estonia nominated Mr. Urmet Lee for re-election. Mr. Lee has served as a member of the CBF since November 2015 and is currently the Vice-Chairperson of the Committee. He also has served as Director of the National Audit Office of Estonia (NAOE) since 2017, as well as acting as a member of the Financial Committee of the Permanent Court of Arbitration.

The Republic of Austria nominated Ambassador Werner Druml to complete the remainder of Ms. Holmgren’s term on the CBF. Ambassador Druml has served as Budget Facilitator of the Hague Working Group for four consecutive years, and Budget Coordinator at the 13 - 15th sessions of the Assembly of State Parties during his time as Austrian Ambassador to the Netherlands.

Note: Coalition for the ICC does not endorse or oppose individual candidates but the individual member organization of the Coalition may take positions on particular candidates. These positions represent the views of those respective organizations and should not be taken as representative of the Coalition’s views.