Sheikh Mohammed Belal, Bangladesh ambassador to The Hague, has been elected to the Board of Directors of the Trust Fund for Victims (TFV) of the International Criminal Court (ICC) for next three years. 

The 17th session of the Assembly of States Parties (ASP) to the ICC’s Rome Statute held on December 5 in The Hague elected Belal in a vote by 123 nations. 

Ambassador Belal was a candidate nominated and supported by the Government of Bangladesh.

The fact that he was the only nominee from the group of the Asian states is a testimony to Ambassador Belal’s highly professional and successful work in The Hague as well as in different international organisations as well.

Bangladesh’s history of its own sacrifice and endurance as a victim of genocide, during the Liberation War in 1971, had always encouraged Bangladesh to work for the cause of victims and for their reparations, where possible. This election could, therefore, be seen as an acknowledgement of the international communities’ trust and confidence in Bangladesh.

Ambassador Belal previously also served, first ever for Bangladesh, as chairperson of the Executive Council of the OPCW from 2015 to 2017, and as facilitator of the ICC for a term in 2015-2016 for the victims’ portfolio. The five seats on the ICC TFV Board of Directors are distributed according to the five major world regions.