Judge Paul Bamela Engo
(Member of the Tribunal since 1 October 1996; re-elected as from 1 October 1999)

Education: Lawyer, Jurist; called to the English Bar (Middle Temple Inn, London, 1959).

Professional Experience: Her Majesty’s Crown Counsel, Legal Departments of Lagos, Nigeria, and Southern Cameroons (1959–1961); Magistrate, Southern Cameroons (1961–1965); Senior Member, Cameroon’s Federal Judicial Commission (1961–1969); Minister Plenipotentiary, Hors Hiérarchie (since 1969); Deputy Agent for Cameroon in the Northern Cameroons (Cameroon v. United Kingdom) case before the International Court of Justice (1963); Minister Counsellor, Cameroon Embassies in Bonn, Germany (1964) and Washington, D.C. (1965–1968); Deputy Permanent Representative of Cameroon to the UN (1968–1973); Technical Adviser, Cabinet of the Minister of Foreign Affairs (1973–1982); Lecturer on Law of the Sea, Cameroon Institute for International Relations, University of Yaoundé (1973–1979); Lecturer on English Common Law, National School of Administration and Magistracy (ENAM) (1973–1979); Cameroon Ambassador, Permanent Representative to the UN (1984–1991 and 1996, until election as a Judge, ITLOS); Senior Counsel for Cameroon in the Land and Maritime Boundary between Cameroon and Nigeria case (Cameroon v. Nigeria) before the International Court of Justice (1995–1996, until election as a Judge, ITLOS).

Member: Cameroonian and Nigerian Bars (since 1959); Cameroonian delegation to: Second African Heads of State Conference in Cairo (Legal Adviser 1964); sessions of the UN General Assembly (1965–1990, 1996); UN Special Committee on Principles of International Law concerning Friendly Relations and Co-operation among States (Drafting Committee Chairman 1966, Chairman 1967); Sixth Committee of the UN General Assembly (Vice-Chairman 1969, Chairman 1970); UN Ad Hoc Committee to Study the Peaceful Uses of the Seabed and the Ocean Floor beyond the Limits of National Jurisdiction (Chairman of the First Subcommittee 1971); UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of the Seabed and the Ocean Floor beyond the Limits of National Jurisdiction (Chairman of the First Committee 1972–1973); Third UN Conference on the Law of the Sea (Special Representative of the Cameroonian Head of State as from 1973, Chairman of the First Committee 1973–1982); Presidential Commission on the Law of the Sea (Chairman 1980–1984); Council for Namibia (Chairman of Standing Committee III, 1984); Chairman, African Group that negotiated the Declaration on the Critical Economic Situation in Africa at the General Assembly (Chairman 1984–1985); Head of delegation (1984–1990); UN Human Rights Commission (Vice-Chairman 1985); UN Disarmament Commission (Vice-Chairman 1985–1988, Chairman of Working Group III, 1985–1988); Organization of African Unity Ministerial Conference, Lomé (Rapporteur General and Head of Cameroonian delegation 1985); Preparatory Committee for the International Conference on Disarmament and Development (1985–1986); Third Pledging Conference for the World Disarmament Campaign (Vice-President 1986); Head of delegation of the Council for Namibia on the first publicity campaign in Asia (Singapore, 1986); Vice-President of the UN General Assembly (1987–1988); UNICEF Executive Board (Vice-Chairman of Bureau 1989); International Environmental Law Association (Governor for the African Region 1989–1996); member of the Cameroonian delegation to the Consultative Committee (Nigeria and Cameroon) relating to delimitation border issues (1996).

Publications: Author of numerous articles on international law, including Africa’s Contribution to Development of International Law: Africa and International Organizations.