Chinese female judge Zhang Lingling was elected as a judge of the United Nations Appeals Tribunal.

On November 17th local time, the 80th United Nations General Assembly held elections for judges of the United Nations Appeals Tribunal and Dispute Tribunal. Following a recommendation from the UN Internal Justice Council, Chinese female judge Zhang Lingling was elected as a judge of the Appeals Tribunal with the highest number of votes, serving a term of 7 years starting on July 1, 2026. Judge Zhang Lingling, aged 44, was the only candidate from the Asia-Pacific region in the election for Appeals Tribunal judges. She served as a senior judge in the Supreme People's Court of China for 15 years, handling thousands of various cases, drafting multiple judicial interpretations, and publishing over 60 legal papers and books.