Bernardo Sepúlveda Amor


Bernardo Sepúlveda Amor is a Mexican diplomat and jurist. He was Secretary of Foreign Affairs during the 1980s under President Miguel de la Madrid and is a former judge of the International Court of Justice.

Biography

He was born in Mexico City, where he studied law at the National Autonomous University. He then pursued post-graduate studies, specialising in international law at Queens' College, Cambridge in the United Kingdom.
He is a professor of international law and international organisations at El Colegio de México and also teaches at the Matías Romero Institute. His other academic activities have seen him work at the Centro de Investigación y Docencia Económicas and the UNAM.
From 16 March to 30 November 1982, he served as Ambassador to the United States of America and from 1989 to 1993, as Ambassador to the United Kingdom. Between those two diplomatic postings from December 1982 to 1988, he served as Secretary of Foreign Affairs under President Miguel de la Madrid. During his time in the Cabinet, he was instrumental in establishing the Contadora Group, which worked to bring peace to Central America, and in the creation of the Grupo de Ocho, since expanded to become the Rio Group.
In 1984 he was awarded the Prince of Asturias Prize for his international co-operation efforts. The following year, UNESCO awarded him its Simón Bolívar Prize.
In 1996 he was elected to serve on the United Nations International Law Commission; he was re-elected to the same position in 2001. On 7 November 2005 he was elected to a nine-year period as one of the judges of the International Court of Justice.
In 2012, Sepúlveda-Amor was elected by the judges of the ICJ to serve as its vice-president, for a three-year term beginning 6 February 2012.

Lectures