Briefly

SPC judge elected to UN Appeals Tribunal

Chinese judge Zhang Lingling has been elected to the United Nations Appeals Tribunal, according to a report by China Central Television on Tuesday. The election for judges of the UNAT and the UN Dispute Tribunal took place on Monday during the 80th session of the UN General Assembly. Zhang, 44, was the sole candidate from the Asia-Pacific region, the report said. Zhang's term will begin on July 1,2026, and will last for seven years. With 15 years of experience as a senior judge at the Supreme People's Court, Zhang has presided over thousands of cases, drafted several judicial interpretations, and published over 60 legal papers and monographs. The UNAT is a key institution within the UN's internal justice system, safeguarding the legal rights of UN staff and promoting the rule of law across UN operations.

Inner Mongolia leads in treating desert area

North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region has treated about 4.46 million hectares of desertified land over the past five years, an area equivalent to 2.7 times the size of Beijing, according to the regional forestry and grassland bureau. The achievement constitutes more than 40 percent of China's total desertification control from 2021 to 2025, reinforcing the ecological security barrier in northern China. Authorities have pursued an integrated approach to ecosystem management in the region. Desertification control measures include establishing a dedicated fund, promoting public participation through incentive-based models, adopting new equipment and techniques, and applying new methods such as photovoltaic-based sand stabilization.

Xinhua