At the 34th plenary meeting of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly, on 15 November, 2022, alumnus of Peking University Law School , Gao Xiaoli was elected judge of the United Nations Appeals Tribunal for a term starting immediately upon appointment and ending on 30 June, 2026. This is the first time since the establishment of the UN Appeals Tribunal and the Dispute Tribunal that Chinese judges have been elected to the two Tribunals, filling the gap in China's representation in the UN's internal administrative justice system.

Gao Xiaoli was educated at Peking University Law School from 1998 to 2001 under the supervision of Prof. Wu Zhipan. Judge Gao has worked at the SPC since July, 1994, starting in the Economic Division, and subsequently transferred to the Fourth Civil Division and the First Circuit Court. She was appointed as a judge in June, 2011, and in January, 2015 she became a Presiding Judge of the First Circuit Court of the SPC. In September 2017, Judge Gao was appointed as the Deputy Chief Judge of the Fourth Civil Division. She was the Director General of the International Cooperation Department since April 2020 and served concurrently as the Deputy Chief Judge of the Sixth Circuit Court and was in charge of the Second International Commercial Court since February, 2021. She took up appointment as the Chief Judge of the Fourth Civil Division on 30 December, 2022. 

Deeply involved in the field of foreign-related civil and commercial trials, Gao Xiaoli is a defender of judicial fairness and justice in China, and a witness and participant in the construction of the rule of law in our country. Gao Xiaoli has always been determined to pursue her career, and with her exploration and efforts, she has added a bright light to the title of Chinese judge, and in the future, she will also showcase Chinese judges on a broader international stage.

The successful election of Gao Xiaoli demonstrates the profound sense of family and nation, far-reaching international vision and high professional skills of Peking University’s law students, and epitomizes the excellent results of the cultivation of foreign-related rule of law talents at Peking University Law School.

In the future, Peking University Law School will continue to make its due contribution to leading global legal education and cultivating outstanding rule of law talents with strong ideals and a broad global perspective.