Election of the Universal House of Justice
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The Bahá'í Faith has no clergy but is governed by democratically elected councils at the local, national, and international levels. The International Convention is held every five years to elect the Universal House of Justice. The first election of the Universal House of Justice was held in 1963. The delegates are those elected as members of National Spiritual Assemblies, the national governing institutions in the Bahá'í Faith. At the time of the International Convention there were 175 National Spiritual Assemblies worldwide.
As is the case throughout the Bahá'í electoral system, the democratic election of the Universal House of Justice takes place by plurality vote without nominations or electioneering. Each delegate votes for nine names. The nine individuals with the highest number of votes make up the new membership of the Universal House of Justice. Emphasis is placed on approaching the election in a prayerful attitude.
In addition to the election, which was the opening event on 29 April, the Convention included consultation on major issues facing the Bahá'í community, including the promotion of integrated patterns of community development, the education of children, moral development, elevating the status of women, and relations with non-governmental organizations and national and international institutions, as well as those issues of concern to individual Bahá'ís such as the importance of personal responsibility and the impact of prayer.
The Haifa-Acre area is the administrative and spiritual centre of the worldwide Bahá'í community. The holiest Shrines in the Bahá'í world are located in the area and the Universal House of Justice has its Seat in Haifa. The Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh, the final resting place of the Prophet-Founder of the Bahá'í Faith, is located near Acre and the Shrine of the Báb, Forerunner of Bahá'u'lláh, is located on Mount Carmel in Haifa.