The Lebanese diplomat Dr. Nawaf Salam was elected as a judge in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) which is the primary judicial branch of the United Nations (UN) on Thursday. It’s the second time that a Lebanese national is elected as a judge in the highest court in the world. In fact, the Lebanese lawyer and diplomat Fouad Ammoun served as judge in the ICJ from 1965 until 1976. The General Assembly and the Security Council elected four candidates to the ICJ, and among them is Salam who was elected for the first time. The other three judges were re-elected. They are Ronny Abraham from France, Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf from Somalia, and Antônio Augusto Cançado Trindade from Brazil. Their term starts on February 6, 2018, and will last for nine years.
Ambassador Nawaf Salam just elected as Judge in the #ICJ . #Lebanon thanks all friends for their overwhelming support. pic.twitter.com/jnuol5CC1t
— UN Lebanon Mission (@LebanonUN) November 9, 2017
The judges are appointed based on their competencies, not their nationalities. However, no two judges can be from the same country. The ICJ was founded in 1945 and is based in The Hague, the Netherlands. The Court solves legal disputes between States.
About Dr. Nawaf Salam
The Lebanese diplomat Dr. Nawaf Salam is also Lebanon’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN in New York since 2007. He holds a Master of Laws and two doctorates: one in Political Sciences and the other one in History.
