Lebanese Judge Nawaf Salam was sworn in as the new President of the International Court of Justice on Tuesday, February 6, 2024, for the next 3 years after being elected by his fellow judges at the Court. The International Court of Justice is the principal judicial body of the United Nations. In accordance with the rules of international law, the Court is responsible for adjudicating legal disputes arising between States and providing advisory opinions on legal issues referred to it by organs of the United Nations and its specialized agencies. The International Court of Justice's 15-judge panel deals with border disputes and a growing number of cases brought by states alleging violations of UN treaty obligations by others.
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After his election, the Lebanese judge wrote on his account on the X platform (formerly Twitter): “My election as president of the International Court of Justice is an important responsibility to achieve international justice and uphold international law.”
Salam continued: “The first thing that comes to my mind at this moment is my constant concern that my city, Beirut, should return to the laws as its title, and that we as Lebanese should succeed in establishing the rule of law. Justice must prevail in our country and among its people.
Salam was appointed Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Lebanon to the United Nations in New York from 2007 to 2017, and then joined the Court in February 2018.
And according to Official website of the courtThe new president pursued a legal career and served as a professor of contemporary history at the French Sorbonne University, and studied international relations and international law at the American University of Beirut, where he chaired the Department of Political Science and Administration. According to local Lebanese websites, from 2005 to 2007.
My election as the President of the International Court of Justice is a great responsibility for upholding international justice and upholding international law. The first thing that comes to my mind at this moment is my constant concern that my city, Beirut, should return to laws as its title, and that we as Lebanese should succeed in establishing the rule of law in our country. Justice must prevail among its people. https://t.co/vIs487b3yN
– Nawaf Salam Nawaf Salam (@nawafasalam) February 6, 2024
Fluent in Arabic, English and French, Salam holds a doctorate in political science and a master's degree in law from the Institute of Political Studies in Paris, according to the International Court of Justice's official website. from the prestigious American Harvard University.
Salam's name was floated as a prime ministerial candidate in Lebanon after the Beirut port explosion disaster, with the Lebanese Central News Agency saying that forming an independent government led by him would “restore popular and international confidence in the country, and open the door to aid that has been closed by distrust of the political class.”
