International Court of Justice elects Yuji Iwasawa as new president
Iwasawa takes over from Nawaf Salam, who resigned in January to become Lebanon’s prime minister
03 March 2025 - 17:18
byCharlotte Van Campenhout
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Amsterdam — The International Court of Justice (ICJ) said on Monday that judge Yuji Iwasawa had been elected as its new president to complete former president Nawaf Salam’s term that ends on February 5 2027.
Salam resigned in January to become Lebanon’s prime minister.
Iwasawa, who is Japanese, has been a member of the ICJ since 2018 and before that was a professor of international law at the University of Tokyo and chair of the UN Human Rights Committee.
The ICJ, the UN’s highest court and based in The Hague, was established in 1945 to resolve disputes between states.
It recently gained global attention in the ongoing case surrounding SA’s genocide accusations against Israel — which it has denied — in the Gaza war.
In July, the ICJ ruled that Israel’s occupation since the 1967 Middle East war of Palestinian territories and its settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem were illegal and that it must withdraw as soon as possible.
For Palestinians and most of the international community, the settlements are considered illegal. Israel disputes this, citing the Jewish people’s historical, biblical and political links to the area as well as security considerations.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
International Court of Justice elects Yuji Iwasawa as new president
Iwasawa takes over from Nawaf Salam, who resigned in January to become Lebanon’s prime minister
Amsterdam — The International Court of Justice (ICJ) said on Monday that judge Yuji Iwasawa had been elected as its new president to complete former president Nawaf Salam’s term that ends on February 5 2027.
Salam resigned in January to become Lebanon’s prime minister.
Iwasawa, who is Japanese, has been a member of the ICJ since 2018 and before that was a professor of international law at the University of Tokyo and chair of the UN Human Rights Committee.
The ICJ, the UN’s highest court and based in The Hague, was established in 1945 to resolve disputes between states.
It recently gained global attention in the ongoing case surrounding SA’s genocide accusations against Israel — which it has denied — in the Gaza war.
In July, the ICJ ruled that Israel’s occupation since the 1967 Middle East war of Palestinian territories and its settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem were illegal and that it must withdraw as soon as possible.
For Palestinians and most of the international community, the settlements are considered illegal. Israel disputes this, citing the Jewish people’s historical, biblical and political links to the area as well as security considerations.
Reuters
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