World · Africa · 3 hrs ago
UN elects five judges to the International Court of Justice
The UN elected five judges to the International Court of Justice after several rounds of voting at its headquarters.
The judges are from the United Kingdom, France, Jordan, Singapore and Kenya, and their nine-year terms begin on February 6, 2027.
Kenya’s Phoebe Okowa had already been serving on the court and has now won a full term.
Candidates needed majority support in both the UN General Assembly and Security Council, and Okowa secured that backing after an initial deadlock over the final seat.
The court, based in The Hague, settles legal disputes between countries and gives opinions on international law.
It has a record 24 cases pending, including South Africa’s case accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza; the court has issued provisional measures but no final ruling on that case.
The court is also due to deliver a judgment on November 19 in The Gambia’s case accusing Myanmar of genocide against the Rohingya.
The United Nations elected five judges to the International Court of Justice for nine-year terms.
The elected judges are Dapo Akande of the United Kingdom, François Alabrune of France, Mahmoud Daifallah Hmoud of Jordan, Rena Lee of Singapore and Phoebe Okowa of Kenya.
Okowa won the fifth seat after several rounds of voting by the General Assembly and Security Council.
The judges’ terms are set to begin on February 6, 2027.
The election comes as the court faces a record workload, with 24 contentious cases pending.
- Who
- The United Nations elected Dapo Akande, François Alabrune, Mahmoud Daifallah Hmoud, Rena Lee and Phoebe Okowa.
- What
- They were elected as judges of the International Court of Justice for nine-year terms.
- When
- The vote was held on Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
- Where
- At United Nations headquarters in New York.
- Why
- The election filled five vacancies on the court’s 15-member bench.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
ICJ President Yuji Iwasawa told the General Assembly that 24 contentious cases were pending.
The General Assembly and Security Council held voting to elect five ICJ judges.
After several rounds of voting, Phoebe Okowa secured the fifth seat.
The court said it would deliver a judgment in The Gambia’s case accusing Myanmar of genocide against the Rohingya.
The elected judges’ terms are set to begin.
- Judges elected
- Dapo Akande, François Alabrune, Mahmoud Daifallah Hmoud, Rena Lee and Phoebe Okowa
- Term length
- Nine years
- Okowa’s final-round votes
- 183 in the General Assembly
- Pending cases
- 24 contentious cases
- Court location
- The Hague
5 sources
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UN elects five judges to International Court of Justice amid record cases
What people are saying
Our submissions urged the members of the UN present to reflect on the kind of Court our international community needs