The United Nations completed the election of five new judges to the International Court of Justice on Tuesday. The candidates were selected for nine-year terms at a time when the court is managing the highest caseload in its history.
The voting process took place simultaneously at UN headquarters. To secure a seat, candidates needed to achieve an absolute majority in both the General Assembly and the Security Council. The five individuals elected to join the 15-member panel include Dapo Akande from the United Kingdom, Francois Alabrune from France, Mahmoud Daifallah Hmoud from Jordan, Rena Lee from Singapore, and Phoebe Okowa from Kenya.
The selection process for the final seat proved to be more complex than the others. While the two UN bodies agreed on four candidates relatively quickly, they initially failed to reach a consensus on the fifth position. The Security Council initially supported Marcelo Vazquez-Bermudez from Ecuador, whereas the General Assembly favored Okowa. This disagreement necessitated additional rounds of secret ballot voting.
The impasse was resolved when Vazquez-Bermudez withdrew from the race. Following this withdrawal, Okowa successfully secured the support of both the Security Council and the General Assembly, allowing her to complete the new bench.
The new judges are scheduled to begin their terms on February 6, 2027. The ICJ operates with a structure designed to ensure continuity, as one-third of its members are elected every three years. All judges serve nine-year terms and are eligible for re-election. Each of the 15 seats is occupied by a judge from a different country.
The appointment of these new members occurs while the World Court faces a significant increase in its workload. Yuji Iwasawa, the ICJ President, addressed the General Assembly on October 29 to outline the current legal landscape. He reported that 24 contentious cases are currently pending before the court.
These pending disputes cover a wide range of issues, including territorial boundaries, human rights violations, and the interpretation of various international treaties. The court is based in The Hague and serves as the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, established in 1945.
One of the most prominent cases on the docket is the genocide case brought by South Africa against Israel regarding the war in Gaza. The court has previously ordered provisional measures in this matter but has not yet issued a final ruling on whether the threshold for genocide has been met.
In addition to contentious cases, the court continues to issue advisory opinions. In October 2025, it released a significant opinion detailing the obligations of Israel toward the United Nations and humanitarian organizations operating in the occupied Palestinian territory.
The court also announced on Tuesday that it will deliver a judgment on November 19. This decision will conclude the case brought by The Gambia, which accuses Myanmar of committing genocide against the Rohingya minority.
