Five new judges join ICJ as caseload hits 24 cases
The UN General Assembly and Security Council agreed on the fifth seat after a deadlock over the final candidate.
By Talia Bennett ·
The United Nations elected five new judges to the International Court of Justice on Tuesday, adding to the 15-member panel in The Hague. The judges will serve nine-year terms beginning on February 6, 2027.
The selection process required an absolute majority in both the General Assembly and the Security Council. The two bodies initially reached agreement on four candidates but stalled on the fifth seat. The Security Council favored Marcelo Vazquez-Bermudez from Ecuador, while the General Assembly supported Phoebe Okowa of Kenya. Vazquez-Bermudez withdrew from the race, clearing the path for Okowa to win in subsequent rounds of secret ballot voting.
The five elected judges are Dapo Akande from the United Kingdom, Francois Alabrune of France, Mahmoud Daifallah Hmoud of Jordan, Rena Lee of Singapore, and Okowa. Each judge represents a different country, and the bench is designed to maintain continuity by electing a third of its members every three years.
The court is currently managing a record workload. President Yuji Iwasawa told the General Assembly on October 29 that 24 contentious cases are pending. These disputes cover issues of territory, human rights, and the interpretation of international treaties.
Among the active cases is South Africa’s lawsuit against Israel regarding the war in Gaza. South Africa accuses Israel of violating the Genocide Convention. The court has ordered provisional measures but has not yet issued a final ruling on whether genocide occurred. In October 2025, the court issued an advisory opinion detailing Israel’s obligations toward the UN and humanitarian organizations in the occupied Palestinian territory.
The court also announced on Tuesday that it will deliver a judgment on November 19 in The Gambia’s case against Myanmar. The Gambian government accuses Myanmar of committing genocide against the Rohingya minority. The ICJ, established in 1945, serves as the principal judicial organ of the UN and settles disputes between states.
The election marks the completion of the current cycle of appointments for the court. The new judges will join the existing panel to continue hearing these high-profile international disputes.
