Int’l Court Of Justice Elects Yuji Iwasawa President

The International Court of Justice (ICJ), also known as the World Court, on Monday, elected Judge Yuji Iwasawa as its new president.

Iwasawa, a Japanese jurist, replaces Nawaf Salam whose tenure ought to have ended on February 5, 2027.

Salam stepped down from the role in January after being appointed to become Lebanon’s prime minister.

Iwasawa has been a member of the ICJ since 2018. Prior to this, he was a professor of international law at the University of Tokyo and chaired the United Nations Human Rights Committee.

The ICJ, established in 1945 and based in The Hague, serves as the United Nations’ highest judicial body, handling disputes between states.

Recently, the court has drawn international attention over a case involving genocide allegations against Israel in connection with the Gaza war, claims that Israel has denied.

In July, the ICJ ruled that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories, including the West Bank and East Jerusalem, since the 1967 Middle East war was illegal and that Israel must withdraw as soon as possible.

While most of the international community considers Israeli settlements in these areas as unlawful, Israel has continued to dispute the claims, citing historical, biblical, and security justifications.

Int’l Court Of Justice Elects Yuji Iwasawa President is first published on The Whistler Newspaper