By Selina Riachi | Staff Writer
The Lebanese Judge Nawaf Salam was elected as President of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on February 6, currently holding the highest judicial position in the world. He succeeded Judge Joan E. Donoghue and will be serving a three-year term. Previously, only Lebanese judge Fouad Ammoun served as a judge of the International Court of Justice between 1965 and 1976 and was late vice-president of the Court between 1970 and 1976. Salam brought Lebanon back to the ICJ’s realm, deeming his election a remarkable political and diplomatic success.
Nawaf Salam is known for his work as an academic, diplomat, and jurist. His career from 1970 until the early 2000s consisted of research and teaching at the Sorbonne, Harvard, and the American University of Beirut. He has also written several works, including his most recent book “Le Liban d’hier à demain” (2021). In 1996, he co-founded the Lebanese Association for Democratic Election (LADE), an NGO whose aim is to promote transparency in the government. Moreover, he served as a member of the Lebanese National Commission of UNESCO from 2000 to 2004 and as Lebanon’s ambassador to the UN between 2007 and 2017. Since 2019, there have been rumors of him being elected as the prime minister of Lebanon, but Salam declined to take on that role in local politics.
Salam is recognized for his time at the UN, where he sought a political settlement that would allow Syrians to live “in peace and dignity” and advocated for stability in the South of Lebanon. He also worked on the Security Council Resolution 1701, which calls for “the deployment of Lebanese forces to Southern Lebanon, parallel withdrawal of Israeli forces behind the Blue Line, strengthening the UN force (UNIFIL) to facilitate the entry of Lebanese Forces in the region and the establishment of a demilitarized zone between the Blue Line and the Litani River.”
Most notably, he has been a member of the ICJ since February 6, 2018, and was among the seventeen judges presiding over South Africa’s genocide case against Israel. As of January 26, the ICJ rejected Israel’s petition to throw out South Africa’s case. Despite not ruling on the merits of the genocide allegations – which may take years – the court indicated an overwhelming disapproval of the way Israel has been fighting the war. Judge Julia Sebutinde was the only judge to disagree with the court’s ruling on the conflict apart from Israeli appointee Aharon Barak. She questioned Israel’s ‘genocidal intent’ and argued the dispute wasn’t a legal matter for the court but “essentially and historically a political one” between Israel and the Palestinians. Sebutinde was elected as vice-president of the ICJ alongside Salam.
The newly elected president of the ICJ is known for repeatedly defending the rights of Palestinians at the Security Council, even writing that “The ink had barely dried on United Nations General Assembly Resolution 194 (Dec. 11, 1948, instigating the right of return for Palestinian refugees) when international efforts were already beginning to turn away from its implementation in favor of finding ways to resettle them in the Arab world,” in the periodical Revue d’études palestiniennes. As Lebanon’s ambassador to the UN, he accused Israel of occupying the state of Palestine and stated, “if apartheid ended, so can the occupation.” He was among the many judges who agreed with the court’s ruling on the conflict. Now that Salam is presiding over South Africa’s case against Israel, many fear his unwavering support of Palestine while others hope that he will continue to advocate for its people.
Salam’s election as President of the International Court of Justice is a significant stride for Lebanon, its diplomacy, and its judiciary. Despite the political turmoil in his home country and the politically induced weakening of the Lebanese judiciary, Salam’s appointment as the head of the World Court comes as a spark of hope in the history of a justice-ridden nation.
Resources:
https://today.lorientlejour.com/article/1367289/lebanese-nawaf-salam-elected-new-icj-president.html
https://www.newarab.com/news/lebanese-ugandan-judges-salam-julia-sebutinde-head-icj#:~:text=Judge%20Nawaf%20Salam%2C%20from%20Lebanon,was%20elected%20as%20vice%20president.&text=The%20International%20Court%20of%20Justice,term%20starting%20from%20February%202023.
https://english.aawsat.com/arab-world/4838951-lebanon’s-nawaf-salam-elected-president-international-court-justice
https://foreignpolicy.com/2024/02/02/south-africa-israel-icj-gaza-genocide-hamas/
https://www.thenationalnews.com/mena/palestine-israel/2024/01/26/who-are-the-17-judges-deciding-gaza-genocide-case-against-israel-in-the-hague/
https://peacemaker.un.org/israellebanon-resolution1701
https://today.lorientlejour.com/article/1365859/nawaf-salam-lebanese-judge-at-the-world-court.html
https://twitter.com/visegrad24/status/1755378785304654160