Moroccan, Lebanese, Somali: 3 Arab Judges at ICJ

Among the members of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) presiding over the case brought by South Africa against Israel at the end of December 2023, there are three Arab judges. They are Moroccan Mohamed Bennouna, Lebanese Nawaf Salam, and Somali Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf—all highly experienced in international law, having held various high-level diplomatic and political positions.

The ICJ is composed of 15 judges, each serving a nine-year term. They are elected by the United Nations General Assembly and the Security Council. These bodies vote concurrently but separately from one another.

Notably, the ICJ cannot have more than one judge of the same nationality. Elections are held every three years to fill one-third of the seats, with outgoing members eligible for re-election. The judges serve independently and do not represent their government.

The following is a brief overview of the three Arab judges at the ICJ, where South Africa initiated a case in early January 2024 against Israel on charges of war crimes and crimes of genocide.

Moroccan Judge Mohamed Bennouna

• Born on April 29, 1943, in Marrakech, Morocco.
• Graduated from The Hague Academy of International Law in 1970.
• Holds a Ph.D. in International Law and Political Science from the University of Nancy and the University of Paris.
• Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Law at Mohammed V University in Rabat.
• Lectured on international law at various institutes and universities worldwide.
• Founded the Moroccan legal, political, and economic review in 1976 and served as its director.
• A member of the ICJ since February 2006, re-elected in February 2015.
• Served as Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Morocco to the United Nations from 2001-2006.
• Previously served as a judge at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague from 1998 to 2001.
• Presided over the Benin-Niger border dispute at the ICJ.
• Participated as a member of the Moroccan delegation to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea from 1974 to 1982.
• Chaired the Sixth Committee of the United Nations General Assembly during the 59th session.
• Headed the United Nations Compensation Commission in Geneva.
• Legal advisor to the Moroccan delegation at various UN General Assembly sessions.
• Member of UNESCO’s International Bioethics Committee (1992 – 1998).
• Member of UNESCO’s International Commission on Democracy and Development (1997 – 2002).
• Recipient of the Throne Order in Morocco.
• Honored with Morocco’s National Culture Award.
• Received the Order of Honor from the Élysée Palace in France.
• Some of his works include: “International Law Concerning Raw Materials” (1982), “International Law of Development: The Third World and the Application of International Law” (1983), “United Nations Economic Sanctions” (2002), and “International Law Between Craftsmanship and Spirit” (2017).

Lebanese Judge Nawaf Salam

• Born on December 15, 1953.
• Grandson of “Abu Ali” Salim Salam, a prominent Lebanese politician and founder of Beirut’s Reform Movement.
• University professor, legal scholar, and Lebanese diplomat.
• Earned his law degree from the Lebanese University in Beirut.
• Holds a Master’s degree in Law from Harvard University.
• Obtained Ph.D. in Political Science from the Paris Institute of Political Studies.
• Ph.D. in History from the Sorbonne, Paris, and served as a lecturer there.
• Lectured at the American University of Beirut.
• Academic advisor and professor at various international institutes and universities.
• Visiting scholar at Harvard University’s Weatherhead Center for International Affairs.
• Practiced law in Lebanon.
• Joined the ICJ in February 2018.
• Served as Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Lebanon to the United Nations in New York from July 2007 to December 2017.
• Represented Lebanon in the United Nations Security Council in 2010 and 2011 as a non-permanent member.
• Chaired the United Nations Security Council on behalf of Lebanon from May 2010 to September 2011.
• Served as Vice-President of the 67th UN General Assembly session from September 2012 to the same month in 2013.
• Represented Lebanon on the United Nations Economic and Social Council from 2016 to 2018.
• Led several Lebanese delegations in international and regional forums.
• Took part in numerous UN missions, particularly to African nations.
• Legal advisor to various institutions within and outside Lebanon.
• Was a prime ministerial candidate in Lebanon.
• Elected executive committee member of the first Social and Economic Council in Lebanon from 1999 to 2002.
• In 2005, appointed by the Cabinet to draft a new electoral law in Lebanon.
• Key publications: “Lebanon at the Security Council: 2010 – 2011,” “Dysfunctions of the Taif and the Need for Constitutional Reform” (2007), “Crisis of the Arab League” (2005), “Electoral System Reform: A Comparative Look” (2004), “The Taif Agreement: A Critical Reassessment” (2003), “Civil Society in the Arab World” (2002), and “The Independence of the Judiciary: Text versus Application” (1996), among others.

Somali Judge Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf

• Born on September 12, 1948, in Eyl, Puntland, Somalia.
• Holds a law degree from the Somali National University.
• Obtained a Ph.D. in Political Science and International Law from the University of Geneva in 1980, and another Ph.D. in Law with honors from the University of London.
• Earned a Ph.D. from the University of Paris.
• Received an honorary doctorate from KIIT University in India.
• Taught law at the Somali National University between 1974 and 1981.
• Lectured on international law at various universities across the world.
• A member of the ICJ since February 2009.
• Served as Vice-President of the Court from February 2015 to February 2018, and as President from February 2018 to February 2021.
• Fluent in Italian, French, English, Arabic, and Somali.
• Founded and headed the African Institute for International Law.
• A founding member of the African Society of International Law.
• Chaired the executive committee of the African Foundation for International Law.
• Legal advisor to UNESCO.
• Authored several books, including “African Unity and International Law” (2017), “Cultural Property and the International Trade Law” (2016), and “The African Union: Legal and Institutional Framework” (2013).