Photo by Roman Boed (CC BY 2.0)

On November 12, 2025, the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council elected Ms Phoebe Okowa as a Member of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), with immediate effect. Ms Okowa is of Kenyan nationality and succeeds Judge Abdulqawi A. Yusuf, who resigned from the Court effective September 30, 2025. Pursuant to Article 15 of the ICJ Statute, Ms Okowa will serve for the remainder of Judge Yusuf’s term, which is set to expire on February 5, 2027.

The election followed multiple rounds of concurrent but independent voting in the General Assembly and the Security Council, as required by Articles 8-11 of the ICJ Statute. While different candidates initially secured absolute majorities in the two organs, balloting continued until the same candidate prevailed in both. Ms Okowa obtained the required absolute majority in the General Assembly and Security Council in the final round, resulting in her election to the Court.