THE HAGUE: The International Court of Justice on Monday appointed Yuji Iwasawa as its new president, replacing Nawaf Salam, the new prime minister of Lebanon.

The 70-year-old will head the court until Salam’s term was due to expire on Feb 5, 2027, the ICJ said in a statement. Iwasawa has been a member of the court since June 2018. Before joining the ICJ, he was professor of international law at the University of Tokyo and chair of the United Nations Human Rights Committee.

Often dubbed the “world court”, the ICJ, which sits in the Peace Palace in The Hague, rules in disputes between nations. It is the UN’s highest court. It is sometimes confused with the International Criminal Court, also based in The Hague, which tries individuals for the world’s worst crimes including suspected war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The ICJ is currently dealing with several especially high-profile cases. It is weighing on a case brought by South Africa that Israel is allegedly committing genocide in its Gaza offensive.

The ICJ is also deliberating a case between Ukraine and Russia over Moscow’s 2022 invasion. And the court is preparing a so-called advisory opinion on the responsibility of nations with regard to climate change.

Published in Dawn, March 4th, 2025