Kenya nominates Prof Phoebe Okowa to be judge at International Court of Justice
The Kenyan government has expressed confidence in Okowa's competence and qualifications, stating that she is well-suited to contribute to the work of the ICJ.
Kenya has nominated Prof Phoebe Okowa as its candidate for a judge of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the elections scheduled for 2026.
The country's Permanent Mission to the United Nations has formally communicated the nomination to the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Djibouti, which coordinates Eastern Africa's candidatures.
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Kenya has also requested the support of African Group member states for Prof Okowa's bid.
The Kenyan government has expressed confidence in Okowa's competence and qualifications, stating that she is well-suited to contribute to the work of the ICJ.
"The government of the Republic of Kenya is convinced that Professor Okowa is competent and well qualified to contribute to the work of the ICJ," the statement reads.
A copy of Okowa's curriculum vitae has been shared with member states to highlight her credentials.
The elections will take place during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly and the UN Security Council in 2026.
Okowa is a professor of Public International Law at Queen Mary, University of London, and an advocate at the High Court of Kenya.
She studied at the University of Nairobi and the University of Oxford. Before her current role, she taught at the University of Bristol and has also held visiting positions at the University of Lille and Stockholm.
In 2011 and 2015, she served as a global visiting professor at New York University's School of Law.
Prof Okowa is a member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague. She has represented clients before the International Court of Justice and has also taught practical international law topics for the United Nations at its Regional Course on International Law for Africa.
She serves on the Public International Law Advisory Panel of the British Institute of International and Comparative Law and the Committee of Legal Experts of the Commission of Small Island States on Climate Change and International Law.
Her research covers various contemporary topics in international law, such as the relationship between state responsibility and individual accountability for international crimes, Africa and the International Criminal Court, responses to the protection of natural resources in conflict zones, and environmental protection.
In November 2021, Prof Okowa was elected to the UN International Law Commission for the term 2023-2027.
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