New Judge Elected to the International Court of Justice

Photo: UN / Loey Felipe

Mahmoud Daifallah Hmoud was appointed following a parallel and independent voting process in the General Assembly and Security Council, conducted by secret ballot.

According to the United Nations, he will fill the vacancy left by former ICJ President Nawaf Salam of Lebanon, who resigned in January to become the country’s Prime Minister.

He will hold office for the remainder of Judge Salam’s term, which was set to end on February 5, 2027.

Mr. Hmoud was the sole person vying for the slot, and he was nominated by Egypt, Jordan, Romania, Slovakia, and Sweden.

Candidates must secure an absolute majority in both the General Assembly and the Security Council, or 97 and eight votes respectively.

All 15 Council members voted in his favour, while in the General Assembly, which comprises all 193 UN Member States, he received the support of 178 out of 181 countries who took part in the vote. Three countries abstained.

Mr. Hmoud has been Jordan’s Ambassador to the UN in New York since September 2021 and his other postings include Legal Adviser and Director of the Legal Department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

He is also a former chairman and member of the International Law Commission, a UN expert body that promotes the development and codification of international law.