Kenya has nominated Prof Phoebe Okowa for the Judge of the International Court of Justice position.
Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’oei on Saturday, March 1 notified the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Djibouti to the United Nations as the Coordinator of the Eastern African Sub-region on Candidatures.
PS Sing’oei also hailed Prof Okowa as “competent” and “well-qualified” to work at the International Court in the 2026 elections.
“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,” read the note.
Before her nomination, Professor Okowa served as a member of the International Law Commission (ILC).
ILC is the UN body of experts responsible for initiating studies and making recommendations for the progressive development of international law and its codification.
The International Court of Justice is made up of 15 judges who are elected to nine-year terms of office by the United Nations General Assembly and the Security Council.
For one to be elected, a candidate needs to gather an absolute majority of votes in both bodies.
Once elected, the judges begin their work on February 6 of the following year.
The judges who have been elected also carry out a secret ballot to elect their President and Vice-President, who serve for a period of three years.
Proposals for candidates are usually made by a group consisting of the members of the Permanent Court of Arbitration, which is designated by the state.
For countries that do not participate in the Permanent Court of Arbitration, nominations are made by a group of countries.
The names of the candidates are usually communicated to the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
