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The Federal Government, connected Thursday, formally presented Justice Dr. Taoheed Elias arsenic Nigeria’s campaigner for predetermination to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), urging the planetary assemblage to backmost his bid to reconstruct West Africa’s practice connected the world’s apical judicial bench.
The presumption ceremony, held successful Abuja, drew members of the diplomatic corps and elder authorities officials. Leading the endorsement, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, described Elias arsenic a jurist of exceptional calibre whose acquisition and integrity embody the ideals of the ICJ.
Tuggar lamented the region’s lack from the court, noting that West Africa has not had a typical connected the ICJ since 2011, portion Nigeria past occupied a spot implicit 3 decades ago.
“This agelong lack is not a substance of pridefulness but of perspective. It underscores the value of equitable geographical practice and the request for voices from West Africa to again beryllium heard wrong the world’s highest judicial body,” Tuggar said.
Introducing the nominee, the curate hailed Elias arsenic “a campaigner for the planetary community,” saying his credentials bespeak the standards outlined successful Article 2 of the ICJ Statute.
“Elias embodies the envisaged qualities, a idiosyncratic of precocious motivation quality possessing the qualifications for the highest judicial bureau and recognised competence successful planetary law.
“He is simply a Nigerian national, a distinguished scholar, a seasoned planetary civilian servant, and a respected judge,” Tuggar stated.
He added that Nigeria’s information of Elias “reflects the precise ideals that unite america arsenic members of the diplomatic assemblage — integrity, competence, and committedness to justice.”
Addressing the gathering, the curate emphasised that the information transcends nationalist interest.
“This candidacy is not astir Nigeria alone. It is astir ensuring that Africa, and West Africa successful particular, retains its rightful beingness successful shaping the planetary regularisation of law,” helium added.
In his remarks, Justice Elias expressed pridefulness successful his information and reaffirmed his lifelong committedness to advancing planetary instrumentality and justice.
“The ICJ is astatine the cornerstone of the full architecture of the United Nations, being liable for the peaceful solution of disputes,” helium said.
Elias outlined 3 pillars of his candidacy—academic expertise successful planetary law, organization cognition of the United Nations, and extended judicial experience.
“The archetypal constituent of my candidacy is my world inheritance and intelligence expertise successful planetary law. The 2nd is my cognition of the main constituencies of the ICJ, the UN itself. The 3rd constituent I privation to item is my judicial experience,” helium explained.
He noted that his 2 decades of work wrong the UN strategy person equipped him with a unsocial blend of assistance and practice.
Currently serving arsenic a Judge advertisement hoc connected the ICJ, Elias recounted however Equatorial Guinea selected him, a non-national, to service successful 1 of its cases earlier the court.
“In the International Court of Justice, erstwhile you person a case, 1 enactment has a justice of their state connected the court. The different country, which does not, tin name anyone. Equatorial Guinea didn’t prime idiosyncratic from their ain country; they picked me,” helium said.
Elias besides paid tribute to Judge Abdulqawi Yusuf of Somalia, a erstwhile ICJ president whose spot helium seeks to fill, pledging to uphold the principles of fairness and ineligible excellence.
“Given the quality of the challenges that I described, I deliberation that a wider profile, perspective, and deeper appreciation successful signifier are things that I anticipation you judge volition beryllium of worth to the court,” helium added.
The predetermination for the ICJ is slated for November 12, 2025, to capable the vacancy near by Judge Yusuf.
If successful, Elias volition go the 4th Nigerian to service connected the ICJ, pursuing Charles Onyeama, Bola Ajibola,and his father, Teslim Elias, who was besides a erstwhile President of the Court.
A distinguished planetary jurist, Dr. Elias is simply a subordinate of the Institut de Droit International and has served arsenic Legal Adviser and Director astatine the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) successful The Hague. He presently presides implicit the Administrative Tribunal of the OPEC Fund for International Development, chairs the Islamic Development Bank Administrative Tribunal, and antecedently led the OPEC Appeals Committee.
Established successful 1945, the International Court of Justice remains the main judicial organ of the United Nations, charged with adjudicating disputes betwixt sovereign states and offering advisory opinions connected ineligible questions. It is based successful The Hague...
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