Japanese Judge Yuji Iwasawa Elected as President of International Court of Justice (ICJ)

Yuji Iwasawa, a Japanese judge, has been elected as the new President of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague. He replaces Nawaf Salam, the new prime minister of Lebanon.

Iwasawa,  aged 70, will serve as ICJ President until February 5, 2027. He has been a judge at the ICJ since 2018 and previously worked as a professor of international law at the University of Tokyo.

He also served as Chairperson of the UN Human Rights Committee.

He is the second Japanese judge to lead the ICJ, after Hisashi Owada (2009–2012). Iwasawa stated that he aims to promote the rule of law and peaceful dispute resolution.