On 12 November 2025, the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council elected Professor Phoebe Okowa as a Member of the International Court of Justice. She will take up her seat on the bench with immediate effect.
Professor Okowa succeeds Judge Abdulqawi A Yusuf on the bench and will hold office for the remainder of her predecessor’s term, until 5 February 2027. Throughout her distinguished career in international law, Professor Okowa has held varying positions both in academia and practice. Professor Okowa is currently Professor of Public International Law at Queen Mary University of London. She is also a member of the UN International Law Commission.
Professor Okowa has been a member of the Editorial Advisory Board for the Max Planck Yearbook of United Nations Law since 2023. The Editorial Advisory Board is comprised of a committee of expert scholars from around the world. They work in close association with the Editorial Secretariat (i.e. the Editors-in-Chief and the Managing Editor of the UNYB), in developing the overall Yearbook strategy for future volumes, and mainly act as pioneers for the promotion and development of the publication.
The Editorial Secretariat of the UNYB wish to extend their heartfelt congratulations to Professor Okowa on her stellar achievement and success in being elected to the International Court of Justice.