17/08/2026
MEET WEST AFRICAโS SOLE CANDIDATE FOR THE INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE
Professor Charles C. Jallohโs candidacy for the International Court of Justice is backed by a broad coalition across Africa and beyond.
In July 2026, the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government named Professor Dr. Charles C. Jalloh as the region's sole candidate for the International Court of Justice. The African Union's Ministerial Executive Council followed with its own endorsement the same month. His candidacy has also been put forward by thirteen countries representing every UN regional group.
He currently holds the Richard A. Hausler Chair in Law at the University of Miami School of Law, and has served as a Member of the International Law Commission since 2017, where his peers elected him Chair of the Drafting Committee (2018), General Rapporteur (2019), Second Vice-Chair (2023), and Chair of the Working Group on Methods of Work and Procedures (2023โpresent).
Trained in both Common Law and Civil Law traditions, Professor Jalloh has appeared as counsel before the International Criminal Court, the International Court of Justice and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea. This combination of academic distinction and practical courtroom experience gives him a particularly strong understanding of how international law works both in principle and in practice.
Last year, Professor Jalloh stood alongside four other distinguished candidates in the election to fill a temporary vacancy on the International Court of Justice. He won the vote at the UN Security Council but narrowly fell short at the General Assembly, where Kenya's candidate ultimately prevailed.
A year on, he is back with a stronger coalition behind him, a renewed political strength, and the same belief in the rule of law that has long been a defining feature of his career. His campaign has again taken him across capitals, from Brussels to Geneva to New York, where he continues to engage governments and make the case for his election.
On 3 November 2026, Sierra Leone, West Africa, Africa and partners across the world will have another opportunity to support a candidacy grounded in experience, scholarship and service.
