Olufemi Elias has been elected as a member of the International Law Commission (ILC), filling a casual vacancy created after the resignation of Kenya’s Phoebe Okowa.
The election took place on Tuesday during the Commission’s 77th session in Geneva, Switzerland.
The ILC, established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1947, is responsible for the progressive development and codification of international law, including legal frameworks on state responsibility, immunity, piracy, international agreements, and dispute settlement.
Elias reportedly secured the seat after defeating nominees from Botswana and Ghana.
Elias previously served as Registrar of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT) with the rank of UN Assistant Secretary-General.
He has also held senior legal positions, including:
- Legal Adviser and Director at the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague
- Executive Secretary of the World Bank Administrative Tribunal
- Legal Adviser at the United Nations Compensation Commission
He currently serves as a judge ad hoc at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), also known as the World Court.
In addition, Elias is President of the Administrative Tribunal of the OPEC Fund for International Development and Chairman of the Islamic Development Bank Administrative Tribunal, as well as a former President and member of the OPEC Appeals Committee.
In December 2024, the Federal Government presented Elias to the UN diplomatic corps in New York as Nigeria’s candidate for the ICJ for the 2027–2036 term. However, he lost the election conducted in November 2025.
