Mahmoud Daifallah Hmoud
By Staff Writer
Mahmoud Daifallah Hmoud of Jordan has been elected to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, following the resignation of former ICJ President Nawaf Salam of Lebanon. Salam stepped down in January 2025 to assume office as Prime Minister of Lebanon.
According to a statement issued by the United Nations, Hmoud was the sole nominee for the position, with formal endorsements from Egypt, Jordan, Romania, Slovakia, and Sweden. He was elected by secret ballot, securing an absolute majority in both the UN General Assembly and the Security Council. Hmoud received 178 out of 181 votes in the General Assembly and unanimous backing from all 15 Security Council members.
A veteran diplomat and legal scholar, Hmoud currently serves as Jordan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations. His distinguished career includes roles as Legal Adviser and Director of the Legal Department at Jordan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He is also a former chair and member of the UN’s International Law Commission.
Hmoud will serve the remainder of Judge Salam’s term, which concludes on 5 February 2027.
The ICJ, based at the Peace Palace in The Hague, adjudicates disputes between UN Member States and offers advisory opinions on complex issues of international law. The Court comprises 15 judges elected for nine-year terms, with no two judges hailing from the same country.
In November 2026, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) will hold elections in New York to appoint new judges to replace those whose terms expire in 2027 and 2030. As part of its staggered rotation system, five judges are elected every three years to ensure the bench maintains a balance reflective of the world’s principal legal systems and civilisations. Among the prominent candidates vying for seats in the upcoming election are Gambia’s former Minister of Justice Abubacarr ‘Ba’ Tambadou; Professor Dapo Akande, a British-Nigerian academic nominated by the United Kingdom and François Alabrune, France’s ambassador to the Netherlands and its official nominee.