Oxford Law alumni elected to International Law Commission

Three Oxford Law alumni have been elected to the International Law Commission by the UN General Assembly. Congratulations to Professors Dapo Akande and Phoebe Okowa, and Dr Martins Paparinskis, who have been elected for a five year term commencing on 1^st January 2023.

The 34 seats on the Commission are split across five regional groups, which makes it a significant achievement for our alumni to be represented in three of the regions.

Professor Okowa has been elected to the African States group, Professor Akande will join the Western European States group, with Dr Paparinskis elected to the Eastern European States group.

Professor Akande’s election is particularly notable as he is the first ever candidate to be nominated by both the United Kingdom and Nigeria. Speaking of his nomination, Professor Akande said:

I am humbled to have been conominated by Nigeria for the International Law Commission, alongside the UK. This is a great honour as I was born, educated and started my legal journey in Nigeria. Throughout my career, I have been proud to represent Nigeria before international courts, and to help strengthen its legal system by providing training in international law to lawyers and government officials. It would be a privilege to be elected to the International Law Commission and I believe I can make a meaningful contribution to its work. My vision is clear: the codification and progressive development of international law can strengthen the rules on which international cooperation is based, and help promote a just and peaceful system of international relations.