ICJ President Yuji Iwasawa to Visit KIIT and KISS
Iwasawa to receive KISS Humanitarian Award; two other judges to be conferred honorary doctorates
By Swagatika Mohapatra
Bhubaneswar, Nov. 12: President of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Judge Yuji Iwasawa, along with two other judges of the world’s highest judicial body, has arrived in Odisha on a visit to KIIT and KISS, marking a significant milestone in the institutions’ international engagement.
Judge Iwasawa, accompanied by Judges Leonardo Nemer Caldeira Brant and Bogdan-Lucian Aurescu, will attend a special ceremony to be organised by KISS on Thursday. On the occasion, Iwasawa will be conferred the prestigious KISS Humanitarian Award in recognition of his distinguished contribution to international justice and humanitarian values. The two other judges will be awarded honorary doctorates in recognition of their eminence and contributions.
The visit assumes special significance as it is the first time that a sitting President of the International Court of Justice has visited KIIT and KISS in Odisha. The presence of three eminent members of the ICJ is being viewed as a major recognition of the institutions’ growing international standing and their engagement with global organisations in education, law and humanitarian service.
The International Court of Justice, established in 1945 under the United Nations Charter, is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. Headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands, the Court adjudicates legal disputes between sovereign states in accordance with international law and provides advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by authorised UN organs and agencies.
Its jurisdiction covers a wide range of international disputes, including territorial boundaries, maritime rights, treaty obligations and the interpretation of international law. Through its judicial proceedings and advisory opinions, the ICJ plays an important role in promoting peaceful dispute resolution, strengthening the rule of law and fostering cooperation among nations.
It may be recalled that three other distinguished judges of the ICJ have previously visited KIIT and KISS. They are Justice Dr Dalveer Bhandari of India, Justice Dr Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf of Somalia and Justice Antonio Augusto Cançado Trindade of Brazil. With the arrival of the present delegation, the number of ICJ judges who have visited the institutions will rise to six, underlining their sustained engagement with the international judicial community.
The ICJ comprises 15 judges, who are elected for nine-year terms and are eligible for re-election. Elections are held every three years to fill five vacancies. Candidates are nominated through national groups associated with the Permanent Court of Arbitration and are elected independently by the UN General Assembly and the Security Council.
India has also had a distinguished presence on the Court through Justice Dr Dalveer Bhandari, who was first elected in 2012 and re-elected in 2018 for a second term. His election reflected India’s contribution to international jurisprudence and the global judicial system.
The visit of the ICJ President and two fellow judges is expected to provide an important opportunity for academic interaction and exchange of ideas on international law, justice and global cooperation, while further enhancing KIIT and KISS’s international profile.
