UK names Nigerian-born lawyer as candidate for UN law body

The United Kingdom has nominated Dapo Akande, a Briton-Nigerian, professor as its candidate for the International Law Commission of the United Nations.

Dominic Raab, UK’s secretary of state for foreign, commonwealth and development Affairs, said Akande, a professor of law, is perfectly positioned to strengthen his contribution to the development of the commission.

Raab described the professor at Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford as one of the finest legal scholars in the UK with over 25 years of experience.

“The United Kingdom is pleased to nominate Professor Dapo Akande as our candidate for the International Law Commission for the period 2023-2027. The UK has always been a strong supporter of the International Law Commission and is proud of the contribution that British international lawyers have made to its work. I believe that Professor Akande is perfectly positioned to strengthen this contribution yet further,” Raab said.

“With over twenty-five years of legal experience, Professor Akande is exceptionally well-qualified to serve as a member of the Commission. Not only is Professor Akande one of the finest legal scholars in the UK, he is also a world-renowned expert in public international law, as both an academic and independent practitioner.

“He originally qualified as a lawyer in Nigeria and is currently Professor of Public International Law at the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford. He is on the advisory or editorial boards of international law periodicals in Europe, America, Africa and Asia. He has written and researched more than sixty publications across a range of international legal topics.

“Professor Akande has acted as a consultant to international organisations, including the United Nations (UN), the African Union, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, the International Criminal Court, the Food and Agriculture Organisation, and the Commonwealth Secretariat. As Counsel or Adviser, Professor Akande has worked on international litigation before the International Court of Justice, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, the World Trade Organisation, the International Criminal Court and the European Court of Human Rights, as well as on cases involving public international law in domestic courts.

“For all these reasons, I strongly endorse the candidature of Professor Akande at the elections for the International Law Commission that will be held during the 76th session of the UN General Assembly in November 2021. I hope that UN members have the opportunity to meet and engage with him, virtually or in-person, over the coming months.”

The International Law Commission was established by the UN general assembly in 1947 to undertake the mandate of the assembly, initiate studies and make recommendations for the purpose of encouraging the progressive development of international law and its codification.

Professionals with Nigerian roots have been getting recognition in the UK and US in recent times.

In 2019, Boris Johnson, British prime minister, named Kemi Badenoch a minister in his cabinet.

In November, Biden had appointed Adewale Adeyemo as deputy secretary of the treasury department.

He also appointed Funmi Olorunnipa Badejo into his cabinet as white house counsel, as well as Osaremen Okolo as a member of his COVID-19 response team.

The US president also appointed Enoh Titilayo Ebong as the acting director of the US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA).