Kenya’s Prof. Phoebe Okowa becomes first African woman to serve in UN law body

Decorated Kenyan scholar Prof. Phoebe Okowa on Friday garnered 162 votes to secure a seat at the International Law Commission.

The Commission is headquartered in New York, USA.

Prof. Okowa becomes the first African woman to occupy a seat at the commission, which was founded in 1947. She will serve for four years, starting 2023.

After her election, Okowa thanked member States for backing her, adding that she is elated to serve in the commission.

“I am profoundly grateful to member states for their confidence in me. Throughout the campaign experience, I have remained conscious that the ILC is a subsidiary organ of the United Nations,” she said.

“This is, by any standard, an outstanding mandate! Thank you to everyone involved.”

Phoebe Okowa is a professor of public international law and director of graduate studies at Queen Mary's School of Law.

She was nominated for the ILC post in March 2021 by the Kenyan Government.

Kenya's Ambassador to the United Nations Amb. Martin Kimani promised to back her candidacy as part of Kenya's effort to "ramp up its efforts to increase the number and seniority of Kenyan professionals serving in international organisations”.

In its 72-year history, the commission has had only seven women members out of a total membership of 229, with the first woman being elected in 2001.

Prof. Okowa graduated top of her class with a Bachelor of Law (LLB) Degree, First Class Honours from the University of Nairobi.

She proceeded to the University of Oxford for Bachelor of Civil Law (BCL) Degree and completed her Doctoral studies (PhD) at Oxford.

Prof. Okowa has taught public international law, constitutional law and private international law at the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom.

She is also an advocate of the High Court of Kenya, and has acted as counsel and consultant to many governments and non-governmental organisations.

The ILC is composed of 34 individuals recognised for their expertise and qualifications in international law. The members are elected after every five years.

The commission’s role is to initiate studies and make recommendations for the purpose of encouraging the progressive development of international law and its codification.