The Hague: The ECOWAS Court of Justice, International Court of Justice (ICJ), International Criminal Court (ICC), and Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) have committed to enhancing their collaborative efforts to advance global jurisprudence.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, this commitment was made during a working visit by a high-level delegation from the ECOWAS Court, led by its President, Justice Ricardo Gon§alves, to the headquarters of these institutions in The Hague, Netherlands. The four international judicial bodies agreed on forming inter-institutional partnerships, implementing staff exchange and training programs, and conducting joint research endeavors.
The initiatives are anticipated to aid in the ongoing development and modernization of the ECOWAS Court’s judicial operations. The visit targeted strengthening inter-institutional collaboration and broadening the Court’s familiarity with international judicial practices, as outlined in a statement by the court’s spokesman, Felicien Hounkanrin.
Hounkanrin elaborated that the visit involved strategic discussions with the prominent international legal institutions, focusing on jurisdictional frameworks, prosecutorial processes, legal research tools, and collaborative opportunities in areas like training, legal staff exchange, and library development. At the ICC, the delegation was hosted by Judge Reine Alapini-Gansou, the Second Vice-President of the Court, and participated in a lecture by Mamadou Racine Ly, Advisor to the Prosecutor, and Legal Officer, Dr. Ania Salinas Cerda, on admissibility criteria and prosecutorial mechanisms.
The PCA hosted the delegation at the Peace Palace, where Secretary-General Dr. Marcin Czepelak welcomed them. The PCA’s legal officers provided an informative session on the institution’s history, mandate, and current caseload, emphasizing its distinctive role in inter-state and investor-state dispute resolution.
During the visit to the ICJ, the ECOWAS judges engaged in a judicial dialogue with the President of the Court, Judge Yuji Iwasawa, and other judges, exploring the complementary roles of both courts within the international legal framework.