From the International Court of Justice to the helm of a nation in crisis

Countries & Cities · Published 10 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Nawaf Salam, a former president of the International Court of Justice, transitioned from global legal diplomacy to the premiership of Lebanon in 2025. His career, spanning decades of academic research and UN representation, now faces the challenge of navigating Lebanon through regional conflict, financial instability, and deep-seated sectarian divisions.

Born in 1953 into a prominent Sunni family in Beirut, Nawaf Salam has spent his life at the intersection of law and politics. His grandfather, Salim Salam, was a key figure in the Beirut Reform Movement, while his uncle, Saeb Salam, served as prime minister four times. Educated at Sciences Po, Harvard Law School, and the Sorbonne, Salam built a reputation as an expert in international law and political reform before representing Lebanon at the United Nations from 2007 to 2017.

In 2018, Salam joined the International Court of Justice, eventually becoming its 27th president in February 2024. His tenure at the court was brief; in January 2025, he was nominated by 84 of 128 Lebanese MPs to serve as prime minister. He resigned from the ICJ to accept the role, stepping into a government tasked with managing a severe financial crisis, a fragile security situation, and the aftermath of regional warfare. His administration has focused on restoring state authority, including a ban on Hezbollah's military activities and the pursuit of direct peace negotiations with Israel.

Salam’s approach is rooted in his long-standing advocacy for constitutional reform and judicial independence. He has consistently argued that the Taif Agreement must be fully implemented to ensure administrative decentralization and the state's exclusive monopoly on weapons. As he navigates the complexities of Lebanon's governance, he faces the dual pressure of international expectations and domestic demands for accountability, including the reopening of investigations into the Beirut port explosion. His leadership represents a significant shift toward a technocratic, reform-oriented agenda in a country long defined by sectarian deadlock.

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