ECOWAS Court of Justice Undertakes High-Level Working Visit to International Courts of The Hague
Abuja, 29 May 2025: A high-level delegation from the Community Court of Justice, ECOWAS, led by its President, Hon. Justice Ricardo C.M. Gonçalves, concluded a week-long official working visit to The Hague, Netherlands, from 18 to 25 May 2025. The visit included strategic engagements with three major international legal institutions: the International Criminal Court (ICC), the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), and the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
The mission aimed to deepen inter-institutional cooperation and enhance the Court’s exposure to international judicial practices. Discussions focused on jurisdictional frameworks, prosecutorial processes, legal research tools, and opportunities for collaboration in areas such as training, legal staff exchange, and library development.
At the ICC, the delegation was received by Judge Reine Alapini-Gansou, Second Vice-President of the Court. A key highlight included 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. Hab. Marcin Czepelak welcomed the delegation, and the legal officers of the PCA delivered a session on the institution’s history, mandate, and current caseload, emphasizing its unique role in inter-State and investor-State dispute resolution.
At the ICJ, the ECOWAS judges held a judicial dialogue with the President of the Court, Judge Yuji Iwasawa, and other sitting judges, exploring both courts’ complementary roles in the international legal order.
The mission concluded with recommendations to establish institutional partnerships, initiate staff exchange and training programs and research.
These steps are expected to contribute to the continued growth and modernization of the ECOWAS Court’s judicial operations.
Pictures Courtesy: The ICJ & its photographer, Mr Frank van Beek.