Nawaf Salam is Lebanon’s new Prime Minister, after securing 68 votes from a total of 128 members of the Parliament.

 

His appointment is pending the completion of consultations and the official announcement of his appointment – according to Roya’s correspondent.

 

He will succeed Najib Mikati, whose term started in September, 2021.

 

Nawaf Salam, born on December 15, 1953, in Beirut, Lebanon, is a distinguished diplomat, jurist, and academic. He currently serves as the 27th President of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), having been elected to this position on February 6, 2024.

 

Salam's educational background is extensive. He holds a Doctorate in Political Science from the Institut d'Études Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po), an LL.M. from Harvard Law School, a Doctorate in History from Sorbonne University, and a Diploma from the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales.

 

Before his tenure at the ICJ, Salam was Lebanon's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York from 2007 to 2017. During this period, he held positions such as President of the Security Council and Vice President of the General Assembly. In 2018, he was elected as a judge on the ICJ, marking a significant milestone as the first Lebanese and the second Arab to hold such a position.

 

Throughout his career, Salam has been acknowledged for his contributions to diplomacy and international jurisprudence. In 2012, he was awarded the French Legion of Honour at the rank of Officer by President Nicolas Sarkozy.

 

Salam hails from a prominent Lebanese family with a rich political heritage. His grandfather, Salim Salam, was a leader of the "Beirut Reform Movement" and a deputy in the Ottoman parliament.

 

His uncle, Saeb Salam, served multiple terms as Prime Minister of Lebanon. Nawaf Salam is married to Sahar Baassiri, a columnist and Lebanon's Ambassador to UNESCO as of January 2018, and they have two sons.