Abdul Koroma

Abdul Gadrie Koroma ( born September 29, 1943 in Freetown ) is a lawyer from Sierra Leone. He served as ambassador of his native country in various countries and in the United Nations (UN ) and from 1982 to 1994 Member of the UN International Law Commission. From 1994 to 2012, he was a judge at the International Court of Justice.

Life

Abdul Koroma was born in 1943 in Freetown, and studied law at the University of Kiev and international law at King's College, University of London. He entered 1964 in his home country in the civil service and was from 1969 worked for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sierra Leone, including, inter alia as legal adviser to the Permanent Mission of the country at the United Nations (UN ) and later as Plenipotentiary to the UN. In parallel, he was accredited as High Commissioner of Sierra Leone in Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago as well as ambassador to South Korea, and Cuba. More diplomatic positions included activities as Ambassador Plenipotentiary to Belgium, France, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, as well as to the European Communities, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) and the Organisation of African Unity with accreditation for Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia.

At the United Nations, he was involved as a delegate to various international conferences and participated in a number of UN bodies, such as the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL ) and the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. From 1982 to 1994 he was a member of the International Law Commission, including 1991 as its chairman. In addition, he was President of the African Society of International Law and Comparative Law, Adviser to the International Committee of the Red Cross ( ICRC) and from 1999 to 2006, President of the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue in Geneva. His activities in the field of international law included, among other things, the international responsibility of States, self-determination and other aspects of human rights, international humanitarian law and international criminal law and the peaceful resolution of international conflicts.

From 1994 to 2012, Abdul Koroma was a judge at the International Court of Justice in The Hague. Since March 2013 he acts as a judge at the Administrative Court of the World Bank.

Awards

Abdul Koroma was awarded by the University of Sierra Leone an honorary doctorate and by the Gujarat National Law University in India an honorary professorship. He is also Honorary Bencher ( an appointed senior member) of the English Bar Lincoln 's Inn, member of the Institut de Droit International and Grand Officer of the Order of the Republic of Sierra Leone.