Ghana's Dr Sylvia Adusu becomes first African woman elected as ITLOS judge
via GhanaWeb2 min read
Dr Sylvia Ama Adusu, a Chief State Attorney of Ghana, has been elected as a judge of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea ITLOS, making her the first African woman to hold this position. She secured 130 out of 169 votes during the Thirty-Sixth Meeting of States Parties to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea UNCLOS on June 18, 2026, at the UN Headquarters in New York. Dr Adusu, who was also the Head of International Law in Ghana's Office of the Attorney-General and Ministry of Justice, was nominated by Ghana with the backing of the African Union. She brings over 30 years of legal experience, including international law, civil litigation, criminal prosecution, and arbitration. Her academic background includes a PhD in International Law from Lancaster University. Dr Adusu has represented Ghana in various international forums, including the International Court of Justice, and played a key role in Ghana’s maritime boundary dispute case against Côte d’Ivoire at ITLOS. She also contributes to legal education as a part-time lecturer at the University of Ghana and the Ghana School of Law. Her work has been nationally recognized, including the Companion of the Order of the Volta. As an ITLOS judge, she is expected to contribute to peaceful dispute resolution, maritime governance, and marine resource protection.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by GhanaWeb.
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