Ghanaian military lawyer addresses United Nations international law experts in Geneva

Captain Jamaldeen Tonzua, a Ghanaian military officer and an international law practitioner has urged Member States of the United Nations to contribute resources to sustain the flagship international law capacity-building program of the United Nations Office at Geneva.

He made this call when he addressed the United Nations International Law Commission at a high-level event of the United Nations in Geneva. Captain Tonzua, who is currently studying public policy at the University of Oxford recently received the prestigious fellowship of the United Nations International Law Seminar which is running concurrently with the 73rd Session of the International Law Commission.

The recent fellowship is the third in a series of three United Nations Fellowships that Captain Tonzua has received in three years received.

The military officer gave his address in three working languages of the United Nations, on behalf of the 29 participants (international law scholars and practitioners) of the 56th Session of the International Law Seminar who appointed him as their spokesperson.

In his speech, he noted that the participants of the International Law Seminar are highly fulfilled about the extraordinary value that they gained from the 73rd Session of the International Law Commission and the 56th Session of the International Law Seminar.

He also stated that the participants have acquired invaluable knowledge and imbibed great values that will advance their international law careers.

Captain Tonzua assured the United Nations International Law Commission that he and his colleagues will leverage the intellectual and professional resources of the International Law Seminar to contribute to the strengthening of multilateralism and the advancement of international law.

In 2020, upon the completion of his postgraduate studies at Georgetown Law, Captain Tonzua received the Dorothy M. Mayer Award and the Thomas Bradbury Chetwood, S.J. Prize for achieving the rank of distinction and the highest LL.M. academic average in Master of Laws in Environment and Energy Law.

In addition to the current international law fellowship, he is a fellow of the Global Leadership Initiative of the Oxford Character Project, at the University of Oxford. He has keen interests in international affairs and diplomacy.