| Olufemi Elias | |
| Preceded: | John Hocking |
| Successor: | Abubacarr Marie Tambadou |
| Termend: | 30 June 2020 |
| Termstart: | 1 January 2017 |
| Nationality: | Nigerian |
| Occupation: | Registrar (United Nations Assistant Secretary-General) of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT) |
Olufemi Elias is a Nigerian lawyer who served as Registrar of the United Nations International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT) until 30 June 2020.[1]
Elias studied at Corona School, and then Igbobi College, Lagos, Nigeria before obtaining a law degree from the University of Oxford, a Master of Laws from the University of Cambridge and a doctorate from University College London.[2] He was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1988.
His father, Justice Taslim Olawale Elias was the very first Attorney-General and Chief Justice of Nigeria and a judge and President of the International Court of Justice.[3]
Elias has held several functions including being a Judge for Staff Appeals, Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL); Legal Adviser and Director, Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), The Hague; Executive Secretary (Registrar), World Bank Administrative Tribunal, Washington D.C.; Senior Legal Officer, OPCW; Special Assistant to the Executive Secretary, United Nations Compensation Commission (UNCC), Geneva and Legal Adviser, Governing Council Secretariat, UNCC.
Elias is a visiting professor at the Department of Law, Queen Mary University of London and has taught at the King's College London and the University of Buckingham. He is also the author of several publications in the field of International Law and was awarded the Honorary Membership Award of the American Society of International Law (ASIL) in recognition of his contributions to international law.
Elias was a candidate in the 2020 International Court of Justice judges election. He was not elected.[4]
In early 2022, Elias was appointed by the International Monetary Fund to an external panel to strengthen institutional safeguards in the wake of a data scandal involving IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva during her time at the World Bank.[5]
He is currently the President of the Administrative Tribunal of the OPEC Fund, and vice-chairman and Judge of the Islamic Development Bank Administrative Tribunal.[6]
The Registrar heads the Registry, which provides administrative, legal, policy and diplomatic support services to all organs of the Mechanism.
| 11 Jul 2018 | http://www.irmct.org/sites/default/files/statements-and-speeches/180711-registrars-remarks-srebrenica-genocide-commemoration-en.pdf Registrar Elias' Address at the commemoration of the Srebrenica genocide | |
| 8 Mar 2018 | http://www.irmct.org/sites/default/files/statements-and-speeches/180308-registrar-elias-statement-for-int-womens-day-2018.pdf Registrar Elias' message in commemoration of International Women's Day 2018 | |
| 17 May 2017 | http://www.irmct.org/sites/default/files/statements-and-speeches/170517-remarks-by-olufemi-elias-registrar-en.pdf Registrar Elias’ remarks at the Diplomatic Briefing at the Hague branch of the Mechanism |