Nawaf Abdallah Salim Salam is a Lebanese politician, diplomat, jurist and academic who has been serving as the 53rd prime minister of Lebanon since 8 February 2025.
30 Facts About Nawaf Salam
1.
2.
Nawaf Salam resigned from the court after the parliament of Lebanon nominated him as prime minister.
3.
Son of Abdallah Salam and Reckat Beyhum, Nawaf was born into a prominent family from Beirut, Lebanon.
4.
From 1979 to 1981, Nawaf Salam was a lecturer on the contemporary history of the Middle East at Sorbonne University.
5.
Nawaf Salam resumed his practice at the Takla Law Firm in 1992 as well as his teaching of International Law and International Relations at the American University of Beirut.
6.
Nawaf Salam was appointed Visiting associate professor of Political Science in 2003, and later associate professor of Political Science in 2005.
7.
Nawaf Salam served as a member of the Executive Bureau of the Economic and Social Council of Lebanon from 1999 to 2002 and as a member of the Lebanese National Commission of UNESCO from 2000 to 2004.
8.
Nawaf Salam has served on the board of trustees of the Lebanese Center for Policy Studies, a non-partisan think tank whose mission is to produce and advocate policies that improve governance in Lebanon and the Arab world.
9.
Nawaf Salam represented Lebanon on the Security Council in 2010 and 2011, for Lebanon's two-year term as a non-permanent member.
10.
Nawaf Salam served as vice-president of the 67th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations from September 2012 to September 2013 and as acting President of the General Assembly of the United Nations in July 2013.
11.
On 9 November 2017, Nawaf Salam was elected judge of the International Court of Justice after receiving 135 votes in the United Nations General Assembly and 12 votes in the Security Council.
12.
Nawaf Salam took over the case brought by South Africa against Israel.
13.
Nawaf Salam was a candidate for Prime minister towards the end of Michel Aoun's term to replace Najib Mikati in 2022.
14.
Nawaf Salam's candidacy was supported by many Western and Arab states, who called for his nomination, against current caretaker prime minister Najib Mikati.
15.
On 13 January 2025, Nawaf Salam was nominated by 84 out of 128 MPs, making him the Prime Minister-designate of Lebanon.
16.
Nawaf Salam explicitly stated his intent to avoid exclusion and promote unity across the political spectrum especially since Hezbollah's parliamentary leader Mohammad Raad stated that Hezbollah "extended its hand" by helping to secure Aoun's election only to find the "hand cut off" accusing the opposition of fragmentation and exclusion from power in Lebanon.
17.
Nawaf Salam vowed to reopen the investigations of the Beirut port explosion and proposed engaging with international partners.
18.
Nawaf Salam's cabinet was confirmed by President Joseph Aoun on 8 February 2025.
19.
Nawaf Salam emphasized In his inaugural televised interview the need for comprehensive reforms in order to restore citizens' trust in the Lebanese state.
20.
Nawaf Salam highlighted the importance of restructuring the banking sector to attract investments and safeguard deposits, asserting that a robust banking system is essential for economic growth.
21.
Nawaf Salam called for serious efforts toward establishing an independent judiciary, stating that without it, there can be no protection for freedoms, guarantee of rights, or encouragement of investments.
22.
Nawaf Salam underscored that judicial independence is the cornerstone of both financial and political reforms.
23.
Additionally, Nawaf Salam advocated for the full implementation of the Taif Agreement, particularly administrative decentralization, warning that delays have exacerbated national crises.
24.
Nawaf Salam concluded by expressing his intent to engage with international partners to support Lebanon's reform and recovery efforts.
25.
Nawaf Salam advocated for the full implementation of the Taif Agreement, correcting misapplications and closing loopholes, and stressed the importance of legitimate armed forces holding exclusive rights to bear arms.
26.
Nawaf Salam urged the state to address the issue of missing and kidnapped individuals with seriousness and transparency.
27.
Nawaf Salam is married to Sahar Baassiri, columnist and Lebanon's Ambassador to UNESCO as of January 2018.
28.
Nawaf Salam was awarded in 2012 the French Legion of Honour at the rank of Officer by President Nicolas Sarkozy.
29.
Nawaf Salam has written books and articles on political and constitutional reform, electoral law reform, overcoming sectarianism, and fighting corruption and promoting accountability through strengthening the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law.
30.
Nawaf Salam has written on the question of citizenship and civil society in the Arab world as well as on the development of international law.