Edwin Tong warns of new maritime tech risks, urges support for international law at UN

Published Oct 30, 2026, 07:11 PM

Updated Oct 30, 2026, 07:12 PM

Edwin Tong urged the United Nations on Oct 29 to uphold international maritime law amid risks from weaponised technologies and cyber threats.

He called on countries to back international law and the International Court of Justice (ICJ). He said small states need a strong rules-based order so “might does not make right”.

Singapore has nominated Ambassador Rena Lee for the Nov 3 ICJ election, where 10 candidates are competing for five open seats.

SINGAPORE - Emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and autonomous ships bring great promise for safety and navigation, but can also introduce serious risks of weaponisation and cyber threats, said Minister for Law Edwin Tong at the United Nations on Oct 29.

Innovation should therefore advance hand-in-hand with safety and security, which requires the global community to work together to uphold the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) even as they harness new technologies, Tong told the UN Security Council (UNSC).

While AI can enhance navigational, communications, and early warning systems for all states, drones or autonomous vessels can be used to interfere with the safe passage of ships. Recent attacks against civilian vessels highlight the risks to maritime safety and seafarers, he added at the high-level debate on maritime security.

At the same session, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis called for a global maritime truce, after an Oct 28 drone attack sank a Greek container ship off Bulgaria. It was the latest in a series of strikes on ships in the western Black Sea.

Mitsotakis also urged countries not to allow “our seas to become jungles”, and said no bilateral arrangement can override UNCLOS, which provides a framework for cooperation and the peaceful settlement of maritime disputes.

Tong, who spoke on behalf of the Oceans Four countries, said cyber-attacks also pose real world consequences for maritime security, such as when they disable critical ship systems, disrupt port operations, or are used to take control of vessels for unlawful purposes.

The Oceans Four comprises of Fiji, Jamaica, Malta, and Singapore. It is an informal coalition of countries that have played an active role in the negotiation and drafting of UNCLOS, a 1982 convention also known as the Constitution for the oceans.

The minister called on the international community to guard against all actions that threaten international peace and security, and to reject unlawful restrictions on transit passage through straits used for international navigation.

“These include actions that deny, hamper, impede, impair or suspend the right of transit passage through straits used for international navigation. Such actions would constitute violations of UNCLOS,” said Tong.

He said the Oceans Four welcomed the adoption of the International Maritime Organisation’s non-mandatory Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships Code, and supports the development of a mandatory regulatory framework to safely integrate such vessels into global shipping.

“We remain committed to upholding (UNCLOS) as the legal framework within which all activities in the oceans and seas must be carried out,” he said.

At a separate UN General Assembly session, Tong said governance by international law is not a matter of choice but of survival for small nations, and that Singapore will continue to be a staunch supporter of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), whose work is fundamental to the international order.

It is in this spirit that the city-state has, for the first time, nominated a Singaporean - Ambassador for International Law Rena Lee - for election to be a judge of the court, said the minister.

At the upcoming election scheduled for Nov 3, Lee is among a pool of 10 candidates competing for five open seats on the 15-member court. The elected judges will serve a nine-year term from 2027 to 2036.

Tong said the ambassador is an eminently qualified international law practitioner, government legal advisor and diplomat, with experience spanning the law of the sea, climate and environmental law, international humanitarian law, and human rights law, among other areas of law.

As president of the UN Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), she successfully concluded the negotiations for the high seas treaty under UNCLOS, which is also known as the BBNJ agreement.

Lee previously held stints at the Attorney-General’s Chambers, Ministry of Defence, and the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore, where she was chief executive, across more than three decades working for the public service.

“If elected, she would bring valuable practical experience and diversity of perspectives alongside legal rigour, including as the first female ICJ judge from the Southeast Asia and from small states,” said Tong.

In an increasingly contested world, upholding international law and the UN Charter will be critical to ensure that might does not make right, especially for small states, he added.

He called on countries to support the court, which he said serves as “the bedrock of the international rule of law and is fundamental to the peaceful settlement of disputes”.

“I reiterate that an effective and strong multilateral rules-based international order is an imperative for all states,” he added.

ICJ/International Court of Justice

发布于 2026 年 10 月 30 日下午 7:11

更新于2026年10月30日晚上7:12

10月29日，唐振辉敦促联合国在武器化技术和网络威胁带来的风险面前，维护国际海洋法。

他呼吁各国支持国际法和国际法院。他表示，小国需要一个强有力的、以规则为基础的秩序，这样“强权并不代表正义”。

新加坡提名李丽娜大使参加11月3日举行的国际法院法官选举，共有10名候选人角逐5个空缺席位。

新加坡——新加坡律政部长唐振辉10月29日在联合国表示，人工智能和自主船舶等新兴技术为安全和导航带来了巨大希望，但也可能带来武器化和网络威胁的严重风险。

因此，创新应该与安全保障齐头并进，这就要求国际社会共同努力，维护《联合国海洋法公约》，同时利用新技术，童在联合国安理会表示。

人工智能虽然可以增强各国的导航、通信和预警系统，但无人机或无人驾驶船舶也可能被用来干扰船舶安全航行。他在高级别海上安全辩论中补充说，近期针对民用船舶的袭击事件凸显了海上安全和海员面临的风险。

在同一会议上，希腊总理基里亚科斯·米佐塔基斯呼吁全球海上停火。此前，10月28日，一艘希腊集装箱船在保加利亚附近海域遭无人机袭击沉没。这是近期黑海西部一系列针对船只的袭击事件中的最新一起。

米佐塔基斯还敦促各国不要让“我们的海洋变成丛林”，并表示任何双边安排都不能凌驾于《联合国海洋法公约》之上，该公约为合作和和平解决海洋争端提供了框架。

代表“海洋四国”发言的童表示，网络攻击也会对海上安全造成现实世界的后果，例如，网络攻击会使关键船舶系统瘫痪、扰乱港口运营，或被用来非法控制船舶。

“海洋四国”由斐济、牙买加、马耳他和新加坡组成。这是一个非正式的国家联盟，这些国家在1982年《联合国海洋法公约》（又称《海洋宪法》）的谈判和起草过程中发挥了积极作用。

部长呼吁国际社会警惕一切威胁国际和平与安全的行为，并拒绝非法限制通过国际航行海峡的过境通行。

“这些行为包括拒绝、阻碍、妨碍、损害或暂停国际航行所用海峡的过境通行权。此类行为将构成对《联合国海洋法公约》的违反，”童说。

他表示，“海洋四国”欢迎国际海事组织通过非强制性的《海上自主水面船舶规则》，并支持制定强制性监管框架，以安全地将此类船舶融入全球航运。

他说：“我们仍然致力于维护《联合国海洋法公约》，将其作为所有海洋活动都必须遵循的法律框架。”

在另一次联合国大会会议上，童表示，按照国际法进行治理对于小国来说不是一种选择，而是一种生存问题，新加坡将继续坚定支持国际法院，因为国际法院的工作对国际秩序至关重要。

部长表示，正是本着这种精神，新加坡首次提名了一位新加坡人——国际法大使李丽娜——竞选法院法官。

在即将于11月3日举行的选举中，李是角逐15名法官中5个空缺席位的10名候选人之一。当选法官的任期为9年，从2027年至2036年。

童表示，这位大使是一位资历深厚的国际法从业者、政府法律顾问和外交官，在海洋法、气候和环境法、国际人道主义法和人权法等领域拥有丰富的经验。

作为联合国国家管辖范围以外区域海洋生物多样性政府间会议（BBNJ）主席，她成功完成了《联合国海洋法公约》下的公海条约谈判，该条约也被称为BBNJ协定。

李女士此前曾在新加坡总检察署、国防部和新加坡知识产权局任职，并在知识产权局担任首席执行官，在公共服务部门工作超过三十年。

“如果当选，她将带来宝贵的实践经验和多元化的视角，以及严谨的法律作风，包括作为东南亚和小国的第一位国际法院女法官，”童说。

他补充说，在一个竞争日益激烈的世界里，维护国际法和联合国宪章对于确保强权不代表正义至关重要，尤其对于小国而言更是如此。

他呼吁各国支持该法院，并表示该法院是“国际法治的基石，是和平解决争端的根本所在”。

他补充道：“我重申，建立一个有效、强有力的、以规则为基础的多边国际秩序，对所有国家来说都至关重要。”

国际法院