Vivian Balakrishnan joins Edwin Tong in New York to support Ambassador Rena Lee's ICJ judge candidature

Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan is in New York, joining Law Minister Edwin Tong in supporting Ambassador for International Law Rena Lee's candidature to be a judge of the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Earlier on Oct 28, the Ministry of Law (MinLaw) had announced that the law minister is on an eight-day official visit to New York till Nov 4 as part of efforts to reaffirm Singapore's commitment to international law and strengthen legal partnerships

Tong's visit coincides with the International Law Week and the International Court of Justice (ICJ) elections.

In a joint press release on Tuesday (Nov 3), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and MinLaw said that the two ministers are in New York to support the ambassador's candidature.

The election for the 2027 to 2036 term begins on Tuesday (US time) and will be conducted in both the United Nations (UN) General Assembly and UN Security Council at the UN headquarters in New York.

The ICJ comprises 15 judges of different UN member states who are elected to nine-year terms of office.

Also referred to as the World Court, it adjudicates legal disputes submitted to it by sovereign states. These disputes include borders, maritime zones, treaty violations, or state responsibility.

Both Singapore and Malaysia previously brought their dispute over Pedra Branca — an island located at the eastern entrance of the Singapore Strait to the ICJ — and in 2008, the court awarded sovereignty over Pedra Branca to Singapore.

It also decided that sovereignty over Middle Rocks belongs to Malaysia, and sovereignty over South Ledge belongs to the state in the territorial waters of which it is located.

Singapore's leaders have often reiterated the importance of international law.

The law minister himself explained this at the fourth International Law Association Singapore Symposium on Oct 20: "(International law) establishes obligations that cannot simply be dismissed because one party is stronger or bigger than the other.

"It provides a basis on which smaller states can articulate their rights, defend their interests and work with others."

Then, speaking on the report of the ICJ at the UN General Assembly on Oct 29, Tong emphasised that in an increasingly contested world, upholding international law and the UN Charter is critical to ensuring that "might does not make right", especially for small states.

"As the UN’s principal judicial organ, the ICJ anchors the rules-based order by peacefully resolving disputes, clarifying the law and safeguarding States’ rights," the law minister added.

Ambassador Rena Lee's candidature at the ICJ elections

The two ministries announced on Oct 14 that Singapore's national group to the Permanent Court of Arbitration intended to nominate the country's ambassador for international law Rena Lee for election to the ICJ for the 2027 to 2036 term.

She is the first Singaporean nominated for this role.

Lee is an international law practitioner with over three decades of deep expertise across a broad spectrum of international law, including the law of the sea, environmental law, international humanitarian law, and human rights law.

The 57-year-old was president of the UN Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) and successfully concluded the negotiations for the high seas treaty under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

"This major achievement is testament to her ability to combine deep legal expertise with sensitivity to diverse perspectives, which allows her to bridge differences among nations with different legal traditions and geopolitical interests," the ministries said.

If elected, Lee will be the first female ICJ judge from South-east Asia and from small states.

Both Dr Balakrishnan and Tong have said the Singapore Government fully supports Lee's candidature.

The foreign affairs minister highlighted that Singapore has always been a stalwart advocate and defender of the rule of law, which underpins the international rules-based system.

"We have been a beneficiary of this system since our independence. It is precisely at a time when multilateral institutions are under growing strain that we must do our part to support and strengthen them," Dr Balakrishnan added.

Tong pointed out that Singapore's decision to put forth Lee reflects the country's efforts to contribute meaningfully to international law and multilateral institutions.

On what Lee could bring to the ICJ, Tong said: "Ambassador Lee would bring such breadth to the Court, together with an unwavering commitment to fairness, integrity and the rule of law.

"Ambassador Lee embodies the kind of contribution Singapore seeks to make: principled, practical, attentive to different perspectives, and directed towards solutions.”

外交部长维文·巴拉克里希南博士目前在纽约，与律政部长唐振辉一起支持国际法大使李丽娜竞选国际法院法官。

10月28日早些时候，新加坡律政部宣布，律政部长将对纽约进行为期八天的正式访问，直至11月4日，此举旨在重申新加坡对国际法的承诺并加强法律伙伴关系。

童的访问恰逢国际法周和国际法院选举。

外交部和律政部周二（11月3日）联合发布新闻稿称，两位部长目前在纽约，支持大使候选人。

2027 年至 2036 年任期的选举将于星期二（美国时间）开始，并将在纽约联合国总部的联合国大会和联合国安全理事会举行。

国际法院由来自不同联合国成员国的 15 名法官组成，任期九年。

它也被称为世界法院，负责裁决主权国家提交的法律纠纷。这些纠纷包括边界、海洋区域、条约违约或国家责任等问题。

新加坡和马来西亚此前都曾就白礁岛（位于新加坡海峡东入口处）的主权争议向国际法院提起诉讼，2008 年，国际法院裁定新加坡对白礁岛拥有主权。

裁决还认定，中岩礁的主权属于马来西亚，南礁的主权属于其所在领海内的州。

新加坡领导人多次重申国际法的重要性。

新加坡律政部长本人在 10 月 20 日举行的第四届新加坡国际法协会研讨会上解释说：“（国际法）确立的义务不能仅仅因为一方比另一方更强大或更大就被忽视。

“它为小国阐明自身权利、捍卫自身利益以及与其他国家合作提供了基础。”

随后，在 10 月 29 日联合国大会上就国际法院的报告发表讲话时，童强调，在一个竞争日益激烈的世界中，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。

“作为联合国的主要司法机关，国际法院通过和平解决争端、澄清法律和维护国家权利来巩固基于规则的秩序，”司法部长补充道。

雷娜·李大使竞选国际法院法官

10月14日，新加坡和外交部宣布，新加坡常设仲裁法院国家小组打算提名该国国际法大使雷娜·李（Rena Lee）竞选2027年至2036年任期的国际法院法官。

她是首位获得该角色提名的新加坡人。

李是一位国际法从业者，在国际法的各个领域拥有超过三十年的深厚专业知识，包括海洋法、环境法、国际人道主义法和人权法。

这位 57 岁的领导人曾担任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，并成功完成了根据《联合国海洋法公约》制定的公海条约的谈判。

各部委表示：“这一重大成就证明了她能够将深厚的法律专业知识与对不同观点的敏感性相结合，这使她能够弥合具有不同法律传统和地缘政治利益的国家之间的分歧。”

如果当选，李将成为首位来自东南亚和小国的国际法院女法官。

巴拉克里希南博士和唐先生都表示，新加坡政府完全支持李光耀的候选资格。

外交部长强调，新加坡一直是法治的坚定倡导者和捍卫者，而法治是国际规则体系的基础。

“自独立以来，我们一直是这一体系的受益者。正值多边机构面临日益增长的压力之际，我们更应该尽自己的一份力量来支持和加强它们，”巴拉克里希南博士补充道。

童指出，新加坡推举李光耀先生的决定反映了该国为国际法和多边机构做出有意义贡献的努力。

关于李大使能为国际法院带来什么，童表示：“李大使将为法院带来广阔的视野，以及对公平、正直和法治的坚定承诺。”

“李大使体现了新加坡力求做出的贡献：坚持原则、务实、关注不同观点、并致力于解决问题。”