Rena Lee, first Singaporean nominated for International Court of Justice, gets full government backing ahead of UN vote

Ms Lee is one of 10 candidates vying for five seats, with voting to take place at the United Nations headquarters in New York.

Ms Rena Lee, Ambassador for International Law, is Singapore's candidate for election as a judge of the International Court of Justice. (Photo: NUS Law)

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SINGAPORE: The Singapore government "fully supports" Ambassador for International Law Rena Lee's candidature for election as a judge of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the foreign affairs and law ministries said in a joint statement sent to the media on Tuesday (Nov 3).

Ms Lee, 57, is the first Singaporean nominated for a seat on the world's highest judicial bench.

Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Mr Edwin Tong, Minister for Law and Second Minister for Home Affairs, are in New York in support of Ms Lee's candidature. They were also due to host a reception for her on Monday evening in New York.

Dr Balakrishnan said: "Her deep expertise, strong conviction in the rule of law, and ability to understand different perspectives in resolving differences would be an asset to the ICJ."

CNA Games Guess Word Crack the word, one row at a time Buzzword Create words using the given letters Mini Sudoku Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser Mini Crossword Small grid, big challenge Word Search Spot as many words as you can Show More Show Less He also said that Singapore, as a small state, has always been a "stalwart advocate and defender of the rule of law", which underpins the international rules-based system. Singapore has benefited from it since its independence, he added. He noted that at a time when multilateral institutions are "under growing strain", Ms Lee's candidature is one way that Singapore is seeking to support and uphold the rules-based multilateral system. Mr Tong said: "She understands international law not only as doctrine, but as a framework within which states must make decisions, manage differences and cooperate. She brings intellectual independence, sound judgment and an appreciation of the practical consequences of legal reasoning." He also said that the ICJ's strength is enhanced when its bench "draws on varied legal traditions, professional experiences and perspectives". Ms Lee would bring such breadth to the court, together with "an unwavering commitment to fairness, integrity and the rule of law". Her candidature also reflected Singapore's efforts to contribute meaningfully to international law and multilateral institutions, Mr Tong said.

He also said that Singapore, as a small state, has always been a "stalwart advocate and defender of the rule of law", which underpins the international rules-based system. Singapore has benefited from it since its independence, he added.

He noted that at a time when multilateral institutions are "under growing strain", Ms Lee's candidature is one way that Singapore is seeking to support and uphold the rules-based multilateral system.

Mr Tong said: "She understands international law not only as doctrine, but as a framework within which states must make decisions, manage differences and cooperate. She brings intellectual independence, sound judgment and an appreciation of the practical consequences of legal reasoning."

He also said that the ICJ's strength is enhanced when its bench "draws on varied legal traditions, professional experiences and perspectives". Ms Lee would bring such breadth to the court, together with "an unwavering commitment to fairness, integrity and the rule of law".

Her candidature also reflected Singapore's efforts to contribute meaningfully to international law and multilateral institutions, Mr Tong said.

The ICJ comprises 15 judges from different United Nations (UN) member states, elected to nine-year terms, with elections held every three years for five seats.

The election for the 2027-2036 term begins on Tuesday, with voting to be conducted in both the UN General Assembly and the UN Security Council at the UN headquarters in New York.

Ms Lee is one of 10 candidates vying for the five seats.

In October 2024, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and Ministry of Law (MinLaw) announced that Singapore's National Group to the Permanent Court of Arbitration intended to nominate Ms Lee for election to the ICJ . In July this year, she was officially nominated as Singapore's candidate.

"Ambassador Lee is a distinguished 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 ministries said in the joint release.

They noted that as president of the UN Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), Ms Lee had steered five years of complex, high-stakes multilateral negotiations.

These negotiations led to the adoption, by consensus, of the landmark BBNJ Agreement in 2023 to protect marine biodiversity in international waters.

"This major achievement is a 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."

Ms Lee also holds positions in institutions including the Permanent Court of Arbitration and the Panel of Conciliators of the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes.

"Ambassador Lee possesses eminent professional standing. Her integrity, impartiality, and vision for a rules-based international order make her a good choice for the ICJ," said MFA and MinLaw.

"If elected, she would be well-placed to contribute constructively to the functioning of the ICJ and the advancement of international law."

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李女士是角逐五个席位的十名候选人之一，投票将在纽约联合国总部举行。

国际法大使李丽娜女士是新加坡国际法院法官候选人。（图片：新加坡国立大学法学院）

这段音频由人工智能工具生成。

新加坡：新加坡外交部和律政部周二（11月3日）向媒体发表联合声明称，新加坡政府“全力支持”国际法大使李丽娜竞选国际法院法官。

现年 57 岁的李女士是首位被提名进入世界最高司法法庭的新加坡人。

外交部长维文·巴拉克里希南博士和律政部长兼内政部第二部长唐振辉先生目前在纽约，支持李女士的候选资格。他们原定于周一晚在纽约为她举办招待会。

巴拉克里希南博士表示：“她深厚的专业知识、对法治的坚定信念以及理解不同观点以解决分歧的能力，将是国际法院的一笔宝贵财富。”

CNA游戏 猜词游戏 逐行破解单词 流行词游戏 用给定的字母组成单词 迷你数独 小谜题，脑力挑战 迷你填字游戏 小方格，大挑战 单词搜索 尽可能多地找出单词 显示更多 显示更少 他还表示，新加坡作为一个小国，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石。他补充说，新加坡自独立以来就从中受益。他指出，在多边机构“面临日益增长的压力”之际，李女士的候选资格是新加坡寻求支持和维护基于规则的多边体系的一种方式。唐先生说：“她不仅将国际法理解为一种理论，而且将其视为各国必须做出决定、管控分歧和开展合作的框架。她带来了独立的思考能力、良好的判断力以及对法律推理实际后果的理解。”他还表示，当国际法院的法官“汲取不同的法律传统、专业经验和视角”时，国际法院的力量就会增强。李女士将为法庭带来如此广阔的视野，以及“对公平、正直和法治的坚定承诺”。唐先生表示，她的候选资格也体现了新加坡为国际法和多边机构做出有意义贡献的努力。

他还表示，新加坡作为一个小国，始终是“法治的坚定倡导者和捍卫者”，而法治正是国际规则体系的基石。他补充说，新加坡自独立以来就一直受益于此。

他指出，在多边机构“面临越来越大的压力”之际，李女士的候选资格是新加坡寻求支持和维护以规则为基础的多边体系的一种方式。

童先生说：“她不仅将国际法视为一种理论，更将其视为各国必须在此框架内做出决策、管控分歧和开展合作的准则。她具备独立的思考能力、良好的判断力，并且能够深刻理解法律推理的实际后果。”

他还表示，国际法院的实力只有在法官“汲取不同的法律传统、专业经验和视角”时才能得到增强。李女士将为法院带来这种广度，以及“对公平、正直和法治的坚定承诺”。

唐先生表示，她的候选资格也体现了新加坡为国际法和多边机构做出有意义贡献的努力。

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，每三年选举一次，产生五个席位。

2027-2036 年任期的选举将于周二开始，投票将在纽约联合国总部举行的联合国大会和联合国安全理事会进行。

李女士是角逐这五个席位的十名候选人之一。

2024年10月，外交部和律政部宣布，新加坡常设仲裁法院国家小组拟提名李女士竞选国际法院法官。今年7月，她正式被提名为新加坡候选人。

“李大使是一位杰出的国际法专家，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，”两部门在联合声明中表示。

他们指出，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，李女士领导了长达五年的复杂、高风险的多边谈判。

这些谈判最终促成了2023年具有里程碑意义的《大洋洲生物多样性公约》的通过，该公约旨在保护国际水域的海洋生物多样性。

“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锐洞察力相结合，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。”

李女士还在常设仲裁法院和国际投资争端解决中心调解员小组等机构担任职务。

“李大使拥有卓越的专业素养。她的正直、公正以及对基于规则的国际秩序的远见卓识，使她成为国际法院法官的理想人选，”外交部和律政部表示。

“如果当选，她将能够为国际法院的运作和国际法的进步做出建设性贡献。”

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