Rena Lee’s historic election to world’s top court a milestone for Singapore, say observers

(From left) Law Minister Edwin Tong, Ambassador for International Law Rena Lee and Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan at the UN headquarters in New York.

PHOTO: MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

Published Nov 04, 2026, 07:47 PM

Updated Nov 04, 2026, 07:51 PM

Rena Lee’s election to the International Court of Justice is a major win for Singapore. It shows strong support for its rules-based foreign policy and international law.

Lee won in the first round at the UN on Nov 3. She got 151 of 191 votes in the General Assembly and 13 of 15 in the Security Council.

She is Singapore’s first ICJ judge and only the second from South-east Asia. Her nine-year term starts in 2027. She will bring legal skill, diversity and impartial judgement.

SINGAPORE - The election of Singaporean Rena Lee to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is a significant milestone for Singapore, which has consistently championed a rules-based international order as a small state, said observers.

At a time when multilateral institutions face mounting pressures, her election underscores Singapore’s commitment to defending the rule of law and strengthening its governing bodies, they added.

They said it also reaffirms Singapore’s support for the UN’s principal judicial organ, which plays a critical role in resolving disputes between states and safeguarding the interests and sovereignty of all countries.

Lee is the first Singaporean and only the second person from South-east Asia to join the bench of the world’s top court.

Senior Minister and Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam said it was a significant achievement: “Her election reflects both her personal standing and the respect Singapore has internationally through our longstanding commitment to international law and a rules-based international order.”

Simon Chesterman, David Marshall Professor of Law at the National University of Singapore (NUS) , said international law is fundamental to Singapore’s security and prosperity in a world where power is distributed very unevenly.

The significance of Lee’s election for Singapore is that one of its most distinguished jurists will help uphold an institution on which small states depend, he said, noting at the same time that she will not be there as Singapore’s representative or advocate, and has to exercise independent and impartial judgement.

“International law cannot eliminate power politics, but it provides a framework for constraining power and resolving disputes peacefully,” said Chesterman.

“At a time when that framework is being challenged, we need distinguished and independent jurists to uphold it more than ever.”

Lee being on the bench of the world court based in the Hague, Netherlands, also signals Singapore’s commitment to international law and to respecting the decisions of the court, said former ambassador Tommy Koh.

The election, held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City on Nov 3, featured 10 candidates vying for five seats.

To be elected as judge, a candidate had to obtain an absolute majority of votes in both the UN General Assembly and UN Security Council, which held simultaneous meetings to vote.

Former Deputy Prime Minister and Law Minister S Jayakumar, who appeared before the ICJ to argue Singapore’s case on Pedra Branca in 2007, described the election as a tight contest.

That Lee had been elected in the first round of polling, securing the highest vote of 151 out of 191 in the General Assembly and joint-highest of 13 out of 15 in the Security Council, shows the high regard the international community has for her as well as Singapore, he said.

With Lee being from Singapore and Southeast Asia, she will also bring greater diversity of legal perspectives to the ICJ bench, said Koh, who chairs the International Advisory Panel of the Centre for International Law at NUS.

As the world court, the ICJ must be representative of the different regions, legal traditions and political systems, he said.

While the court does not have a formal requirement for the geographical distribution of the seats, Article 9 of its statute states that electors should ensure “representation of the main forms of civilization and of the principal legal systems of the world” on its bench as a whole .

The last South-east Asian to serve on the ICJ bench was Judge Cesar Bengzon of the Philippines, whose term ended in 1976, more than five decades ago.

Lee’s election is also a boost for greater gender diversity, as the top court has only had seven permanent female judges in its 80-year history, compared to 110 male judges.

Lee’s nine-year term will start on Feb 6, 202 7 and last until 2036.

Observers said Lee’s election is also a powerful vote of confidence in her standing as an international lawyer.

In her three decades as an international law practitioner, she has served as a government legal advisor, diplomat and international negotiator. She has expertise over a wide range of international law matters, including the law of the sea, climate change and environmental law, among others.

She is best known for her role in successfully steering complex, high stakes negotiations which culminated in the adoption of the landmark high seas treaty, during her tenure as president of the UN Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) from 2018 to 2023.

Known as the BBNJ agreement, the treaty establishes a legally binding framework to protect marine life and regulate commercial activities in international waters.

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

She was appointed Singapore’s Ambassador for International Law in 2023, and was Ambassador for Oceans and Law of the Sea Issues before that.

She was also elected as a member of the Legal and Technical Commission of the International Seabed Authority, which acts as an advisory body on the exploration and exploitation of the international seabed.

Koh, who had helped campaign for Lee, said she was greatly admired by those who worked with her on the BBNJ negotiations and that the successful adoption of the treaty was due in large part to her inspiring leadership at the conference.

Chesterman said Lee brings a combination of legal expertise and practical experience to the role.

“Her leadership of the negotiations that produced the historic high seas biodiversity treaty demonstrated not just a mastery of international law, but an ability to bridge differences between countries with very different interests,” he said.

In a LinkedIn post after the election, Lee said the journey to the ICJ has been one of the most meaningful of her career.

“I met representatives from all over the world and heard their experiences, concerns and hopes for international law and the multilateral order. Each conversation taught me something and I will carry these lessons with me to the court,” she said.

“I do not take the responsibility vested in me lightly…I will serve with impartiality, integrity and independence, in upholding and applying international law.”

ICJ/International Court of Justice

International Court of Justice

（从左至右）律政部长唐振辉、国际法大使李丽娜和外交部长维文·巴拉克里希南在纽约联合国总部。

图片来源：外交部

发布于 2026 年 11 月 4 日 晚上 7:47

更新于2026年11月4日晚上7:51

李丽娜当选国际法院法官是新加坡的一项重大胜利。这表明新加坡奉行的以规则为基础的外交政策和国际法得到了强有力的支持。

李在11月3日联合国第一轮投票中获胜。她在联合国大会上获得191票中的151票，在安全理事会上获得15票中的13票。

她是新加坡首位国际法院法官，也是东南亚第二位国际法院法官。她的九年任期将于2027年开始。她将带来精湛的法律技能、多元化的视野和公正的判决。

新加坡——观察人士表示，新加坡人雷娜·李当选国际法院法官，对新加坡而言是一个重要的里程碑。作为一个小国，新加坡一直倡导以规则为基础的国际秩序。

他们补充说，在多边机构面临越来越大压力之际，她的当选凸显了新加坡捍卫法治和加强其治理机构的决心。

他们表示，这也重申了新加坡对联合国主要司法机构的支持，该机构在解决国家间争端和维护所有国家的利益和主权方面发挥着至关重要的作用。

李显龙是第一位进入世界最高法院的新加坡人，也是第二位进入最高法院的东南亚人。

高级部长兼内政部长尚穆根表示，这是一项重大成就：“她的当选既反映了她个人的地位，也反映了新加坡长期以来对国际法和基于规则的国际秩序的承诺，从而在国际上赢得了尊重。”

新加坡国立大学（NUS）大卫·马歇尔法学教授西蒙·切斯特曼表示，在当今世界权力分配极不均衡的情况下，国际法对新加坡的安全和繁荣至关重要。

他表示，李女士当选对新加坡意义重大，因为新加坡最杰出的法学家之一将帮助维护小国赖以生存的制度。同时，他也指出，李女士并非作为新加坡的代表或辩护人出席，而是必须行使独立公正的判断。

切斯特曼说：“国际法不能消除强权政治，但它为限制权力、和平解决争端提供了一个框架。”

“在这一框架受到挑战的当下，我们比以往任何时候都更需要杰出的、独立的法学家来维护它。”

前大使许通美表示，李显龙担任设在荷兰海牙的世界法院法官，也表明了新加坡对国际法的承诺以及对法院裁决的尊重。

此次选举于11月3日在纽约联合国总部举行，共有10名候选人角逐5个席位。

要当选法官，候选人必须在联合国大会和联合国安全理事会同时举行会议进行投票，且必须获得绝对多数票。

曾于 2007 年在国际法院为新加坡就白礁岛案进行辩护的前副总理兼律政部长 S Jayakumar 将此次选举描述为一场势均力敌的竞争。

他说，李光耀在第一轮投票中就当选，在联合国大会191个席位中获得151票的最高分，在安全理事会15个席位中获得13票的并列最高分，这表明国际社会对她和新加坡的高度尊重。

新加坡国立大学国际法中心国际咨询小组主席许先生表示，李女士来自新加坡和东南亚，她也将为国际法院带来更加多元化的法律视角。

他表示，作为世界法院，国际法院必须能够代表不同的地区、法律传统和政治制度。

虽然法院没有对席位的地理分布做出正式要求，但其章程第 9 条规定，选举人应确保其整个法官席位“代表世界主要文明形式和主要法律体系”。

最后一位在国际法院任职的东南亚人是菲律宾的塞萨尔·本松法官，他的任期于 1976 年结束，距今已有五十多年了。

李的当选也促进了性别多样性，因为最高法院在其 80 年的历史中只有 7 名常任女法官，而男法官则有 110 名。

李的九年任期将于2027年2月6日开始，至2036年结束。

观察人士表示，李的当选也强有力地证明了人们对她作为国际律师的地位的信任。

在她三十年的国际法从业经历中，她曾担任政府法律顾问、外交官和国际谈判代表。她精通广泛的国际法事务，包括海洋法、气候变化法和环境法等。

她最出名的是在 2018 年至 2023 年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）主席期间，成功地引导了复杂的、高风险的谈判，最终促成了具有里程碑意义的公海条约的通过。

该条约被称为《大洋洲海洋生物保护协定》，它建立了一个具有法律约束力的框架，以保护海洋生物并规范国际水域的商业活动。

李先生还在常设仲裁法院和国际投资争端解决中心调解员小组中担任职务。

她于 2023 年被任命为新加坡国际法大使，此前曾担任海洋和海洋法事务大使。

她还当选为国际海底管理局法律和技术委员会成员，该委员会是国际海底勘探和开发的咨询机构。

曾帮助李参选的许女士表示，与她一起参与《北海条约》谈判的人都非常敬佩她，该条约的成功通过很大程度上要归功于她在会议上鼓舞人心的领导。

切斯特曼表示，李先生具备法律专业知识和实践经验，非常适合担任这一职务。

他说：“她领导的谈判促成了具有历史意义的公海生物多样性条约，这不仅展现了她对国际法的精通，也展现了她弥合利益截然不同的国家之间分歧的能力。”

李在选举后的LinkedIn帖子中表示，进入国际法院是她职业生涯中最有意义的经历之一。

“我与来自世界各地的代表会面，听取了他们对国际法和多边秩序的经验、担忧和期望。每一次谈话都让我受益匪浅，我会将这些经验带到法庭上，”她说。

“我不会轻视肩负的责任……我将秉持公正、正直和独立的原则，维护和运用国际法。”

国际法院

国际法院