PUBLISHED ONNovember 03, 2026 3:25 AMBYSean LerMinister 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.
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.”
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