Ambassador Rena Lee to be nominated for Election as Judge of the International Court of Justice

The Republic of Singapore’s National Group to the Permanent Court of Arbitration, with full support from the Singapore Government, will be nominating Ambassador for International Law Rena Lee for election as a Judge of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 2026.  

Singapore’s support for the ICJ

2. The ICJ is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations and an important pillar for the peaceful resolution of international disputes.  Singapore has been consistently supporting the work of the ICJ, in line with our commitment to uphold international law. 

3. In furtherance of this commitment, and to champion the vision of the ICJ as the pre-eminent judicial body of the international community, Singapore will be fielding Ambassador Lee to stand for election as a Judge of the ICJ. 

Nomination of Ambassador Rena Lee for the ICJ

4. Ambassador Lee is a veteran and eminent international law practitioner and diplomat, with a career spanning over three decades in various roles in the Singapore Government. These include roles at the Attorney-General’s Chambers, the Ministry of Defence and most recently, as the Chief Executive of the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore. She has significant expertise over a wide range of international law matters, including law of the sea, climate change and environmental law, international humanitarian law, and human rights law. 

5. She was appointed Ambassador for International Law in 2023, and prior to that, served as Ambassador for Oceans and Law of the Sea Issues and Special Envoy of the Minister for Foreign Affairs. In the latter role, she was elected as President of the United Nations Intergovernmental Conference on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), where she presided over complex negotiations over five years. These negotiations successfully culminated in the adoption, by consensus, of a landmark international agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea in June 2023. Ambassador Lee was also elected and served as a member of the Legal and Technical Commission of the International Seabed Authority from 2017 to 2022.

6. Ambassador Lee is a Member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration.

Support for Ambassador Rena Lee’s candidature

7. Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan said, “As President of the Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), Ambassador Lee’s able leadership over the negotiations which led to the consensus adoption of the BBNJ Agreement exemplifies Singapore’s proud tradition as a thought leader in the law of the sea, and a trusted bridge-builder in the international community.”

8. Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law Mr K Shanmugam SC said, “Ambassador Lee’s nomination underscores Singapore’s enduring commitment to the primacy of international law. It also reaffirms Singapore’s staunch support for the ICJ’s important role in upholding international law, fostering the peaceful resolution of disputes, and safeguarding the interests of all countries. I am confident that Ambassador Lee will continue making valuable contributions to the development of international law as a Judge of the ICJ.” 

9. Singapore looks forward to the support of the Member States of the United Nations to elect Ambassador Lee as a Judge of the ICJ.

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MINISTRY OF LAW

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

14 OCTOBER 2024

ANNEX

Annex A MinFAs Statement

Annex B MinHALaws Statement