Visit of Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan and Minister for Law and Second Minister for Home Affairs Edwin Tong SC to New York for the International Court of Justice Elections
2 November 2026 Posted in Press releases
1. Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan and Minister for Law and Second Minister for Home Affairs Mr Edwin Tong SC are in New York in support of Ambassador for International Law Rena Lee’s candidature to be a Judge of the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
2. The ICJ comprises 15 judges of different United Nations (UN) Member States who are elected to nine-year terms of office. Elections are held every three years for five seats. The upcoming election for the 2027 – 2036 term commences on 3 November 2026. Voting will be conducted in both the UN General Assembly and UN Security Council at the UN Headquarters in New York.
3. The Singapore Government fully supports Ambassador Lee’s candidature for election as Judge of the ICJ. Minister Balakrishnan and Minister Tong will host a reception in support of Ambassador Lee in the evening of 2 November 2026.
Ambassador Rena Lee’s Candidature to the ICJ
4. On 14 October 2024, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Law announced that Singapore’s National Group to the Permanent Court of Arbitration intended to nominate Ambassador Lee for election to the ICJ for the 2027 – 2036 term. She was officially nominated as Singapore’s candidate in July 2026, and is the first Singaporean nominated for this role.
5. 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. As President of the UN Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), she steered five years of complex, high-stakes multilateral negotiations culminating in the adoption by consensus of the landmark BBNJ Agreement in 2023. 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. She holds positions in institutions such as the Permanent Court of Arbitration and the Panel of Conciliators of the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes.
6. 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. If elected, she would be well-placed to contribute constructively to the functioning of the ICJ and the advancement of international law.
7. Minister Balakrishnan said: “The Singapore Government fully supports Ambassador Rena Lee’s candidature to be a Judge of the ICJ. 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. As a small state, 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. Ambassador Lee’s candidature is one concrete way that Singapore is seeking to contribute to the continued upholding of the rules-based multilateral system.”
8. Minister Tong said: “Ambassador Rena Lee has the full support of the Singapore Government. 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. The Court is a universal institution. Its strength is enhanced when its bench draws on varied legal traditions, professional experiences and perspectives, with each Judge exercising independent judgment. Ambassador Lee would bring such breadth to the Court, together with an unwavering commitment to fairness, integrity and the rule of law. Singapore’s decision to put her forward reflects our efforts to contribute meaningfully to international law and multilateral institutions. Ambassador Lee embodies the kind of contribution Singapore seeks to make: principled, practical, attentive to different perspectives, and directed towards solutions.”
MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
MINISTRY OF LAW
2 NOVEMBER 2026
Last updated on 2 November 2026