Rena Lee wins election as first Singaporean judge on International Court of Justice

Rena Lee, Singapore's Ambassador for International Law, was elected to the International Court of Justice on Nov 3, The Straits Times reported. She secured an absolute majority of votes in the 193-member UN General Assembly and the 15-member UN Security Council in the first round of voting. She is the first Singaporean and first woman from South-east Asia to join the bench. Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said in a social media post on Nov 4 that Lee received 151 of 191 votes in the General Assembly, the highest number, and 13 of 15 in the Security Council, the joint highest. The polls for five ICJ seats took place overnight at UN headquarters in New York. Lee, 57, starts a nine-year term on Feb 6, 2027. She is the second candidate from South-east Asia elected to the court, based in The Hague, since its founding in 1945. The last South-east Asian on the bench was Judge Cesar Bengzon of the Philippines, whose term ended in 1976. Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, who was in New York with Law Minister Edwin Tong in support of her candidature, said the results demonstrate the international community's recognition of Lee's abilities, experience and standing in international law. Lee said she looks forward to serving on the court with independence, impartiality and integrity.