STATEMENT BY MS KAREN ONG, DEPUTY PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF THE REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE TO THE UNITED NATIONS AT THE 61ST PLENARY MEETING OF THE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY, 12 DECEMBER 2025

I take the floor to explain my delegation’s vote on resolution A/80/L.26 which we have just adopted. 

Singapore has consistently attached the greatest importance to international law, and the principles of the Charter of the United Nations. We voted in favour of this resolution after careful and thorough consideration, to show our respect for the International Court of Justice, which is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations as well as international law more broadly. 

My delegation appreciates the efforts by the penholders of this resolution to provide a summary of the advisory opinion. Nevertheless, we wish to stress that the summary of the advisory opinion in the resolution cannot replace the advisory opinion, which should be read in its entirety and in context. For example, operative paragraphs 4a and 4b of the draft resolution, which are based on paragraphs 177 and 179 of the advisory opinion, must be read together with paragraph 184 of the advisory opinion, where the Court reiterated that, as a general rule, the way in which a subsidiary organ established by the General Assembly is utilised depends on the consent of the State or States concerned, and that States “possess a sovereign power of decision with respect to their acceptance of the headquarters or a regional office of an organization within their territories”. 

I thank you.