STATEMENT BY MR NATHANIEL KHNG, COUNSELLOR (LEGAL), PERMANENT MISSION OF SINGAPORE TO THE UNITED NATIONS, ON AGENDA ITEM 73, ON RESPONSIBILITY OF STATES FOR INTERNATIONALLY WRONGFUL ACTS, SIXTH COMMITTEE, 13 OCTOBER 2022

1 Singapore is grateful to the Secretary-General for his reports, compiling comments and information received from governments (A/77/74) as well as the decisions of international courts, tribunals, and other bodies (A/77/198), on the International Law Commission’s Articles on the Responsibility of States for Internationally Wrongful Acts.  As this Committee continues to deliberate the various options for further action on the Articles, these reports are of assistance in informing the views of States on the Articles and their contribution to the law on State responsibility.  In this regard, Singapore has previously expressed its views on the substance of the Articles, as may be found in A/CN.4/488 and Add. 1-3.  We will focus on the question of future action on the basis of the Articles.

2 Mr. Chair, the Articles have been on the agenda of the Sixth Committee since 2001.   In the two decades that have followed since 2001, our international legal order has had to contend with increasingly complex problems.   To face these challenges, it has been necessary for States to reflect on and carefully consider the fundamental principles underpinning inter-State relations.  These are the very principles that the Articles aim to address.  Given the significance of the Articles’ subject-matter, it is critical that the decision on the future of the Articles be made by consensus.

3 Singapore remains committed to the Committee’s process in deciding how to take the Articles forward so that they may best serve the needs of the international community.  We look forward to a fruitful exchange of views on these issues in the working group at this session of the Committee.

4 Thank you for your attention.

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