STATEMENT BY MR MARK SEAH, DEPUTY PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF SINGAPORE, ON AGENDA ITEM 78, ON THE UNITED NATIONS PROGRAMME OF ASSISTANCE IN THE TEACHING, STUDY, DISSEMINATION AND WIDER APPRECIATION OF INTERNATIONAL LAW, SIXTH COMMITTEE, 20 OCTOBER 2023

Mr Chair

1 My delegation thanks the Secretary-General for his report on the implementation of the Programme of Assistance and the activities planned for the coming year.

2 Singapore is a strong supporter of the Programme, as we believe that it contributes to greater awareness of, and respect for, international law. We thank the Codification Division of the Office of Legal Affairs for its continued efforts to provide both online and in-person training opportunities. In this regard, we note the successful conduct of the International Law Fellowship Programme in The Hague from July to August 2023; and the resumption of in-person regional courses with the Regional Courses in International Law in Bangkok from November to December 2022, in Addis Ababa from February to March 2023, and in Santiago in May 2023. We agree with the Secretary-General that traditional in-person training programmes offer unique advantages in terms of the depth of discussions and the opportunities it affords for interactions. We are pleased that the Programme’s calendar of events continues to be full.

3 Online training programmes and resources also have a vital role to play. The Audiovisual Library of International Law is an invaluable archive of historical and contemporary material on international law provided for free to the international community. Singapore welcomes the active work towards the revamp of its website. In the spirit of this drive for continual improvement, we raise two suggestions for consideration. First, we note that this year, the Division conducted an off-site recording mission for the Lecture Series in The Hague to reach lecturers who are not regularly in New York and were able to record a total of 20 lectures in this way. This is to be commended, as it supports efforts to increase diversity in the Lecture Series. As a further step, we suggest the Division to consider the feasibility of remote recording through videoconference, perhaps by organising a pilot programme as proof of concept. While we appreciate the technical challenges involved, if this can be done successfully, it will reap dividends. It would allow the Division to expand the subjects covered and fill gaps in the Lecture Series, including the Mini-Series, more quickly and increase the linguistic and geographical diversity of contributing experts. Second, we suggest that the Division could consider leveraging on social media to reach a wider audience. For instance, the Division might consider a podcast on the theme of “Significant Moments in International Law” to demystify international law and increase public interest in the role and importance of international law.

4 Further, I wish to share that Singapore continues to contribute to the teaching, study, dissemination, and wider appreciation of international law through capacity-building initiatives. Since the last time this Committee met, the Singapore Cooperation Programme has conducted three programmes on developing expertise for international law in the areas of law of the sea and intellectual property for 60 officials.  Earlier this year, the National University of Singapore’s Centre for International Law conducted the fifth iteration of the ASEAN Law Academy Advanced Programme, which included lectures for government officials on ASEAN’s legal framework and dispute settlement mechanisms. The Singapore Ministry of Law and the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law also jointly organised the 2023 UNCITRAL Academy last month. This included capacity-building workshops for government officials on the Singapore Convention on Mediation and investor-State mediation.

5 Finally, Mr Chair, we thank Ambassador Harold Adlai Agyeman, the Permanent Representative of Ghana, for his stewardship of the Advisory Committee on the Programme, as well as Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and UN Legal Counsel Miguel de Serpa Soares and Director of the Codification Division and Acting Secretary of the Advisory Committee Huw Llewellyn for their contributions. We also welcome Dr Markus Pallek, who has just been placed in charge of the Programme, and look forward to working with him. My delegation is grateful for the opportunity to serve on the Advisory Committee for the past four years. Our discussions have always been fruitful, and we value the opportunity to contribute to the work of the Programme.

6 Thank you very much for your attention.

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