STATEMENT BY AMBASSADOR BURHAN GAFOOR, PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF THE REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE TO THE UNITED NATIONS, ON AGENDA ITEM 76, ON THE REPORT OF THE INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE, 25 OCTOBER 2018

Mr President,

1.            My delegation would like to start by thanking his Excellency, President Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf, for his very comprehensive presentation of the activities of the International Court of Justice over the past year.  We congratulate Judge Yusuf on his election as President as well as Judge Xue Hanqin on her election as Vice-President.  We would also like to congratulate the newest members of the Court, Judge Nawaf Salam and Judge Yuji Iwasawa, on their election.

2.            Singapore firmly believes that international relations must be governed by the rule of law in order to preserve international peace and stability.  The International Court of Justice plays a fundamental role in a rules-based multilateral system.  For more than seventy years, the Court has helped to crystallize and clarify international law in areas as diverse as the law of the sea, territorial sovereignty, the use of force and treaty interpretation, just to name a few examples.  In our view, the role of the Court is more important today than ever before.  As mentioned by my Minister for Foreign Affairs during the General Assembly High Level debate, we have witnessed, in recent years, a crisis of confidence in the concept of multilateralism and its institutions.  Whether in trade, security or dispute resolution, questions have arisen about whether the multilateral system can continue to deliver the effective solutions we need for global challenges.  Against this backdrop, compliance with the agreed rules by all States is especially important to small States such as Singapore.  That is why Singapore has been a staunch defender of the United Nations, of international law and of the rules-based multilateral system.  We are very heartened by the statement in the Report of the Court, that everything the Court does is aimed at promoting and reinforcing the rule of law.  Indeed, that is the fundamental and primary role of the Court. We encourage the Court to adhere unstintingly to this goal. Fundamental to this is the principle of peaceful settlement of disputes, enshrined in Articles 2 and 33 of the Charter of the United Nations.  The International Court of Justice performs a critical role in this context, by providing an objective and authoritative forum for States to resolve their disputes in accordance with established rules and principles of international law. 

3.            Turning to the work of the Court during the period under review, Singapore was involved in two cases before the Court which were filed in 2017.  The first concerned Malaysia’s application for revision of the Court’s Judgment of 23 May 2008 in the Case concerning Sovereignty over Pedra Branca, Middle Rocks and South Ledge, pursuant to Article 61 of the Statute of the ICJ; and the second concerned Malaysia’s request for interpretation of the same Judgment pursuant to Article 60 of the Court’s Statute. On 29 May 2018, Singapore informed the Court that it agreed with Malaysia’s requests for discontinuance of both cases.  The Court subsequently placed on record the discontinuance of both cases, which have been removed from the Court’s List.  What is noteworthy is that both parties, Singapore and Malaysia, had gone through the legal process and put the matter to rest amicably.   Singapore would also like to express its appreciation to the Registry of the Court for facilitating the efficient and expeditious administration of both the cases that I have just referred to.

Mr President,

4.            Finally, on the issue of online resources and services, we welcome the Court’s continued efforts to leverage technology and social media to raise awareness of and bring transparency to its work.  The regular updates provided on its new website, as well as the live and on-demand coverage of its public sittings help to make the Court’s proceedings more accessible, especially to the many small States who do not have a presence in The Hague. 

5.            In closing, Singapore reaffirms our strong support for the work of the Court.  We are aware that the Court’s caseload continues to be demanding, as we have just heard from the detailed brief provided by the President, but we are confident that under the able leadership of President Yusuf and Vice-President Xue, the Court will continue to discharge its duties efficiently, and with great distinction.

6.            I thank you very much for your attention.

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