STATEMENT BY MS CHUNG YOON JOO, DELEGATE TO THE 74TH SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY, ON AGENDA ITEM 78, ON THE UNITED NATIONS PROGRAMME OF ASSISTANCE IN THE TEACHING, STUDY, DISSEMINATION AND WIDER APPRECIATION OF INTERNATIONAL LAW, 25 OCTOBER 2019

  Mdm Chair, Singapore associates itself with the statement of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the statement of the Group of 77 and China. We thank the Secretary-General for his report on this agenda item, and the Codification Division of the Office of Legal Affairs for its tireless efforts to strengthen and revitalise the activities under the Programme of Assistance. We also thank Ambassador Martha Pobee, the Permanent Representative of Ghana, for her leadership as Chair of the Advisory Committee for the Programme of Assistance, and Ms Jessica Elbaz for her contributions as Secretary of the Advisory Committee.

Mdm. Chair,

2          I will cover three points in my statement. First, as a small State, which depends on a rules-based multilateral system for our survival and success, Singapore strongly identifies with the goals and purposes of the Programme of Assistance. Singapore firmly believes that the dissemination and wider appreciation of international law, including through capacity building and information sharing, is a key component to securing a rules-based international order. Singapore is thus pleased to contribute by serving as a member of the Advisory Committee.

3          Second, Singapore welcomes the various activities implemented by the Codification Division to promote international law during the period under review. In 2018, representatives from Singapore participated in the International Law Fellowship Programme as well as the Regional Course in International Law for Asia-Pacific. We welcome the comprehensive training provided by highly qualified international law scholars and practitioners through these programmes, and encourage the Codification Division to continue maintaining their high standards and seeking opportunities to collaborate with countries and institutions in different regions.

4          In addition, we commend the Codification Division for its continued efforts to expand the Audiovisual Library of International Law which offers easy access to a vast range of legal resources and training materials. In the period under review, 45 new lectures were recorded for the Audiovisual Library’s Lecture Series, adding to the existing pool of valuable resources on international law. We also welcome the Codification Division’s efforts to promote a broader geographical representation of lectures including by conducting off-site recordings. The Audiovisual Library is a valuable resource for the international community, and we encourage the Codification Division to continue to grow and develop it.

Mdm Chair,

5          Finally, I wish to briefly share some of the iniatives undertaken in Singapore to contribute to building the capacity of fellow developing countries on international law.  This year, the Singapore Government ran a five-day course on International Trade Law under the Singapore Cooperation Programme, which was attended by government officials from 29 jurisdictions. The programme provided an overview of international trade law and examined some of the key legal instruments, including those prepared by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL). In August 2019, the Centre for International Law at the National University of Singapore conducted the second iteration of the ASEAN Law Academy, which aims to equip participants with a deeper understanding of ASEAN institutions and key developments in ASEAN’s economic integration, foreign affairs and legal framework.

6          Mdm Chair, to conclude, let me reiterate Singapore’s commitment to contributing to the teaching, study, dissemination and wider appreciation of international law. We look forward to working closely with the Codification Division to further these common objectives.

……………