Vision Statement

I am deeply humbled and honoured to be Singapore’s candidate for election to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The ICJ, as the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, is charged with the solemn mission of interpreting, clarifying and developing international law. The unprecedented growth of the Court's docket is an affirmation of the mandate of the Court and the international community’s trust that this august institution continues to be instrumental to the maintenance of the world order. If elected to serve, I commit to faithfully uphold this trust.

States have presented before the Court serious, existential issues, including climate change and other significant crises. The Court that must step up to this challenge has to be one that is diverse in expertise, universal in outlook, and most importantly, ready to listen to all relevant perspectives.

Throughout more than three decades of my professional career, I have served in various capacities as a state negotiator, legal advisor, and diplomat. These roles have allowed me to tangibly live out and practically apply international law beyond the textbook. As a steadfast supporter of the international rule of law, I advocate fidelity to both the letter and spirit of the law in its interpretation and application.

As a state negotiator, I am very familiar with the process of international law making, having participated in the negotiating and drafting of multilateral legal instruments. These include the Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, the Protocol to the ASEAN Charter on Dispute Settlement Mechanism, the Minamata Convention on Mercury, the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, and the WIPO Treaty on Intellectual Property, Genetic Resources and Associated Traditional Knowledge, among others.

As a legal advisor, I advise the Singapore Government on the implementation and fulfilment of its international obligations across different international law domains. These have included issues related to boundary delimitation, disarmament law, diplomatic and consular relations law, environmental and climate change law, human rights law, international humanitarian law, intellectual property law and law of the sea.

As a diplomat, I had the privilege of serving as the President of the Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), where I led five years of complex negotiations, culminating in the adoption, by consensus, of the landmark BBNJ Agreement. This experience has enriched my perspectives on the plurality of legal traditions and the diversity of state interests, in particular the perspectives of small states. It has also fortified my conviction that inclusive multilateralism and collective commitment to implementation of legal obligations remains a concrete pathway to pragmatic solutions for the transnational problems of our time, and to promote global development, peace and security for a more just world. 

If elected as a Judge of the ICJ, I will dedicate myself to contributing further to the development of international law through the Court’s jurisprudence, bringing with me the breadth of my practical experience, and appreciation of the unique circumstances and interests of different states. I will apply myself to the work independently and impartially, to deliver meaningful justice in every matter before the Court, and provide actionable legal guidance to the international community at large.