30 Oct 2019
Mr President,
1 I would like to begin by thanking the President of the International Court of Justice, His Excellency Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf, for his comprehensive presentation of the activities of the Court during the period under review. We would also like to take this opportunity to express our sincere thanks to Mr. Philippe Couvreur, who held the post of Registrar of the Court until 30 June 2019, for his many years of distinguished service. As mentioned in the report of the ICJ, the role of the Registrar is threefold: judicial, diplomatic and administrative. Mr. Couvreur skilfully discharged all three functions with distinction and professionalism, and contributed significantly to the work of the Court and its eminence.
2 We would also like to congratulate Mr. Philippe Gautier upon his election as the new Registrar of the Court. We have full confidence in his abilities and we wish him every success in his new appointment.
Mr President,
3 As we approach the seventy-fifth anniversary of the United Nations in 2020, it is timely for us to reflect on the establishment of the International Court of Justice by the United Nations Conference on International Organization, which met in San Francisco in 1945. The San Francisco Conference unanimously adopted the Statute of the International Court of Justice on 25 June 1945 as an integral part of the Charter of the United Nations, thereby constituting the court as one of the six main organs of the organisation. During the San Francisco Conference, it was said that the Court will be both the symbol and the expounder of the triumph of right as the criterion of international relations. We believe that the Court has lived up to this expectation, as evidenced by its contribution to the peaceful settlement of disputes for more than seventy years.
Mr President,
4 As we reflect on the past, it is also pertinent to look to the future and reaffirm our collective commitment to multilateralism. In this regard, the International Court of Justice contributes significantly to multilateralism by upholding and promoting the rule of law at the international level. The universal, rules-based multilateral system is particularly vital for a small country like Singapore. For small States, we cannot afford to have international relations work on the basis that might is right. Singapore therefore strongly supports the role of the International Court of Justice in the peaceful settlement of disputes. This also means abiding by the decisions and rulings of international courts and tribunals concerning disputes to which we are parties, regardless of whether the outcome is in our favour.
Mr President,
5 Singapore wishes to comment on three aspects of the report before us today. First, we note that the Court experienced a particularly high level of activity in the period under review. We also note that the cases submitted to the Court covered a broad range of international law issues, and involved a variety of States from many regions. We commend the Court for setting itself a very demanding schedule, including by considering several cases simultaneously and dealing with the numerous incidental proceedings as promptly as possible. This volume and diversity in the Court’s work is testament to the confidence that Member States have in the role of the Court in resolving international disputes peacefully. In this regard, we encourage the Court and its Registry to continue its good work by administering and resolving the cases before it fairly and expeditiously.
6 We note with concern, however, that while the workload of the Court has increased in recent years, the approved budget for the Court has not grown commensurately. In addition, the UN’s ongoing cash flow problems have impacted the ability of the Court to carry out its judicial activity, in particular those relating to interpretation, translation, court reporting and text processing. Whilst the Court has made every effort to accommodate these financial limitations, we cannot expect the Court to do more while being given less resources. We believe that it is very important for the General Assembly to allocate the necessary budget and resources to the ICJ to carry out its important statutory responsibilities. Equally important, we should ensure that the current financial difficulties facing the UN does not undermine the ability of the court to deal with its current workload. In this regard, we call on Member States that have not yet paid their contributions to the regular budget to do so promptly, so that the Court may fully discharge its functions without any hindrance.
Mr President,
7 The second point I wanted to make is in respect of the presence of asbestos in the Court’s building, on which we just heard an update from the President of the court. We welcome the decision of the Netherlands authorities to undertake major works to decontaminate and completely renovate the old building of the Peace Palace. It is of vital importance that members and staff of the Court and Registry have a safe working environment, and efforts must continue to ensure that working conditions do not pose a hazard to their health.
8 Finally, Mr President, we welcome the new mobile app, which the Court launched in May 2019. I am happy to tell you I have downloaded the app myself and I find it very useful. This app, which is free and publicly accessible, allows users to keep abreast of developments at the Court, including by allowing users to receive real-time notifications as soon as a new decision or press release is published. This is an extremely helpful feature, which is useful not only for Member States and their officials, but also the general public, including practitioners, academics and students. We welcome such efforts to make the work of the Court more accessible, including to people in places where mobile internet access is more readily available than desktop access. These efforts promote the dissemination and wider appreciation of international law.
Mr President,
9 In closing, Singapore welcomes the participation of the President of the International Court of Justice in the meetings of not only the General Assembly, but also other organs of the United Nations. We note that in October last year, the President of the Court addressed the Security Council on the importance of the rule of law at the international level for the vitality of the cooperation between the Court and the Security Council. In that speech, the President stated that the rule of law is the Court’s very raison d'être, as well as the condition for its success, and that without a rule of law at the international level, there would be no need for an International Court of Justice. Singapore cannot agree more with this statement. The Court was created at a time when the world saw a collective need for international relations to be governed by law. To date, the Court has performed its role as guardian of this universally held belief. As we approach the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Court as well as the 75th anniversary of the United Nations, we are confident that the Court will continue to contribute significantly to the rule of law and the multilateral rules-based system by providing an objective and authoritative forum for States to resolve their disputes in accordance with established rules and principles of international law.
10 I thank you very much for your attention.
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