The 16 September, 2024, the Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation and Uppsala University were honoured to present Rena Lee as the 2023 Dag Hammarskjöld Lecturer and medallist. The lecture took place in the Uppsala University Main Aula.
About the Lecturer
Rena Lee is Singapore’s Ambassador for International Law and the Chief Executive of the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore. Rena Lee joined the Singapore public service in 1992 and has served in several roles, including with the Attorney-General’s Chambers and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She specialises in the practice of public international law, covering diverse areas including law of the sea, environmental and climate change law, and humanitarian and human rights law.
Rena Lee was most recently Ambassador for Oceans and Law of the Sea Issues and Special Envoy of the Minister for Foreign Affairs. In this capacity, Rena Lee was elected President of the BBNJ Intergovernmental Conference in 2018 and served until the successful conclusion of the negotiations in 2023. Rena Lee was also a member of the Legal and Technical Commission of the International Seabed Authority between 2017 and 2022.
In March 2023, after nearly two decades of efforts, UN Member States reached a significant milestone, as they finally agreed on a treaty to safeguard the high seas and deep seabed. Following days of exhaustive round-the-clock negotiations, conference president Rena Lee made the historic announcement in room 2 of the UN headquarters. The Treaty is regarded as crucial for conserving 30 percent of the world’s land and ocean by 2030. Read more about the treaty here.
The 2023 Dag Hammarskjöld Lecture was held together with the 2024 Dag Hammarskjöld Lecture. Photo: Mikael Wallerstedt.