Singapore Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong hosted an official lunch in honour of United Nations Secretary General António Guterres yesterday. Following the event, PM Wong wrote a series of X posts, in which he spoke of “Singapore’s deep appreciation for the Secretary-General’s commitment to the rules-based multilateral system, vital for small states like ours”.
At the lunch, raising a toast to the visiting dignitary, PM Wong thanked Secretary General Guterres for the latter’s “exemplary” leadership “in these troubled times”.
Those “troubled times” include the pandemic of the century, and Wong said in an X post: “Since assuming office in 2017, [Guterres] has steered the UN through challenging times, from the COVID-19 pandemic to escalating geopolitical tensions.”
In the toast speech at the lunch, Wong began by recalling that when Singapore joined the United Nations in 1965, “we pledged to provide unflinching support to the principles and the ideals of the UN Charter, which assure the well-being, security and integrity of countries. This commitment remains just as vital today as it was then”.
Touching upon the challenges today, the Singapore prime minister said, “We face forces that do not respect borders, testing our collective ability to respond. Climate change is reshaping our environment. Infectious diseases threaten our shared humanity. And, technology presents new risks even as it offers new possibilities. No single country can solve these global challenges alone. They require sustained international co-operation, especially at the United Nations.”
About Guterres specifically, Wong praised the UN chief’s “steadfast” commitment to the rules-based multilateral system; “strong” advocacy for global equity and justice; and “tireless” efforts to strengthen multilateralism.
“You have reminded the world not to neglect problems like poverty and hunger, even while you commenced work on frontier issues like Artificial Intelligence. Singapore shares your commitment to prevent inequality and the digital divide from widening further, and to make sustainable development a reality for all nations,” said the prime minister.
He then referred to “the Summit of the Future, which will take place later this month (on September 22-23 in the United States)”, saying that the event would be “a pivotal opportunity to refresh the multilateral architecture and to ensure the UN remains fit for purpose, capable of addressing the challenges of today and tomorrow”.
PM Wong said, “Singapore will do [its] part to support the Summit, and we look forward to its concrete and ambitious outcomes.”
He also said, “Singapore is committed to strengthening the UN. We will continue to do whatever we can to support your leadership and the UN’s mission. We will offer ideas, build bridges, and broker solutions.”
As an example of solutions, Wong mentioned “the Forum of Small States, which we founded in 1992” and which has “consistently advocated for strengthening the UN”.
The Singapore prime minister said to Guterres, “We appreciate your advocacy for even the smallest and most vulnerable states, and you can likewise count on our support.”
