Citing the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Palestine conflicts and other military battles killing civilians on a “horrendous” scale, Singapore Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan urged the United Nations system to “return to the basics” amid a “deficit of global leadership”.
Balakrishnan delivered Singapore’s national statement at the General Debate of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in New York on 28 September 2024. In this speech, he reiterated several times that Singapore was a “small state” and, as such, saw a rules-based world as an absolute necessity, not an optional luxury.
He told the UNGA gathering emphatically, “We cannot allow recent violations of international law to become normalised.” Without mincing words, Balakrishnan said, “The ongoing war in Ukraine exemplifies a flagrant violation of international law and the UN Charter. The invasion of one country by another, under the pretext of historical errors and grievances, cannot be justified by any means.”
At the very beginning of his speech, the Singapore minister focused on the small landmass of his country and then moved straight into the current “acutely dangerous phase” of the world.
He said, “I bring you greetings from a tiny island city state in the heart of Southeast Asia, called Singapore. I think we must be one of the smallest who would now qualify as a member of the United Nations for the past 59 years.” The minister then congratulated “His Excellency Philemon Yang on assuming the Presidency of the 79th Session of the General Assembly”, and commended “His Excellency Dennis Francis for his stellar leadership during the 78th Session”.
Diving into the issue of how civilians were now getting caught in the crossfire in various parts of the world, Balakrishnan began analysing why the UN system needed to be reformed, as the global body approached its 80th anniversary. It was founded in 1945 at the end of World War II.
The world is in an acutely dangerous phase. Civilians in multiple trouble spots are paying a horrendous price. The risks of miscalculation and escalation have sharply increased, most notably in the Middle East, Ukraine, and Sudan. The loss of so many innocent lives is heart-breaking and the lack of trust amongst the major powers and the resulting deficit of global leadership makes it very difficult to find effective, peaceful solutions to all these ongoing conflicts.
Singapore Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan
Pointing to the approaching “80th anniversary of the founding of the UN”, he said that the international community “must double down on [its] commitment to a rules-based multilateral system”.
A “reformed UN”, said the Singapore minister, was “absolutely essential for global solutions” to issues ranging from peace and security to poverty.
He said, “The UN remains the only neutral and universal platform for dialogue and co-operation amongst all nations.”
Balakrishnan then spoke of the ‘Summit of the Future’ event, held in New York in two parts: Action Days (20-21 September 2024) and Summit (22-23 September, 2024).
“The Summit of the Future was a very significant milestone for the UN and our multilateral system,” said the Singapore foreign minister. “The adoption of the ‘Pact for the Future’ offers the hope that nations can reach agreement, given wise leadership and political will.” He added that this Pact for the Future was the first step towards reforming the multilateral system within the UN umbrella.
“The Pact begins the journey to transform our multilateral system and to maintain the salience of the UN. We must accelerate the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), reinvigorate international co-operation, and transform global governance. That is why Singapore has always been a staunch supporter of the Summit of the Future. We stand ready to work with our friends to implement the Pact,” said Balakrishnan.
