06 Dec 2013
1. Mr President, my delegation would first like to thank the Secretary-General for his reports on this agenda item. We would also like to thank Ambassador Eden Charles of Trinidad and Tobago and Ms Alice Revell of New Zealand for their excellent work in co-ordinating the informal consultations on the draft omnibus resolution on Oceans and the Law of the Sea and the draft resolution on Sustainable Fisheries respectively. We also wish to thank the Director and staff of the Division for Ocean Affairs and Law of the Sea for their unstinting support of the work of member states in relation to the two draft resolutions.
2. Mr President, we note that two more countries have ratified or acceded to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), bringing the number of Parties to 166. While much of UNCLOS reflects customary international law, my delegation welcomes the latest additions, as these bring us a step closer to the goal of universal participation in UNCLOS, which this Assembly has set for itself in OP 3 of the draft omnibus resolution.
3. Why is the goal of universal participation in UNCLOS important? For Singapore, it is UNCLOS’s place in the international legal order that makes this goal an important one that we should all strive to achieve. The omnibus resolution recognizes that UNCLOS is “the legal framework within which all activities in the oceans and seas must be carried out”. When it was signed 31 years ago, it created a new global order for the world’s oceans and seas. It established the principles which would underpin the actions of all users of the oceans and seas. These principles created a framework of rights and duties which enabled a balance to be achieved between the various competing uses of the oceans and seas while striving to ensure the protection of the marine environment. 31 years later, UNCLOS remains the overarching framework for governance of the world’s oceans and seas. It is for this reason that the goal of universal participation is so crucial.
4. Today, Mr President, with developments in science and technology, more uses of the world’s oceans and seas are emerging. The world is gearing up to move into exploitation of the mineral resources of the deep seabed. Exploratory work on ocean fertilization and the use of the oceans and seas for carbon capture and storage has commenced. At the same time, the world’s oceans and seas, and the biodiversity within them, are facing challenges as they struggle to cope with issues like ocean acidification and marine debris. Indeed, a process has been established within the General Assembly for work to be undertaken on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity beyond national jurisdiction, with a view to taking a decision on the development of an international instrument under UNCLOS before the end of the 69th session of UNGA.
5. In considering the issue of the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction, it is crucial that we do not lose sight of the principles, rights and duties enshrined in UNCLOS. This also holds true in seeking to deal with other emerging issues such as ocean acidification and the possible incorporation of oceans in the sustainable development goals. In the face of such issues, it has become more imperative than ever to maintain the overarching framework established by UNCLOS. While some of these issues may not have been specifically dealt with in UNCLOS, it is UNCLOS which holds the key on the way forward. The principles, rights and duties enshrined within UNCLOS will allow us to address these issues in a holistic manner that will maintain the balance that UNCLOS has achieved between the various uses of the oceans and seas.
6. The balance that has been achieved in UNCLOS has been primarily responsible for the peaceful order that we have seen in the use of the oceans since 1982. The balance was a hard fought one and we must strive to maintain this balance so as not to upset the peaceful order that has reigned in our world’s oceans and seas since the inception of UNCLOS. To this end, the Assembly has recognised the “unified character” of UNCLOS and the “vital importance of preserving its integrity”. As such, the application of the principles and provisions of UNCLOS cannot be undertaken in a selective manner, emphasising certain aspects while underplaying other aspects. In recent years, there has been a tendency, within some forums, to examine technical, scientific or environmental aspects to the exclusion of other principles, rights or duties of UNCLOS. While the focus on technical, scientific or environmental aspects is laudable, it should not be at the expense of other aspects of UNCLOS. Such an approach risks undermining the balance that has been achieved within UNCLOS. Rather, UNCLOS must be looked at as a whole.
7. Mr President, Singapore maintains a strong and firm commitment to UNCLOS. We are a small island nation, with major maritime interests. Trade is our economic lifeblood. It is worth noting that 90% of the world’s trade is carried by sea, half of which passes through the Straits of Malacca and Singapore. Therefore, we all share a common interest in ensuring that trade continues to flow smoothly. Adherence to the principles, rights and duties enshrined in UNCLOS, in particular, those related to navigation and passage, are crucial to this smooth flow of goods. In dealing with the emerging issues confronting the world’s oceans and seas, Singapore is committed to ensuring the continued maintenance of the peaceful order in the world’s oceans and seas through the application of the principles, rights and duties of UNCLOS. It is our firm belief that it is only by respecting UNCLOS that we will continue to enjoy peace in the governance of the world’s oceans and seas.
8. Thank you Mr President.
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