17 Nov 2022
Mr President,
1 I would like to start by thanking the Co-Chairs of the IGN (Inter-Governmental Negotiation) process on Security Council Reform during the 76th session, Ambassador Alya Al-Thani of Qatar, and Ambassador Martin Hermann of Denmark, for their efforts. I also congratulate Ambassador Michal Mlynár of the Slovak Republic and Ambassador Tareq Albanai of Kuwait on their appointments as Co-Chairs for the 77th session. I wish them every success.
2 Let me say at the outset that Singapore is not part of any group within the IGN process, and therefore we do not speak for any group. Neither do we associate ourselves with the position of any particular group. We speak as Singapore, and we reflect our own national position and perspective.
3 The world has entered a dangerous phase of geopolitical competition. The war in Ukraine has the potential to spill out of control, and there is real danger that the international community may sleepwalk into a global confrontation. The relationship among larger powers remains tense and this has affected the work of the United Nations. The Security Council, which has primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, has not lived up to its expectations. This is disappointing but not surprising because the Security Council itself has become an arena for geopolitical competition, especially among the Permanent Members.
4 In a context of deadlock and dysfunction in the Security Council, the need for reform has become more urgent and more critical. We need a Security Council that reflects the contemporary realities of the international environment, and in particular, one that reflects the multi-polar character of our world. However, it is also important to approach the question of Security Council reform from the broader perspective of strengthening the United Nations and strengthening the multilateral system as a whole. The question of Security Council reform is therefore one part of the equation. The other part is strengthening and revitalising the role of the General Assembly, strengthening the role of ECOSOC and strengthening also the role of the Peacebuilding Commission.
5 To put it differently, we need to look at the question of Security Council reform not only from the perspective of enlargement but also from the perspective of its working methods and how the Security Council relates to other principal organs of the United Nations. We need a future-ready United Nations in which the Security Council can provide solutions, and not become a problem that needs a solution.
6 In this regard, please allow me to make three specific points.
7 First, we believe that there is now a window of opportunity to accelerate our work towards Security Council reform. At the High-Level Week this September, many Heads of State and Government underlined the urgent need to instill new life in the discussions on the reform of the Security Council. We have heard some encouraging signals from world leaders on the need for Security Council reform. We should ride on this momentum to take action and to push for meaningful reform that would enhance both the representativeness of the Council as well as its accountability.
8 On representation, Singapore has consistently supported an expansion in both the permanent and non-permanent category. We are of the view that any reform should address the concerns of regions currently un-represented and under-represented in the Council. And any reform should also not disadvantage small states. From this perspective, there is certainly a compelling case for new permanent seats for Africa. We also need to expand the non-permanent category, to allow for greater representation and diversity. In particular, we need to ensure that small states, including small island developing states, have a greater opportunity to serve in the Security Council.
9 Let me take this opportunity to highlight that more than one hundred members of the United Nations are small states, with a population of less than ten million people. Among the small states, only about 50 states have served on the Security Council. In other words, the majority of small states have not yet served in the Security Council, not even once. Therefore, it is our view that any reform cannot marginalise the needs and interests of the small countries. In fact, for Singapore, the litmus test of any reform exercise is how it will benefit small states and whether it will enhance their opportunity to seek membership of the Security Council.
10 My second point is that for the Council to be effective in the future, we must avoid the mistakes of the past. In the IGN, I have previously spoken about how the veto has prevented the Council from discharging its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. In this regard, please allow me to state that Singapore does not support any new permanent members obtaining the right of the veto; we do not see the granting of new veto rights as helping to make the Security Council more effective.
11 The latest IGN Co-Chairs’ Paper states that “a significant, growing number of Member States support limitations to the veto” and that “there is a strong and growing support among Member States for voluntary refrain from the use of the veto in cases of mass atrocity crimes”. These observations in the IGN Co-Chairs’ Paper are also in line with the French-Mexican Initiative, as well as the ACT Group’s proposed “Code of Conduct regarding Security Council action against genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes”. My delegation strongly supports both initiatives, as well as the Veto Initiative adopted under UNGA Resolution 76/262, which has created more accountability over the use of the veto.
12 In seeking to create a future-ready United Nations, in which the Security Council is able to discharge its responsibility and provide solutions, we also believe that it is important to ask some fundamental questions.
13 Recent experience has shown that our expectations are not always met (with regard to the role played by permanent members).And therefore the question of our expectations of new permanent members and the need for some safeguards is a relevant and important matter that needs discussion within the framework of the IGN.
14 I know these are difficult questions but they are pertinent and we need to discuss them within the IGN. In this regard, it is our view that it is also worth discussing the idea of a “Declaration of Responsibilities” for all members of the Security Council, including permanent members. A Declaration of Responsibilities can be, and I would say should be, part of any agreed package of Security Council reforms that might be eventually adopted. Such a Declaration of Responsibilities will apply to all incoming elected members and to all permanent members, both existing permanent members as well as any potential new permanent members.
15 For example, we believe that all members of the Security Council must reaffirm their commitment to respect the principles of the UN charter and to uphold international law when serving as a member of the Security Council. We also believe that all members of the Security Council must reaffirm their commitment to abstain from voting if they are party to a dispute, in accordance with Article 27 (3) of the UN Charter. These are some specific ideas that we would like to put on the table for further discussions.
16 My third and final point relates to the working methods of the Security Council. This dimension of Security Council reform cannot be ignored or under-estimated. We recognise the ongoing efforts by Council members to increase transparency in the work of the Council and its subsidiary bodies. In this regard, we recognise the work done by the Informal Working Group on Documentation and Other Procedural Questions, which is currently chaired by Albania. The continual updating of Presidential Note 507 is an important exercise and we look forward to Note 507 being updated in the near future. With regard to working methods, the annual report of the Security Council as identified in Article 24 (3) of the Charter is particularly important. It is important and necessary that the annual report from the Security Council is detailed and analytical, including identifying areas where the Council was not able to reach a decision.
Mr President,
17 Let me conclude by stating that we should keep in mind that the end goal of reform is to have a future-ready Security Council that can effectively discharge its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. The IGN process must deliver reform that serves the interest of all countries, and not just address the interest of countries which aspire to permanent membership. We need a comprehensive package of reforms that will make the Security Council more effective, that will strengthen the United Nations, and that will strengthen the multilateral system as a whole. We recognise, as Singapore, that the road to reform will not be easy, but my delegation is fully committed to this process and we look forward to working with all delegations within the framework of the IGN process.
18 I thank you very much for your attention.
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