SINGAPORE – Singapore has called on UN member states to prevent the recent violations of international law from becoming normalised, underscoring the need to transform global governance institutions to make them more representative and responsive.
Citing the war in Ukraine as an example, Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said at the 79th UN General Assembly in New York on Sept 28: “The invasion of one country by another, under the pretext of historical errors and grievances, cannot be justified by any means.”
Presenting Singapore’s national statement, Dr Balakrishnan highlighted Article 2 of the UN Charter, which states that all members shall refrain from the threat or the use of force against territorial integrity.
Noting that the preamble of UN Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 242 in 1967 affirms the “inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by war”, he said if the notion that “might is right” is allowed to prevail, the world will become a very dangerous place, especially for small states.
The resolution, adopted after the six-day Arab-Israeli war of 1967, called on Israel to withdraw from territories it had occupied in that conflict – including the West Bank and Gaza – and for all countries in the region to respect one another’s territorial integrity and their right to live in peace with their neighbours.
“A descent into chaos and conflict is a clear and present threat. In this moment of uncertainty, all countries, big and small, have a responsibility to work together to preserve the peace and to save lives,” said Dr Balakrishnan.
“We cannot achieve this without the UN playing its rightful role as an arena for dialogue and for partnership. This is the moment to double down on multilateralism and strengthen the role of the UN as a collective vehicle for peace and sustainable development.”
He said that this is why Singapore and other small states have to consistently stand for compliance with international law and the UN Charter by all member states.
“We must return to the basics – by reinforcing the foundational role of the UN in maintaining international peace and security. That is the raison d’etre for the UN,” said Dr Balakrishnan.
“We must restore respect for the rule of law and the UN Charter. This has underpinned global peace and security for the last 80 years.”
Dr Balakrishnan said global governance institutions must take into account the needs of small states and developing countries.
This includes reforming the UNSC to reflect contemporary realities and making it more transparent and accountable.
Dr Balakrishnan said the effective functioning of the Security Council is at the heart of a robust and responsive UN, asserting that its five permanent members – the US, UK, France, Russia and China – bear a special responsibility alongside their privileges.
“They must demonstrate leadership by cooperating to maintain international peace and security,” he said, adding that the lack of trust among the major powers and the resulting deficit of global leadership make it very difficult to find effective, peaceful solutions to ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, Ukraine and Sudan.