SINGAPORE’S EXPLANATION OF VOTE ON A/C.1/77/L.17 “TREATY ON THE PROHIBITION OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS” AT THE FIRST COMMITTEE, 77TH UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY, 31 OCTOBER 2022

Thank you, Mr Chairman.

Singapore has a clear and consistent position on the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). Our abstention on draft resolution L.17, “Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons”, and our approach towards all other resolutions and paragraphs referencing the TPNW, are in line with this position. 

2 Singapore is committed to the goal of realising a world free of nuclear weapons. We will continue to support resolutions and initiatives that contribute to concrete and meaningful progress in nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. However, our concerns were not fully addressed when the TPNW was adopted. We reiterate that the TPNW should not in any way affect the rights and obligations of States Parties under other treaties and agreements, including the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, as well as treaties establishing regional nuclear-weapon-free zones.  

3 There are multiple pathways towards a nuclear-weapon-free world, and all relevant parties must work together to achieve meaningful progress in nuclear disarmament. Singapore has and will continue to actively engage the international community on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. We encourage the international community to work towards finding a realistic and complementary role for the TPNW within the existing global disarmament architecture, of which the NPT remains the cornerstone.

4 Thank you.

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