STATEMENT BY MISS SAMANTHA GOH, DELEGATE TO THE 74TH SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY, AT THE THEMATIC DISCUSSION ON CLUSTER FOUR: CONVENTIONAL WEAPONS, FIRST COMMITTEE, 23 OCTOBER 2019

Thank you Mr Chairman,

1          Singapore aligns itself with the statements delivered by Cambodia on behalf of ASEAN, and by Indonesia on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).

Mr Chairman,

2          More than half a million people die each year due to armed conflicts and lethal armed violence. A key factor is the widespread availability, illegal circulation and misuse of firearms, which the international community must address as a matter of urgency. I wish to make three points in this regard.

3          First, Singapore is fully committed to international efforts to curb the illicit production, trafficking and trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW). A critical element is the full implementation of the United Nations Program of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in SALW in All Its Aspects (PoA), and the International Tracing Instrument. We regret that the 2018 Third Review Conference on the PoA could not achieve a consensus outcome. We urge states to work collectively towards one during the 2020 Seventh Biennial Meeting of States of the PoA. States also need to strengthen their export control regimes, cross border controls, and relevant legislation. At the national level, Singapore maintains a robust regime and legislation for export control, which are aligned with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

4          Second, Singapore will continue to contribute to global efforts to establish common international standards in the conventional arms trade. Singapore is a strong proponent of transparency in international arms transfers, and we have submitted annual national reports to the UN Register of Conventional Arms (UNROCA) since 1993. Singapore has also started reporting on SALW to the UNROCA, fulfilling the seven-plus-one formula. We were honoured to contribute to the 2019 UNROCA Group of Governmental Experts (GGE) to keep the voluntary reporting instrument updated and relevant, and look forward to contributing to the GGE process in the future. We signed the Arms Trade Treaty in December 2014, and we are currently undertaking the necessary domestic reviews to ensure that our national framework and legislation allow for its full implementation.

5          Third, Singapore recognises the  impact that the indiscriminate use of anti-personnel mines, cluster munitions and conventional weapons can have on innocent civilians. We have thus consistently supported UN resolutions and international initiatives under the Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the use of Certain Conventional Weapons, the Ottawa Convention, and the Convention on Cluster Munitions. We have also imposed an indefinite moratorium on the export of anti-personnel landmines and cluster munitions.

Mr Chairman,

6          States must fulfil their international obligations to curb the illicit trade and the indiscriminate use of conventional weapons. However, a balance must be struck. The sovereign right of States to acquire weapons for self-defence and for responsible law enforcement must be respected. Singapore reiterates our commitment to working with the international community to prevent and regulate the diversion and illicit trade of conventional SALW to achieve a safer and more secure world for all.

7          I thank you, Mr Chairman.

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