STATEMENT BY AMBASSADOR BURHAN GAFOOR, PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF THE REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE TO THE UNITED NATIONS AT THE 11TH NPT REVIEW CONFERENCE, NEW YORK, 27 APRIL – 22 MAY 2026

Mr President,

1 Singapore congratulates you on your assumption of the Presidency of the Eleventh NPT Review Conference (NPT RevCon). As a fellow ASEAN Member State, Singapore is pleased to see you take on this important role. You can count on Singapore’s full cooperation and support.

2 The NPT remains the cornerstone of the global nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime, and the essential foundation for the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. It remains indispensable to international peace and security. However, we are meeting at a time when the NPT is under unprecedented strain. The international security environment is deteriorating, compounded by a growing trust deficit between States and a preference to resort to force rather than dialogue to resolve disputes. The chasm between Nuclear Weapon States (NWS) and Non-Nuclear Weapon States (NNWS) has grown wider due to the lack of progress in nuclear disarmament, while nuclear rhetoric and risks are increasing. The expiry of the New START Treaty in February 2026 also further underscored the fragility of the nuclear arms control architecture. The repeated failures by consecutive NPT RevCons to deliver substantive outcomes have not only weakened confidence in the review process, but also called into question the legitimacy and credibility of the NPT regime.

3 This RevCon should therefore be more than a routine affirmation of long-standing positions. It is a critical opportunity to restore confidence in the NPT, strengthen implementation across its three equally important and mutually-reinforcing pillars, and demonstrate that the review process can still produce meaningful results. This will require genuine and sustained political will, compromise, and a commitment to achieve tangible progress that translates into practical outcomes. As we have mentioned at past NPT PrepComs, the NPT is only as meaningful as the actions we take to implement it. I will now touch on each of the three pillars.

1st Pillar: Nuclear Disarmament

4 On nuclear disarmament, the continued lack of concrete progress and non-implementation of past RevCon commitments has led to growing frustration and mistrust not only between NWS and NNWS, but also among NWS. The use of nuclear weapons is again being invoked with greater frequency in strategic discourse, and the role of nuclear deterrence appears to be gaining renewed salience in security policy. Allow me to make the following points.

5 First, NWS must do more to demonstrate that they are taking their disarmament obligations under Article VI of the NPT seriously, including through time-bound, transparent, irreversible and verifiable reductions of their nuclear arsenals and greater accountability on how existing commitments are being implemented. Singapore is concerned by the continued growth and modernisation of nuclear arsenals and related delivery systems which goes against Article VI of the Treaty, as well as the growing prominence of nuclear sabre-rattling and doctrines that place renewed emphasis on the role of nuclear weapons in security policy. Such trends are troubling, increase nuclear risks, and run counter to the broader objective of disarmament.

6 Second, Singapore calls on all countries that remain outside the ambit of the NPT to join or to return to it, and on all States Parties to redouble efforts to universalise the NPT, which remains essential to reinforcing the global nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime.

7 Third, the entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty remains long overdue. We regret recent developments and statements by public officials that risk unravelling the substantial progress that the international community has achieved on the CTBT to date and undermining the longstanding global norm against nuclear test explosions. We reiterate our call on all States that have yet to do so, in particular the remaining Annex II states, to ratify the CTBT without delay.

8 Fourth, Singapore supports the early commencement of negotiations on a non-discriminatory, multilateral and effectively verifiable treaty banning the production of fissile material for use in nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices.

Nuclear Weapon-Free Zones

9 Singapore supports the establishment of nuclear-weapon-free zones as provided for in Article VII of the NPT. Such zones represent practical building blocks towards a nuclear-weapon-free world and contribute to regional and international peace and security. As a State Party to the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ) Treaty, Singapore reiterates the importance of ensuring NWS sign and ratify the Protocol to the SEANWFZ Treaty without reservations, and to provide formal assurances of this commitment in writing prior to their signing. Singapore will continue to engage all NWS, including those with reservations, and intensify efforts to engage all parties to resolve outstanding issues in accordance with the objectives and principles of the SEANWFZ Treaty.

10 Singapore also welcomes efforts to achieve genuine and lasting peace in a nuclear-weapon-free Middle East, including efforts aimed at establishing a Middle East Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons and Other Weapons of Mass Destruction.

2nd Pillar: Nuclear Non-Proliferation

Mr President,

11 The proliferation of nuclear technology and material, the potential use and threat of use of tactical nuclear weapons, as well as dual-use items for military purposes remain a perennial concern. Given today’s increasingly uncertain geopolitical environment, strengthening the nuclear non-proliferation regime will require collective effort, heightened vigilance and renewed determination.

12 First, Singapore reaffirms the central and indispensable role of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in the verification and monitoring of safeguards, and in supporting the broader non-proliferation regime. We call on all NPT States Parties that have not yet done so to conclude an IAEA Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement (CSA) and the Additional Protocol (AP) and to implement their provisions without delay.

13 Second, all States Parties with a CSA and AP in force with the IAEA must comply with their safeguards obligations. Notwithstanding the ongoing conflict in the Persian Gulf, Iran’s obligations remain legally binding and cannotbe derogated from or subject to political demands beyond the scope of its CSA. Singapore also remains gravely concerned by the DPRK’s continued development of its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes, including its most recent missile launches. We urge the DPRK to cease all provocative actions that jeopardise peace, security and stability in the Korean Peninsula, return to the NPT, and fully comply with all its international obligations and commitments under the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

14 Third, Singapore underscores the need for a robust international export control regime to guard against illicit trafficking without hampering legitimate trade and peaceful cooperation. As a global transshipment hub, Singapore recognises the role we play in the regulation of the international arms trade. We continuously update and maintain a robust export controls regime and fully implement all UNSC resolutions. Singapore has also participated consistently in relevant regional and multilateral initiatives, including the Proliferation Security Initiative Exercise Pacific Shield 2025, to address WMD proliferation threats in the Asia-Pacific.

3rd Pillar: Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy

15 Singapore strongly supports the inalienable right of States to the peaceful uses of nuclear energy (PUNE), as provided for in Article IV of the NPT. It is also essential that all States Parties, particularly developing and Least Developed Countries, are able to benefit from the peaceful applications of nuclear science and technology in support of their sustainable development. We strongly support the IAEA’s Technical Cooperation Programme, which helps Member States leverage nuclear technology to address development priorities in areas including healthcare, food and agriculture, water and the environment and energy.

16 In addition to our financial contribution to the Technical Cooperation Fund, Singapore also provides in-kind assistance through training courses and workshops that strengthen regional capabilities through the Singapore – IAEA Third Country Training Programme. This programme was renewed in July 2025 for a further five-year period, and will continue to provide capacity building for developing countries to address global challenges such as climate change, cancer care and food insecurity.

17 For Singapore and Southeast Asia, nuclear safety remains a key priority as interest in nuclear energy grows in our region. The deployment of nuclear energy must be underpinned by the concomitant responsibility to develop a robust regional nuclear safety architecture. In this regard, Singapore launched the Singapore Nuclear Research and Safety Institute (SNRSI) in July 2025 to expand nuclear safety research and bolster national capabilities in understanding and assessing nuclear technologies to support the Government’s study of the potential deployment of nuclear power. At the regional level, Singapore actively engages with the IAEA through platforms such as the ASEAN Network of Regulatory Bodies on Atomic Energy (ASEANTOM) to build technical capacity and regulatory knowledge to strengthen regional standards for nuclear safety. We also welcome the renewed ASEAN – IAEA Practical Arrangements (2024 – 2029) which will further build on these efforts to elevate regional cooperation on nuclear safety and security.

Conclusion

Mr President,

18 The NPT remains indispensable to international peace and security. But its continued legitimacy and effectiveness cannot be taken for granted. If we are serious about preserving the integrity and relevance of the NPT, we must match reaffirmations of principle with pragmatic and concrete action across all three pillars.

19 At a time of heightened nuclear risks and deepening geopolitical rifts, this Review Conference must send a clear signal that States Parties remain committed to collective restraint, responsibility and meaningful implementation of the NPT. Singapore stands ready to work constructively with all delegations towards a balanced, practical and forward-looking outcome that strengthens the NPT and restores confidence in the review process.