STATEMENT BY KAREN NG, DELEGATE OF THE REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE, TO THE 81ST SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY AT THE CLUSTER FOUR THEMATIC DEBATE ON CONVENTIONAL WEAPONS, FIRST COMMITTEE, 22 OCTOBER 2026

Thank you, Mr Chair.

Singapore aligns itself with the statements delivered by Cambodia on behalf of ASEAN and by Indonesia on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement. Please allow me to make three points in our national capacity.

2        First, Singapore is firmly committed to international efforts to curb the illicit arms trade and the indiscriminate use of conventional arms, which continue to fuel armed conflict and violence worldwide. Beyond our annual participation in the Conference of States Parties to the Arms Trade Treaty, we fully support the implementation of the UN Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All its Aspects. We commend the substantive work undertaken at the 9^th Biennial Meeting of States, and support the implementation of the International Tracing Instrument. We also welcome the ongoing implementation of the Global Framework for Through-life Conventional Ammunition Management and look forward to its first Meeting of States in 2027.

3        Second, Singapore reaffirms the importance of ensuring that conventional weapons are used responsibly and in accordance with international law, given the serious humanitarian consequences that their indiscriminate use can have on innocent civilians. As a High Contracting Party to the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW), we commend the significant achievement of the CCW Group of Governmental Experts on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (LAWS) in achieving consensus on a substantive final report in September, paving the way for further work on LAWS. We look forward to constructive discussions at the Seventh Review Conference of the CCW next month.

4        Singapore also remains supportive of international efforts to address the humanitarian concerns associated with anti-personnel landmines and cluster munitions. We have maintained an indefinite moratorium on the export of anti-personnel landmines and cluster munitions since 1998 and 2008 respectively, and have consistently voted in favour of UN General Assembly resolutions on the implementation of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention and the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

5        Third, Singapore upholds transparency in the conventional arms trade. Transparency is critical in building confidence and preventing the diversion and illicit transfer of conventional arms. Singapore has consistently contributed to efforts to promote the establishment of international standards, including through our regular submission of national reports to the UN Register of Conventional Arms since 1993. Singapore complies strictly with our international obligations on international arms sales and transfers. As a major transhipment and transit hub, Singapore maintains a robust export control regime, which is regularly updated.

Mr Chair,

6        The challenges posed by the illicit trade and indiscriminate use of conventional weapons require sustained international cooperation and cannot be addressed by any State acting alone. Singapore stands ready to work constructively with all delegations in pursuit of our shared objective for a peaceful and more secure world for all.

7        Thank you.