STATEMENT BY COLONEL LIM TONG HAI, MILITARY ADVISOR AND COUNSELLOR, TO THE 71st SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON AGENDA ITEM 48 ON THE OUTER SPACE, FOURTH COMMITTEE, 11 OCTOBER 2016

Mr Chairman,

1.                 My delegation congratulates you and the members of your bureau on your appointments.  You can count on my delegation’s full support and cooperation.

2.                 Singapore also aligns itself with the statement delivered by Indonesia on behalf of the Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN).  

Mr Chairman,                     

3.                 Space applications have become an indispensable part of our daily life.  With the growing reliance on space utilisation globally, we also face increasing challenges such as space debris, orbital congestion, and an increasing risk of an arms race in space.  These challenges require the international community to adopt pragmatic measures to ensure responsible behaviour and security in the outer space. Singapore would like to make three points in relation to the peaceful uses of Outer Space.

4.                 First, outer space should remain a peaceful global commons. Many commercial, military and civilian sectors are reliant on the technologically-advanced applications in space.  In UN peace operations, space applications, such as satellite communication and geospatial survey systems, are crucial in three areas: firstly, to enhance safety and security of peacekeepers and civilians; secondly, to improve the situation awareness for peacekeeping, humanitarian aid and disaster relief (HADR) and disaster risk reduction, thus enhancing their operational effectiveness; and thirdly, to monitor environmental footprint. Singapore therefore supports the development of an open and inclusive international framework to govern activities in outer space and maintain it as a peaceful global commons.

5.                 Second, to protect Space as a peaceful global commons, there is a need for us to build consensus on international norms. Singapore is committed to working with others on this endeavour.  Singapore is party to the three United Nations treaties on outer space, namely the Outer Space Treaty, Rescue Agreement and Liability Convention. Singapore welcomes the on-going work in the UN to strengthen international cooperation and address the emerging challenges in the peaceful use of outer space. We welcome the proposals by the Group of Governmental Experts on the "Transparency and Confidence Building Measures" (GGE-TCBM) in Outer Space Activities” and hope that they will help to advance discussions at the UN on a multilateral code of conduct and initiatives to strengthen states’ capacities to benefit from peaceful space activities.   

6.                 The UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) is a useful platform in building international norms for the peaceful and responsible behaviour in the space. Singapore welcomes the idea to include the participation of non-committee members in the upcoming COPUOS working group for more inclusive consultation. Emerging technologies such as autonomous weapons and missile technology present new frontiers that require the issue on the peaceful uses of outer space to be addressed with disarmament collectively. Therefore, Singapore supports the Joint Ad hoc Meeting of the First and Fourth Committees during the 70^th UNGA to discuss the outer space challenges.  These joint sessions will help to facilitate substantive inter-committee exchanges and promote better synergies in our work.   We look forward to such joint sessions in future General Assembly.

7.                 Third, small states can play a part to promote peaceful uses in outer space. Singapore is a nascent player in the space domain. The Singapore’s Office for Space Technology and Industry (OSTIn) was only established in February 2013 with the mandate to serve as the designated office to develop Singapore’s space industry.  Collaborating with local universities and industries, Singapore successfully launched four satellites from India on 16 December 2015 to support urban planning and disaster management across Southeast Asia.  We have also actively participated in the 2015 ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Workshop on Space Security in Beijing and the international code of conduct negotiations on space conference organised by the EU. In October 2016, Singapore will also co-host the 4^th ARF Workshop on Space Security with the US to discuss pertinent issues such as space hazards, transparency and confidence-building measures for enhancing space security.  The co-hosting of the ARF workshop demonstrates Singapore’s commitment towards regional and multilateral efforts to enhance international cooperation in the peaceful use of outer space.

Mr Chairman,

8.                 Before I conclude, let me reaffirm my country’s strong support for the International effort to make outer space a peaceful domain.  My delegation stands ready to work with the Fourth Committee and fellow Member States to preserve the peace and security of the outer space.

Thank you.

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