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REMARKS FOR 2MINISTER(FA) MALIKI OSMAN AT THE LAUNCH OF IPI-RSIS REPORT ON “SMALL STATES AND THE FUTURE OF MULTILATERALISM”, 19 SEPTEMBER 2024

19 September 2024

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  1. Excellencies, distinguished guests. It is my pleasure to welcome you to today’s launch of a report co-penned by the International Peace Institute and the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, on “Small States and the Future of Multilateralism”, in partnership with the Singapore Government. We are also delighted to have had the support of a core group of small states – from different regions and across developmental status – Bulgaria, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Jordan, Liechtenstein, Namibia, New Zealand, Qatar, Samoa, Senegal and Switzerland – throughout this process. 

  2. Today’s report marks the culmination of more than a year’s work, comprising a series of fruitful roundtable discussions looking at various aspects of small states, global governance, and our role in the multilateral system. The authors of the report had also conducted interviews with Ambassadors from various countries in the Forum of Small States, better known as FOSS. We thank all FOSS members that have participated for your valuable insights and opinions, which have enriched the report. 

  3. Singapore continues to believe firmly in the necessity of a United Nations and multilateral system that are strong and fit for purpose, which will provide the conditions for us to engage on a level playing field with bigger countries. A functioning multilateral system is also vital to keep global cooperation going even at times of tension between states. 

  4. Small states are not only the biggest beneficiaries of multilateralism. We are its biggest champions and advocates. Numbering well over half of the UN membership, small states have an outsized role to play in maintaining and reinforcing the multilateral system, whether as bridge-builders or agenda-setters. 

  5. A good example is the process of negotiating the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea or UNCLOS, which came into force in 1994 and has been ratified by 170 parties. UNCLOS would not have been possible if it had not been driven by small maritime states such as Malta, Singapore, Fiji and New Zealand, with all playing significant roles. 

  6. It is in this context that Singapore embarked on this project with IPI and RSIS. The world as we know it today is vastly different from what it was when the UN was founded 79 years ago. The global landscape will continue to evolve and change in a faster pace. For small states, it is of critical importance that the multilateral system is able to keep pace with and adapt effectively to these changes. 

  7. We decided that it was important for us to examine how small states can continue to exercise their agency and influence in supporting and strengthening the multilateral system, and how we can help each other do so. 

  8. We hope that this report serves both as inspiration and food for thought for small states, as we continue to discover new ways to amplify our voices at the United Nations and beyond, and to ensure that we always have a seat at the table. We also hope that this report can be useful in helping us to think about how we can strengthen partnerships, not just amongst ourselves but with others, to make a bigger and more positive impact on the multilateral system. 

  9. It is timely that in a few days, our leaders will gather for the Summit of the Future, at which they will adopt the Pact for the Future, which also includes the Global Digital Compact and Declaration on Future Generations. In these documents, we will commit to do better as an international community across a range of areas, such as sustainable development, international peace and security, and human rights. We will also commit to doing more together for global digital cooperation and to build a world fit for future generations. It is our hope that the IPI-RSIS report will continue to be a valuable resource for small states even after the adoption of the Pact, when we commence work on its implementation. 

  10. All of the issues dealt with in the Pact are of vital importance for small states. I am proud that a core group of 64 small states have pushed and supported the Summit of the Future process, once again proving that small states can have a big voice together. 

  11. Excellencies, distinguished guests, I now hand the floor over to Adam Lupel of IPI to take us through the rest of today’s programme.


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