STATEMENT BY AMBASSADOR BURHAN GAFOOR, PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF SINGAPORE TO THE UN, AT THE INFORMAL MEETING OF THE PLENARY TO HEAR A BRIEFING BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON HIS PRIORITIES FOR THE RESUMED PART OF THE 76TH SESSION, 19 JANUARY 2022
19 January 2022
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Mr President,
Let me start by endorsing the statements that were made on behalf of ASEAN and AOSIS. I also echo the messages of condolences that were earlier expressed on the sudden passing away of one of your colleagues in your office, Ms Gail Farngalo. We join others in expressing our deepest condolences to her family.
Mr President,
Thank you very much for convening this meeting and for your briefing on your priorities for the remainder of the year. I want to take this opportunity to say we are very much impressed and encouraged by your proactive and dynamic leadership in steering us through a very successful main session which concluded on time, which is quite unprecedented in recent years. This was thanks to all the hard work of delegations but also the Chairs of the main Committees, and of course your own leadership. We also had a very productive and successful High-Level Week which welcomed back to the UN more than 100 world leaders, and that has put the UN very much at the heart of addressing global issues.
Mr President,
I want to thank you also for your message of hope and reminding us about the five rays of hope. They are very much needed and relevant in this new year. I will try and make three quick points given that I have just about three minutes.
First, the climate crisis is real for many countries, especially small countries, and we need to maintain the momentum from COP26 in Glasgow and we need to press ahead with implementation. Your high-level thematic debate on ‘A Moment for Nature’ in July is both timely and necessary in order for all countries to take another look at their climate targets as well as to see how they can incorporate climate issues in the context of the recovery from the pandemic. Talking about ‘A Moment for Nature’, I join others in standing in solidarity with the people of Tonga as they deal with a very challenging situation.
My second point relates to oceans. This is a very significant year for oceans. The 2nd UN Ocean Conference will be held in Lisbon in June and the 4th session of the BBNJ Conference will be held this year after several postponements. We hope that both these meetings will help to advance global efforts to implement SDG 14 and ensure the conservation and sustainable use of the marine environment.
This year also marks the 40th anniversary of the adoption of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). I think earlier speakers had also alluded to this fact. UNCLOS was adopted in this very same GA Hall in April 1982, forty years ago. After four decades, UNCLOS has endured and emerged as a successful example of multilateralism and global governance. Today, UNCLOS is widely regarded as the constitution for our oceans, and we believe that it is very important to have the 40th anniversary of UNCLOS commemorated in this very same hall. Mr President, I wanted to share with all members that a group of five countries have written a letter to you in December proposing that we consider organising an informal high-level commemorative event in the General Assembly. We look forward to working closely with all Member States in order for this event to be held successfully under your leadership.
Mr President,
My third and last point relates to Our Common Agenda (OCA). We thank you very much for your leadership and we fully support your effort to organise five different thematic discussions under the leadership of the different Vice-Presidents whom you have nominated. My delegation will participate actively and constructively in these discussions and we believe that the discussions on OCA is an opportunity for all of us to overcome polarisation and to focus on productive and concrete things that we can do collectively to strengthen multilateralism and to strengthen the role of the UN.
Mr President,
Thank you once again for convening this meeting.