STATEMENT BY AMBASSADOR BURHAN GAFOOR, PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF SINGAPORE AT THE DEBATE ON THE QUESTION OF EQUITABLE REPRESENTATION ON AND INCREASE IN THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL AND OTHER MATTERS RELATED TO THE SECURITY COUNCIL, 15 NOVEMBER 2021, UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Good morning Mr. President

1 I would like to begin by thanking the co-chairs of the Inter-Governmental Negotiations on Security Council Reform during the 75^th session.  I take this opportunity to congratulate Ambassador Alya Ahmed Saif Al-Thani of Qatar on her reappointment and Ambassador Martin Bille Hermann of Denmark on his appointment as Co-Chairs for the 76^th session.  I wish them the best as they begin this important process.

Mr. President

2 As a small state, Singapore has consistently supported the need for a strong and effective rules-based multilateral system founded on international law with the United Nations at the centre of international cooperation.  In such a system, the UN Security Council has a critical role to play in the maintenance of international peace and security.  In fact, we have very high expectations of the Security Council because the effectiveness of the Security Council in discharging its special responsibilities has a direct impact on the relevance and credibility of the United Nations and the wider UN system.  In this context, the reform of the Security Council is also necessary for the strength and credibility of the UN system as a whole.

3 Mr. President, there is no doubt that Security Council reform is a work in progress.  However, there is also no doubt that the reform process has been slow, like a vehicle stuck in the snow; the wheels are spinning fast but the car itself has not moved an inch in the last twenty-five years.

4 The United Nations celebrated its 75^th anniversary and its many achievements last year.  The international community needs a reformed and reinvigorated United Nations system that is effective, efficient and responsive to the challenges of the times.  We need a reformed Security Council that is able to act swiftly and decisively in times of global crises.  This is critical if the Security Council is to remain credible and if its decisions are to continue enjoying legitimacy.  In considering the lack of progress in Security Council reform, I come back to the same question that I have raised before from this podium.  Is the IGN process a vehicle for reform, or a vehicle to maintain the status quo?  This is a question that I think we all need to carefully reflect on.

5 If the IGN process is to be taken seriously, then it is important for the process to deliver some progress.  And naturally, if the IGN process is not able to show progress, the reality is that it will lose credibility and legitimacy.  This leads me to a related question.  Is it better to show some progress and keep the format of the IGN process or is it better to consider other options and other formats?  Ultimately, the response to this question depends on member states.  My delegation’s own view is that we should make a serious and concerted effort within the IGN process to show some meaningful results, including by engaging in text-based negotiations. 

6 I would like to focus my statement today on a few key points.

7 First, the composition of a reformed Council must reflect current realities and the diversity of the UN membership.  There must be greater geographical representation and inclusivity, particularly from under-represented regions, such as Africa, and also under-represented groups, such as small states.  There must be expansion in both the permanent and non-permanent categories.  However, any reform exercise must also enhance opportunities for all Member States, and in particular should not disadvantage or further marginalise small states.

8 Secondly, permanent membership is a privilege that comes with special responsibilities.  By virtue of their privileged position, the permanent members have a special responsibility to provide leadership here at the UN.  Permanent members, including any potential new permanent members, have the moral and political duty to discharge their special responsibilities fully and responsibly, in support of international peace and security, and to strengthen the multilateral system.  To put it differently, we have high expectations of permanent members and of potential permanent members in terms of the role they play in addressing not only global issues of peace and security, but also issues relating to global governance and the management of global commons, such as climate change, just to mention one example.  The permanent members must not only demonstrate leadership in addressing global issues and they must also be a catalyst for strengthening global cooperation and building global consensus, including here at the United Nations.

9 Thirdly, Mr. President, we must intensify efforts to improve the Security Council’s working methods, especially in the areas of transparency, efficiency and engagement with non-members.  For many countries, especially small countries, the working methods of the Security Council is an important and urgent issue.  The issue of working methods is fundamentally an issue of transparency and accountability.  In this regard, Singapore welcomes efforts by the Security Council to improve its working methods and commends the work of the Informal Working Group on Documentation and Other Procedural Questions, led currently and very ably by St. Vincent and the Grenadines.  We look forward to the full implementation of Presidential Note 507, and to further improvements in the Council’s working methods that will amongst other things, provide the elected members with greater opportunities to play a more active role within the Council.

Mr. President,

10 I conclude by reiterating Singapore’s continued commitment to the issue of Security Council reform.  Singapore assures the newly appointed Co-Chairs of the IGN process of our full support and cooperation.  We look forward to working constructively with all delegations to make progress in the IGN process during this session.

I thank you for your attention.

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