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New York UN

EXPLANATION OF VOTE BY AMBASSADOR BURHAN GAFOOR, PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF SINGAPORE, AT THE 11TH EMERGENCY SPECIAL SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY, 14 NOVEMBER 2022, NEW YORK

14 November 2022

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Thank you Mr President.


1 Singapore voted in favour of the resolution in document A/ES-11/L.6 titled “Furtherance of Remedy and Reparation against Ukraine”. Singapore’s decision to support this resolution is in line with our consistent and principled position against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and against violations of the UN Charter and international law. Singapore’s vote in favour of this resolution is also consistent with our longstanding support for the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity.


2 A world where ‘might is right’ and where aggression has no consequences is unacceptable, especially for small states like Singapore. This is why we had supported and co-sponsored the earlier resolutions of the Emergency Special Session (a) “Aggression against Ukraine”; (b) “Humanitarian consequences of the aggression against Ukraine”; as well as (c) “Territorial integrity of Ukraine: defending the principles of the Charter of the United Nations”. 


3 I would like to place on record that Singapore has supported this resolution on the understanding that it is without prejudice to, and does not seek to undermine or prejudge, the outcomes of ongoing judicial and investigative processes related to the war in Ukraine. In our view, opening parallel processes does not necessarily contribute to these deliberations in a constructive manner, and may even raise serious procedural questions. Adopting a step-wise approach to these issues is often more productive and we would urge the proponents to keep this in mind.


4 We also hold the view that the approach adopted in this resolution is not automatically applicable to other conflicts, and that every situation should be considered on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the principles of the UN Charter and international law.


5 Thank you for your attention.


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