STATEMENT BY MR MATTHEW CHAN, SINGAPORE DELEGATE TO THE 77TH SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY, ON PLENARY AGENDA ITEM 69: STRENGTHENING OF THE COORDINATION OF HUMANITARIAN AND DISASTER RELIEF ASSISTANCE OF THE UNITED NATIONS, INCLUDING SPECIAL ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE 6 DECEMBER 2022

Mr President,

I thank the Secretary-General for his reports under this agenda item, which provided a useful overview of our efforts to strengthen humanitarian and disaster relief assistance. I would also like to thank Sweden for facilitating the resolution “Strengthening of the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance of the United Nations”.  My delegation aligns itself with the statement made by Brunei on behalf of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and would like to make a few additional remarks.

2 As stated in Article 1 of the Charter, one of the purposes of the United Nations is “to achieve international cooperation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character”. Singapore fully supports the Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the Inter-Agency Standing Committee’s work to coordinate the UN’s response to emergencies and provide humanitarian relief to those in need. At the same time, the UN and its system entities must remain nimble and adapt quickly to new and emerging challenges on disaster risk and management, such as climate change.

3 ASEAN is one of the regions most impacted by climate change, which the Secretary-General has rightly described as “the defining issue of our time”. The causal links between climate change and disasters are clear. The Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) had highlighted the possibility of more extreme rainfall in Southeast Asia. In 2020, ASEAN experienced 530 natural disasters. In 2021, this figure almost tripled to about 1,400, and resulted in over 1,000 fatalities and 16,000 injured. These reflect a trend of increasing occurrences of potential disaster events, including rising sea levels and more extreme changes in weather patterns. We are concerned about the increased frequency of natural disasters, given their catastrophic consequences. But it is not too late to take decisive action. In this context, Singapore would like to make three recommendations to help strengthen the UN’s role in coordinating humanitarian and disaster relief assistance.

4 First, we should encourage greater investment in resilience-building and early warning. This is because prevention is not only better than cure – it is also significantly cheaper. According to the International Institute for Sustainable Development, every dollar invested in disaster resilient infrastructure will save four dollars from post-disaster reconstruction. However, this requires a paradigm shift by governments and stakeholders alike.

5 One example is adaptation to sea level rise. Like many Small Island Developing States (SIDS), sea level rise poses an existential threat to Singapore; 30 percent of our island is less than five metres above sea level. We have therefore begun developing a Coastal-Inland Flood Model to assess flood risks, and set up a Coastal and Flood Protection Fund to finance the construction of drainage infrastructure and coastal protection measures. Singapore stands ready to share our experience in this and related fields with other Member States through the Singapore Cooperation Programme, which includes a dedicated Climate Action Package that has trained more than 137,000 officials from over 180 countries and territories in areas such as climate adaptation and mitigation, disaster risk management, and green finance; and the SIDS Technical Cooperation Programme that caters to the specific needs of SIDS.

6 Second, we need to strengthen partnerships with non-state actors to build disaster resilience. Governments should recognise that non-governmental organisations and businesses have key roles to play. More can be done to incentivise the private sector to improve sustainability and better protect their investments from the adverse effects of natural disasters. For instance, governments can share the costs of incorporating sustainability and resilience elements into infrastructure projects with the private sector.

7 Third, we should harness technology to better predict disasters. In this context, Singapore is pleased to join the UN Global Early Warnings Initiative, which will help ensure that every person on Earth will have access to early warning systems within five years. We encourage more collaboration between Member States, relevant UN entities and other stakeholders, to put our collective disaster management capabilities on a surer footing for the future.

Mr President,

8 Given the continuing effects of climate change, we must be prepared for more frequent and severe disasters. When disasters occur, we must collectively mitigate and minimise their effects. Singapore urges all Member States to work with and through the United Nations to build resilience of the most vulnerable, so as to contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and leave no one behind.

9 Thank you.

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