STATEMENT DELIVERED BY AMBASSADOR BURHAN GAFOOR, PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF SINGAPORE TO THE UNITED NATIONS, AT THE 11TH EMERGENCY SPECIAL SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY, 22 FEBRUARY 2023, NEW YORK

Mr President,

1 It is tragic that the General Assembly has to convene yet another meeting of the Emergency Special Session (ESS), because this means that the war in Ukraine is continuing with full force, causing the loss of so many innocent lives and massive destruction to civilian infrastructure. 

2 Russia made the fateful decision to invade Ukraine in blatant disregard of the UN Charter a year ago. Since then, we have witnessed a war of attrition with spillover effects that have touched all parts of the world. It appears that the situation may worsen further.

3 Since the beginning of this war, Singapore has taken a clear and consistent position that Russia’s unjustifiable invasion of Ukraine is a clear and gross violation of the principles of the UN Charter and international law. The UN Security Council, of which Russia is a permanent member, has regrettably not been able to discharge its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security because of the self-serving cynical veto by Russia.  The General Assembly has so far adopted five resolutions on the war in Ukraine. Each of these resolutions is a clear message from the international community that the violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine cannot be condoned.

4 We regret that Russia has ignored the clear and repeated calls of the General Assembly to immediately, completely, and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces from the territory of Ukraine and to respect Ukraine’s internationally recognised borders. Russia has also ignored the orders of the International Court of Justice to immediately suspend the “special military operation” which commenced on 24 February 2022 in the territory of Ukraine.  We underline also the importance of General Assembly resolution A/RES/ES-11/4 which condemned the Russian Federation’s organisation of illegal so-called referendums in Ukraine’s internationally recognised borders in October 2022.

5 We thank the Secretary-General for his remarks earlier today and we fully agree with the Secretary-General when he said “Russia’s attack on Ukraine challenges the cornerstone principles and values of our multilateral system”. Please allow me to make some additional points on the important issue we are discussing this afternoon.

6 Firstly, Singapore’s clear and consistent position on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine remains unchanged. We are upholding a fundamental principle; we are not taking sides. Our clear and consistent position reflects our firm belief in the need to respect the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of all States, big or small. We reaffirm Article 2 (4) of the UN Charter which states unequivocally that “All members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state”. Let me add that for small states like Singapore, the UN Charter and international law are not academic issues but a matter of peace and security, and of existential importance. We therefore condemn in the strongest possible terms any violation of these principles, which are of fundamental importance to all Member States of the United Nations. Singapore has co-sponsored the draft resolution before us today because the resolution expresses support for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine based on the principles of the UN Charter, and we hope that such a peace will come to pass.

7 Secondly, Singapore is saddened by the continued deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Ukraine, with continuing indiscriminate attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, rising casualties and a lack of humanitarian access to those most in need. We share the grave concern expressed in this draft resolution on the high number of civilian casualties, including women and children. We support the call made in the resolution for an immediate cessation of attacks on the critical infrastructure of Ukraine and any deliberate attacks on civilian objects, including those that are residences, schools and hospitals. We commend the work of various United Nations agencies and the International Committee of the Red Cross providing humanitarian aid to alleviate the suffering of the Ukrainian people and others affected by the war and its spillover effects. We also thank the IAEA for its work to ensure nuclear safety and security in Ukraine in spite of the challenging situation on the ground.

8 Thirdly, Singapore shares the concerns expressed in the resolution about the effects of the war on global food and energy supply chains and prices. The spillover effects have dampened economic recovery and growth, and has set back the progress made in the global fight against poverty. In this regard, we commend the Secretary-General’s tireless efforts to ensure a continued supply of essential exports through the Black Sea Grain Initiative. We call upon the Secretary-General to continue his good offices role by facilitating contact and dialogue with all relevant parties, in order to support a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine.

Mr President,

9 The resolution before us today is a balanced one that reiterates the principles of the UN Charter and international law. The resolution emphasises the need to redouble support for diplomatic efforts to reach a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine, in accordance with the principles of the UN Charter. We welcome the call made in the resolution for a cessation of hostilities and for the immediate, complete, and unconditional withdrawal by the Russian Federation of all of its military forces from the territory of Ukraine.

10 Singapore urges all Member States to vote YES for this draft resolution in order to demonstrate support for international law, for the UN Charter and for the rules-based multilateral system.

11 The adoption of this draft resolution before us today will send a clear signal to the world that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all States must be respected; that internationally recognised borders cannot be violated by the rule of force; and that a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine must be based on the principles of the UN Charter.

12 Thank you for your attention.

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