STATEMENT BY MS CLARICE LIM, COUNSELLOR, PERMANENT MISSION OF SINGAPORE TO THE UNITED NATIONS AT THE UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY-GENERAL’S BREIFING ON EMERGENCY PLATFORM AND DECLARATION ON FUTURE GENERATIONS POLICY BRIEFS, 9 MARCH 2023

1 Thank you for giving me the floor.

2 Singapore aligns with the statement made by Cuba on behalf of the G77. Let me make some additional comments in my national capacity.

3 First we thank the Secretary-General and his team for their preparation of the policy briefs, which we view as important input for Member States as we deliberate on the scope and tracks for the Summit of the Future.

4 At this stage, we retain an open mind on the policy briefs. We will continue to review them and hope to provide detailed views on at subsequent consultations.

5 Singapore is a steadfast supporter of a strong multilateral system, and is of the view that global interests are best served by a multilateral system is one that is resilient, relevant and responsive. And it is this broad lens which informs way we consider the various initiatives and tracks, including those that will culminate in the Summit of the Future in 2024.

6 Pending further intergovernmental negotiations on how they may feature in the Summit of Future and review of the details, my delegation’s preliminary view is that the spirit of those 3 Rs, resilience, relevance and responsiveness, are embodied in the proposals of the Emergency Platform and the Declaration of the Future Generations. Of note, we appreciate the interconnectedness highlighted in the policy briefs with the SDGs. Continued progress on the SDGs requires the multilateral system to be resilient and responsive, which comes across clearly as a key objective of the Emergency Platform.

7 In addition, safeguarding the interests of our future generations will in turn help to ensure the continued relevance of the UN and the multilateral system – ensuring it remains fit for purpose. In that regard, and we note important work is already under way on this, we are supportive of greater engagement with and consideration of the role of our youth, given that they will both be on the receiving end of our current efforts on sustainable development, but in turn will also have key roles to play in sustaining global development.

8 With that, please have Singapore’s assurance that we will continue to participate constructively on future discussions relating to the Emergency Platform and Declaration on Future Generations.

9 I thank you for your attention.

.    .    .    .    .