STATEMENT BY AMBASSADOR BURHAN GAFOOR, PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF THE REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE ON AGENDA ITEM 122 “QUESTION OF EQUITABLE REPRESENTATION ON AND INCREASE IN THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL AND OTHER MATTERS RELATED TO THE SECURITY COUNCIL”, 11 NOVEMBER 2024

Thank you very much, Mr President.

1 Please allow me to begin by thanking the Permanent Representative of Kuwait, H.E. Tareq Albanai, and the Permanent Representative of Austria, H.E. Alexander Marschik, for their hard work as Co-Chairs of the Intergovernmental Negotiations on the Question of equitable representation on and increase in the membership of the Security Council and matters related to the Security Council (IGN) process during the last Session. I congratulate them on their reappointment and we are very satisfied that the IGN process will remain in their good and experienced hands. I wish them success and I assure them of my delegation’s full support.

Mr President,

2 The world today is going through a period of economic and geopolitical transformation. It has become a cliché to say that the world has now become more multipolar, but it is a fact that there are many emerging powers who play an important role in international peace and security. As we approach the 80th anniversary of the United Nations, it is essential that we transform the multilateral system in order to make it more resilient, relevant, and responsive to the changed economic and geopolitical landscape. In this regard, there has never been a greater need for a reform of the Security Council to reflect the realities of the contemporary world.

3 In September, the leaders of the world gathered in New York and adopted the Pact for the Future. The Pact provides the framework to strengthen the United Nations and the multilateral system, and to make them future ready. In Chapter Five of the Pact for the Future, our leaders agreed that we need to renew trust in global institutions by making them more representative and responsive to today’s world. In particular, our leaders agreed under Action 39 of the Pact to “reform the UN Security Council, recognising the urgent need to make it more representative, inclusive, transparent, efficient, effective, democratic and accountable.” This commitment by our leaders builds on the Declaration on the Commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of the UN, in which our leaders agreed to “instil new life in the discussions on the reform of the Security Council”.

4 The discussion in the General Assembly today is therefore very timely. Singapore appreciates the unstinting efforts of the IGN Co-Chairs to facilitate dialogue towards this end. We have supported their innovations to enhance the transparency of the IGN discussions, such as webcasting and archiving national statements at the 77th Session, and in promoting in-depth discussions of specific models at the 78th Session. These improvements have deepened our understanding of the thinking behind different proposals and the gaps that we have yet to close. Now, we must transition from describing divergence to catalysing convergence on a workable model. If the IGN process is to make any progress, all sides have to show flexibility and make compromises. Most importantly, we need to engage in real and serious negotiations. 

Mr President,

5 The goal of the reform process is to create a Security Council that is stronger, more effective, and more responsive. It is also necessary that reform must lead to greater inclusivity and representativeness. Ultimately, reform must strengthen the credibility, legitimacy and accountability of the Council.

6 Let me speak first to the matter of representation. The Council has not been reformed in six decades. In 1945, the UN was established with 51 Member States. At that point, the Security Council had 11 seats. By 1965, the UN had 117 Member States and the Security Council was reformed to include four more non-permanent seats. Today, we have 193 Member States, nearly four times the number of members when we first started and yet the Council’s non-permanent membership has remained static since 1965.

7 There is also the additional reality that we have to address, which is that 61 UN Member States have never served on the Security Council, and more than 50 of these are small states. Small states from regional groups that do not practice subregional rotations are further disadvantaged, particularly if larger and better-resourced countries seek a Council seat at regular intervals. Africa too has been historically underrepresented, and even unrepresented. We need to address these issues of equitable representation to achieve a more inclusive and representative Council.

8 In this regard, Singapore calls for more equitable representation of small states, particularly small island developing states, in accordance with Sustainable Development Goal 16, Target 8, which urges strengthening the participation of developing countries in global governance institutions. Singapore supports an expansion in both the permanent and non-permanent category of membership. However, we also wish to state that the reform of the Security Council cannot be seen as an exercise to benefit the large countries or a few aspirants to permanent membership. We must adopt a comprehensive approach, in which we need to address also the legitimate interests of the many small states, who form, I should say, the majority of the membership. In this context, let me make it clear that Singapore will not support any proposal that does not create more opportunities for small states to be represented in a reformed Security Council.

9 At the same time, increased representation should not compromise effectiveness. In this regard, Singapore does not support giving new permanent members the right of the veto. We are not persuaded that increasing the number of veto-wielding permanent members will make the Council more responsive or more effective. We also call upon existing permanent members to lead by example, by upholding the Charter and respecting international law. In this regard, Singapore had previously proposed the idea of a Declaration of Responsibilities to be adopted by the General Assembly. This Declaration will commit all members of the Council, both permanent and non-permanent, to abide by a code of conduct as part of any reform package to be adopted eventually.

10 Singapore also supports initiatives to ensure greater accountability in the use of the veto. Frequent use of the veto, in particular to shield violations of the UN Charter and the Council’s own resolutions, prevents the Council from fulfilling its mandate. In this regard, we urge the permanent members of the Security Council to respect the plain meaning of Article 27(3) of the UN Charter, and to refrain from voting on a dispute to which they are party.

Mr President,

11 It is well known that Singapore is not part of any informal grouping in the IGN process. We speak in the IGN process as a small state and as an independent voice, and our goal has always been to support reforms that would strengthen the multilateral system. We will continue to support the IGN process by providing our candid and independent views. 

12 Let me conclude by saying that the IGN remains the best vehicle to build convergence on Security Council reform. My delegation is fully committed to work with the IGN Co-Chairs and with other Member States to take this important work forward.

13 I thank you very much for your attention.

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