STATEMENT BY MS BERENICE LOW, FIRST SECRETARY (POLITCAL), PERMANENT MISSION OF SINGAPORE TO THE UNITED NATIONS AT THE 79TH UNGA PLENARY DEBATE ON AGENDA ITEM 63: “USE OF THE VETO”, 20 NOVEMBER 2024

Mr President, 

1 Thank you for convening this Plenary debate on the use of the veto under Agenda Item 63. We welcome your decision to have a standalone debate on this important agenda item. Singapore aligns itself with the statement delivered by Liechtenstein, and would like to make the following points in our national capacity. 

2 The General Assembly is the chief deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ of the UN. It has the mandate to discuss any question relating to the maintenance of international peace and security. It must also be pointed out that it is the members of the General Assembly that confer on the Security Council primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security to ensure prompt and effective action by the UN. Given the General Assembly’s role as the most universal organ of the UN, it is fitting that we have this annual debate on the use of the veto. The objective of this debate is to enhance transparency and accountability in the work of the Security Council.  

3 t is a sad reality that the UN has not always been able to take prompt and effective action due to use, misuse, or the threat of use of the veto. Regrettably, we have already eight vetoes this year blocking Council action on matters ranging from the peaceful uses of outer space to demands for ceasefires and humanitarian assistance in the Middle East. A veto earlier this year also ended the mandate of the Panel of Experts monitoring the implementation of UN sanctions on the DPRK. 

4 Given the impact of the veto on the effective functioning of the Security Council, it is important to establish clear parameters for the use of the veto.  We therefore welcome the agreement in Action 39 Paragraph 67(g) of the Pact for the Future, where States committed to intensifying efforts to reach an agreement on the future of the veto, including discussions on limiting its scope and use. Singapore has supported several initiatives to this end, all of which do not require revisions to the UN Charter.

5 First, Singapore is proud to be among the 83 co-sponsors of the historic General Assembly resolution 76/262 establishing the Veto Initiative. This initiative puts policy and power back in the hands of the General Assembly as envisioned under Article 11 of the UN Charter, and promotes greater transparency and accountability of the Security Council. This is not intended to encroach on the Council’s mandate, but to ensure the Council can fulfil it. We welcome the Veto Initiative meetings that were convened and those to be convened after the vetoes this year, which allow the wider membership to deliberate the use of the veto and the relevant issue in the General Assembly. It is important for the General Assembly to take complementary and reinforcing action with the Security Council.

6 Second, Singapore, along with 105 other signatories, has supported the French-Mexican Political Declaration on Suspension of Veto Powers in Cases of Mass Atrocities, which aims to secure the voluntary commitment by the permanent members of the Security Council to not use the veto where a mass atrocity has been ascertained.

7 Third, Singapore is among the 129 supporters of the Accountability, Coherence and Transparency (ACT) Group’s Code of Conduct launched in 2015 on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the UN. The Code similarly contains a specific pledge to not vote against credible draft Security Council resolutions aimed at preventing or ending genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes.

Mr President,

8 As we head into the 80th anniversary of the UN in 2025, Singapore stands ready to work with all Member States to make the Security Council more representative, transparent, and accountable. In this regard, we firstly call on the Permanent Members of the Security Council to uphold the spirit and letter of the UN Charter and international law, and to use the veto in a sparing and judicious manner. Secondly, we support the role played by the elected members of the Security Council as bridge builders and path finders to find solutions and to avoid the use of the veto.

9 Thirdly, it is equally important for members of the General Assembly to take the initiative when needed, to support the work of the Council, by proposing ideas or solutions for the consideration of the General Assembly.  The recently launched Digital Handbook on the General Assembly’s Past Practice on Peace and Security can be a good reference point in this regard. The use of the veto should therefore not be seen as the end of a conversation but as the beginning of a new conversation that could lead to specific decisions to be adopted by the General Assembly.  If we are to make the UN truly effective and responsive, it is important for the General Assembly to also exercise its responsibility for the maintenance of peace and security. 

10 Thank you for your attention.

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