STATEMENT BY AMBASSADOR BURHAN GAFOOR, PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF THE REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE TO THE UNITED NATIONS, ON AGENDA ITEM 113, REPORT OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL ON THE WORK OF THE ORGANISATION, 8 OCTOBER 2018

Thank you very much, Mr President.

                    I thank Secretary-General António Guterres for his comprehensive report on the work of the Organisation.  I also take this opportunity to congratulate the Secretary-General for his excellent statement made at the beginning of the High-Level Week.  Today, I would like to touch on several points concerning the report of the Secretary-General.

2                  First, we note that the report begins with the assessment that “as today’s problems grow ever more global, multilateralism is more important than ever”.  I must say that Singapore agrees wholeheartedly with this assessment of the Secretary-General.  We are concerned with the growing retreat away from multilateralism, especially in a context where no nation can solve trans-boundary problems single-handedly.  We also agree with the statement made by the Secretary-General at High Level Week, where he said that the world was suffering from a bad case of “Trust Deficit Disorder”.  There is a clear need to rebuild trust among nations, especially among the major powers of the world.  In particular, the permanent members of the Security Council have a special responsibility to work together and build consensus, especially in the context of their work in the Council.  We also call on the major powers to avoid selective multilateralism or multilateralism a la carte.  In other words, the major powers cannot support multilateralism when it suits their objectives, and choose to abandon multilateralism when it does not suit their objectives.  That is selective multilateralism, and that is not what we need.  As a small country, the multilateral rules-based system is fundamental to Singapore’s survival and existence.  Small countries do not have the luxury to pursue selective multilateralism.  We are completely committed to upholding the rules-based multilateral system, because that ensures our survival as small states.  We were therefore very encouraged by the strong and consistent support expressed by almost every country and every leader from this very podium in support of multilateralism, in support of the rules-based system, and  in support of the work of the UN.  As the ultimate bastion of multilateralism, the United Nations remains indispensable to addressing the complex, trans-boundary issues faced by the international community.    

3                  Second, we appreciate the Secretary-General’s energetic efforts to reform the United Nations.  To keep the United Nations continually relevant, it is important that the United Nations itself becomes more nimble.    And in the same vein, the very process of reform should be pursued in a nimble way.  The worst thing we can do is to introduce more bureaucracy and more complexity in the name of reforms and efficiency.  That is not what the United Nations needs.  Even as the Secretary-General’s reforms proceed in earnest, there should be opportunities for further improvement, course correction or calibration as necessary.  This would entail regular reporting by the Secretary-General, regular consultation and briefings by the Secretary-General and his team to Member States.  Ultimately, the underlying objective of reform should be to make the United Nations more effective, more accountable and more responsive to the needs of all Member States and people all around the world. 

4                 Third, Singapore welcomes the Secretary-General’s focus on technology and frontier issues.  We support the establishment of the Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on Digital Cooperation.  In our view, technology is crucial to the realisation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and we must redouble our efforts to reap the benefits of technology.  At the same time, it is essential that we strengthen our defences to protect societies from the risks posed by technology, such as cyber-attacks and cybercrime.  We believe that the United Nations can and must play a critical role to broaden consensus on norms of responsible state behaviour in cyberspace.  We are pleased that the Secretary-General’s Agenda for Disarmament affirms his commitment to foster a culture of accountability and adherence to emerging norms, rules and principles on responsible behaviour in cyberspace.  Singapore strongly supports continued work on cybersecurity at the United Nations, including the reconvening of the Group of Governmental Experts.

5                 Finally, Singapore notes that the Secretary-General has consistently emphasised the growing need to strengthen partnerships between the United Nations and regional organisations.  The work of regional organisations is of paramount importance, not least because they provide valuable perspectives on the particular context of a particular region.  We welcome the interactive dialogue session between the Secretary-General and heads of regional organisations, as a concrete way to promote understanding of each region’s unique circumstances. 

6                 As Chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2018, Singapore was pleased to chair the annual ASEAN Foreign Ministers meeting with the Secretary-General and the President of the General Assembly just two weeks ago.  The meeting was a useful opportunity to take stock of the wide-ranging cooperation between ASEAN and the United Nations, and to chart the way forward in potential areas of future collaboration, including emerging issues such as cybersecurity. 

Mr President,

7                 Let me conclude with two suggestions. 

8                 First, we suggest that future reports by the Secretary-General on the Work of the Organization contain a concise list of the Secretary-General’s priorities and objectives for the coming year.  We understand that the priorities of the United Nations may evolve over the year to keep up with developments – and indeed they must evolve, to ensure that we respond to global crises promptly.  However, we believe that a list of broad priorities will set a clear tone and direction for the upcoming year, and allow Member States to work more productively with the Secretary-General.  Moreover, effectively communicating the Secretary-General’s priorities and objectives for the year would also facilitate greater transparency and build confidence in the work of the United Nations and the United Nations Secretariat. 

9                 My second relates to the timing and format of this debate.  We note that this report was presented by the Secretary-General on 25 September 2018, right at the start of the General Debate just two weeks ago.  During High Level Week, we heard the views of so many leaders on multilateralism and the work of the UN.  Therefore, we are not sure whether it is really productive to have another formal debate like this one, especially so soon after High Level Week.  It seems to me that everyone, including the Secretary-General himself, is treating the debate on the Report of the Work of the Organisation as a ritual and as a formality to tick off the boxes.   My delegation is of the view that we should carefully consider ways we can improve the quality of this debate, including by shifting the timing of the debate.  This debate could serve as an important platform for the Secretary-General to communicate priorities and proposals, and to communicate an interim update on progress on the key initiatives.  I know we have always done this debate in this manner, but that is no good reason to continue the ritual.  We would also  suggest that the Secretary-General consider convening an informal dialogue with Member States to allow an interactive discussion with the Secretary-General and with each other.  This would be in addition to the formal debate we are having today, which, as you can see, has not attracted too much interest and engagement, judging by the list of speakers.   

Madame President,

10                I wish to conclude by emphasising Singapore’s support for the Secretary-General, and we look forward to continue working constructively with him, so that collectively, as the United Nations, we can construct a better future for our people.

11               I thank you very much for your attention.

.    .    .    .    .