STATEMENT BY AMBASSADOR BURHAN GAFOOR PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF SINGAPORE ON AGENDA ITEM 110 ON THE “REPORT OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL ON THE WORK OF THE ORGANIZATION” 22 JANUARY 2020

1                  I would like to start by commending the President of the General Assembly for his leadership in convening this meeting, and for being present here during the discussions.  I also acknowledge the presence of the Chef de Cabinet of the Secretary-General, whose presence here is very important.  This is a very important debate for all of us.  My delegation was one of those who had suggested that we should reschedule the debate to earlier in the year so as to make it productive as well as interactive.  I would like to thank the President of the General Assembly very much for taking heed of our request.  The Secretary-General’s annual report is an important mechanism for transparency and accountability to keep Member States informed of what the organisation has done over the past year to deliver on its mandates, and to assess the impact this has had on the ground. 

2                  I would like to thank the Secretary-General for the very comprehensive report that he presented this morning, and the written report that has been submitted on the work of the organisation.  We welcome the updated format of the report, which sets out in a very clear way the United Nation’s key priorities for the year, as well as the context, key objectives, outcomes, and outlook for the different areas. 

3                 Please allow me to make several points in addition to those I made earlier in the morning.  First, as the Secretary-General notes in the report’s Introduction, it is clear that the UN’s purposes and principles remain as important as when the organisation was first created.  We are unfortunately witnessing a retreat from multilateralism even as the world faces grave and growing transnational challenges that no single Member State can tackle alone.  A universal, rules-based multilateral system is essential if we are to address the complex problems of our time.  The UN plays a critical role as a platform for global engagement and cooperation, based on the principles of mutual respect, mutual benefit and international law.  This message came through loud and clear in the statements by our leaders during the High Level Week last September.  As we prepare to commemorate the 75^th anniversary of the United Nations this year and as we all get ready to reaffirm our collective commitment to multilateralism, it is fundamental that every member of the UN fulfil their responsibility to uphold international law and the principles of the UN Charter.  Each one of us has a responsibility to support the work of the UN, so that we can collectively and individually support the work of the Secretary-General.

4                 Second, we welcome the steps that the Secretary-General has taken to reform the organisation to make it more fit for purpose.  The repositioning of the UN development system, with its objective of empowering Resident Coordinators and creating a new generation of UN Country Teams, was a key part of this reform exercise.  We commend the progressive strengthening of the UN response to country needs in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, and note the ongoing dialogues with national partners to develop a new set of UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Frameworks.  We know that there are some outstanding mandates that require expeditious completion.  In this regard, we look forward to the completion as soon as possible of the reform of the regional economic commissions and the review of the multi-country offices.  These reforms will ensure stronger coordination across the system at all levels, and better support and assist country-level efforts led and owned by national governments to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.  At the same time, it is important to ensure that the organisation continues to make adjustments, improvements and course correction if necessary during the implementation phase.  Ultimately, the reform exercise must be able to deliver on its mandate, and deliver results for the people.

5                  Third, my delegation continues to be concerned about the financial situation of the organisation, which faced its worst liquidity crisis in over a decade last year. We appreciate the Secretary-General’s efforts to minimise negative impacts on mandate delivery amidst the difficult financial environment, including through the imposition of temporary austerity measures. While these measures were painful, we recognise that they were necessary to ensure the continued operations of the organisation.  However, we must also recognise that the root cause of the crisis lies in the fact that contributions continue to be withheld.  No amount of austerity measures and flexibility to manage the budget will solve a basic lack of resources. All Member States have the legal and financial obligation to pay their dues in full, on time, and without conditions.  Indeed, this is the foundation of a multilateral system that we have all agreed to create and support.  Singapore remains committed to supporting the Secretary-General’s efforts to secure sufficient and predictable financial contributions, and we urge all Member States to fulfil their financial obligations to the organisation in full, on time and without conditions.

6                 Fourth, we welcome the Secretary-General’s continued focus on promoting international cooperation and inclusive processes to take advantage of the opportunities presented by new technologies.  Yet it is clear that even as we strive to maximise the benefits of technology to support and strengthen efforts towards the achievement of international peace and security, sustainable development and human rights, we must also minimise and mitigate its negative impacts.  This requires better coordination and cooperation among the different stakeholders.  We welcome the report of the High-level Panel on Digital Cooperation, and look forward to further discussion and follow up on its recommendations.  We believe that this report will supplement the work that is being undertaken in the various UN processes, including the Group of Governmental Experts and the Open Ended Working Group on Cybersecurity.  The UN has a critical role to play in the creation of a new global architecture for digital cooperation, as well as help broaden consensus on norms of responsible behaviour in cyberspace.

7                 Fifth, we welcome the Secretary-General’s launch of the UN75 initiative to kick off a global conversation across borders, sectors and generations about people’s experiences and their expectations and vision for the future.  On this, we are especially pleased that the SG has placed an emphasis on engaging young people on the issues they see as most important to them, on the future they want, and their expectations of how international cooperation can help achieve it.  We look forward to hearing the SG’s report on the views and ideas generated during the UN75 dialogues at the High Level Event in September to mark the UN’s 75^th anniversary.

8                 I will conclude by reiterating Singapore’s support for your work, as well as the Secretary-General’s work, as all of us collectively work to deliver the mandates that Member States have set for the UN.  Singapore is fully committed to working together with all Member States to achieve our common objective of delivering a better future for all our peoples.  Thank you.

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