STATEMENT BY MS JOPHIE TANG, CHARGE D'AFFAIRES A.I. OF SINGAPORE TO THE UNITED NATIONS, AT THE SECURITY COUNCIL OPEN DEBATE ON THE WORKING METHODS OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL, 6 FEBRUARY 2018

1.                 Thank you Mr President. I take this opportunity to congratulate the new elected members of the Security Council, and to thank Kuwait for convening today's meeting.

2.                 I would also like to thank Japan for its efforts over the past two years in steering the work of the Informal Working Group on Documentation and Other Procedural Questions.  Under Japan's leadership, a major update of Note 507 on the working methods of this Council was compiled and issued in August 2017. Last week, we began a new round of inter-governmental negotiations on reform of the Security Council. Today's Open Debate is therefore a timely occasion to reflect on progress made thus far, and what can still be improved.

3.                 To begin, we are pleased that there has been significant progress in transparency in recent years. The number of public meetings have increased steadily since 2013. Webcasting of meetings and media interactions have given greater visibility to the Council's work. More information is also now available through the Council's website as well as social media. My delegation is also grateful to the Members of this Council who have actively sought to engage and brief the wider membership on key issues of interest.

4.                 Steps have also been taken in recent years to improve inclusiveness. Singapore is encouraged that Council members have made greater use of different formats since 2015 to engage more interactively with the General Assembly, including informal briefings, Arria-formula meetings, Toledo-format dialogues, and so on. We also note the growing regularisation of meetings by each month's President to introduce the new programme of work, and wrap-up sessions to reflect on the work of the past month. These are important opportunities for the Council to have exchanges with other Member States on its work.

5.                 In terms of effectiveness, the record has been mixed. There have been many occasions over the last three years where this Council has achieved unity on difficult subjects, and found its voice in responding to critical developments. However, there have also been other occasions when the Council has not managed to reach consensus, or take adequate action. In this, Singapore's views on the use of the veto are well-known, and I will not repeat them here. Instead, we ask the Members of this Council, and most especially its Permanent Members, to reflect on their role in the maintenance of international peace and security. Robust debate must also be accompanied by a willingness to compromise in the search for solutions. Otherwise, this Chamber will amount to little more than a stage on which the Security Council postures, without meaningful impact on the ground.

Mr President,

6.                 These three principles are not mutually exclusive. They are a call for the Security Council to be more transparent, inclusive, and effective. Only then can the Council also be more accountable to the wider membership. In this regard, we think there are some practical steps that the Security Council can take.

7.                 First, as highlighted by Kuwait in its concept note for this Open Debate, more can be done to involve concerned States or regional bodies on issues and decisions that impact them. The Council has stepped up informal consultations with concerned States in recent years. We encourage the Council to reflect on regularising this process where possible. The Council should also find ways to deepen its coordination with troop- and police-contributing countries. Our discussions on the evolution of peacekeeping, peacebuilding, and the peace continuum continue to evolve, both within and outside this Chamber. The common anchor for all these discussions must be adequate consideration for the practical challenges of implementation on the ground, especially when decisions by this Council have far-reaching impact, and the General Assembly is called upon to resource them.

8.                 Second, we encourage the Council to look seriously at ways to improve the implementation of sanctions. Australia, Finland, Germany, Greece, and Sweden made an important contribution to this process through the High Level Review of UN Sanctions in 2014. Last year, Egypt made another important contribution, convening several meetings on the practical challenges of sanctions implementation, and capturing its reflections in document S/2017/1098. This is a concrete beginning that we should build on, and the Council should find ways to continue working with the General Assembly to take this forward.

9.                 Third, we urge the Council to continue reviewing and strengthening the role of elected Members. The Council's membership is not perfect. 66 states have never served on the Council. But the ten elected Members of this Council were chosen by their peers to represent their interests and concerns. A positive step was taken last year to invite newly elected Members to observe meetings of the Council, subsidiary bodies, and informal consultations for the three months immediately preceding their term of membership. More can be done to strengthen their voice and role on the Council, including through a review of the penholder system.

10.               Finally, over the last year, we have heard much about performance, benchmarks, and indicators of achievement for the peacekeeping operations, Special Political Missions, subsidiary bodies, and other processes that are mandated by the Council. It is time for the Council to also account for its own performance, and begin by adopting its own rules of procedure. They constitute the only official set of rules guiding the working methods of this important body, and yet remain provisional after seventy years. The General Assembly sought to ameliorate this situation somewhat in 1952, by mandating a Repertoire of the Practice of the Security Council.[1] 66 years on, the Council should do its part.

Mr President,

11.               Singapore welcomes Kuwait's chairmanship of the Informal Working Group on Documentation and Other Procedural Questions. This Open Debate is a positive beginning, and we look forward to continued and meaningful engagement between the Council and General Assembly under your leadership.

Thank you.

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_{[1] Resolution 686 (VII), 5 December 1952.}