STATEMENT BY MR DARREL CHUA, DELEGATE FOR THE PERMANENT MISSION OF THE REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE TO THE UNITED NATIONS, AT THE OPEN DEBATE ON “COOPERATION BETWEEN THE UN AND REGIONAL AND SUB-REGIONAL ORGANISATIONS: THE ROLE OF STATES, REGIONAL ARRANGEMENTS AND THE UNITED NATIONS IN THE PREVENTION AND RESOLUTION OF CONFLICTS”, 6 DECEMBER 2018, UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL

Mr President,

1                 Thank you for convening this open debate on this very important topic on the role of states, regional arrangements and the United Nations in the prevention and resolution of conflicts.

2                 As a small country, Singapore’s security and prosperity are highly dependent on a stable regional and international order. We therefore firmly believe in conflict prevention and preventive diplomacy. Timely political action must be taken to prevent disputes that could threaten regional peace and stability from escalating into all-out confrontation. Singapore also believes that regional security and stability are best served by a robust, open and inclusive security architecture that encourages all relevant parties to have a voice at the table and engage constructively in dialogue with one another.

3                 As a founding member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) 51 years ago, Singapore has seen the strides that ASEAN has taken over the decades in its contributions to peace and stability in the region. ASEAN was formed in a time of great geopolitical instability. Southeast Asia was divided, and conflicts rife. The fact that the founding members of ASEAN – Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand – could get together to establish ASEAN despite fundamental differences was a major achievement. Since then, the ASEAN family has grown to ten. There has been no outright conflict or war between ASEAN Member States. There are, and will be, disagreements. But what is important is that each ASEAN Member State remains committed to consensus and resolving differences through words rather than weapons. In this day and age, this is an achievement worth celebrating and must also be preserved at all costs.

4                 ASEAN also recognised that an effective regional security framework for peace and stability has to be based on strong support for a rules-based multilateral system and international law. We also need to have greater communication, mutual trust and confidence among all relevant stakeholders in the region so that miscalculations and mishaps are minimalised. The ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus), which involves eight of ASEAN’s Dialogue Partners, namely Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia and US, aims to achieve that at the highest level among the respective Defence Ministers. The ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) comprising 27 members, including the EU, seeks to do the same. Both the ADMM-Plus and ARF are ASEAN-led mechanisms that provide avenues for greater interaction and dialogue among countries. They play an important role in conflict prevention and the development of a more robust, rules-based regional security order.

Mr President,

5                 The UN cannot prevent conflict or deal with these transboundary and contemporary threats alone. States and regional organisations must be meaningfully engaged to complement the work of the UN in addressing these issues. The Plan of Action (2016 - 2020) to implement the Joint Declaration on Comprehensive Partnership between ASEAN and the UN is an example. It outlines the strategic priorities that will be undertaken by both sides to further enhance political-security, economic and socio-cultural cooperation. Of note, it promotes closer cooperation for sustaining peace, preventive diplomacy, and in confidence-building measures though capacity building activities. The importance of enhancing cooperation in preventive diplomacy and conflict prevention was further emphasised in the recent meeting between ASEAN and UN Secretary-General.

6                 The recognition of the contributions of regional organisations to peace and security is not new, and has been outlined in Security Council resolution 1631 (2005) and plenary resolution A/RES/69/277 “Political declaration on strengthening cooperation between the United Nations and regional and sub-regional organisations”. Last week, the General Assembly adopted seven resolutions which highlighted the further collaboration and deepening engagement between regional organisations and the UN. Given their specialised knowledge, functional expertise and holistic understanding of regional contexts, such organisations can contribute to enhancing the work of the UN in a manner which takes into account the specific circumstances and needs of each Member State. This is an important element in gaining the trust and confidence of the parties involved. Trust, and confidence, are integral to any dialogue and negotiation process.

7                 Thank you.

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