Skip to main content
A Singapore Government Agency Website How to identify
Official website links end with .gov.sg
Secure websites use HTTPS
Look for a lock () or https:// as an added precaution. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
Government officials will never ask you to transfer money or disclose bank log-in details over a phone call.

Call the 24/7 ScamShield Helpline at 1799 if you are unsure if something is a scam. For more information on how to protect yourself against scams, please visit the ScamShield website (opens in new tab).

New York UN
Others

STATEMENT BY AMBASSADOR BURHAN GAFOOR, PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF THE REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE TO THE UNITED NATIONS, AT THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL ARRIA-FORMULA MEETING “SAFE SEAS, SHARED SECURITY: PROTECTING FREEDOM OF NAVIGATION IN AN EVOLVING

17 September 2026

A concise summary of the main points regarding this article.

STATEMENT BY AMBASSADOR BURHAN GAFOOR,
PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF THE REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE TO THE UNITED NATIONS,

 AT THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL ARRIA-FORMULA MEETING

“SAFE SEAS, SHARED SECURITY: PROTECTING FREEDOM OF NAVIGATION IN AN EVOLVING SECURITY ENVIRONMENT”

17 SEPTEMBER 2026

1                   I thank the Kingdom of Bahrain for organising this timely meeting and also express my appreciation to the briefers for their valuable contributions.

2                  Singapore is  an international maritime and shipping hub, and for us, open, safe and secure sea lines of communication are paramount. Freedom of navigation is an existential issue not just for Singapore, but for the global community as well, as more than 80 percent of the total volume of global trade is transported by sea. Allow me to make three points.

3                  First, we must uphold and defend the navigational rights and freedoms founded on international law. At the foundation of this is UNCLOS, which sets out the legal framework within which all activities in the oceans and seas must be carried out. It is regrettable that recent geopolitical tensions and conflicts have spilled into the maritime domain, jeopardised the safety of commercial shipping, and precipitated a global energy and trade crisis. As we seek peaceful resolutions to these conflicts, it is important that law-abiding States stand together and defend  the clear and categorical position that the right of transit passage through Straits Used for International Navigation is a right enshrined in UNCLOS and customary international law. States bordering such straits shall not hamper or suspend transit passage, and cannot impose tolls or fees for passage. As my Foreign Minister,  Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan, has said previously, and I quote: "There is a right of transit passage. It is not a privilege to be granted by a bordering state. It is not a licence to be supplicated for, and it is not a toll to be paid.”

4                  The second point I wish to make is that any practical arrangements to ensure the safety of critical waterways must be founded on international law, and not in any way weaken the foundational framework of the rule of law at sea. Given that these waterways are often bordered by more than one State, it is inevitable that there is a need for international cooperation. One example from our region is the Cooperative Mechanism on Safety of Navigation and Environment Protection in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore. The Cooperative Mechanism brings together the three littoral States – Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore – with user States and the shipping industry to keep the Straits safe, open, and stable. The Mechanism is fully consistent with international law and is the first and only instance of the implementation of Article 43 of UNCLOS, which provides that user States and littoral States should cooperate to establish and maintain navigational and safety aids and pollution control measures in Straits Used for International Navigation. The Cooperative Mechanism has enabled user States and littoral States to work together on implementing and funding joint projects, including the replacement and maintenance of aids to navigation. More importantly, such cooperation and contributions are entirely voluntary. They do not constitute mandatory charges for passage, which would be a violation of international law, but are practical cooperation arrangements, grounded in UNCLOS.  

5                  The third point I wish to make is that the issue of navigational rights and freedoms, is not an abstract legal issue, but one that goes to the heart of our shared prosperity and survival as a community of nations. If our sea lanes continue to be blocked or held hostage, there will be disastrous consequences for energy markets, supply chains, and consumer prices around the world. We are already seeing the consequences from the recent events in the Strait of Hormuz reverberating through many regions. While no country is immune to the impact of such disruptions, the reality is that there is a disproportionate impact on the smallest countries, especially developing countries and including Small Island Developing States. Our collective interest is therefore clear and the stakes are high for all of us. We must uphold international law and act collectively to address critical maritime security challenges to keep our oceans safe, secure and open for the well-being of all our people and all our nations. I thank you.