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New York UN

STATEMENT BY MR. LUKE TANG, COUNSELLOR (LEGAL), PERMANENT MISSION OF SINGAPORE TO THE UNITED NATIONS, ON AGENDA ITEM 91, ON STRENGTHENING AND PROMOTING THE INTERNATIONAL TREATY FRAMEWORK, SIXTH COMMITTEE, 5 OCTOBER 2018

5 October 2018

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Mr. Chair,

1.                                Singapore associates itself with the statement delivered by Brazil, on behalf of Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Italy and Singapore.  We wish to add our voice to this discussion by making three brief points. 

2.                                First, I wish to register our appreciation for the inclusion of this new item on the agenda of the General Assembly.  A strong and robust international treaty framework is a critical component of a rules-based multilateral system, which is essential for the survival and success of small States such as Singapore.  Treaties are an indispensable tool in international relations, and their effective operation and implementation are vital to the rule of law at the international level.  We are therefore pleased that we now have a dedicated platform at the General Assembly to discuss issues relating to the international treaty framework.

3.                                This brings me to our second point, which is that it is an opportune moment for the General Assembly to review the regulations giving effect to Article 102 of the Charter of the United Nations. These regulations have not been reviewed since 1978 and we believe there are ways in which they can be updated and improved to reflect the technical advancements and realities of today’s modern society.  This would ensure that the regulations remain useful and relevant to Member States, and allow for an efficient use of resources of the United Nations Treaty Section.  At this juncture, we also wish to acknowledge the outstanding work of the Treaty Section, often the unsung hero working tirelessly in the background to oil the treaty machinery.  Among its many accomplishments is the online portal known as the United Nations Treaty Collection, which provides a wealth of information on treaty law and practice. 

4.                                Finally, it is our hope that this agenda item would provide the platform for wider discussion on other treaty law-related topics in the future.  This would allow delegations to share their thoughts and experiences, including the challenges they face, and exchange ideas and best practices such as those relating to treaty-making and implementation.  As such, we fully support including this item in the provisional agenda of a future session in order to further explore what is indeed a very rich and important topic. 

Thank you.

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