First, let me say that I am delivering this statement on behalf of my Ambassador, Mr. Kishore Mahbubani.
We would like to congratulate the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran for launching this timely initiative. This year, Singapore has decided to sponsor the draft resolution; we will there…
We would like once again to commend the Secretary-General for producing a comprehensive and thoughtful report on the work of the Organization. The challenges faced by the United Nations in recent years have become more complex, and so too have its responses. Indeed, the report is rich in details. We…
First let convey my warmest congratulations to you, Mr. President, on your election. As we enter the new millennium, the United Nations is crossing a significant threshold, and we need a seasoned hand to lead us. Your long experience with the
Let me also thank your distinguished predecessor, Mr. Di…
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is clearly a landmark development in the history of man. On this there can be no doubt. It is remarkable that it took humankind several thousand years after the origins of human society to agree on a simple truth: “All human beings are born free and
Even if…
The key question on our minds today is a simple one: is the Y2K problem a serious one or is it not? What I hope to demonstrate in my remarks today is that this is a serious but not necessarily apocalyptic problem, unless we choose to ignore it.
By now the origins of the Y2K problem are well known. …
We have laboured for five hard years and put in countless hours in Working Group meetings. Yet it is clear that we are no nearer to a solution of the issue before us. Why is this so? The task we have been trying to accomplish could be compared to our trying to move a heavy boulder up a mountain. If …
Singapore was delighted to see Mr. Didier Opertti unanimously elected as the fifty- third President of the United Nations General Assembly. As this century draws to a close, the world is experiencing dramatic changes. We live in an era of great uncertainties. At this crucial juncture, we are delight…
Our discussions on Security Council reform over the last four years have resulted in two clear, if somewhat contradictory, conclusions. First, there is little doubt that the majority of Member States consider the current composition and working methods of the Security Council archaic and unsatisfact…
It is an honour for me to speak on behalf of the Singapore delegation on this agenda item, “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Inter- Parliamentary Union”. At the outset, my delegation would like to thank the Secretary-General for his comprehensive report (A/52/456). I would also like to…
Let me congratulate you, Sir, on your election to the presidency of the fifty- second session of the General Assembly. I also thank our outgoing President, Mr. Razali Ismail, for his untiring efforts. He catalysed a change in our approach to Security Council reform and set a new trajectory for it.
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The Israeli Government’s decision to proceed with the construction of an Israeli settlement in East Jerusalem could have the effect of undermining the spirit of trust and cooperation that is vital to the success of the Middle East peace process. At a time when the peace process has gathered new mome…
Singapore voted in support of resolution 55/8, because we agree that it contains many useful and constructive elements that encourage
responsible fishing practices and sustainable fisheries- resources management.
However, Singapore would like to place on record its position on references contained…
Like many other Member countries of the United Nations, Singapore was gravely concerned at the violent confrontations that occurred in September this year in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, after Israel opened a second entrance to the Western Wall tunnel, near the Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem’s …
I would like at the outset to associate myself with previous speakers in thanking the President of the Security Council, Ambassador Nugroho Wisnumurti of Indonesia, for the submission and introduction of the report of the Security Council covering the period from 16 June 1995 to 15 June 1996.
The G…
Singapore has once again voted in support of the resolution on this issue (A/51/L.15) which we have just adopted. In doing so, we still take no position on the specific bilateral problems that led to the imposition of the embargo against Cuba. This is a matter for the two countries to settle bilater…
At the outset, I would like to thank the Co-Vice-Chairmen of the Open-ended Working Group on the Question of Equitable Representation on and Increase in the Membership of the Security Council and Other Matters Related to the Security Council, the Permanent Representative of Thailand, Ambassador Jaya…
Since this is the first time that I am speaking here during this session, I would like to express my sincere congratulations to Mr. Razali Ismail on his election as President and to take this opportunity to express my delegation’s satisfaction at the manner in which he has steered the course of the …
Last year we met in a celebratory mood. But after every party comes the sober dawn, and we now face the sombre reality that the United Nations risks marginalization. Its role in the twenty-first century is not to be taken for granted.
The sad truth is that today the United Nations plays little or n…
The current prolonged and tragic violence in Lebanon, as well as the acts of terrorism in Israel that preceded and provoked it, are irresponsible and retrograde actions that have placed the Middle East peace process in jeopardy. They threaten to reactivate a cycle of conflict and bloodshed. They onl…
It is a conceit of professional economists to believe that economic
development depends primarily on economic science. Clearly, this is, at best, an over-simplification. In fact, professional economists have not been noticeably successful in managing real economies. Ever since 1969, when the Nobel …
