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SINGAPORE: A rules-based multilateral system, with the United Nations at the center, is “our best hope for building a stable international environment,” Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Monday (September 21).
Such a system has “given small states like Singapore a voice and an interest in the global commons,” he said in a speech recorded during a high-level meeting to mark the 75th anniversary of the United Nations. The meeting is taking place virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The great powers also benefit from a more peaceful and stable global environment, and when they take joint initiatives through multilateral institutions, this enhances their political legitimacy and moral authority.”
READ: World leaders point to UN at 75, challenged by COVID-19, tensions between the United States and China
The world was changing even before COVID-19, Lee said, citing growing geopolitical tensions and “fissures” in globalization. He also said that isolationism, protectionism and unilateralism were pushing back multilateral institutions and international cooperation.
These problems became more apparent due to the pandemic, but “it also reminded us how interconnected and interdependent countries are and why we must all work together to overcome the most serious challenge of our time,” he added.
However, recent trends, such as the inability to reach consensus on important issues and conflicts affecting societies, have also exposed the shortcomings of such institutions, he noted.
The COVID-19 pandemic, which emerged at the end of last year, forced millions to stay at home and to close international borders, dealing a severe blow to economies around the world.
The UN has fought to enforce global cooperation on the issue. The UN General Assembly only adopted a blanket resolution on a “comprehensive and coordinated response” to the pandemic earlier this month. The United States and Israel voted against the resolution, which included recognition of the leadership role of the World Health Organization.
“We must work together to update and reform our multilateral institutions, including the UN, to keep institutions open, inclusive and fit for purpose, to reflect current economic and political realities, and to respond effectively to the shared challenges of our time. “. Mr. Lee said.
Such challenges, he said, include pandemics, climate change, extremist terrorism, sustainable development and cybersecurity.
“Member states expect a lot from the UN, and it is only fair that we give the UN the latitude, resources and mandate provided to fulfill its demanding mission,” he added.
Mr. Lee also reaffirmed Singapore’s commitment to the future of the organization and the values and ideals of the UN Charter.
“We are equally determined to work with all countries, including through the Small States Forum that we help establish, to strengthen the UN,” he said.
