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Dr Balakrishnan said multilateralism remained particularly important in a more fragmented world marked by great-power competition, wars, trade barriers, supply chain disruptions and climate change.<\/span><\/p>\n He reiterated Singapore’s call for countries to uphold existing international law, pointing to the <\/span>closure of the Strait of Hormuz<\/span> amid the war in the Persian Gulf, which had put the <\/span>UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)<\/span> to a “severe stress test”.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cTransit passage through straits used for international navigation is a right for all of us. It is not a privilege subject to fees and tolls, and this is customary international law, which means it is binding on all states, whether or not they consider themselves parties or countries.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n How the world deals with the Strait of Hormuz situation will have implications for navigational rights and freedoms globally, he said.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAt stake is the legal architecture for freedom of navigation and overflight, and we cannot allow any single country to exercise a veto on these navigational rights and freedoms,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n The disruption of the Strait of Hormuz, which carried about a fifth of global oil supplies, had pushed up energy prices, disrupted supply chains and stranded seafarers, he added.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThis is why shared rules like UNCLOS matter. Defending them is not just a matter of principle or debate; it is in our collective interests. The largest economies depend on the open sea lanes as much as the smallest,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n Dr Balakrishnan also called for reform of existing multilateral institutions, including the global trading system and the UN itself.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe need a more flexible coalition of states and partners who are willing and able to move forward, whilst remaining open to others to join when they are ready,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n Dr Balakrishnan cited the examples of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), the largest trade agreement in the world, and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which now stretches from Asia to Latin America and to the United Kingdom.<\/span><\/p>\n Speaking to local media remotely from New York after delivering Singapore’s statement, Dr Balakrishnan said there had been “considerable interest” this year in the promise and perils of AI, and in how to deal with them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n While it was too early to conclude whether a <\/span>UN framework convention on AI safety<\/span> was necessary, “at least the discussions have begun”, he said.<\/span><\/p>\n Dr Balakrishnan said he was heading home feeling “slightly encouraged”, despite the world being at a disrupted and potentially dangerous phase, with issues such as the US-Iran war unresolved.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYou’re not going to get these all solved in one week, or frankly even in one year. But the fact that the conversations have begun, the options are being placed on the table, the implications are being studied, and people are assessing each other’s bottom lines, red lines, concerns and ambitions, is a very useful step,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n Singapore will watch the Hormuz situation closely and make its position known “not gratuitously and not provocatively, but carefully, deliberately and firmly”, he added.<\/span><\/p>\n The UN itself is in a time of change, with a new secretary-general to be elected, Dr Balakrishnan noted. He had met several candidates and found them experienced and committed to reforming the body.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cFrom the point of view of Singapore, we are a small country. We are just one member in an organisation with over 193 member states. We need to remain consistent, constructive, helpful, relevant, and that’s what Singapore has always sought to do in the 61 years that we’ve been here.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n As a trade-dependent state, Singapore needs a stable, predictable world where rules apply, contracts are honoured and states behave accordingly, he said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cNow, that sounds like a wish-list. It’s not something which Singapore can impose on other countries.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Still, it was better for countries to spend more time meeting and talking than to resort to coercive measures or, worse, hot wars and confrontations, he said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nSINGAPORE MUST REMAIN CONSISTENT, CONSTRUCTIVE<\/h2>\n