Ministry of Foreign Affairs Singapore

TRANSCRIPT OF MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS DR VIVIAN BALAKRISHNAN’S WRAP-UP INTERVIEW WITH SINGAPORE MEDIA DURING THE 80^TH SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY HIGH-LEVEL WEEK IN NEW YORK, 28 SEPTEMBER 2025

 

Minister Vivian Balakrishnan: Good morning, thanks for waking up so early to affix me. It has been a really hectic week. I began Monday in Parliament in Singapore, explaining our place on the Israel-Hamas battle and the popularity of Palestine. Then I rushed to catch a airplane to get right here simply in time for the opening of the UN General Assembly High-Level Week. It has been tremendous hectic. I feel I should have had at the least 30 formal conferences, however if you happen to add up all of the casual interactions, I most likely interacted with nearly 80 ministers over the course of the week. 

  

I additionally needed to chair the Global Governance Group, the ASEAN-Pacific Alliance Meeting, and attended quite a lot of receptions. Just to get a way of the zeitgeist, the considerations, and the anxieties on all kinds of points. I ought to say I spent a good period of time, particularly with our Arab pals, informally – significantly Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the UAE and Morocco. Another behind-the-scenes assembly was with an Israeli minister as effectively. All in all, these conferences gave me a superb general view of what are the considerations, what are the problems, each on the UN in addition to in particular areas of the world, a few of which clearly are areas of battle, areas the place peace can’t be taken as a right. 

  

I might say the important thing points that surfaced over this week; primary, in fact, considerations struggle and peace, the continued wars within the Middle East, Ukraine, Africa and a few anxieties relating even to the Pacific. That is one space of concern. The different space of concern that unfolded over the week, in fact, was tariffs, export controls, the affect on the worldwide financial system, and that continues to be background nervousness as effectively. And the opposite concern which the UN is anxious with, pertains to the 80^th anniversary of the UN. Everyone is aware of reform is required, however that is additionally occurring in a very delicate and tough time. The query is whether or not there shall be sufficient help for the UN to reform, and whether or not the UN will be capable of cope with points associated to peace, financial growth and sustainable growth, and administration of the worldwide commons – together with pandemics and local weather change. 

  

The different occasion that I participated in was to handle the Security Council on Artificial Intelligence (AI). I handled the potential and the alternatives that the AI revolution presents, in addition to the challenges, significantly the place it impacts struggle and peace. On struggle, the query of deadly autonomous weapons. At the strategic stage, the affect of AI on diplomacy and deterrence, and the way it will most likely rewrite a whole lot of the elemental perceptions which have undergirded the way in which diplomacy is carried out, the way in which deterrence is enforced. So, all in all, it has been a really hectic week overlaying wide-ranging points, but it surely was helpful for Singapore to be represented, to be heard, and to resume friendships which we have now had over time, and to type new partnerships. Just a few formal agreements have been signed for bilateral consultations with nations like Kenya and El Salvador. And we formally established diplomatic ties with Monaco, a state which we even have had de facto relations with for a really very long time. We obtained that completed with the Monaco Foreign Minister and witnessed by His Serene Highness Prince Albert II. 

  

Hariz Baharudin (Straits Times): Minister, can I ask you, what are your key takeaways from the discussions on the UNGA this 12 months, and in your view, what position does Singapore truly play in influencing and even contributing to regional and international geopolitical affairs?

  

Minister: Well, as I mentioned, first, the three large clusters of points on the UN: struggle and peace; financial growth, sustainable growth; and international commons – local weather change, pandemics, and how you can cope with AI. Those have been the themes that have been on the desk this 12 months. 

Particularly for Singapore, I might say we’re a small State, however we have now been current, we have now been constructive, we have now been a bridge builder, we have now been generally a coordinator. And in my speech, I outlined that even on this time when there’s deep nervousness concerning the means to attain consensus, the flexibility for the UN to be efficient, the flexibility for selections to be made – there was truly some items of fine information.

  

For occasion, earlier this week, for the BBNJ Agreement, which you recall, was presided by Ambassador Rena Lee of Singapore. Earlier this week, we went previous the 60 ratification threshold wanted to convey that into impact. So, the Agreement will come into impact in January subsequent 12 months. Another instance the Open Ended Working Group on Cyber Security, which was chaired for 5 years by our Permanent Representative to the UN Mr Burhan Gafoor, and you may think about that on such a delicate subject, to have the ability to obtain consensus settlement involving the United States, Russia, China, and, the truth is, the complete UN physique, it exhibits that multilateralism remains to be alive. Countries nonetheless recognise that regardless of all of the tensions, there are points that are finest handled in a multilateral, consensual means. And Singapore was in a position to assist result in that consensus. I additionally highlighted the instance of two treaties concluded within the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the Riyadh Design Law Treaty and Genetic Resources and Associated Traditional Knowledge (GRATK) Treaty. Again, to my nice shock, consensus was achieved, and treaties have been made. I feel we had a really competent Singaporean in command of World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Mr Daren Tang.

  

So, you recognize, we could also be small, however we’re in a position to make a contribution. The most important level which I used to be attempting to place throughout is that small states like Singapore and even medium powers nonetheless have company, nonetheless have strategic choices, and there’s a want for us to lean in to help each other, and to maintain multilateral processes and that mindset alive and effectively. And I might say it’s a mixture of hysteria for the state of the world, however nonetheless a way that small nations, collectively, could make a distinction.

  

Wong Siew Fong (Lianhe Zaobao): My query is on this 12 months’s UNGA dynamics. The Singapore Government has lengthy warned about fracturing international order, and this was fairly clearly on show on this 12 months’s UNGA. What does this sign concerning the present dynamics between main powers, not simply between US and China, but in addition between US and its conventional European allies. Thank you.

  

Minister: Well, first, I might say the UN remains to be the one organisation by which you get 193 nations, all represented. From America, President Trump was right here and made a speech. Not everybody will agree with all the things he mentioned, however nonetheless, he was current. From China, Premier Li Qiang was right here, and made a speech to the General Assembly as effectively. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov from Russia was right here. Of course, the Europeans, Africans, everybody was current. 

  

So sure, there are points; sure, there are tensions; sure, there are disagreements. But the actual fact is, that is nonetheless the one discussion board the place everyone is current, and if there’s ample goodwill and maturity, the truth is, some excellent conversations will be had, even on very tough points. So, I might say there’s a danger of fracture, however the UN remains to be the one recreation on the town, and it’s our obligation to lean in and to assist this means of engagement. I depart right here with a sensible sense of hysteria, however with optimism that multilateralism remains to be alive and effectively.

  

Batrisyia Baharim (Berita Harian): You have usually mentioned that for small States like Singapore, the worldwide rules-based order is an existential necessity. But in at present’s unstable and multi-polar world, the order is below pressure and unpredictability is rising. So towards this backdrop, what’s Singapore’s most important message in its nationwide assertion at this 12 months’s UNGA? And how do you hope it should resonate with each the worldwide group and Singaporeans?

  

Minister: Thank you. Well, if you happen to have a look at the assertion that I simply delivered, the primary level of reflection is on the previous 80 years after the Second World War, definitely for states like Singapore, who achieved the home prerequisite of nationwide identification, nationwide cohesion, good governance, and having hardworking and disciplined folks, the final 80 years was a time of alternative. It was a time when, first, there was no World War within the final 80 years, there was no nuclear holocaust due to the Mutually Assured Destruction Doctrine. Yes, there have been proxy wars. But if you happen to replicate on Singapore’s journey and that of many different small states, these 60 to 80 years was a time of alternative while you noticed independence, financial growth, prosperity, international provide chains, the dissemination of expertise, concepts, and mental property (IP). 

 

So for the primary level, on stability, the previous 80 years was a singular, and productive and constructive section of human historical past, fairly completely different from the primary half of the 20^th century – two world wars, tens of tens of millions of lives misplaced. The subsequent level, nevertheless, is that this section, that previous world order is over. And it’s over for quite a lot of causes and the superpower that underwrote this world order has taken a narrower or extra transactional view of issues. It feels that the world order that it underwrote maybe didn’t compensated in addition to it anticipated. It was anxious about others who have been free driving or profiting from it.

  

Be that as it could, the actual fact is the Underwriter-in-Chief has determined that it isn’t enterprise as standard. The second issue why the world order ended is that you simply now have a brand new superpower China, which has risen particularly since 1978 with the reform and opening initiated by Deng Xiaoping. 
 
That sharper superpower contestation does make it tougher for consensus to be achieved on the UN. It additionally does make it tougher for multilateralism to work and to forge collective and efficient responses to points affecting the worldwide commons similar to local weather change, pandemics, and sooner or later, AI. 
 
There can be nervousness concerning the effectiveness of the UN. I made the purpose in my assertion that if you happen to have a look at the UN and if you happen to have a look at the Security Council, it’s nonetheless an edifice that displays the realities of 1945. But 80 years later, the distribution of energy, the distribution of expertise, the distribution of affect may be very completely different. 

Yet, there was issue in reforming the UN to make it extra consultant and fit-for-purpose. But the purpose is that that is work in progress, and the UN remains to be the one recreation on the town. Multilateralism and rules-based multilateralism remains to be important, particularly for small States. We should not lose hope, and we should nonetheless insist on our personal company and our personal autonomy and work collectively.

I might say that so far as the UN membership is anxious, there’s nonetheless a wholesome majority that believes in rules-based multilateralism. That believes a correctly reformed UN that may ship the general public items wanted to guard the worldwide commons, keep peace, and supply hope for financial growth.  

 

Tan Min-Wei (Mothership): Good morning, Minister. Singapore has recognized local weather motion as one in all its home and worldwide priorities. But what can Singapore do within the face of such sturdy scepticism, as proven by President Trump throughout his speech earlier this week? In your individual speech, you mentioned, no single nation can resolve points similar to local weather change or pandemics. Is Singapore’s position on this to assist persuade or are we restricted to the companions who do agree with us?

  

Minister: I might say each. President Trump is clearly not satisfied that man-made actions is inflicting local weather change. I feel he made that very clear.  
 
Yet, if you happen to additionally hearken to his speech fastidiously, he talked about atmospheric and marine air pollution and the trans-boundary results of that.  My takeaway is that America, even below the present administration, does perceive that there’s a international commons, and that sometimes, relying on the modality, the worldwide commons can come below risk.

My response to that is to attempt to persuade everybody. Let us have a look at the proof objectively. So for example, if the carbon dioxide ranges on the planet at present are at unprecedented ranges, you most likely have to return a few 100 million years to the final time the world had carbon dioxide like this. For small, low-lying States, like these within the Pacific and the Caribbean, local weather change is an noticed actuality. Rising sea ranges, coral bleaching, the anxieties about preserving their sovereignty and their maritime entitlements. Again, the purpose is, allow us to comply with the science, have a look at the information, have a look at the proof. 

But I used to be cheered that President Trump acknowledged transboundary impacts and the truth that we do have to work collectively. So it’s a mixture of maintaining everyone centered on science, reminding everybody that nobody nation, not even a single superpower, can remedy all these issues by itself. All of us have to give you life like solutions and discover mechanisms by which we are able to work collectively. So I stay a guarded optimist for multilateralism and the safety of the worldwide commons.

 

Wong Siew Fong (Lianhe Zaobao): My query is that if the UN continues to weaken, what are the implications for small states like Singapore?

  

Minister: No, a weakened or dysfunctional UN may be very dangerous for small states. Small states want worldwide regulation. We should be current at fora the place our voices are heard. We want to have the ability to make frequent trigger. Problems within the international commons, local weather change, pandemics, AI gone fallacious will disproportionately affect small states extra so than bigger powers. So, we can’t afford to let the UN go down, however we’re life like that the UN does want reform, and my enchantment to everybody was to lean in and to assist the management within the UN, and that this can be a collective duty to enhance the group and make it match for objective. But the frequent thread by way of all that is working collectively.  

 

The different level, particularly for small states, is compliance with worldwide regulation. Now, the opposite concern, which clearly had vital traction right here, was what is occurring within the Middle East. If you concentrate on that, it’s an previous battle, a horrible tragedy with immense human struggling. We hope that within the subsequent few days, a ceasefire can come about. In my discussions with my Arab pals and with the Israelis, I do know that there’s a collection of crucial conferences occurring within the subsequent few days. We hope that good sense prevails. If we are able to get a right away ceasefire, a right away launch of hostages, a right away surge of humanitarian help, at the least on a human stage, we are able to cut back the struggling. The longer-term points will all the time be very tough. But you recognize, all wars cease sooner or later. It often ends on the negotiating desk. It breaks our coronary heart that a lot blood is misplaced while ready for an final resolution on the negotiating desk.  

 

The different level is worldwide regulation. In our interactions, as I informed you, with the Palestinian delegation, with my Arab pals and with the Israelis, I made it very clear that Singapore will go by worldwide regulation. And you recognize, it must be dealt with that means, as a result of if one aspect goes to insist which may is correct, and that the result should be primarily based on navy would possibly in the long term, that isn’t the way you get an answer that everybody will settle for. It is just not the answer that can work for the long run. And a world by which would possibly is correct is inimical to small States in the long term. So, it was a superb alternative for us to clarify Singapore’s place on the UN. And I can say that was there was understanding of our place. It doesn’t imply everybody agrees with the stance that we have now taken, however there was understanding and appreciation of our perspective. The most important level is that they know Singapore is targeted on being pragmatic, constructive, useful, constructing bridges, and bringing events collectively, even after they begin off both in a state of battle or from positions that are very, very completely different.  

 

So, to sum up, the world is just not in need of issues. There remains to be just one UN. There remains to be an absolute want for multilateralism. There remains to be a necessity for worldwide regulation. For small States like Singapore, and collectively with our companions, we are able to make a distinction. We must preserve plugging away. 

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