In this file photo dated April 4, 2022, Singapore's Minister of Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan makes a press statement with German Foreign Minister in the Foreign Office in Berlin, Germany. TOBIAS SCHWARZ POOL UNITED NATIONS - Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan stressed the importance of upholding the inclusive and rules-based multilateral system despite multiple challenges.
He told the General Debate of the UN General Assembly that the post-World War II era of relative stability and prosperity has come to an end.
Will there be a more peaceful, less prosperous, and more divided world? How do we strengthen multilateralism and the United Nations to deal with the challenges of the future, to uphold and strengthen the rules-based international system, and to harness the opportunities offered by new technologies? He asked.
The Singapore believes that the only way forward is to uphold the multilateral system that has underwritten peace and progress for all of us since World War II, said Balakrishnan.
Multilateral cooperation is the only way forward after fighting the COVID-19 epidemic, he said, adding that humanity shares one planet, and people's destinies are interwoven.
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No one is safe until all of us are safe. He said that this applies to the pandemics, but also to climate change, the conservation of the oceans, and many other shared challenges.
The multilateral system, which has been critical to global peace and security, is now being tested. The prospects for international cooperation have weakened considerably and the temptation for unilateralism has become stronger, he warned.
The recovery from COVID 19 remains uneven and fragile, the global economy is entering a period characterized by higher and prolonged inflation, and the climate crisis is a clear and present threat, the diplomat noted.
Balakrishnan said that multilateralism must be defended and fortified at this time when responding to these myriad opportunities and challenges must be rooted in the foundational tenet of multilateralism, including adherence to the UN Charter and international law.
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It is in the world's interests and in our own long-term interests to set aside our differences, to address the challenges of the global commons and to harvest the emerging opportunities provided by new technologies, Balakrishnan said.