Small states

Overview

Small States, by their very nature, share specific concerns and common interests, such as environmental and economic vulnerabilities. Singapore supports platforms that allow small States to discuss issues of mutual concern, thereby giving them a bigger voice at the United Nations (UN). In 1992, Singapore, Barbados, and Cabo Verde co-founded an informal and non-ideological grouping of small States in New York known as the Forum of Small States (FOSS). Since then, Singapore has served as Chair of FOSS. It now comprises 108 countries across all geographical regions and at all levels of development and meets several times a year to discuss issues of concern to small States. Apart from New York, FOSS Chapters have also been established in Geneva, Vienna, and London.

In 2009, Singapore set up another informal grouping of 30 small- and medium-sized members of the UN: the Global Governance Group (3G). The 3G was formed primarily to, inter alia, promote greater transparency and inclusivity in the G20 process by encouraging stronger dialogue and linkages between the G20 and the broader UN membership. As the Convenor of the 3G, Singapore hosts, inter alia, the 3G Ministerial Meeting annually on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) High-Level Week, involving 3G members, the G20 Troika (past, present, and incoming presidencies), as well as the President of the UNGA.

In 2015, Singapore launched the FOSS Fellowship Programme to foster better understanding and closer cooperation among FOSS members. Under the Fellowship Programme, Ambassadors based in cities where FOSS Chapters exist are invited to Singapore for study visits, where they can exchange views on development challenges with Singapore’s leaders and policy makers. As of 2025, Singapore has hosted 147 Ambassadors from 85 countries under the Fellowship Programme.

To commemorate the 30^th anniversary of FOSS in 2022, Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan launched the “FOSS for Good” technical assistance package at the 76^th UNGA in September 2021. The package ran from FY2022 to FY2023 under the Singapore Cooperation Programme (SCP). It provided a peer-learning platform for FOSS members to share experiences, best practices, and solutions to tackle the unique development needs and challenges of small States, such as COVID-19 recovery and digital transformation. At the 79^th UNGA in 2024, Minister Balakrishnan announced the renewal of the package, which will run from FY2025 to FY2026.

In 2023, a sub-set of the FOSS, the Small States Group (SSG), was formed by 55 FOSS members to advance middle-ground positions in the context of the polarised negotiations on the Pact of the Future, a key outcome document of the Summit of the Future (SOTF). Since then, Singapore has mobilised the SSG to participate in discussions on key issues of common interest such as the UN80 reform initiative.

Besides FOSS and the 3G, Singapore is also an active member of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) and the Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Singapore is committed to assisting fellow SIDS through capacity building efforts under the SCP. SIDS officials have participated in our training programmes which cover diverse topics such as sustainable development and climate change, public governance, and economic development. In recognition of the unique challenges faced by SIDS, Singapore has offered special technical assistance packages for SIDS since 1999. The latest package – the “SIDS of Change” – was launched by then-Second Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Mohamad Maliki Osman at the Fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States in 2024. It offers targeted and tailor-made programmes, particularly on blue carbon and digitalisation. Some of these programmes will be organised through enhanced partnerships with the UN and other international organisations. It also allows for SIDS officials to be eligible for priority placement in other SCP courses as well as civil aviation and maritime fellowships.