Statement in Explanation of Vote by Ambassador Burhan Gafoor, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Singapore, at the 10th Emergency Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly, 18 September 2024, New York

Mr President,

I am taking the floor to explain my delegation’s vote on the resolution we have just adopted.

2 Singapore has always attached the greatest importance to international law and the principles of the UN Charter. We voted in favour of this resolution after careful and thorough consideration due to our respect for the International Court of Justice, which is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations as well as for international law more broadly.

3 Nevertheless, we wish to place on record our serious reservations, as we did when General Assembly resolution A/RES/77/247 was adopted in November 2022, about the use of the Court’s advisory jurisdiction to bypass the need for States’ consent in submitting what are essentially political disputes between two parties for adjudication. This approach sets an unsettling precedent, with wider implications that warrant further examination. We do not consider it appropriate to involve the Court in such disputes in this way.

Mr President, 

4 We have serious reservations about the resolution’s call for measures that have not been negotiated by the Israelis and Palestinians, the parties directly involved in the conflict. We are concerned that this will further harden positions on both sides, and make the prospects of a political solution even more remote. Both Israelis and Palestinians have legitimate security needs that must be taken into consideration in order to break the cycle of violence. Our longstanding view remains that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict can only be resolved through direct negotiations between both sides so as to achieve a comprehensive, just and durable solution. 

5 In this connection, Singapore does not endorse the overreaching scope of the modalities and actions prescribed by the resolution for States, particularly, but not limited to, those enumerated in operative paragraphs four and five. They include measures that go beyond not just the advisory opinion but also our current obligations under international law, and will have far-reaching consequences on the prospects of the peace process. 

6 As nearly a year has passed since the attack of 7 October 2023 by Hamas on Israel, our priority now must be to redouble efforts to implement UN Security Council resolutions on the situation in Gaza and work towards a ceasefire. The 7 October 2023 attack by Hamas on Israel was a terrorist attack and Israel, like every country, has a right to defend itself, in accordance with international law. Today, 101 hostages still remain in Gaza and Singapore continues to call for their safe, unconditional and immediate release. At the same time, in exercising its right of defence, Israel must comply fully with international law, including international humanitarian law, and the rules governing the conduct of war.  In our view, the Israeli military response has gone too far.  In addition, Singapore’s consistent view on Israeli settlements is that they are illegal under international law and they make it much harder to arrive at a two-state solution. Both sides must find the resolve to remove obstacles to peace and work towards a negotiated two-state solution in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

7 And returning to this resolution that we have just adopted today, however well-intentioned we are in seeking clarity on the legal position, we need to exercise the utmost care in the appropriateness of involving the Court in disputes like this where the ultimate objective of an enduring solution depends on the disputing parties being able to achieve a negotiated solution. In Singapore’s view, that should surely be the goal of all Members of this august Assembly.

8 I thank you very much for your attention. 

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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

SINGAPORE

19 SEPTEMBER 2024