MFA Press Statement: Visit by Minister of State Mr Sam Tan to Reykjavik, Iceland, 29 October to 3 November 2014

Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth Mr Sam Tan called on Icelandic President Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson at his official residence in Reykjavik, Iceland on 30 October 2014.  They reaffirmed the good relations between Singapore and Iceland, and exchanged ideas about international cooperation in the Arctic.  Mr Tan welcomed President Grímsson’s suggestion to hold a forum in Singapore under the aegis of the Arctic Circle in 2015.  The next day, Mr Tan also paid courtesy calls on Icelandic Prime Minister Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson and Minister for Foreign Affairs and External Trade Gunnar Bragi Sveinsson.  Both leaders expressed Iceland’s interest in closer relations with Singapore. 

Mr Tan is currently in Reykjavik to attend the 2^nd Arctic Circle Assembly held from 30 October to 2 November 2014.  Mr Tan delivered an address on “Singapore and the Arctic:  The Next Steps” at the ACA’s Opening Session on 31 October 2014, which was attended by participants from about 40 countries.  The text of Mr Tan’s speech is appended.

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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

SINGAPORE

1 NOVEMBER 2014

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ADDRESS BY SINGAPORE’S MINISTER OF STATE MR SAM TAN AT THE OPENING SESSION OF THE 2^ND ARCTIC CIRCLE ASSEMBLY IN REYKJAVIK, ICELAND, ON 31 OCTOBER 2014

SINGAPORE AND THE ARCTIC – THE NEXT STEPS

His Excellency Ólafur Grímsson

President of Iceland

Excellencies

Ladies and gentlemen

1                   Good morning.  I would like to begin by thanking President Grímsson for inviting Singapore to the second edition of the Arctic Circle Assembly.  It is an additional honour for Singapore to share the stage – in a manner of speaking – with the Finnish President, the Icelandic Prime Minister, the German Chancellor and the OECD Secretary-General this morning. 

2                   I would also like to congratulate the Icelandic Government for the excellent arrangements and for the impressive turnout.  In such a short time, the Arctic Circle Assembly has established itself as an important platform for inclusive, open and constructive dialogue on the Arctic region.

3                   Last year, as some of you may remember, I spoke about the reasons why Singapore, a city-state located just one degree north of the Equator, is showing such a close interest in the High North.  I also sketched out some ways, in which I thought Singapore could make a modest but practical contribution to the Arctic, namely in four areas - environmental protection, development of a safe Arctic region, sustainable economic development and development of human capital.  The last 12 months have been a steep and enriching learning curve for Singapore.  I have seen a little more of the Arctic and met many knowledgeable people, who know the Arctic well and care deeply for the region.  My visits and conversations have left me more convinced than ever of how precious the Arctic is, in all senses of the word, but also how fragile .  We have learnt much - thanks to the generosity of our friends, many of whom are here at this Assembly.  We understand a little better how Singapore could contribute to the development objectives of Arctic forums like the Arctic Council and the Arctic Circle.  But there is much more to learn. 

Excellencies

Ladies and gentlement

4                   Changes in the Arctic continue to gather momentum.  It is instructive for instance that in the summer of 2013, 71 vessels sailed the route between the Bering Strait and the Barents Sea.  This was a 54 per cent increase from 2012 when 46 vessels sailed the Northern Sea Route.  When compared to just four vessels sailing the route in 2010, the change is even more dramatic and remarkable. 

5                   Prospects of a further expansion of shipping and other maritime activities in the coming years render more urgent efforts to establish an international rules-based framework for Arctic shipping that is consistent with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.  Singapore therefore supports the early conclusion of the Polar Code currently being developed in the IMO.  We are happy to note the steady progress on the Polar Code and will work with others to see through the conclusion of the code. 

6                   The need to develop effective responses to emergencies such as oil spills in Arctic waters is also greater than ever.  We can pool experiences and increase knowledge on shipping safety issues.  At the working group level in the Arctic Council, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore has shared Singapore’s experience in oil spill management, based on Singapore’s experience in responding to and cleaning-up the oil spill from the collision of two crude oil tankers in the Straits of Singapore in 1997.

7                   The pooling of expertise can also drive the development of constructive solutions in the field of emergency preparedness in the Arctic, including through technology.  Singapore is presently collaborating with Norway to develop and test a marine version of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV/drone) for the monitoring of oil spills and other marine incidents.  The UAV will be able to move at a speed of 5 to 10 metres per second and provide an aerial picture of oil spill incidents that can be magnified tenfold.

8                   It is not only in matters of technical expertise that non-Arctic states like Singapore have a role to play.  Awareness of the changing Arctic needs to go beyond the region.  After all, those changes have global implications.  Last year, I gave several examples of how changes in the Arctic have wide ranging ramifications for our environmental security and our maritime interests.  Singapore is therefore happy to have taken steps to bring the unique nature and culture of the Arctic a little closer to Singapore in recent months. 

9                   Last April, we were privileged to host a visit by the Canadian Inuit storyteller Mr Michael Kusugak and his wife, Geraldine.  Through their enthralling and interactive stories, Singaporeans of all ages learned about age-old Inuit traditions.  Michael and Geraldine also shared with us what it is like to live in the Arctic of the 21st century, enjoying modern housing and education but also relying on their rich traditional culture and knowledge.

10              In June this year, the Singapore National Youth Achievement Award Council and HSBC sponsored four young Singaporeans on a trip to Churchill, Canada, to study the effect of climate change at the Arctic’s edge with researchers from the Churchill Northern Studies Centre. 

11              During the 10-day expedition, they studied saplings to find out how climate change had affected the area’s trees.  They even had to deal with the remnants of a summer snowstorm that occurred just before they arrived.  I hope that their experiences will inspire more Singaporeans to venture into the Arctic.

12              Indeed, you may be surprised to know that one can find Singaporeans living in faraway corners of the Arctic.  When I visited Whitehorse in Yukon, Canada, I was surprised to find a mini-community of about five Singaporeans living in Whitehorse.  In Akureyri, Iceland, I met a Singaporean, who was cooking up a storm in his own restaurant.  The presence of these small Singapore communities in the Arctic is perhaps a sign of increasing interconnectedness between equatorial Singapore and the Arctic. 

Excellencies

Ladies and gentlemen

13              Singapore might have started out as an unfamiliar face in the Arctic.  I hope that you are now a little bit better acquainted with us.  Singapore does not have a direct stake in the Arctic and its rich natural resources.  But we have a stake in supporting responsible development and good governance of the region.  Arctic states have adopted an enlightened approach towards regional cooperation.  The Arctic Council is a good model of political consensus-building and functional cooperation, including at the scientific level.  The fact that the Arctic indigenous communities – or Permanent Participants - have been given full consultative status in the Council is also uncommon among regional organisations. 

14              There are also other regional or sub-regional platforms for discussions on Arctic issues - including this very forum.  They have overlapping involvement and agenda.  This situation reminds me very much of the approach that we have taken in Southeast Asia and the broader Asia-Pacific region.  We call it variable geometry in regional cooperation.  It may give rise to some duplication and competition from time to time, but given the complexity of the challenges in the Arctic, the existence of these different forums with different configurations may be useful.  They foster dialogue, forge better mutual understanding and generate initiatives for collaboration.  This benefits the region as a whole over the longer term.

15              Moving forward, Singapore is looking at creating opportunities for stakeholders of the Arctic to come to Singapore to broaden and deepen the dialogue that we have begun.  We have thought of two different ways.  First, we have started programmes to facilitate people-to-people exchanges between Singapore and the Arctic indigenous communities.  We offer scholarships for short professional enrichment courses conducted under the Singapore Cooperation Programme on relevant aspects of policy and public administration such as port management, public health and human capital development.  We also offer a post-graduate scholarship for the Masters of Law (Maritime Law) programme at the National University of Singapore (NUS).  The curriculum of this one year’s Masters programme includes the laws on commercial shipping, marine insurance, shipping regulation and ocean policy. 

16              Over and above these scholarships, we also organise study visits for representatives of the six circumpolar organisations representing the various indigenous communities in the Arctic.  These communities face the challenge of adapting to and managing change, while preserving their innate and fundamental cultural strengths forged over many generations and many centuries.  We believe that there is much that we can learn from their lore and traditions, including in conceptualising responsible development strategies in the Arctic. We look forward to welcoming these representatives to Singapore for a study visit next month. 

17              Second, we would also like to work further with Arctic states and stakeholder organisations to bring high-level discourse on Arctic issues to Singapore.  Singapore is already working with Norway and Canada to mount a few thought-provoking exhibitions and events to inspire conversations about the Arctic.  We have lined up one or two more in 2015, which incidentally, is a milestone year for Singapore, as we mark the 50^th anniversary of Singapore’s independence in 1965. 

18              To cap these events, in November 2015, I am pleased that the World Ocean Council has decided to hold its third edition of the Sustainable Oceans Summit in Singapore.  I am also pleased that in conjunction with the Singapore summit, the Arctic Circle will hold a one-day event.  This forum will be a fulfillment of the vision of President Grímsson, when he conceived of the Arctic Circle.   He thought it important to spread the Arctic gospel far and wide.  Singapore is pleased to offer a staging point for that mission.  I therefore hope to welcome you all in Singapore next year. 

Mr President

Excellencies

Ladies and gentlemen

19              I have every confidence that the second Arctic Circle Assembly will add much to the international dialogue on the Arctic.  I am also sure that it will sow the seeds of meaningful partnerships and mutually-beneficial collaborations that will serve our common interests in the Arctic.

20              Thank you.