September 29, 2025
SINGAPORE – A weakened United Nations would be dire for small states like Singapore, as it remains “the only game in town” where all 193 member states are represented and able to engage one another, said Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan.
At a time when conflicts, trade tensions and climate anxieties dominate the global agenda, there is an absolute need for multilateralism, stressed Dr Balakrishnan, noting how small states can make a difference by building bridges and upholding international law.
At the same time, he cautioned that reforms are needed to keep the world body effective, calling on it to rein in the rising use of veto powers by the five permanent members, also known as the P5, of the UN Security Council.
Dr Balakrishnan told Singapore media at the close of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York on Sept 28 that despite tensions and disagreements, the UN is still the only forum where “everyone is present”.
“If there’s sufficient goodwill and maturity, in fact, some very good conversations can be had, even on very difficult issues. So I would say there is a risk of fracture, but the UN is still the only game in town, and it’s our duty to lean in and to help this process of engagement,” he said.
Dr Balakrishnan said three big clusters of issues had emerged at the UNGA in 2025: war and peace; economic development and sustainable growth; and the global commons such as climate change, pandemics and artificial intelligence.
He underscored that Singapore, despite being a small state, has been present and active at the platform.
While there is deep anxiety about the UN’s ability to be effective and to make decisions, Dr Balakrishnan noted that there have also been signs of progress. Singapore has played a constructive role, acting as a bridge-builder and coordinator in several areas.
He pointed to the work of Ambassador Rena Lee, who presided over negotiations for the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdictions (High Seas) Treaty, which earlier in September crossed the 60-ratification threshold and will enter into force in January 2026; Singapore’s Permanent Representative to the UN Burhan Gafoor, who chaired the UN’s cyber-security working group that achieved consensus among major powers; and Mr Daren Tang, director-general of the World Intellectual Property Organisation, who oversaw the conclusion of two new treaties.
“Small states like Singapore, or even medium powers, still have agency, still have strategic options, and the need for us to lean in, to support one another, and to keep multilateral processes and that mindset alive and well,” he said.
When asked about Singapore’s message at the UNGA, given his past remarks that a rules-based order is an existential necessity for small states, Dr Balakrishnan said the past 80 years after World War II had been a unique and productive phase of history.
For countries like Singapore, which achieved national identity, cohesion and good governance, the decades after the war were a time of opportunity, when many small states gained independence, built prosperity and benefited from global supply chains and the spread of technology and ideas.
But this old world order is now over, said Dr Balakrishnan, noting that the US, being “the superpower that underwrote this”, has taken a narrower and more transactional approach, feeling that it was not adequately compensated and that others were free-riding.
China’s rise, especially since its reform and opening up in 1978, has also sharpened contestation and reshaped the balance of power.
“That sharper superpower contestation does make it more difficult for consensus to be achieved at the UN. It also does make it more difficult for multilateralism to work and to forge collective and effective responses to issues affecting the global commons such as climate change, pandemics and, in the future, artificial intelligence,” he said.
He added that there is anxiety about the effectiveness of the UN, with the Security Council still reflecting the realities of 1945 even though the distribution of power, technology and influence is now very different.
Call for veto reform
Reform is needed to make the body more representative and fit for purpose, he said. This remains a work in progress.
Earlier on Sept 28, the minister delivered Singapore’s national statement at the UNGA, where he highlighted the rising use of veto powers at the Security Council, cautioning that such actions risk undermining international security and peace.
The Security Council’s five permanent members – China, France, Russia, Britain and the US – each have the power to veto, enabling them to block any substantive resolution no matter how much backing it receives from other members.
“The increasing, and if I may add, cynical use of vetoes by the P5 must be constrained, and the wider UN membership must reach agreement on how this veto is to be exercised in the future,” he said.
Earlier in September, America exercised this right for the sixth time on a draft resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages, with Washington arguing that the text was flawed as it did not condemn Hamas or affirm Israel’s right to self-defence. The measure was, nevertheless, supported by all 14 other council members.
Dr Balakrishnan also emphasised how the world must double down on multilateralism founded on international law.
“Notwithstanding this prevailing pessimism, Singapore believes that the multilateral system and international law, underpinned by the UN, still remains the best way to uphold global peace and prosperity in a fair and inclusive way,” he said.
Dr Balakrishnan stressed in the interview that multilateralism and the rules-based order remain essential, especially for small states, which must “insist on our own agency and our own autonomy and work together”.
He added that a healthy majority of members still believe in multilateralism and that a properly reformed UN can maintain peace, deliver public goods to protect the global commons, and provide hope for economic development.
On climate change, Dr Balakrishnan acknowledged scepticism from some quarters, including US President Donald Trump, who has questioned whether man-made activities are causing global warming.
But he noted that Mr Trump had also spoken of atmospheric and marine pollution and the transboundary effects of such problems, showing that even America recognises the global commons can come under threat.
“So it’s a combination of keeping everybody focused on science, reminding everyone that no one country, even no single superpower, can solve all these problems on its own,” he said.
Touching on the conflict in the Middle East in the interview, Dr Balakrishnan said Singapore’s position is rooted in international law, and that it hopes to see an immediate ceasefire, the release of hostages and a surge of humanitarian aid for Palestinians.
“If one side is going to insist that might is right, and that the outcome must be based on military might in the long run, that is not how you get a solution that everyone will accept,” he said, adding that such an approach would be “inimical to small states in the long run”.
He said the meetings at the UN had been a good opportunity for Singapore to explain its stance.
In Parliament on Sept 22, Dr Balakrishnan had said that Singapore will recognise the state of Palestine when it has an effective government that accepts Israel’s right to exist and categorically renounces terrorism.
At the same time, Singapore’s support for a two-state solution means it will oppose any steps by Israel to extinguish or undermine such an outcome.
He reiterated this position during his speech at the UN, saying: “If the situation continues to deteriorate, or if Israel takes further steps to extinguish a two-state solution, we will then have to reconsider our position on when to recognise a Palestinian state.”