Statement by the Permanent Representative of Singapore to the United Nations in New York at the United Nations General Assembly 59th Session

The Permanent Representative of Singapore to the United Nations in New York, Ambassador Vanu Gopala Menon, spoke at the United Nations General Assembly 59th Session in New York on 19 January 2005.

MFA PRESS RELEASE
20 JANUARY 2005

UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY 59TH SESSION PLENARY

STRENGTHENING OF THE COORDINATION OF HUMANITARIAN AND DISASTER RELIEF ASSISTANCE OF THE UNITED NATIONS, INCLUDING SPECIAL ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE: DRAFT RESOLUTION (A/59/L.58) [39]

19 JANUARY 2005
NEW YORK

At the outset, I would like to thank you for convening this resumed session of the 59th UNGA. In associating myself with the statement that the distinguished Permanent Representative of the Lao PDR delivered on behalf of members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and co-sponsors of the resolution, I would also like to join the other speakers in extending my profound condolences to the countries which were hit by the earthquake and tsunami on 26 December last year, and to the millions of people from many countries and all five continents who have been affected in one way or another by this sudden tragedy. It is indeed a tragedy not only in the disturbing statistics involved, but in the lives torn asunder, the communities destroyed, the hopes and dreams extinguished, and the suffering and sorrows left behind. While Singapore itself was unaffected by the tsunamis, some Singaporean lives were lost while others are still missing. On Sunday, 9 January, an inter-faith Memorial Service was held in Singapore in remembrance of all victims of this great calamity.

The world has responded most admirably to this tragedy. Countries big and small have pledged generous sums of aid and also valuable help in kind. Contributions have come not only from countries, but also from many companies and private individuals, who felt that they simply had to do something. In this regard, we commend the Secretary-General and Jan Egeland for their outstanding leadership during this crisis, and OCHA and the various UN agencies for responding swiftly and dealing effectively with the massive problems on the ground in all the affected countries.

Singapore is a small country whose contributions can only be a trickle in the ocean of assistance needed from the international community to help the affected countries. But, geographic proximity to many of the affected countries, together with our well-developed communications and logistics links, as well as our status as a medical hub in the region, made it possible for us to respond speedily to the plight of many of the affected countries. Hence, our relief efforts reached our affected neighbours quickly, when they were most needed. In this regard, we deployed most of our available and relevant civil defence capabilities and military heavy-lift assets including helicopters and landing ships as well as cargo planes to help create access to various communities that had been ravaged and cut off by the disaster, and provide these communities with fresh water, food, medicines, shelter and other basic needs. We also facilitated the relief operations of international and non-governmental organisations and other governments by inter alia making available our air and naval bases, on a pro bono basis, as staging areas for their operations. At the same time, we have witnessed an outpouring of care and support, with individuals, private companies and hospitals in Singapore sending to the affected countries medical and technical relief teams and contributing much-needed supplies and equipment, including power generators and water treatment plants. Singaporeans and others living in Singapore have also donated over US$20 million so far to help tsunami victims and families.

One of the key challenges facing the international community would be to effectively deal with the medium and long term needs of the countries affected by this catastrophe. In adopting the Jakarta Declaration on 6 Jan 2005, the Leaders of ASEAN and other participating countries, as well as of international organisations clearly acknowledged that helping the affected "would entail efforts in emergency relief, rehabilitation, and construction that may take five to ten years with resources that cannot be borne by any individual country". There is, therefore, a fundamental need for the UN and the global community to respond collectively, to restore normalcy and help rebuild the affected countries. Countries need to house and shelter their homeless, build schools and clinics, restart local economies and rebuild shattered communities. Completing these tasks will take several years. Singapore is convinced that the only way that this can be achieved is through a sustained engagement of the international community in the medium to long term reconstruction of the affected countries. We were therefore heartened to hear the Secretary-General's statement yesterday that he would, by the end of the week, be responding to the call of the Leaders who met in Jakarta, by appointing a Special Representative. In our view, the Special Representative will play a crucial role in sustaining international attention and political will for the long-term effort. Past tragedies have shown that the world's attention span is, unfortunately, relatively short.

It is also crucial that the world find ways to mitigate the risk of disasters caused by tsunamis. The forces of nature can be benign but at the same time destructive, unforgiving and unpredictable. There is an urgent need to put in place an international early warning system for tsunamis in the Indian Ocean. While we can in time rebuild what we have lost, we should take the appropriate steps to prevent a similar disaster from happening again.

We are all in this for the long haul. In solidarity with other affected countries, we will do our part in the international efforts at rehabilitation and reconstruction. We stand ready to maintain our close co-operation with the UN, the International Committee of the Red Cross, other international organisations and institutions and the international community at large to assist affected countries. We have similarly worked with many delegations in preparing the draft resolution before us entitled "Strengthening Emergency Relief, Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Prevention on the Aftermath of the Indian Ocean Tsunami Disaster", which we are confident that this august body will adopt by consensus, thereby signalling our strong and continued commitment to help the countries and peoples affected by this terrible tragedy.