YouSaid · the spoken record

George YEO

lines on the record: 109
first: 2004-09-24
most recent: 2010-09-24
sittings or episodes: 7
sources: un-general-debate

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“The positions are not so far apart now and it would be a great pity to walk away from a Doha deal because of relatively small differences when the deal could add hundreds of billions of dollars to global welfare. However effective they are, international institutions cannot stop the natural rivalry among nation States. The major Powers will still throw their weight around, but rules can be established for civilized behaviour and to prevent countries from taking extreme actions that will endanger the planet we share and our common heritage. We are not a union of nations, but we are at the very least a confederation of nations. There are limits to the sovereignty we exercise as independent nation- States.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“Group solidarity enables regional organizations such as ASEAN to play a bigger role in the world. ASEAN will soon be strengthened by the leaders’ adoption of a formal charter next month. Both formal and informal arrangements have their uses. For example, the Forum of Small States is a loose coalition of 100 countries that meet regularly to exchange views and to give support to one another. They make up more than half the Members of the United Nations. Formal and informal groups can play a constructive role by taking the middle ground and moderating the excessive demands of radical members. Let us, through the groupings to which we belong, encourage each other towards compromise on the various issues. An example is the Doha Development Agenda.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“It is unhealthy if the only way small and medium-sized countries can ensure their interests are taken into account is by threatening to block the progress of others. Indeed, if every country in international organizations had the power of veto the result would be paralysis. As a small country itself, Singapore takes the view that small and medium-sized countries have both rights and responsibilities. We too must have a sense of responsibility for the global system. A rules-based world gives us more freedom than one where “might is right”. Regional groupings can help small and medium- sized countries strike this balance between rights and responsibilities. The African Union offers a good example of how the discipline of a group gives each of its members a greater say in world affairs than it could have on its own.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“That Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s recent visit to a refugee camp in Darfur received so much applause was because of the prestige of the United Nations and the hope reposed in the Blue Helmets. On climate change, it is good that the United States has convened a meeting in Washington of the world’s biggest emitters of greenhouse gases. As the world’s biggest economy, the United States has to exercise leadership. But it cannot do it on its own. Without major emitters achieving a certain common understanding among themselves, we will not make much progress at the coming Climate Change Conference in Bali. The involvement of small and medium-sized countries in international institutions has to be enhanced.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“We can do that at two levels: at the level of the major Powers and at the level of small and medium- sized countries. At the level of the major Powers, international institutions should increasingly reflect the multipolar reality. For example, the reform of the United Nations, including the reform of the Security Council, should take into account the weight of India, Japan, Germany and Brazil and the growing importance of regional organizations. Selection of heads of the IMF and the World Bank should be widened. Membership of the Group of Eight (G-8) should be enlarged to include countries such as China and India. It is also important that international organizations be held to the highest standards of management. We must maintain their moral authority in the eyes of the world if they are to stay effective.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“Russia, China, India and Brazil are emergent or re-emergent Powers whose interests must increasingly be factored in. Smaller countries too have become more assertive, refusing to let bigger countries ride roughshod over them. When major international institutions like the United Nations, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) were established many years ago, after the end of the Second World War, the world was very different from what it is today. Because of this, those institutions are not as effective as they ought to be. However, we have to work with those institutions as they are and not as we would want them to be if they were to be newly established today. Unless there is another global conflagration, the improvement of global governance can only be achieved through gradual evolution, not revolution.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“We knew we could not overcome this problem on our own. The leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) convened an emergency meeting to which the Premier of China, the Chief Executive of Hong Kong and the Director-General of WHO were also invited. Whether it is climate change, global pandemics, the fight against terrorism, the multilateral trading system or international finance, we need better global governance. During the cold war, the world was divided into two camps with each super-Power taking the lead in its own sphere. That era is now behind us. A multipolar world is crystallizing. On no major issue can one country, however powerful, now act on its own, completely disregarding the views of others. The situation in Iraq is a sad example of that.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“The late Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Lee Jong-wook, once said that a new global pandemic was not a question of “whether” but of “when”. With the mass movement of human beings, much of it at jet speed, a new bug can spread quickly. Only a few years ago, we had the scare of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. We are still not sure why that epidemic burned out so quickly, but luckily it did. During the few months it hit us in Singapore, our economy was severely affected. Our tourism industry was devastated. As our economy is so dependent on external trade, shutting our airport was not an option. Instead, we hurriedly converted military night-vision devices into thermal scanners and used them at the airport so that arriving and departing passengers with fever could be pulled aside for medical examination.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“Many historians are now reassessing the role of climate change in major political events in the past. We cannot be sure whether our best efforts can stop global warming. The Earth’s climate has always gone through cycles. But, even if all we can do is to slow down the process that will buy us time: time to accumulate knowledge, to develop new technologies and to adapt. For example, the cost of recycling or desalinating water has been steadily coming down and is becoming completely affordable for us in Singapore. Improvements in water technology can defuse political tensions in many parts of the world. Many problems we face can only be overcome by the nations of the world acting together. Climate change is one. Another is the danger of global pandemics, which must also be kept high on our agenda.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“The item at the top of our agenda is climate change. The upcoming Bali Conference needs our full support. Climate change is a challenge that can only be overcome by our collective efforts. If we fail, the future will be troubled. Small island countries like Singapore will be in great danger. People living in the lowlands will have to move to higher ground. The pressure of migration into spaces which become more habitable because of global warming may well become unstoppable. There will be new conflicts in the world. We are coming now to understand better the role of climate change in the conflict in Darfur. It does not excuse the heinous crimes that have been committed there, but understanding the water situation in that region will help us find more durable solutions for the future.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“With over 500 million people, ASEAN has 8 per cent of the world’s population. Our share of global gross domestic product is much lower, at 2 per cent. 06-53323 26 But within the limits of our modest capabilities, we in ASEAN will do our part to contribute to the good work of the United Nations in making this a better world, not adding to its problems.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“The United Nations is already stretched and can only do so much. Instead, let us, in each of our regions, do our part and work with the United Nations and its organizations in a complementary way. In order to stop the killing Darfur, for example, we need close cooperation between the United Nations and African countries. Wherever possible, regional organizations should be strengthened. The United Nations and other international organizations can play a facilitating role, provide resources and advice, set standards and establish benchmarks. Even in the Middle East, where the work often seems hardest, regional cooperation can help create a better environment for peace and development. For example, the reconstruction of Iraq will be much more difficult, if not impossible, without the goodwill of its neighbours.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“In this regard, ASEAN continues to endorse the candidature of Mr. Surakiart Sathirathai as the next Secretary-General despite the recent coup in Thailand. Although the coup was a setback to both Thailand and ASEAN, Thai society has a deep resilience which will enable it to recover quickly. ASEAN will always be on the side of the Thai people. If every region in the world, working with the United Nations, can help to stabilize its own immediate environment and promote favourable conditions for development, the prospects for global peace will be enhanced. What the nations of Africa have been able to do despite adverse circumstances is impressive. The willingness of individual African countries to agree on common positions is unique to that continent and is an inspiration to the rest of us.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“ASEAN is a work in progress. Like other regions in the world, we face many problems, related to economic development, separatist movements, terrorism, drug trafficking, environmental degradation, maritime security, ethnic and religious divisions and avian flu, among other issues. However, what each of us in ASEAN has come to appreciate is that, without ASEAN, each of these problems is much harder to solve, and that ASEAN alone cannot solve any of them: we have to be united and work with other countries and with international organizations. We are grateful for their assistance, their partnership and their cooperation. Madam President, ASEAN strongly supports you and the United Nations. We will work with you to improve the workings of the United Nations and to make it more effective.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“We have a simple strategy, which is to give all of them a strong stake in our unity and in our development. Strategically, some of the most important sea lanes pass through ASEAN waters. About a third of global trade, half of global oil trade and 80 per cent of the oil bound for China and Japan pass through the straits of Malacca and Singapore. Through the ASEAN-plus groupings and the East Asia Summit, which includes China, Japan, Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand, we are creating a new architecture of peaceful cooperative development in the larger Asia. ASEAN is not big enough to be a major global player, but ASEAN plays a significant role in holding Asia together and keeping it open to the rest of the world. Whatever we do in Asia must not cause the United States, the European Union or Russia to think that we are excluding them.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“Two months ago, the European Commission hosted members of an ASEAN eminent persons group and generously offered advice and assistance. While ASEAN integration will never be as deep or as broad as that of the European Union, there is much that we can learn from the European experience. For ASEAN to prosper, it is important that we maintain good relations with all the major Powers. For many years now, ASEAN has promoted good relations with our dialogue partners, including the United States, the European Union, Russia, China, Japan and India. With strong growth in global trade, ASEAN has negotiated or is in the process of negotiating free trade agreements with China, India, Japan, Korea, Australia and New Zealand, and closer economic partnerships with the United States and the European Union.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“Already, ASEAN as a grouping plays a major role in international trade, accounting for some 6 per cent of total world trade. The re-emergence of China and India as major Powers presents us with opportunities as well as challenges. ASEAN’s trade with both is growing rapidly. But they are also a competitive challenge to us. 25 06-53323 When the leaders of ASEAN met in Bali three years ago, they took a major decision: to establish an ASEAN Community by 2020 with three main pillars — security, economic cooperation and cultural cooperation. To create such a community, an ASEAN charter will be drawn up next year to provide the legal basis for our future integration. It will include provisions for dispute settlement by independent panels. The European Union is an inspiration to us in ASEAN.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“The original five non- communist countries of ASEAN — Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines and Singapore — were determined to keep the peace among ourselves and concentrate on economic development. Brunei Darussalam joined ASEAN in 1984 after it became independent. With the end of the cold war, peace returned to Indochina and ASEAN gradually expanded to include the newer member States of Viet Nam, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar, to become what it is today: a community of 10. In 1992, the countries of ASEAN decided to establish a free trade area in stages. For trade in goods, we have largely attained our objectives. For investment and services, we still have some way to go. But there is considerable political will to press on and make the whole of ASEAN one economic space.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“International organizations like the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, the World Health Organization, the International Atomic Energy Agency and the United Nations Environment Programme should work with them, strengthen their capabilities and encourage mutual learning. These initiatives create a habit of cooperation among neighbouring countries and reduce misunderstanding. In Asia, the role of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has not only been beneficial to the 10 countries of South-East Asia; it has also helped to create a larger architecture of cooperation. Founded 39 years ago, in 1967, when the war in Indo- China was raging, ASEAN began as a grouping to promote what then-President Suharto of Indonesia called “regional resilience”.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“All over the world now, regional initiatives are proliferating. Many overlap. Some are modest in their objectives, providing forums for public and private sector leaders to meet and consult. Others are more ambitious, creating regional free-trade areas or fostering joint efforts against problems like drug trafficking and terrorism. Many of these regional initiatives are open and inclusive, and should be encouraged. Those which are superfluous will gradually wither away. Some can make significant contributions to global governance and reduce the burdens borne by the big Powers.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“When Governments have to win elections, they are more likely to respond to short-term political needs than to worry about long-term global concerns. We can often do more at the regional level: at the regional level, the stakes are clearer to our constituencies and the need for action is easier to explain. The Charter recognizes the role that regional arrangements can play in helping the United Nations to achieve its objectives. In a globalized world with porous borders, regional cooperation can often bring quick benefits. We need only consider, for example, the simple act of reopening, three months ago, after 44 years, the Nathu La pass in the Himalayas between China and India. Immediately, on both sides of the pass, ordinary people benefited from trade and travel. New problems will arise, of course, but they can be managed.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“No country or group of countries seems able or willing to take the lead in brokering a compromise. We must hope that Director-General Pascal Lamy will succeed in his heroic efforts to rescue the Doha development round from failure. There are other areas in which global action is needed, but is insufficient. All of us worry about global climate change, but how can there be consensus when the costs and benefits are distributed so unevenly and the major polluters are unwilling to accept responsibility? We hear dire warnings from the World Health Organization about a global flu pandemic, yet our collective response is so feeble. While we should never give up hope on global initiatives, we should be realistic, because achieving global consensus in a multipolar world is, to say the least, challenging.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“In a sense, technology has globalized the world and broken it into smaller pieces. Empires have broken up. New countries have been born. In large countries, 06-53323 24 power has devolved downwards and regions have become more assertive. It has become a messier world, which presents new challenges to global governance. Improving global governance from above sometimes seems like an impossible task. Take the reform of the United Nations, for example: despite all the efforts made and the fine speeches delivered, the results have been quite modest. The near-collapse of the Doha talks is another example of how difficult it is to effect change from the top down. When the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade was formed in 1948, there were only 23 members. Today, the World Trade Organization has 149 members.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“What happens in the Middle East affects the entire world. No country is insulated, and certainly not from the terrorist threat or from high energy prices. No grand solution is possible. The end of the cold war marked the end of an era when the major Powers could settle the terms among themselves over the heads of lesser countries. It was not that long ago — but it seems so strange today — that a cold peace could have been maintained for decades by each side pointing tens of thousands of nuclear missiles at the other. Technology has changed the rules. Warfare has now become asymmetric. Cruise missiles and submarines cannot solve the problem of suicide bombers. And those who manipulate these terrorists might well take positions in global financial markets to benefit from the havoc that they create.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“But one thing is clear: without the eventual intervention of the United Nations, the fighting would have continued and more lives would have been lost. The Middle East is going through the throes of change. In Palestine, there is no escaping a two-State solution. However, defining the precise boundaries of that solution is a grinding process which will take time. No one can achieve all his demands; no party can insist on absolute security. A new balance is being established between Sunnis and Shiites in Lebanon, Iraq and elsewhere in the region. This will also take time. In many countries, there is tension between those who are impatient for change and those who believe that discontinuity will lead to chaos and anarchy. As long as there is more despair than hope, terrorist organizations will be able to find fresh recruits.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“I join other countries in congratulating you, Madam, on your assumption of the presidency. We in Singapore pledge our full support to you. The recent war in Lebanon had no clear victor. Israel succeeded in removing the immediate threat across the border, but could not wipe out Hizbollah. Hizbollah claimed victory, having survived Israeli air bombardments and ground action, even though enormous damage was inflicted on Lebanon. On both sides, innocent people have suffered greatly. Whether the present ceasefire can become a lasting peace depends on many factors, not least the ability of the Lebanese army and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon to maintain the buffer in southern Lebanon.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“The moment we dismiss those differences as unimportant, or lightly condemn those who disagree with us, the trouble begins. Therefore, as we strive to achieve the Millennium Goals in the United Nations - and they are worthy Goals - a key task for us is to accept, even celebrate, the differences that divide us in our daily lives. To paraphrase Pope John-Paul II, it is only because we are many that we are one, and the United Nations expresses that ideal.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“It has been necessary for the Government to involve itself in many aspects of ordinary life, including discouraging Christian missionaries from targeting Muslims for conversion, stopping mosques from sharply turning up the volume of their loudspeakers when calling the faithful to prayer, limiting the size of joss sticks which Buddhists and Taoists burn for their rituals and arresting those who incite racial and religious hatred. What may appear to be a small thing to one community can be a serious provocation to another. This has become the world we live in. We cannot ignore the diversity around us in our everyday life or the tribalism which is in our nature. We will continue to disagree on many things such as the nature of democracy, gender relationships, the death penalty, stem-cell research and what we can or cannot eat.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“Are there limits to what politicians can say to win votes? Should religious leaders be allowed to preach hatred, even in close confines? What do we teach our children in school? What does all this mean to the immigration officer at the airport who does not know that Mohammed is the most common name in the world? Singapore, a cosmopolitan city-State with a multiracial and multireligious population, is particularly vulnerable. We have experienced ugly racial and religious riots before and have learned that racial and religious harmony should never be taken for granted.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“With globalization, all societies have become multiracial and multireligious to a greater or lesser extent. The pluralism we hold as an ideal in the United Nations is not a choice; it is a vital necessity. In 1998, at its fifty-third session, the General Assembly declared in resolution 53/22 that 2001 would be the United Nations Year of Dialogue among Civilizations. In 2001, at the fifty-sixth session, the General Assembly adopted the Global Agenda for Dialogue among Civilizations (resolution 56/6). And this year the United Nations sponsored numerous meetings on interfaith dialogue. A few months ago, the first Asia-Middle East Dialogue was held in Singapore to promote greater understanding between two important regions of the world. We need to translate our declarations of principle into everyday language and into practice.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“The strategy of the extremists is to polarize Muslims and non-Muslims worldwide, thereby widening their base of support. Muslim leaders have to counter this strategy. It is also essential for them to reach out to non-Muslim audiences as well. The recent bombings in London led to a strong anti-Muslim backlash at the grass roots that threatened the fabric of British society. This in turn put pressure on Muslim leaders in the United Kingdom to condemn the terrorists in clear terms. In the end, the fight against the terrorists has to be won within Muslim communities themselves. It is a battle for hearts and minds that requires Muslims to work together with non-Muslims against a common enemy. We have to make a concerted effort to understand each other better.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“Of course one could find blood-curdling passages in the Koran and the Hadith, but these passages must be read in context. We find similar passages too in the Old Testament. As we would not, therefore, argue that terrorism is inherent in Judaism and Christianity, so we should not make Islam the problem. That would be a big mistake. There were periods in history when Islamic society was considerably more advanced than Western society. Equally, it would be a big mistake for Muslim leaders to allow Muslim extremists to make claims on behalf of Muslims worldwide without contest. This causes non-Muslims to suspect that Muslims are generally in sympathy with them. To be sure, there are genuine grievances that have to be addressed, like Palestine, Chechnya and the future of Iraq, but these are issues that are more political than religious.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“A greater tolerance of diversity in the world would create better conditions for peaceful cooperation between Muslims and non-Muslims and would influence the debate within Islam itself. If non-Muslims tar all Muslims with the brush of terrorism and non-Muslim majority communities treat minority Muslim communities as problem communities, the future will be troubled for all of us. In such a climate, Muslim extremists will gain ascendancy, and the terrorists will find fertile ground for recruitment everywhere. It is ridiculous to argue that terrorism is inherent in Islam. To do so is to play into the hands of the terrorists. That such views are increasingly being expressed in reputable journals and newspapers is 9 troubling.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“As minority communities, Muslims living in countries like France and Germany, for example, have to accept certain limitations in the practice of their religion. With growing religiosity in recent years, issues like the wearing of the headscarf have surfaced. What constitutes a reasonable compromise varies from country to country. For example, Singapore allows aspects of sharia law to apply to Muslims, including Muslim men being allowed four wives, although only under stringent conditions. It would be hard for non- Muslims to accept this in Europe. The fact is that while some human values are universal - and we should find more of them - many are not. We have to accept this diversity in the world.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“This ideology is a malignant mutation of the ideas associated with the Muslim Brotherhood and other groups that argued for a return of Islamic society to an idealized past. It takes those ideas to an extreme and preaches hatred against non- Muslims worldwide, justifying violence against innocent bystanders even if they are Muslim. The suicide bomber has become a potent weapon in its armoury. The followers of this ideology will not hesitate to use weapons of mass destruction if they can get their hands on them. We have a duty in the United Nations to join in the global war against them. The second factor necessitating the involvement of non-Muslims in the Islamic debate is the growing Muslim diaspora in many non-Islamic countries.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“But even then, there was still religious persecution, which led many Europeans to flee to the New World. In the twentieth century, the soul of Europe was torn by communism, fascism and anti-Semitism. It was precisely to overcome those divisions that the European Union was established by stages, creating the longest period of peace on that continent. How Islamic society evolves in the coming decades is mainly for Muslims to decide. Generally speaking, non-Muslims would have no standing to participate in this debate but for two factors which have become critical and which have strategic importance for us all. The first factor is the emergence of the ideology of Al-Qaida and its sister organizations, such as Al- Jamaía al-Islamiyah.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“Such were the ideas of the Muslim Brotherhood, which emanated from Egypt at the beginning of the twentieth century. The ideology of that movement continues to inspire Islamic groups in various parts of the world today. If only Muslims were to abide strictly by the teachings of Islam, there would be no corruption, Governments would be just and effective and Islamic societies would become strong again. In many Islamic countries at various times, these groups have been suppressed for being subversive, and those who funded them were thought to have ulterior motives. This struggle for the soul of Islam is an ongoing process. However, it is not a struggle unique to Islam. For more than 200 years, Europe was bloodied by religious wars, which ended only with the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648, which created the system of modern European States.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“Once Ataturk refused the caliphate and with iron determination started reforming Turkish institutions on the Western model, the Islamic world lost its centre. From then on, different Islamic societies experimented with different approaches and moved in different directions. It has been a mixed story. The different responses of Muslim societies to the challenge of modernization are accompanied by a great ideological debate among political and religious leaders. Good governance has become a major issue, with calls for greater transparency and more democracy. In this debate, it is natural that some groups should look back to a romanticized period when the Islamic world was united and pristine and seek its re-establishment in the twenty-first century.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“Both require our close attention. The response of the Islamic world to the challenge of modernization will affect the development of the entire world in this century. In some ways, it is comparable to that of the Chinese response to modernization, and it will probably take much longer. The decline of the Ottoman Empire in the nineteenth century took place at about the same time as the decline of the Qing Dynasty in China. Both collapsed at the beginning of the twentieth century. After many 8 twists and turns, China has finally re-emerged onto the global stage with a bright future ahead of it. There are about as many Muslims in the world as there are Chinese. In contrast to China, however, the Islamic world is unlikely to re-coalesce in the foreseeable future.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“The ascendancy of the West in the past few centuries created tremendous stress in non-Western communities, upsetting all relationships and giving rise to a variety of responses, all of which sought to reconcile each communityís sense of self with the needs of a Western-defined modernity. In Asia, for example, the re-emergence of China and India on the global stage has been a prolonged struggle of reconciling transformation with tradition. That is the broader historical context against which the relationship between Muslims and non- Muslims in the world must be viewed today. It is a subject that concerns us all deeply in the United Nations. There are two evolving developments which feed on each other. The first is change within Islam itself; the other is the relationship between Muslims and non- Muslims in different parts of the world.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“When sudden threats appear, perhaps it is natural to expect a certain overreaction from the affected communities. After Pearl Harbour, all Japanese people living in America became suspect, including those born there. Many were interned. By today's standards, that was an affront. But at that time, it was widely felt to be a necessary precaution. Shocked by that reaction, Japanese-American leaders set out to prove their Americanness, for example by forming the Japanese- American 100th Infantry Battalion, which fought heroically in the European theatre. The travails of the Japanese-Americans were not unique. Tribalism is a basic human instinct. We may proclaim that all men are brothers, but we reflexively distinguish degrees of closeness. Divisions of race, language, culture and religion run deep in human society and emerge under stress.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“A few weeks ago, a young Muslim lawyer in Singapore told me about a recent experience he had had in an East Asian airport. Unlike others holding Singaporean passports who were clearing immigration, he was told to stand aside. When he asked the reason, the immigration officer muttered that there were "too many Mohamads" that day. Smiling to himself, the Singaporean waited patiently and peered around, wondering how long he had to wait. The officer then warned him to stand still. He suddenly felt a chill along his spine. Muslims all over the world are being profiled by security agencies. Since 11 September 2001, Muslims travelling to Western countries have been subject to all manner of interrogations and searches. Although the profiling is now done more subtly now, it continues. And in East Asia, profiling is increasing.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“Here in the United Nations we are always trying to influence one another, but we must always be prepared to see the same issues from the perspectives of others. Here in the United Nations, we have an institution that can help us create this better world.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“Instead of talking at the Chinese, he talked to them, expressing concepts to which they could relate. Although Matteo Ricci did not succeed in converting the Chinese, he left behind a lasting legacy, and when he died the Chinese Emperor consented to his burial in China. His tomb, inscribed with his Chinese name, is to be found today in the compound of the Party School of the Beijing Municipal Committee. History is unending. We need wise men like Matteo Ricci from the West and the East, from the South and the North, to help us, through debate and dialogue, prevent a clash of civilizations. Respecting diversity should never reduce us to hypocrisy and cultural relativism, as if all points of view are equally valid. We should never stop trying to influence one another.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“We are ardent supporters of international organizations like the United Nations and the WTO, because they give us, together with other countries, a say in global governance. A world in which countries big and small can resolve disputes according to commonly agreed rules is infinitely preferable to one in which might makes right. More than four centuries ago, a wise man from the West visited the East. The Italian Jesuit Matteo Ricci went to China with the goal of converting China to Catholicism. He had a deep respect for the civilization that he wanted to Christianize. Realizing that the only way to impress the Chinese was to interact with them on their own terms, he proceeded to study the Chinese language, to master the Chinese classics and to employ Chinese philosophical concepts in his discourses on Christianity.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“Good governance was a precondition for all our efforts. We were tough on corruption and crime. When, in the 1970s, we witnessed attempts by international drug dealers to target young Singaporeans, our Parliament adopted draconian laws. We were criticized by some of our friends in the Western media, but we persisted, with the support of the majority of Singaporeans, always acting with their consent and in their interests. Now that we have reached a reasonable standard of economic development, other developing countries have approached us for assistance. We feel honoured to be asked. But we prefer them to see Singapore more as an ongoing experiment to be studied than as a model to follow. Every country is different, and each must customize its own solutions. 32 Small countries like Singapore need a stable external environment.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“We should never impose a particular political or economic system on societies with different histories and traditions. What we need instead is an environment that encourages mutual learning and healthy competition. For that, we need to respect one another. As is recognized in the Millennium Development Goals, there is no one-size-fits-all solution to the challenge of human development. When Singapore became independent in 1965, there was no ready solution that fitted us; we had to seek our own way forward. Many countries helped us with aid and advice, and we remain grateful to them. The United Nations Development Programme provided valuable assistance. With no natural resources, we had to organize ourselves in a practical way, add value and be of service to others. Little by little, we worked out pragmatic solutions to our problems.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“For all their imperfections, the United Nations and the World Trade Organization (WTO) represent this diversity in unity. At the WTO, the process of multilateral trade negotiations — however complicated and arduous they may be — is still a more civilized method of resolving conflicts and harmonizing national differences than erecting protectionist walls and fighting trade wars. Respecting plurality does not mean that we stop recognizing strengths and weaknesses; that would be hypocrisy. Some cultural values are more suited than others to modern times. Some economic systems are more productive. Some political systems are better able to mobilize the creative energies of their people. But none of us should force our views on others.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“Our disagreements over issues like the death penalty, abortion, the nature of democracy, gay rights, animal rights and therapeutic cloning are, in a sense, inevitable and necessary. What we profoundly need is respect for plurality in the world — respect built on the common substrate that defines us as civilized human beings in the twenty-first century. In the nineteenth century, slavery was abolished. In the twentieth century, gender equality became the norm. In this century, we must add more layers to what we share in common. And, upon that shared substrate, we should not only accept diversity, but encourage it. Indeed, as with biological diversity, it is essential for human progress that there should be cultural and political diversity in the world. Without such diversity, our ability to respond to new challenges will be weakened.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“This legitimacy of the Organization is derived from its broad membership, its transparent processes and the active participation of Member States. It is important that the Security Council — which has the power to adopt resolutions binding on all United Nations Member States — be reformed and enlarged so as to reflect the reality of the current international environment. We need rules that enable us to make decisions and to express our collective judgement of right and wrong, and those rules must evolve in response to new challenges. However, we cannot expect unanimity of views on all matters. Human society is changing all the time. New scientific discoveries present new challenges, to which different societies must respond differently. On matters of religious belief, for example, no one should expect convergence.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)