Singapore has joined Fiji, Jamaica, and Malta in calling for unimpeded transit through the Strait of Hormuz. This comes after a United Nations Security Council resolution aimed at reopening the crucial waterway was vetoed last week.
Singapore's Permanent Representative to the UN, Burhan Gafoor, delivered a joint statement emphasizing the importance of upholding the right of transit passage according to international law. The statement was made at a meeting of the UN General Assembly. The failed resolution would have reaffirmed the right of all ships and aircraft to unimpeded transit passage through the Strait of Hormuz, as outlined in the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
The joint statement urged all parties to uphold their international obligations, restore unimpeded transit passage, and ensure the safety of seafarers and ships. The statement highlighted that disruptions to passage severely impact trade-dependent economies, affecting economic resilience and energy security.
Russia and China vetoed the resolution, citing concerns that it would grant the US and Israel excessive authority for continued aggression. Iran has largely restricted passage through the strait. A recent two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran aimed to temporarily reopen the strait, but a subsequent deal failed, leading to a declared US blockade on maritime chokepoints.
Singapore's position, articulated by Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, is that negotiating for safe passage would undermine international law. He stressed that the right of transit passage is not a privilege but an inherent right codified in UNCLOS, applicable to all states regardless of ratification. Singapore remains wary of any nation treating navigational rights as discretionary privileges.
