Speech by Senior Minister of State for Defence, Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman, at the opening ceremony of Exercise Deep Sabre 2016, on 27 Sep 16, 1115hrs, at Changi Naval Base

Excellencies, Senior Officers and Exercise Participants, Ladies and Gentlemen, good morning.

Singapore is pleased to be hosting our third multinational Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) exercise, Exercise Deep Sabre 2016. Deep Sabre is also the third exercise in the Asia-Pacific Exercise Rotation (APER) series after the US' and New Zealand's successful hosting of Exercise Fortune Guard and Exercise Maru in 2014 and 2015 respectively. 

The Evolution of Threats 

Counter-proliferation issues have evolved since the PSI was first established. Today, a wide range of dual-use goods with many legitimate civilian applications can have military applications or potentially be used as components of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). These dual-use goods are both difficult to track and challenging to prove whether they are intended for illicit use. As global trade and information flows grow by the day, it is now easier for both state and non-state proliferators to use legitimate channels to mask their illicit trade. 

Countries of proliferation concern continue to act in ways that threaten global stability. Actions by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea have generated international concern. In addition, if rogue groups get their hands on weapons of mass destruction, the impact on our security - at the international, regional, and national levels - would be devastating. We have witnessed the growing reach of terrorist organisations such as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Reports suggest that ISIS has employed mustard- and chlorine-gas based weapons in Iraq and Syria. These volatile actors can and do exploit dual-use materials to make WMDs and they continue to be a threat to international security.

Given the variety of ways and means that proliferators can exploit, the international community must constantly develop innovative and effective methods to address these challenges. The PSI efforts today involve targeted actions from various branches of civil agencies such as border control personnel, customs officers and trade officers to disrupt the entire proliferation supply chain. This Whole-of-Government approach to counter-proliferation requires coordinated efforts among enforcement, intelligence and military agencies, port and civil aviation authorities, and industry players. 

The Proliferation Security Initiative

Since its inception in 2003, the number of endorsee nations to the PSI has grown from just 11 to 105 countries. This testifies to the PSI's importance in global counter-proliferation. This year, we have over 800 participants from various parts of government representing 18 PSI endorsee nations as well as three non-PSI endorsee nations. The strong representation here today reflects the continued commitment of our countries to combating the proliferation threat. 

Over the next few days, participants of Exercise Deep Sabre 2016 will engage in a series of shore and sea activities to promote capacity-building among and within participating countries. The varying components of the exercise will provide participants with the opportunity to enhance inter-operability, and learn from each other's best practices. Equally important, it will send a strong deterrent message to would-be proliferators that regional countries are committed to stopping the smuggling of WMD, and are working together to enhance their capabilities.

No one state has the resources and ability to single-handedly address this transnational and multifaceted problem. It is heartening to see that the PSI continues to be strengthened by the political commitment of PSI endorsees and the unwavering efforts of the Operational Expert Group (OEG) members. 

Singapore's Efforts

What are Singapore's efforts? As a small country located astride key sea lines of communication, Singapore recognises that we have an important role to play in the common fight against the proliferation of WMDs. For example, in April 2009, we inaugurated the Information Fusion Centre (IFC). It is a regional Maritime Security (MARSEC) information-sharing centre with linkages to 71 agencies in 38 countries, which aims to facilitate information sharing and collaboration between international partners to enhance MARSEC. We give our strong support to treaty regimes such as the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention, the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. We are also actively involved in non-proliferation issues at multilateral fora such as the UN, the IAEA, and the ASEAN Regional Forum. 

At the national level, we continually seek to improve our own legislative and enforcement measures. We have adopted the Financial Action Task Force Recommendations to combat proliferation financing. Singapore also hosts the INTERPOL Global Complex for Innovation, which fosters information sharing among countries to counter transnational threats and networks that exploit new technology. In 2008, Singapore put in place an enhanced export controls system to regulate the flow of strategic goods. This helps us to safeguard against the illicit movement of goods and technology that relate to the development, production and use of WMD, as well as to conventional arms and military equipment. 

Singapore also actively contributes to counter-proliferation efforts as part of the PSI. We have worked closely with our APER partner nations, namely Australia, Japan, New Zealand, ROK and the US, to host Deep Sabre 2016 and we will host the Operational Experts Group (OEG) Meeting next year. As with Deep Sabre I in 2005 and Deep Sabre II in 2009, this year's exercise is designed to enhance both national and international inter-agency coordination and interoperability across PSI partner countries. This year's exercise brings together a wide range of domestic agencies and multi-national participants and I wish to thank all of you for your strong support. 

Conclusion

Ladies and Gentlemen, we share a common interest in preventing the proliferation of WMDs. Your participation in this exercise demonstrates our collective commitment towards this end. It sends a strong signal that Asia-Pacific countries are dedicated to preserving international peace and stability, and to guarding against those who seek to propagate violence and disorder.

Let me once again extend a warm welcome to those of you who have travelled to Singapore. I wish everyone a fruitful exercise.

Thank you.

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