Speech by Minister for Defence, Dr Ng Eng Hen, at the International Maritime Security Conference

Good morning, everyone. I'm delighted to be with you and to join you. We are very happy that we can host this International Maritime Security Conference and that you're here to join us. We're delighted and first, let me apologise that we can't be as hospitable as we want to, as we usually are. But COVID being what it is, we have to live with it. I think our being here physically marks our collective effort to reclaim control of our lives after the severe disruption brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. And I think across the world, in your various countries, each wants to return to normalcy, even though we recognise that some changes are permanent and that the COVID virus has become endemic.

I thought that for this crowd, we'd want to examine what impact has the pandemic had on security and defence, and I think it's a good time as any to take stock, as well as of the lessons learned after one and a half years since the start of the pandemic.

And I thought there were just two main lessons to be drawn. The first obvious lesson, and I think one that very few here would need convincing, is how interdependent we have become as a result of globalisation. Even the vaccines that are key weapons against the pandemic, need component ingredients from more than a dozen countries. So despite the push-back against globalisation, despite the closure of borders to restrict spread of disease, we recognise that our world has become more interdependent, not less.

The disruption in logistics and supply lines by COVID-19 brought home that interdependency vividly. So you would remember that even early in the pandemic last year – the impact was felt in trade as trade in goods dropped faster than during the Great Depression or the global financial crisis. For example, entire assembly lines had to be shut down in South Korea and this happened in the automotive industry because there was just a shortage of spare parts. Drug shortages were reported too, including life-supporting drugs needed to treat COVID-19 patients.

Maritime trade – the lifeline of global trade and commerce – was impacted in many ways. With closed borders and ports in the early months of the pandemic, one community that was particularly impacted, and I felt great sympathy for them, as commercial seafarers. 400,000 of them around the world remained on board their ships for a year or longer. It was really a tough time for them. They were stranded at sea because many countries with their ports would not admit them in. I am proud that Singapore's Maritime and Port Authority kept faith with this community and continued to be a hub to allow exchange of crews and other personnel throughout the pandemic – obviously with adequate precautions.

All of us here remember the Suez Canal incident which compounded the problem. Nearly US 10 billion dollars' worth of goods were held up each day during the obstruction, and countries everywhere started calculating whether certain supplies would run out, and sourcing for alternatives.

The disruption in supply chains was caused by the pandemic – there was no inherent malfeasance and not aimed at any particular country. But it exposed an existing vulnerability which can be exploited by those who would do us harm intentionally.

This audience, above all, knows how important and strategic the main Sea Lines of Communication (SLOC) are. The Suez carries approximately 12% of global seaborne trade; the Straits of Malacca and Singapore carry almost three times as much. And COVID-19 is a stark physical reminder of the critical need to keep these SLOCs free-flowing, without tensions and risks of disruption.

I think that is the first lesson – how interdependent we are. And I think no one needs convincing. It leads to the second lesson, an obvious one I think, that we need more coordinated efforts, because we are so interdependent, to deal with transnational threats. Again, I think no one would disagree. As the saying goes, those that fail to plan, plan to fail. And after watching the devastation and loss of lives due to COVID-19, now 4 million and rising, the cost of unpreparedness and dis-coordination will be too great. Whether it is from the next biologic pandemic or the dreaded Disease X which is more lethal, more infectious. And whether unintentionally or as a result of a bioweapon in the wrong hands. In the same vein, other common threats related to climate change, other natural disasters, need multilateral cooperation for forward thinking and planning.

In that context, I submit that militaries too can and must play a decisive role. And this is probably some divergence from the traditional roles of militaries, where the primary mandate of the military of each country is to deal with national defence, not transnational threats. However, modern society has made agencies and commercial entities so efficient that they lack very little buffer. Modern militaries are the only state agency that have the wherewithal to deal with transnational threats simply too big for any one country to deal with.

Let me cite examples. Counter-terrorism and piracy are clear examples which have compelled us to come together. So for example, the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), cover the vital trade artery in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea linking Europe to this region. And this is the reason why the Singapore's navy and other Forces have participated together with your militaries there.

On counter-terrorism, Singapore set up the multilateral Counter-Terrorism Information Facility (CTIF) earlier this year, and it's presently headed by Indonesian Armed Forces' Lieutenant Colonel Henru Hidayat Susanto. CTIF has already pushed out relevant products to agencies in past months. These intelligence reports will assist us all in our collective efforts against terrorism.

We must extend such multilateral cooperation to deal with biological threats, climate change and other natural disasters. This begs the question – what can militaries do? And let me cite five major prongs.

First, information sharing is essential. To facilitate maritime security in this region, the Information Fusion Centre (IFC) was set up in 2009. It's located in Changi Naval Base – some of you have visited it, and many of you have Liaison Officers. In fact, there are Liaison Officers from 18 countries who are currently stationed at the IFC. The IFC's Real-time Information-sharing System (IRIS) now connects with international and regional operation centres for daily operations. It has also become the de-facto platform for exercises. It was used, for example, during the ASEAN-US Maritime Exercise in 2019.

Beyond the maritime domain, Singapore will also establish the ADMM Cybersecurity and Information Centre of Excellence – it was just recently approved at our ADMM meeting. This ADMM Cybersecurity and Information Centre of Excellence will consolidate, synthesise, and disseminate information and research on cybersecurity and information threats with security implications. For a start, the Centre will focus on disinformation and misinformation, as well as biological threats and natural disasters subsequently.

The second prong is rules of the road, air and sea – for military and even white hull ships, and aircraft – are vital to prevent miscalculation or inadvertent physical conflicts. Many of you are familiar in this maritime community of the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea (CUES). CUES was an integral mission outcome during the ASEAN-China Maritime Exercise that was held in 2018. I visited them then in Zhanjiang, and they were very committed to this mission outcome and I'm glad that they held it. That same year, the ADMM, which Singapore chaired, adopted the air-equivalent of CUES, the first-ever counterpart to CUES – Guidelines for Air Military Encounters (GAME). It was practiced as a table-top exercise amongst ASEAN air forces in 2020. Similarly, the expeditious and early conclusion of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea will contribute significantly to the region's stability.

These protocols and mechanisms are critical in preserving peace, especially in regions with increasing contestation at sea and in the air. And we have witnessed these positive effects before. In 1988, two Soviet warships rammed into two US warships on innocent passage in what has become known as the Black Sea Bumping Incident. To prevent a repeat incident, both sides signed a Joint Statement on Innocent Passage, to reach a common understanding and strengthen the application of UNCLOS.

The third prong would be Command and Control (C2) systems that militaries are trained, and the most developed in, which can be harnessed to direct operations against transnational civilian threats. In 2015, the Changi Regional Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Coordination Centre (RHCC) deployed a team after the Nepal earthquake. Its C2 system, code-called OPERA, provided multi-national military coordination to provide a comprehensive situation picture to monitor the disaster impact and match resources with needs on the ground.

Presently, ASEAN countries are experiencing another wave of COVID-19 infections, particularly due to the Delta variant. We are in the midst of a humanitarian crisis. Two weeks ago, the RHCC went on higher alert status, and stands ready to work with regional and international partners to better coordinate and facilitate COVID-19 assistance to affected countries in the region. For example, RHCC has linked up with international agencies to transport oxygen, whether it is in the form of cylinders or large bulk oxygen, to countries affected.

The fourth prong – confidence building in peacetime. Militaries should continue to cooperate and engage in practical ways, just as we are doing now, to deepen trust and mutual understanding. And despite the pandemic, we must keep up our bilateral and multilateral exchanges. And this was our commitment to host this IMSC – to get approval and to go through all the necessary protocols to keep us safe. For this region, the ADMM-Plus also embarked on its fourth cycle of cooperation through the Experts' Working Groups.

Fifth and finally – constant dialogue, even and especially among those with disputes. As the old adage reminds us, "to jaw-jaw is always better than to war-war". That antagonists have disputes is a given. The art of diplomacy is finding common ground despite these disputes to move forward. Perhaps gingerly and tentatively, baby steps that can lead to a full adult stride. Safe and Secure Seas is a necessary fundamental for the well-being of today's world. Without it, we cannot build our futures, either as individual countries or collectively.

I wish you all a very fruitful conference, and let me thank you all again for your commitment by being here. Thank you very much.

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Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen Delivers Keynote Address Encouraging Multilateral Cooperation at the 7th International Maritime Security Conference