Latest news with #VivianBalakrishnan
CNA
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CNA
Commemorative reception held in Paris to celebrate 60 years of Singapore-France relations
A special reception was held in Paris to mark the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Singapore and France. Hosted by Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, it featured well-known French and Singaporean songs, as well as a celebration of bilateral ties. Ross Cullen reports.
Straits Times
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
S'pore seeks to play constructive role in global efforts on ocean-related issues: Vivian
Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan delivering Singapore's national statement at the Third United Nations Ocean Conference, on June 10. PHOTO: MFA NICE, France – Singapore is a small island state, and the oceans and seas are 'inextricably tied' to the nation's survival and well-being, said Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan on June 13. 'That is why we have always sought to play a constructive role in global efforts on oceans-related issues,' he said in an e-mailed statement to The Straits Times on the final day of the United Nations Ocean Conference. The event in Port Lympia in Nice, France, is held from June 9 to 13. 'The oceans enable maritime trade, food and energy security, and support livelihoods,' said Dr Balakrishnan. 'These are vital to Singapore as a country with trade about three times our GDP and one which depends on imports for our energy and food resources.' Maritime transport moves more than 80 per cent of goods traded worldwide. Other than being a source of seafood and recreation, the ocean also generates 50 per cent of the oxygen people need, absorbs 25 per cent of all carbon dioxide emissions, and captures 90 per cent of the excess heat generated by these emissions. As a small low-lying island with no buffer, Singapore is also highly vulnerable to the impact of climate change on the oceans such as sea-level rise, coastal degradation or marine pollution, he added. The minister said Singapore has been participating actively at the UN Ocean Conferences. Singapore served as one of the vice-presidents of the conference. Dr Balakrishnan had also chaired a plenary session at the event. This year's summit, which gathers representatives from 193 countries, is in its third iteration . Its aim is for countries to adopt an 'action-oriented and inter-governmentally agreed declaration', dubbed the Nice Ocean Action Plan, according to the United Nations. Various issues were discussed at the conference and its side events, including how to better finance marine conservation, such as through new financing instruments like coral reef bonds, and the importance of developing countries being given assistance to build capabilities to study their marine environments. Previous editions of the UN Ocean Conferences were held in 2017 and 2022. Korea will host the fourth one in 2028. Dr Balakrishnan said the summit is an important platform where countries mobilise action for the conservation and sustainable use of the oceans, seas and marine resources. 'This includes reaffirming the international community's commitment to uphold the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos),' he said. Unclos sets out the legal framework for all activities carried out in the oceans and seas. In 2023, Singapore helped to broker an agreement under Unclos on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity outside national jurisdictions. Among other things, the treaty paves the way for marine protected areas to be established in waters outside national jurisdictions, which cover over two-thirds of the ocean. The High Seas Treaty, officially called the Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement, will enter into force after 60 countries ratify it. Singapore ratified the agreement in September 2024 – one of 51 countries to have done so, so far. Dr Balakrishnan said the summit helps to advance collective efforts to protect the oceans, including getting more countries to ratify the BBNJ Agreement. ST checks showed that almost 20 countries, including Indonesia and Vietnam, had ratified the agreement over the course of the conference. Countries are also urged to make voluntary commitments on ways to ensure the health and resilience of the ocean during the summit. In his delivery of Singapore's national statement, Dr Balakrishnan had said Singapore would be renewing 15 of the past voluntary commitments it made to support ocean health, and undertaking 12 new ones. New commitments include efforts to restore coral reefs and seagrass meadows in the Republic. Dr Balakrishnan also said that as the protection of our global commons in the oceans requires collective efforts, Singapore is also committed to providing capacity building assistance to developing countries. Under the Singapore Cooperation Programme's Sustainability Action Package, Singapore has conducted over 60 courses for more than 1,600 officials covering issues from rising sea levels to the law of the sea. Audrey Tan is an assistant news editor overseeing sustainability coverage. She has reported on the environment for more than a decade and hosts the Green Pulse podcast series. Find out more about climate change and how it could affect you on the ST microsite here.
Straits Times
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
PM Wong, Vivian express condolences to Indian leaders over Air India crash
Rescue officials are seen near the wreckage of Air India Flight 171 after it crashed in a residential area near the airport in Ahmedabad on June 12. PHOTO: AFP Follow our live coverage here. SINGAPORE - Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan have conveyed their condolences to their counterparts in India over the Air India plane crash that killed more than 260 people on June 12. In his letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on June 13, PM Wong said he was deeply saddened to learn of the tragic crash and sent his condolences to the families and loved ones of the crash victims. 'In this time of sorrow, Singapore stands in solidarity with the Republic of India and the countries whose citizens were impacted by the devastating incident,' he wrote. Air India said there were 242 people, including 169 Indians, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese, a Canadian and 12 crew members, aboard the AI171 flight bound for London's Gatwick airport. Dr Balakrishnan wrote in his letter to Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar that his sympathies were with the people of India and the families who lost their loved ones in the tragedy. There was one survivor, a British national from Leicester, from the crash. But dozens more on the ground died when the jet ploughed into a medical staff hostel on June 12. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed shortly after taking off from the airport in Ahmedabad, western India. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
CNA
13-06-2025
- Politics
- CNA
Singapore sends condolences to India over Air India crash
SINGAPORE: Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan on Thursday (Jun 12) expressed their condolences to India over the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad, which killed more than 240 people. Briton Ramesh Viswashkumar is the only known survivor out of the 242 people onboard. According to Indian police, he had been sitting near an emergency exit of the London-bound flight and managed to jump out. In a letter addressed to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mr Wong, who is also Singapore's finance minister, said that he was deeply saddened to learn of the crash. "On behalf of the government of Singapore, I extend my deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims of the crash," he added. "In this time of sorrow, Singapore stands in solidarity with the Republic of India and the countries whose citizens were impacted by the devastating incident." Dr Balakrishnan also wrote to Indian counterpart Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, extending his deep condolences. "My heartfelt sympathies are with the people of India and the families who have lost their loved ones in this tragedy," he said. London-bound Air India Flight AI171, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad airport into a medical college hostel in the world's worst aviation disaster in a decade.
Straits Times
10-06-2025
- Science
- Straits Times
Small island states should lead, not just participate in ocean-related scientific research: Vivian
Tropical marine habitats such as coral reefs are also well-studied by scientists from other parts of the world. PHOTO: AFP NICE, France – Small island developing states have been the subjects of ocean research for too long, and should start to lead – not just participate in scientific research that would help them better understand the marine environments they depend on. Though they are the custodian s of 30 per cent of the ocean under national jurisdictions , s mall island states lead just 0.3 per cent of UN-endorsed decade of action projects on ocean health , said Singapore's Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan on June 9. Ocean decade actions are science-based programmes, projects or activities endorsed by the UN to improve ocean health. 'Small island developing states have been the subjects of ocean research for too long, the observation points in data sets, the case studies in reports and the vulnerable communities in impact assessments,' Dr Balakrishnan said at the first day of the UN Ocean Conference in Nice, France. 'Small island states are rarely the lead researchers, rarely the owners of our own ocean data. We believe that it is time to change that narrative,' he added. A large part of the summit, which ends on June 13, is focusing on boosting support for the conservation and sustainable use of oceans, seas and marine resources. Representatives from 193 countries are expected to attend. Dr Balakrishnan, who is leading a Singapore delegation, was speaking on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States (Aosis) regarding the need for scientific cooperation for ocean health. Aosis is a grouping of 39 small island and low-lying coastal developing states including Singapore, Palau, the Maldives and Belize. Ocean-related scientific research tends to be dominated by Western scientific institutions and organisations, who have access to large oceanographic research vessels and instruments that can withstand the inhospitable conditions of the deep sea. Tropical marine habitats such as coral reefs are also well-studied by scientists from other parts of the world. However, the High Seas Treaty adopted in 2023 made it clear that such research would benefit from being more collaborative, calling on countries to provide 'opportunities for scientists of all states, in particular scientists from developing states, to be involved in or associated with the project'. The treaty is a historic agreement that lays the groundwork for international collaboration to protect oceanic areas outside national jurisdictions. Dr Balakrishnan said: 'Ocean science is not an academic luxury. Instead, it is an existential necessity for all of us small island states. The well-being of our communities, cultures, ecosystems, food security and livelihoods are dependent on a healthy and thriving ocean.' The ocean is also a treasure trove of information yet unknown, with unique organisms offering scientists the chance to obtain valuable scientific data that can improve life on land. A glow-in-the-dark jellyfish, for instance, inspired the development of a fluorescent dye that enabled doctors to track the movement of cancer cells. Dr Balakrishnan said that Aosis member states are calling for more capacity-building initiatives based on their needs, and the need to include traditional and indigenous knowledge into global frameworks from the outset. Aosis is also calling for a 'fundamental rebalancing of ocean science leadership', he said. 'We need dedicated funding mechanisms and institutional support to ensure small island developing states' research institutions can lead initiatives that address our specific challenges.' Singapore has a thriving marine research community, with a national facility – the St John's Island National Marine Laboratory – and a research institute focusing on marine science, the Tropical Marine Science Institute at the National University of Singapore . Researchers from these institutions, as well as the National Parks Board (NParks) and Nanyang Technological University's Asian School of the Environment and Earth Observatory of Singapore, are active in initiating and conducting a range of studies of the marine environment. These include research into marine creatures such as reef fish and giant clams, as well as in coral reefs, seagrass meadows and other marine ecosystems. Underwater robotics, maritime research, and studies looking into oceanographic parameters like waves are also conducted in Singapore. The focus on the need for a strong scientific basis in ocean policy was further underpinned by an event held ahead of the UN Ocean Conference which served as the scientific foundation of the summit. The One Ocean Science Congress, held in Nice from June 3 to 6, was attended by Dr Karenne Tun, the group director of the National Biodiversity Centre at NParks. She told The Straits Times that the congress offered NParks, Singapore's lead agency for marine conservation, the opportunity to both learn and contribute to the global scientific community. 'As a small island city-state, Singapore is surrounded by coastal and marine areas that are vital not only to our own environment, but also integral to the broader South-east Asian region,' she said. Singapore's waters are home to about 250 hard coral species and about 700 marine fish species. Studies have shown that hawksbill turtles migrate between Singapore and Malaysia. 'Our investment in multi- and transdisciplinary research, for example in the areas of taxonomy (the science of classification), environmental monitoring, habitat restoration, nature-based solutions and climate change impact science, can contribute to finding solutions beyond our shores.' Dr Tun said Singapore adopts a science-based approach to marine conservation and management, pointing to the Marine Conservation Action Plan, which sets out strategies to protect, restore, and enhance Singapore's coastal and marine habitats. NParks regularly reviews this plan to incorporate new knowledge and emerging technologies. She added: 'Through multilateral platforms such as the One Ocean Science Congress, Singapore can leverage scientific research outcomes generated by the global research community to complement local research efforts to guide the conservation and management of our blue spaces, while sharing our knowledge with others at the same time.' Audrey Tan is an assistant news editor overseeing sustainability coverage. She has reported on the environment for more than a decade and hosts the Green Pulse podcast series. Find out more about climate change and how it could affect you on the ST microsite here.
