Singapore's Little-Known Fix for a Messy UN Problem
You know what nobody tells you about the United Nations? For the longest time, diplomats had to fight over chairs. Literally.
This is part of my retelling of “50 Years of Singapore and the United Nations” (Tommy Koh, Li Lin Chang, Joanna Koh, 2015, ISBN: 978-9814713030).
Chapter 1 is written by S. Jayakumar, who is basically Singapore diplomatic royalty. He served as an officer at the UN Secretariat, then as Singapore’s Ambassador to the UN, and later as Foreign Minister. The man saw the UN from every possible angle. And for this book, instead of repeating things he already wrote about in his own books, he chose to tell a small but really satisfying story.
First, a Quick Lesson on How Diplomacy Actually Works
Jayakumar starts by explaining something that sounds obvious but really isn’t. There are two kinds of diplomacy: bilateral and multilateral. And they work very differently.
Bilateral diplomacy is simple. You’re posted to one country, and your job is to make that relationship work.
Multilateral diplomacy is a whole different beast. At the UN, you’re dealing with dozens of countries at the same time. And here’s the tricky part - on Monday morning, you might be in a heated argument with another country’s delegate in one committee. That same Monday afternoon, you might need that exact same person to support you on a totally different issue in another committee.
So you can’t burn bridges. You can’t take things personally. After a tough debate, you grab coffee together. You keep the relationship going. Because next week, you might need each other.
This is actually a pretty useful life lesson, not just a diplomacy one.
Why Sideline Meetings Matter So Much
Every September, the UN General Assembly kicks off in New York. It’s the biggest gathering of world leaders, foreign ministers, and heads of state on the planet. They all come for what’s called the “General Debate” - which, funny enough, isn’t a debate at all. It’s just a bunch of speeches.
But here’s the thing. The real work happens on the sidelines. While the speeches are going on, delegations are running around setting up bilateral meetings. Foreign ministers from Country A want to meet foreign ministers from Country B. And for a small country like Singapore, these sideline meetings are gold.
Why? Because Singapore doesn’t have embassies everywhere. They can’t afford to have diplomats in every country in Africa, Latin America, or the Caribbean. So when all these leaders are gathered in one place for two weeks, it’s a rare chance to talk face-to-face with people you normally can’t reach.
The Embarrassing Problem Nobody Fixed
So here’s where the story gets good.
All these important bilateral meetings were happening at the UN every September. Foreign ministers meeting other foreign ministers. Heads of state grabbing 20 minutes with each other. Crucial stuff.
And the UN had… no system for it. None. Zero.
There were no proper meeting rooms. No booking system. Just two lounges - called the Indonesian Lounge and the Chinese Lounge - with not enough space for everyone.
What did delegations do? They sent their junior staff to the UN building early in the morning to grab chairs and tables in the corridors. First come, first served. They’d reserve spots like people saving seats at a movie theater.
Peter Tan, who was a Singapore delegate in 1994 (and later became Deputy Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs), described it perfectly. He and his colleague would go to the UN super early in the morning to “chope” places - that’s Singaporean slang for reserving something. And apparently, some delegates from other countries nearly got into physical fights over who had claimed a spot first.
Think about that. World leaders. Foreign ministers. Waiting around in hallways for a chair. Getting into squabbles like kids at a school cafeteria. At the United Nations.
Jayakumar Says: Let’s Fix This
In 1994, Jayakumar was Foreign Minister. He was standing in a UN corridor with Ambassador Chew Tai Soo, waiting for a meeting with another country’s foreign minister. And he basically said what everyone was thinking: this is embarrassing.
He asked - can we get the UN Secretariat to set up proper booths, proper facilities, and a proper booking system?
Tai Soo, being a veteran diplomat, gave him the reality check. The UN Secretariat would never do this on their own. They wouldn’t want the extra work. The only way to make it happen was through a formal UN resolution.
Jayakumar’s response? “In that case, let’s do that.”
And just like that, Singapore’s delegation got to work.
130 Countries Said Yes
Here’s what’s impressive. Ambassador Chew Tai Soo drafted a resolution and started talking to other delegations. The response was overwhelming. Over 130 countries co-sponsored the resolution. That’s more than two-thirds of the entire UN membership.
The resolution passed by consensus at the 49th General Assembly in 1994. No one voted against it. Because the problem was so obviously real that everyone wanted it fixed.
In his speech introducing the resolution, Tai Soo laid out the case clearly:
- These bilateral meetings had become an essential part of how the UN works
- The massive increase in UN membership made the old facilities completely inadequate
- There was no booking system - just a free-for-all
- It was undignified for world leaders to be waiting around for seats
- An equitable and efficient system was needed
The resolution asked the Secretary-General to improve facilities in the Indonesian and Chinese lounges, make other venues available, and create a proper booking system.
What Changed
Today, when diplomats go to the UN General Assembly, they find a well-organized system. There are proper booths with tables and chairs. There’s a booking system run by Secretariat officials. There are even jugs of water and glasses that get replaced between meetings.
It’s not flashy. Nobody writes newspaper headlines about meeting room logistics. But it works. And it made life better for every single delegation at the UN.
Jayakumar ends the chapter with a question: how many of today’s diplomats know that all of this came from a Singapore initiative in 1994? Probably not many.
Why This Story Matters
This chapter is short. It’s not about a dramatic Security Council showdown or a high-profile treaty negotiation. But I think it’s one of the best chapters to start with because it shows something important about how small countries can make a difference.
Singapore didn’t try to solve the Middle East conflict or reform the Security Council. They noticed a practical problem that annoyed everyone, and they fixed it. Over 130 countries backed them up because the fix was obvious and useful.
That’s a very Singapore approach. Don’t grandstand. Find a real problem. Build support. Get it done.
And honestly, there’s something satisfying about a tiny country being the one to say “hey, maybe world leaders shouldn’t have to fight over chairs.” Sometimes the most useful thing you can do isn’t the most dramatic.
About the Author
S. Jayakumar served as Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister and Senior Minister. He was Minister for Foreign Affairs from 1994 to 2004, Minister for Home Affairs, Minister for Labour, and Minister for Law. Earlier in his career, he was Singapore’s Permanent Representative to the UN from 1971 to 1974. He also oversaw major international legal cases for Singapore. He’s written several books on diplomacy and law, and served as Dean of the National University of Singapore’s Faculty of Law.
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