The Foreword, the Message, and the Speeches That Started It All
Before we get into the 45 essays that make up the core of this book, there are some opening pieces that set the stage. And honestly, they’re worth reading on their own.
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).
The Foreword by PM Lee Hsien Loong
Singapore’s Prime Minister keeps it short and direct. The key facts: Singapore became independent on August 9, 1965. One of the first things the new country did was apply to join the UN. Foreign Minister S. Rajaratnam explained why - they needed “an international endorsement of Singapore’s sovereignty and integrity.”
On September 21, 1965, Singapore became the UN’s 117th member state. That’s just six weeks after independence. When your existence as a country is being questioned, you move fast.
Lee Hsien Loong highlights what Singapore has gotten from the UN and what it has given back. Singapore helped secure a more stable financial system through the IMF. It promoted peace and international rule of law, including at sea. It championed sustainable development and sanitation. And it built platforms for small countries to have a voice - the Forum of Small States and the Global Governance Group.
Ban Ki-moon’s Message
The UN Secretary-General’s message is basically a love letter to Singapore. He calls it an intellectual center and financial crossroads. He praises how Singapore invested in education, healthcare, and people. He mentions visiting Singapore’s NEWater complex in 2012 - their system for turning wastewater into drinking water.
But the part that stands out most is this: no country, no matter how big or strong, can solve problems alone. Singapore understood this from day one. Being small wasn’t a weakness. It was the reason they leaned so hard into multilateralism.
Ban Ki-moon also gives Singapore credit for the “little red dot” attitude - being limited in geography but showing no limits in creativity and imagination.
The Preface by the Editors
Tommy Koh, Li Lin Chang, and Joanna Koh give us the full backstory. Here’s what I found most interesting:
The origin story matters. Singapore didn’t just become independent. It was expelled from Malaysia. There were people who doubted whether Singapore was even legitimate as an independent country. Joining the UN wasn’t about prestige. It was about survival and recognition.
The UN helped Singapore when it was poor. In the early years, Singapore got soft loans from the World Bank, technical help from UNDP, UNICEF, and other UN agencies. One Dutch UN expert, Dr. Albert Winsemius, became Singapore’s economic adviser. There’s a Chinese saying the editors quote: “When you drink water, you must remember its source.”
Singapore paid it forward. As Singapore grew richer, it created the Singapore Cooperation Programme to train officials from developing countries. By 2015, over 100,000 officials from more than 170 countries had gone through the program.
Singaporeans led at the highest levels. The preface lists an impressive track record - Singaporeans chaired the UN Security Council twice, led major international conferences, headed UN agencies. Noeleen Heyzer became the first woman to head a UN regional commission. A Singaporean general commanded UN peacekeepers in Timor-Leste.
The editors also share a favorite story: In 1985, Ethiopia faced famine. The World Food Programme sent five officials to set up what was then the largest humanitarian relief operation the UN had ever run. Two of those five were Singaporean.
S. Rajaratnam’s 1965 Speech to the General Assembly
This is the speech Singapore’s first Foreign Minister gave when Singapore was admitted to the UN. It reads like a founding document.
The key principles Rajaratnam laid out:
Peace through collective security. Singapore is too small to fight wars. Modern defense has to be collective, especially for small nations.
Non-alignment. Singapore chose not to join any power bloc. But non-alignment didn’t mean indifference. Singapore would still take stands on right and wrong.
Interdependence. Independence is important, but so is accepting that nations depend on each other. Singapore’s multiracial society - Chinese, Malay, Indian, and others - had already taught this lesson at home.
Welfare over warfare. Singapore had no military aircraft, no tanks, and a small army. Resources went to housing, schools, and hospitals instead.
There’s one line that really captures the whole thing: “My country has faith in the future of the United Nations simply because without it there is no worthwhile future for humanity.”
That’s a strong statement from a country that was six weeks old.
Goh Chok Tong’s 1995 Speech at the UN’s 50th Anniversary
Thirty years later, Singapore’s second Prime Minister spoke at the UN’s 50th anniversary. By then, the world had changed. Globalization was the big theme. Regional groupings like NAFTA and APEC were gaining power.
Goh Chok Tong made the case that the UN might not be the primary mover in world events anymore, but it had a crucial integrative function - making sure no country gets left behind.
He also made a practical point about money. The UN can’t keep going from financial crisis to financial crisis. Member states need to pay what they owe, in full, on time, without conditions.
And on Security Council reform, he proposed something elegant: instead of arguing about which specific countries should get permanent seats, first agree on the criteria that any permanent member should meet. If you can agree on the standard, the specific countries will follow naturally.
His bottom line: “The UN is not perfect, but it is the best institution akin to a world government that we have.”
Setting the Stage
These opening sections tell you everything about Singapore’s approach to the world. Be small but be smart. Use institutions to your advantage. Pay your debts. Help others. And never forget that for small countries, the rules-based international order isn’t optional - it’s everything.
Now let’s get into the individual stories. Starting tomorrow with Chapter 1.
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