Four Nations, Including Singapore, Call For Safe Hormuz Shipping At UN

By Anas Hassan

SINGAPORE, April 17 (Bernama) -- Singapore, together with Fiji, Jamaica and Malta, has called for concerned parties to restore unimpeded transit passage through the Strait of Hormuz and ensure the safety of seafarers and ships.

Singapore’s Foreign Ministry (MFA), in a statement on Friday, said the matter was conveyed by Singapore’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN) Burhan Gafoor as he delivered a joint statement on behalf of the four countries at the 79th Plenary Meeting of the 80th Session of the UN General Assembly on Thursday. 

The meeting was convened to debate the use of the veto at the 10130th meeting of the UN Security Council on April 7, 2026, of a draft resolution on “The situation in the Middle East”. 

"The statement notes that the right of transit passage is of fundamental importance to international maritime trade. 

"For many small island nations and developing states with trade dependent economies, disruptions to such passage have severe adverse impacts on economic resilience and energy security," it said. 

MFA said the four countries also emphasised on upholding and respecting the right of transit passage in accordance with international law, as reflected in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

"Singapore, Fiji, Jamaica and Malta contributed substantively to the negotiation, drafting, and conclusion of UNCLOS, and have an abiding interest in its faithful implementation," it added. 

-- BERNAMA