Organiser cancels Shangri-La Dialogue due to Covid-19, days after saying it’s on track

• On May 17, the organiser of the Shangri-La Dialogue said it was “on track” to proceed
• The annual defence and security event was to be held in early June
• Then on May 20, it said that the event was cancelled owing to the Covid-19 pandemic
• Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said the cancellation was another example of how Covid-19 had disrupted normalcy

SINGAPORE — Just three days after saying it was “on track”, the organiser of the Shangri-La Dialogue, slated for early June, said on Thursday (May 20) that it was cancelled owing to the worsening Covid-19 situation globally as well as in Singapore. It was not held last year either.

The annual defence and security event, which is organised by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), was to take place as a physical event on June 4 and 5 and would have involved international delegates who had confirmed their attendance.

This included “a wide range of defence ministers, senior officials, corporate leaders and influential strategists”, IISS said.

“Unfortunately, the global Covid-19 situation has recently deteriorated, in part because of the rise of infectious new Covid variants.

“In Singapore there has been a rise in local cases, the introduction of new restrictions, and the prospect of further tightening cannot be ruled out, all of which creates uncertainty. Taken together these various factors mean that holding an in-person Shangri-La Dialogue this year has become unviable,” the organiser said.

On Monday, the organiser said that the event would continue as planned, shortly after it was announced that the World Economic Forum annual meeting, slated to be held in Singapore in August, was cancelled due to the pandemic.

At the time, Singapore's Ministry of Defence (Mindef) said that it was “encouraged” by the positive response to invitations to the dialogue, adding that this “underscores the strong commitment of government leaders in addressing security challenges even in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic”.

The Shangri-La Dialogue had been held every year since 2002, but was also cancelled last year when the pandemic struck.

IISS added that it has worked hard with the Singapore Government, especially with Mindef, to ensure that the event could be held successfully despite the challenges of the pandemic.

“Even during Covid-19, the IISS believes in the role of face-to-face diplomacy to solve global problems,” the statement read.

“The IISS wishes to thank all the delegates from around the world who had committed to participate in the Shangri-La Dialogue this year, as well as the Government of Singapore for its steadfast support over recent weeks.

The organiser added that it will now be in touch with all of its partners to discuss how to "take this important process forward”.

Its Singapore office will continue planning future events in Singapore, including the IISS Fullerton Forum next January, and the in-person IISS Shangri-La Dialogue in the middle of 2022.

Mindef said in a statement that it supports the decision to cancel the event as a result of the uncertainties in the Covid-19 situation globally and in Singapore.

Posting on his Facebook page, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said that the organiser as well as Mindef had been “quietly optimistic” that global control measures and mass vaccinations would permit a physical meeting in Singapore.

He said it was unfortunate that this year’s in-person event will be cancelled as the pandemic worsened in parts of Asia, which were aggravated by more infectious viral strains. The cancellation was also made in “close consultation” with the Singapore Government, he added.

“Although regretful, it is the responsible course, with the health and safety of the local community and participants as the foremost consideration,” he said.

Thanking Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and other defence ministers who had accepted invitations to attend, Dr Ng said that the cancellation does not reflect “any reduced commitment to dialogue and engagement to promote peace and stability in Asia and beyond”.

“Rather, it is yet another example of how Covid-19 has disrupted normalcy, in all facets of our lives and social discourse. We will find alternate and safer avenues for these important goals.”