17 Oct 2011
STATEMENT BY MR TEO ZI-MING, DELEGATE TO THE 66th SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON AGENDA ITEM 23 ON ERADICATION OF POVERTY AND OTHER DEVELOPMENT ISSUES, SECOND COMMITTEE, 17 OCTOBER 2011
Mr Chairman,
I would like to begin by aligning with the statements by Argentina, on behalf of the G77 and China, and Indonesia, on behalf of ASEAN, on this agenda item.
2 Today, we observe the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. Geroge Bernard Shaw once said that "The greatest of evils and the worst of crimes is poverty".* Poverty robs millions of their right to a decent and dignified life. It is thus fitting that the eradication of poverty and hunger has been recognised as an ethical, social, political and economic imperative of the global community.
* George Bernard Shaw, Major Barbara (1906), Preface
Role of the UN system in Singapore's development
3 Singapore is committed to supporting the efforts of the United Nations and the international community in purging the scourge of poverty. Through our own experience, we know that this goal is attainable. The Singapore Story began with low levels of social and economic development. As former Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew once said, "To understand Singapore, you have got to start off with an improbable story: It should not exist". Singapore is a nation of a small geographical size and with no natural resources. "Paradoxically," Mr Lee said, "if Singapore had not been so poor, it might never have transformed itself and prospered as it has".
4 When Singapore first attained self-rule in 1959, our Government requested advice from what would later become the UN Development Programme (UNDP) on developing an economic plan for Singapore. The expert team faced major challenges: the Singapore economy was contending with high unemployment, a growing population, labour unrest and political tension. Nevertheless, the expert team produced a useful report which significantly influenced Singapore's development plans. UNDP, in cooperation with a suite of UN agencies, including the FAO, ILO, ITU, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNCTAD, WHO, as well as ADB and the World Bank, would later also provide technical expertise in almost all areas of Singapore's economy, while taking into account Singapore's priority areas of development. With their help, good political leadership and supported by a hardworking people, Singapore was placed firmly on the path of growth and development. But even today, Singapore has not rested on its laurels. The Government continues to develop policies that promote economic growth and combat poverty.
Education to drive social mobility
5 In the spirit of sharing experiences and lessons learnt, I would like to highlight three key areas in Singapore's development story. First, Singapore believes that education remains a key vehicle for social mobility for communities as well as for individuals. Social mobility stands at the heart of Singapore's education policies. Our education system, which is founded on meritocracy, driven by a high-quality cadre of teachers and underpinned by compulsory education legislation, has played an instrumental role in Singapore's development. Even today, education continues to hold the key to unlock the potential of our young and help realise their dreams, regardless of their economic status. The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), an international study conducted under the auspices of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), found that Singapore was among the countries and economies that had a high proportion of students who excelled academically, despite coming from less than favourable circumstances.
6 With a robust education system providing equal opportunities for all, young Singaporeans from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds need not be condemned to perpetuate an inter-generational cycle of poor academic achievement, weak employment prospects and poverty. Instead, they are also offered the opportunity to reach their full potential and ascend up the socio-economic ladder.
Ensuring no one is left behind
7 Second, Singapore is of the view that policies should be implemented to ensure that the most vulnerable in our society will not be deprived of access to food, healthcare, education or a roof over their heads, regardless of the economic climate and cost of living.
8 In this regard, the Singapore Government is committed to encouraging inclusive growth and helping every Singaporean have a share in the country's progress. This is underpinned by our philosophy of building self-reliance amongst families and individuals, which is factored into the design of our social safety nets. Singapore introduced the Workfare Income Supplement Scheme in 2007 to supplement the wages of older low-wage workers so as to encourage them to remain employed. Singapore also invests heavily in training and skills upgrading so as to enhance the employability of our workforce. For the financially-needy who are unable to work and have limited family support, public assistance is also available. Under-girding these schemes is the Community Care Endowment Fund (ComCare), which seeks to ensure that our social safety nets are adequately and sustainably maintained. Measures have also been put in place to ensure universal home ownership and affordable health care so as to ensure a basic standard of living for all.
Regional and international partnerships
9 Finally, while each Member State should take primary responsibility and ownership of its own development, national strategies against poverty can also be complemented by assistance from regional and international partners. Cross-regional cooperation offers many benefits in this regard - the exchange of views and best practices, the mobilisation of resources and technical expertise, as well as the creation of new economic opportunities and the growing of the proverbial economic pie through deeper economic integration and liberalisation.
10 Within ASEAN, much work has been done to address socio-economic disparities and narrow the development gap through dialogue, knowledge-sharing, capacity-building through the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) and increased connectivity through the ASEAN Connectivity Initiative. By 2015, ASEAN will come together to form the ASEAN Economic Community, which will boost trade, investment and development in the region.
11 Singapore also continues to provide assistance to other developing countries through the Singapore Cooperation Programme (SCP) by means of training and sharing of technical expertise in such areas as education, environmental management, economic development and public administration and governance. Since 1992, Singapore has organised training courses for more than 75,000 public officials from 170 countries. We hope that these efforts can play a part in supporting our partner countries in the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.
Conclusion
12 Singapore stands resolutely with our international partners in the fight against poverty. We should be unflinching in our efforts to forge a more prosperous and just world for future generations.
13 Thank you.
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