Over 200 people representing a cross-section of individuals and organisations working with children will meet to discuss Singapore’s progress in the promotion and protection of children’s rights on 2 July 2008. The consultation forum, to be moderated by Ambasador Ong Keng Yong who is also Director of the Institute of Policy Studies, will involve policymakers from various government agencies, students, educators, social workers, medical and other professionals, and volunteers working with children. They will exchange and give their views on a draft report that Singapore is preparing for submission to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child.

2          Participants are expected to touch on issues such as the provision of better protection of children, efforts to improve child development outcomes, education, enhanced standards and practices for early childhood development.

3          Minister-of-State for Community Development, Youth and Sports, Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon, who is the guest-of-honour for the consultation forum, said, “Singapore’s success in furthering children’s rights in Singapore is a result of strong people, public, and private sectors' commitment to the creation of an enabling environment for children to grow and flourish as individuals. It is a distinctive formula of collective responsibility in the best interests of our children which has served us well. I have no doubt our approach of collective responsibility and effort will continue to be a key ingredient in our ongoing work to make Singapore an even better place for children.”

4          The forum is jointly organised by the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports, the National Council of Social Service and the Singapore Children’s Society. Participants will discuss a draft report which is a progress update on Singapore’s implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). Singapore's initial report was submitted in 2002. Views raised at the forum will be incorporated in the final report that will be submitted to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child in Geneva later this month.

5          The UNCRC is a comprehensive charter on the rights of children, setting minimum standards that governments should meet in providing healthcare, education, legal and social services in their countries.  Singapore has been a signatory to the UNCRC since October 1995. As State Party to the convention, it is obligated to provide periodic updates on key developments promoting and protecting the rights of children. 

6          Ms Ang Bee Lian, CEO, National Council of Social Service said “NCSS has worked with the relevant ministries to put in place measures to enhance the well-being of our children, including children with disabilities, to ensure that disability services remain accessible to children and that these services are appropriately resourced. Training being key to appropriate resourcing, the training institute of NCSS, the Social Service Training Institute, has ensured that professionals and volunteers working with children attend courses for skills training, upgrading and progression. As the national co-ordinating body for Voluntary Welfare Organisations (VWOs) in Singapore, NCSS plays a key role in facilitating the consultation process between the Government and VWOs and other stakeholders. We will continue to seek the views of the VWOs and present them to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child later in the year with further recommendations on how we can strive towards reaching new levels of excellence as a developed country.”

7          Mr Koh Choon Hui, Chairman, Singapore Children's Society said, “The overall social and emotional well-being of children in Singapore is good. Only a small percentage of children in Singapore do need intensive social service help and support. I believe Singapore Children's Society, like many other VWOs here, is well equipped to meet the challenges of shaping the future of our children through our various services and programmes.”

8          Please refer to Annexes 1 to 4 for more information on the consultation forum, opening address by the guest-of-honour, United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, and key areas of progress made by Singapore.

JOINTLY ISSUED BY:

MINISTRY OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, YOUTH AND SPORTS,

NATIONAL COUNCIL OF SOCIAL SERVICE,

SINGAPORE CHILDREN’S SOCIETY

Annexes

Annex 1:         Consultation Forum Programme

Annex 2:        Opening Address by Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon, Minister of State, Community Development, Youth and Sports

Annex 3:         United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child

Annex 4:         Key areas of progress in Singapore

                                                                                                                        ANNEX 1

PROGRAMME

UN CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD (UNCRC) CONSULTATION FORUM

Date:               2 July 2008 (Wed)

Time:              9.00am – 2.00pm (Registration starts at 8.30am)

Venue:            Suntec International Convention & Exhibition Centre - Level 3 (Room 303, 304 and 305)

1 Raffles Boulevard Singapore 039593

ANNEX 2

To be embargoed till after delivery. Please check against delivery.

SPEECH BY MRS YU-FOO YEE SHOON,

MINISTER OF STATE FOR

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, YOUTH AND SPORTS,

AT THE UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD CONSULTATION FORUM

ON WEDNESDAY 2 JULY 2008, 9 AM,

SUNTEC INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION AND EXHIBITION CENTRE

Mr Ong Keng Yong,

Ambassador-at-Large and Director, Institute of Policy Studies

Mr Chew Hock Yong,

Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports and Chairman of the Inter-Ministry Committee on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (or IMC on UNCRC for short),

Ms Ang Bee Lian

Chief Executive Officer, National Council of Social Service

Professor Ho Lai Yun

Vice- Chairman, Singapore Children’s Society

Members of the IMC on UNCRC,

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am delighted to be with you this morning at the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child consultation forum to discuss the draft Periodic Report on Singapore’s implementation of our commitments under the convention. 

2                    I understand that we have, in our midst today, more than 250 participants including teachers, social service professionals, policy makers and volunteers working with children, some of whom were present at our consultation forum for the Initial Report in 2002. I want to especially acknowledge the presence of children and youth delegates in our midst who carry the responsibility of representing their peers at this forum. That you have all made the time to be with us this morning is indeed a clear reflection of our collective interest and commitment to promoting and protecting the rights of our children.

3          We are especially honoured to have with us today Mr Ong Keng Yong, Ambassador at Large and Director of the Institute of Policy Studies, who has kindly agreed to moderate today’s session. I am confident that you will have a most engaging discussion under his professional facilitation.

Objectives

4          Today’s session provides a platform to discuss the issues outlined in Singapore’s draft 2^nd and 3^rd Periodic Report, which tracks Singapore’s implementation of the convention for the period 2003 – 2007. The report also captures Singapore’s responses to the Concluding Observations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child issued in 2003.

5          In a short while, MCYS, which is the secretariat for the IMC on UNCRC, will brief on key updates as well as explanations behind some of our positions, as articulated in the report. I encourage you to take the opportunity to clarify any concerns you may have about the convention and Singapore’s implementation of it with members of the IMC on UNCRC thereafter.

Making Singapore a great place for children and families

6          Singapore’s accession to the UN CRC in 1995 and ongoing efforts in meeting the needs of children underscore our commitment to make Singapore a great place , , for children and families – a Singapore that allows all children to feel a sense of belonging, to play an active role in society, to be protected from harm and to fulfill their potential.

State of Singapore’s Children

7                    As at June 2007, almost 20% of Singapore’s total resident population was under 15 years of age and 25% under 19 years of age.

8                    The state of Singapore’s children is good. Let me share some indicators to illustrate my point. Our educational standards are high. Our students continue to do well at international meetings. Last year, 97% of children of primary school going age were enrolled in schools and for secondary school going age, the percentage enrolled in schools was equally high – at 95%. Our school drop out rate has steadily decreased over the years. Last year, about 1.6 percent of the school-going cohort dropped out of school, compared to 3.2 percent in 2003.

9                    In the area of health, our infant mortality rate remains one of the lowest in the world – at 2.1 per 1,000 live births in 2007.

10               Our juvenile crime rates also remain low. The number of juveniles arrested for Overall Crime has continued to fall in the last four years - from 2,637 in 2004 to 1,968 in 2007.

11               Our children continue to be protected from exploitation through strong legislation. They also mix freely and have ample opportunity to participate in leisure, culture and the arts.

Progress of children in Singapore

12        Our children have, no doubt, benefited from the key areas of development that feature in the draft report. Let me briefly mention some of these:

Legal Enhancements

13        In the area of legislative enhancements, the Compulsory Education Act was introduced in 2003 to provide for six years of education for our children. Amendments to the Employment Act in 2004 have also provided children with greater protections against exploitation at work.

14        Key changes, in October last year, to the Penal Code have enhanced the protection of young persons against exploitation for commercial sex in Singapore and overseas. You may also be aware that MCYS is currently leading in a review of the Children and Young Persons Act.

15        Recent initiatives by the Courts to establish a specialised Children Care Court to oversee care and protection proceedings and a CHILD (or Children’s Best Interests, Less Adversarial) programme for the resolution of custody disputes in a child-centred manner have further strengthened the legal system in providing for the welfare and protection of our children.

Initiatives to promote Education and Culture

16        In the area of education, “Teach Less, Learn More” initiatives, which emphasise  classroom interaction, expression, life-long skills development and character building through innovative and effective teaching, provide for greater customisation for the child learner. These complement initiatives to promote diverse education through a wider range of curricula and alternative schools, such as the Singapore Sports School, School of the Arts and NorthLight School.

17        Singapore’s children have also gained from extensive exposure to culture and the arts through events such as the Singapore Youth Festival and Noise Singapore. These inculcate in children a greater appreciation for diverse platforms for expression.

Greater support for families

18                We recognise that some children may require more assistance than others. A range of programmes exist under the ComCare umbrella to provide for the developmental needs of such children. For children from low-income families attending kindergarten, the Kindergarten Financial Assistance Scheme, or KiFas continues to subsidise up to 90% of monthly fees, or up to $82 per month.

19               For children from low-income families attending child care, the Centre-based Financial Assistance Scheme, or CFAC, provides an additional subsidy over and above the universal childcare subsidy provided by the Government. As of today, the subsidy rates have increased from $140 to $320 monthly to $150 to $340.  The monthly subsidy is in addition to the one-off start-up grant of up to $1,000 to cover start-up expenses such as registration fees, uniforms and insurance for these children.

Partnerships in policy and planning and delivery

20        Key to Singapore’s success in furthering children’s rights in Singapore is a strong public, people and private sector commitment to create an enabling environment for children to grow and flourish as individuals.

21        Today’s event, which is jointly organised by MCYS, the National Council of Social Service and the Singapore Children’s Society, is a clear example of Singapore’s distinctive formula of collective responsibility in the best interests of our children which has served us well and which, no doubt, will continue to be a key ingredient in our future work with and for children.

22        This collaborative model is also evidenced in the work of the Inter-Ministry Committee on Dysfunctional Families, comprising policy makers, social services professionals, academics and other relevant stakeholders.  This Inter-Ministry Committee was set up in end 2007 to review and enhance help for dysfunctional families with children. The committee is scheduled to conclude its work in the next 2 months.

The Road Ahead

23        I am sure that today’s discussions alone will offer us new ideas to allow our children to dream and to aspire, to be the best that they can be. Let us be open to them, mindful of our ultimate goal for our children – that is to grow up happy, and to enjoy their childhood.

Conclusion

24        It leaves me, then, to thank all of you for your presence today and especially to our friends from NCSS and the Singapore Children’s Society for their work in making this forum possible. I look forward to your continued support and partnership in making Singapore a great place for our children.

Thank you.

ANNEX 3

UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD

1          The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is a comprehensive charter on the rights of children, setting minimum standards that governments should meet in providing healthcare, education, legal and social services in their countries. The UNCRC was adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 20 November 1989. Singapore has been a signatory to the UNCRC since 2 October 1995.

2          The Convention is governed by 54 articles. It spells out the basic human rights to which children all over the world are entitled: the right to survival; the right to the development of their physical and mental potential; the right to protection from influences that are harmful to their development; and the right to participation in family, cultural and social life. The Convention reaffirms that children need special care and protection. It places emphasis on the primary caring and protective responsibility of the child before and after birth, respect for the cultural values of the child's indigenous origin and community, and the vital role of the international co-operation in securing children's rights.

3          Underpinning the Convention is the premise that the child's best interests shall be a primary consideration in all actions and deliberations concerning the child. Therefore, all decisions made by governmental, administrative or judicial authorities, or even families themselves, should adhere this principle.

4          . The Convention emphasises the need to respect the children's ''evolving capacities'', but that does not accord children the right to make decisions for them at too young an age.

5          Singapore submitted its Initial Report to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child in 2002 and concluded its oral presentation before the Committee on the Rights of the Child in September 2003. Singapore is submitting the 2^nd and 3^rd Periodic Reports to the Committee on the Rights of the Child this year.

For more information on the Singapore’s Initial Report, please visit: http://www.mcys.gov.sg/MCDSFiles/download/CRC_Initial_Report_Full_Report_Website.pdf.

For the detailed convention, please visit: http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu3/b/k2crc.htm

For more information on the Convention, please visit: www.unicef.org/crc.

ANNEX 4

KEY AREAS OF PROGRESS IN SINGAPORE

LEGISLATION AND INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS

Amendments to the Penal Code (sexual offences against minors)

1                    The Penal Code was reviewed in 2007. The amendments were passed by Parliament on 23 Oct 2007. The amendments afford greater protection for children in relation to sexual crimes and commercial sex involving minors under 18 years of age, both in Singapore and in other countries. Child sex tourism operators and those responsible for organised child sex operations are also criminalized under the amendments.

Amendments to Employment Act and Ratification of ILO Convention 138

2                    Singapore has ratified two ILO child labour conventions (Nos. 138 and 182). Children below the age of 13 years (formerly 12 years) are prohibited from being employed while those between the ages of 13 (formerly 12 years) and 16 years may be employed subject to employers’ compliance with the safeguards in the labour legislation.

3                    The Employment Act (Cap. 19) was amended in 2004 to raise the minimum age of employment from 12 to 13 years old, in line with ILO Convention No. 138, which Singapore ratified on 7 November 2005.

Automatic Singapore citizenship for children born to a Singaporean mother and foreigner father

4                    The amendment to Art. 122 of the Singapore Constitution reversed the past policy which had disallowed the automatic recognition of a child whose mother is a Singapore citizen but whose father is born outside Singapore.  Children of this parentage are now recognised as Singapore citizens under the Constitution.

Review of the Children and Young Persons Act (CYPA)

5                    The CYPA is currently being reviewed. MCYS had announced in March 08 the licensing of ungazetted Children and Young Persons Homes to ensure that care standards are met, and to allow for external periodic review of children and young persons admitted to reside in these Homes.

Accession to the Hague Convention on Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction

6                    MCYS announced in March 2008, Singapore’s intention to accede to the Hague Convention on Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. Acceding to the Convention will underscore our commitment to managing cases of child abduction in the best interests of children, which is aligned to our obligations under the CRC. The Convention ensures clear procedures that facilitate the return of a child that has been wrongfully removed from his or her state of residence.

LEGAL INIATIVES

Establishment of the Community Court, Children Care Court and Family Care Court

7                    The Community Court was set up in 2006 to allow more sentencing options for offences related to social issues of public concern. A key focus of the Community Court is more flexible rehabilitative sentencing options for young adult offenders aged 16-18 years old. These offenders fall outside the current jurisdiction of the juvenile court.

8                    The Children Care Court was set up in May 2008 will handle children and teens who have been neglected or abused, or those who are beyond parental control. The new court will be able to handle cases involving non-offending youth separately from youth offenders.

9                    The Family Child Court was also developed to deal with divorce proceedings involving children, with the child’s best interests as its focus and to ensure that children are not caught in the conflict between parents.

EDUCATION

Compulsory Education

10               The Compulsory Education Act in 2003 seeks to ensure that all Singapore citizens are enrolled in National Schools up to Primary 6. The 6-year education aims to give all our children a common core of knowledge that will provide a strong foundation for further education, and a common educational experience which will help to build national identity and cohesion.

Diverse Educational Pathways

11        The Singapore government has continued to seek ways to promote diverse educational pathways for all children through the development of alternative schools such as Independent Schools and Special Schools including the Singapore Sports School and School of the Arts. For students who are unable to progress through the mainstream academic school system and are at risk of prematurely leaving school, Northlight School was established in 1997 to provide a holistic programme tailoring to learner’s needs for educational and socio-emotional support. The creation of such schools complements Singapore’s effots in providing a wider range of curricula for children of various abilities and talents.

CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES

Enabling Masterplan

12        The Enabling Masterplan was released in February 2007, charting the development of programmes and services in the disability sector for 2007 to 2011. One key component of the masterplan was in early Intervention and education for children with disabilities. Implementation of the recommendations is underway.

HELP FOR DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILIES

Inter-Ministry Committee on Dysfunctional Families

13        The Inter-Ministry Committee (IMC) on Dysfunctional Families was set up in November 2007 to review help for dysfunctional families with children. The IMC is chaired by Minister (MCYS) and supported by various government agencies, social work agencies, self-help groups and people sector representatives working with dysfunctional families.

14               The IMC will focus on better identification of at risk / dysfunctional families, prevention through identifying and supporting at-risk families and their children, effective intervention by strengthening community agencies to address needs of these families, and raising the capability of social service sector to effectively deliver services to dysfunctional families. The IMC’s recommendations are expected to be finalized in mid 2008.

LEISURE AND THE ARTS

Arts and Heritage Programmes for Children

15               Arts programmes for children including the annual Singapore Youth Festival, Noise Singapore (a media-based Arts Festival), Heritage Educational programmes and reading programmes provide exposure to various artistic mediums and inculcate in children an appreciation for diverse platforms for expression.