Singapore's criminal justice policies in line with international law, calibrated to national context: MFA on UN members' anti-death penalty calls
Several states at a UN review of human rights records had called on Singapore to abolish capital punishment.
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SINGAPORE: Singapore's criminal justice policies are in accordance with international law, grounded in evidence and calibrated to its national context to protect citizens, the country's delegation told a session at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland.
This was in response to recommendations by several states calling for the suspension and abolition of the death penalty, said Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).
Singapore presented its approach on Tuesday (May 12) at its Universal Periodic Review (UPR) - a process which reviews the human rights records of all UN member states once every five years. This was Singapore's fourth UPR.
Singapore's delegation, which comprised officials from eight agencies, was led by Minister of State for Health and Digital Development and Information Rahayu Mahzam.
"Singapore values the UPR as a unique, peer-driven process that spurs countries to keep advancing the protection and promotion of human rights," MFA said in a media statement after the review.
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"It is also a useful opportunity to exchange best practices and engage constructively with other states, even where approaches may differ," it added.
"Singapore will study the recommendations carefully, and for those relevant to our national context, consider how they can be advanced in a manner that leads to better outcomes for our people."
A total of 142 states spoke at Singapore’s UPR, with many commending the country on the significant progress it has made in recent years, said MFA.
"We thanked states for commending our first workplace anti-discrimination legislation; our efforts to advance the status of women and to strengthen protection of and support for vulnerable groups such as children and persons with disabilities; our initiatives to maintain racial and religious harmony; and our advancements in sustainable development," said the ministry.
"States also acknowledged our continued efforts to improve the protection and welfare of migrant workers."
Singapore's delegation also spoke about the progress it has made since its last UPR, including enacting the Workplace Fairness Act and expanding support for vulnerable groups.
CALLS TO ABOLISH DEATH PENALTY
During the review, several countries called for Singapore to suspend the death penalty, with a view to abolishing it. These countries included Australia, Luxembourg, Mexico, Norway, New Zealand, Estonia and Ireland.
Others, including Brazil, Croatia and Venezuela, called for capital punishment to be abolished.
A few countries, such as Sweden, Belgium and the Netherlands, raised concerns about the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA), while some called for freedom of expression to be aligned with international human rights.
Several others also called for Singapore to create an independent human rights institution, to better protect migrant workers, LGBT people and people with disabilities.
In her remarks, Madam Rahayu said Singapore recognises that there is no one single approach to the realisation of human rights.
"Each country has to approach it in ways that take into account its own national context and social realities. Across the world, we have seen how global pressures – including geopolitical tensions, economic uncertainty and the impact of technology – can strain social unity," she said.
"Therefore, even as we create space for diverse views and opinions to be expressed in Singapore, we emphasise the importance of forging a shared national identity and strengthening social empathy."
Singapore seeks to protect human rights in a "pragmatic, outcomes-focused manner", she added.
"We judge progress by lives improved, and our outcomes have been encouraging."
These outcomes include life expectancy increasing from about 64 years at Singapore's independence, to 84 years today, and access to education improving substantially, Mdm Rahayu added.
"Our efforts in promoting and protecting human rights are an ongoing journey as we build our nation and make lives better for our people," she said.
"We therefore regard today’s review as an important opportunity to engage constructively with the international community, to listen, and to learn, so that we may better safeguard the dignity of all persons, and build inclusive societies where all have the opportunities to fulfil their potential."
She added that the government would continually engage people to understand gaps and how they can do better. In 2022, it embarked on an 18-month nationwide consultation to review and refresh the country's social compact.
More than 200,000 Singaporeans took part in this and shared their views.
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