Singapore supports 243 UN human rights recommendations — Channel NewsAsia
Singapore supported 243 of 342 recommendations by other UN member states on human rights, including strengthening protections for migrant workers and supporting children’s mental health. This amounts to about 71% of the recommendations received, compared with 65% supported by the country during the previous review in 2021, Channel NewsAsia reports.
The recommendations were supported following Singapore’s fourth Universal Periodic Review, a UN mechanism under which the human rights situation in each member state is reviewed once every four and a half years. Singapore’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, Jayant Ratnam, said the country views the process as a platform for frank dialogue.
Protection of migrant workers
Singapore notably supported the United Kingdom’s recommendation on mandatory rest periods for foreign domestic workers, as well as digital procedures for employment and wage payments. The country also supported proposals to strengthen protections for migrants regarding working conditions, medical care, social protection, access to justice and the prevention of exploitation.
At the same time, Singapore did not support recommendations by Canada and Norway to extend the Employment Act and the Workplace Injury Compensation Act to domestic workers. The country also did not support a proposal to establish a state-run worker recruitment system to prevent deceptive employment practices and the substitution of contract terms.
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Recommendations to grant foreign domestic workers public holidays, regulated working hours and paid leave, as well as to abolish mandatory pregnancy and HIV testing, were also not supported. In its response, Singapore stated that migrant domestic workers require additional protection and that the specific nature of their work is regulated by special legislation on the employment of foreign manpower.
Mental health and other recommendations
Singapore supported recommendations on developing school-based youth support services, raising awareness of mental health and establishing community services. Other supported points included protecting children and older people from cyber threats, ensuring access to essential services without the use of digital technologies, and expanding women’s representation in public and political life.
The country also supported calls to consider ratifying international conventions on migrant workers and domestic workers, ensure that new technologies comply with human rights standards, and take the needs of vulnerable groups into account in climate policy.
Singapore did not support recommendations on a moratorium on or the abolition of the death penalty, the legalization of same-sex marriage, a ban on conversion practices, and adding sexual orientation and gender identity to the list of characteristics protected by the Workplace Fairness Act. Separately, the country did not support proposals for specific amendments to laws on protection from online falsehoods and manipulation and on public order, although it supported general recommendations on protecting freedom of speech, expression and assembly.
