STATEMENT BY MR. JACKSON TAN, DELEGATE TO THE 67TH SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON AGENDA ITEM 22, GLOBALIZATION AND INTERDEPENDENCE, SECOND COMMITTEE, ON 18 OCTOBER 2012

Thank you, Mr Chairman,

I align myself with the statements by Algeria, on behalf of the G77 and China, and Indonesia, on behalf of ASEAN, on this agenda item.

Globalisation

The last two decades have been a time of tremendous change in the world. Today’s globalised world is a more inter-connected and inter-dependent one. Over these twenty years, global trade has increased by six times and foreign investment flows have increased by seven times. About a third of humanity is now connected to the internet. Looking ahead, further globalisation is inevitable and its influence on us will continue to grow.

As a small island state with no natural resources, Singapore has to keep our economy open. We rely heavily on external trade since our humble beginning. Today, Singapore’s economy is highly integrated with the world. Last year, Singapore was ranked third in Ernst & Young’s Globalization Index and scored the highest – a perfect score of ten – in terms of openness to trade. Singapore benefited from this close economic integration with the world and rode the wave of globalisation. Over the past decade, Singapore’s total external trade grew by over 120%, while its GDP grew in tandem by over 83% in real terms over the same period.

Yet at the same time, Singapore’s openness means that we are particularly vulnerable to the forces of globalisation. The economic downturn in 2008 and 2009 caused Singapore to experience a sharp recession. To cope with the risks of globalisation, Singapore’s strategy is to continue our efforts to equip our people with the skills and mindsets to meet the global competition. Singapore will also continue to strengthen our social safety nets.

Globalisation has made the world smaller. Events in one country can impact others. In this smaller world, countries may be tempted to disengage themselves from the world, given there are plenty of risks associated with globalisation. While we must remain cautious of the domino effect of negative events, we must not overreact and take such knee-jerk actions. We need to keep in mind that globalisation and its consequential trade benefits remain key enablers to lift people out of poverty. In this regard, the world needs to keep the access to the global market open.

Migration

Mr Chairman,

Globalisation involves the cross-border movement of goods, services, information and critically, people. The rate of migration has increased in tandem with the accelerating pace of globalisation. Today, more people live outside of their country of origin than ever before. International migration has many positive consequences for the migrants and their families. In addition, both countries of destination and of origin also stand to benefit. Countries of destination gain from the skills and labour of the migrants, while the remittances improve the standard of living of the countries of origin. Migrants also return to their countries of origin with knowledge and skills acquired from working abroad, which would be useful in their countries economic development.

Singapore is one of the top destinations for potential migrants. Singapore topped Gallup’s Net Migration Index, with an estimated net population increase of 10 million if all adults worldwide who desired to migrate permanently to other countries actually moved where they wanted today. Put into perspective, this would triple Singapore’s population. On Singapore’s end, we welcome migrants and appreciate their economic and cultural contributions to Singapore. In part, this allows us to counter our low replacement rates. 

Migration is a complex issue as it involves removing oneself from a familiar place and entering a new environment with different culture, laws and way of life. Homesickness and communication are just two of the many challenges that migrants have to overcome when adapting to the new environment. Destination countries could help and ease migrants into their new lives. Singapore believes that it is important that migrant workers understand their rights and obligations before they leave their home countries. We proactively reach out to migrant workers to help them understand their rights and obligations and know their recourse. Migrant workers applying for work permits in Singapore are issued In-Principle Approval letters sent to their home countries before they depart for Singapore. These letters contain useful information to help protect their interests. In addition, to assist first time foreign domestic workers to cope better with living and working in Singapore, a new Settling In Programme was introduced in mid 2012. The programme includes a half-day Safety Awareness Course, as well as conditions of employment and responsibilities of the Foreign Domestic Worker. The letters and the conduct of the settling in programme are in the workers’ native languages to maximize their understanding.

Conclusion

Mr Chairman,

As the world becomes more inter-connected, challenges will be more complex. It is thus important for the international community to work together and address these challenges. Singapore will continue to support the international community in this regard.

Thank you.