STATEMENT BY MR SERGIUS WAT, DELEGATE TO THE 70th SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON AGENDA ITEM 107, ON INTERNATIONAL DRUG CONTROL, THIRD COMMITTEE, 08 OCTOBER 2015

Madam Chair,

Thank you for giving me the floor. In 1998, the United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) on the World Drug Problem embraced the vision of a “Drug-Free World” and the eradication of drug supply and abuse.

2                    Singapore is committed to this vision. We are a small and densely populated city-state that is close to the drug-producing Golden Triangle. This makes us particularly vulnerable to the inflow of drugs and its associated ills. Drug abuse can quickly undermine our society and turn Singapore into a regional transit hub for drugs.

Zero-Tolerance Against Drugs

3                    It is therefore a key priority of our government to ensure that Singapore remains a safe, secure and drug-free home for our people. To achieve this, Singapore has adopted a zero-tolerance stance against drugs. We have a comprehensive approach to tackling drugs that reduces both drug demand and supply. Our multi-pronged and comprehensive approach includes preventive drug education, tough laws and effective enforcement, and structured rehabilitation programmes with strong community support to reintegrate drug offenders into society.

Preventive Drug Education

4                    Preventive Drug Education forms our first line of defense against drug abuse. We work with parents, schools and the community to help our youths learn about the harm and addictiveness of drug abuse, so that they can make the choice to live a full life free from drugs.

Tough Laws that Save Lives

5                    Second, our tough laws against drug trafficking and effective enforcement help keep the streets free from drugs.

6                    There is also strong deterrence for repeated drug abusers. Drug abusers who do not kick the habit after repeated attempts at rehabilitation may be imprisoned, though they continue to undergo rehabilitation while in prison. This protects the public, particularly our youth, from being influenced by these abusers to experiment with drugs.

7                    Our tough laws save lives, and protect our youth, families and society from the scourge of drugs.

Rehabilitation and Reintegration

8                    Third, we have structured rehabilitation and supervision programmes for drug abusers. These interventions are differentiated based on the age and risk profiles of abusers.  Moderate-risk youth drug abusers may be emplaced in a Community Rehabilitation Centre, where they receive counselling, even as they continue with their studies and work during the day.  Adult drug abusers receive counselling and undergo programmes at drug rehabilitation centres to treat their addiction.  Thereafter, they are placed in structured aftercare programmes that facilitate their reintegration into society. As a result of our schemes, the recidivism rates for our Drug Rehabilitation Centres have significantly improved over the years, from 50% for the release cohort in 2000 to 28.3% for the more recent release cohort in 2012.

Madam Chair,

Harm Prevention, not Harm Reduction

9                    Our zero-tolerance stance against drugs has successfully kept the drug situation under control. We focus on harm prevention, not harm reduction. This has worked well for us. In 2014, less than 0.1% of residents were arrested for drug-related offences. The incidence of HIV transmission via injecting drug use in Singapore is also low, with only four recorded cases in 2013, and one in 2014. Singaporeans appreciate the protection that our anti-drug policies give to our youth. Significantly, parents living in Singapore who come from countries which now advocate more liberal drug policies, appreciate the safe environment which their children can grow up in. We are working towards a drug-free Singapore, not a drug-tolerant Singapore.  

Madam Chair,

A World Free from Drugs

10               The UNGASS on the World Drug Problem in 2016 will allow us to take stock of our progress in the global fight against drugs, and reaffirm our commitment to continuing this fight for the sake of our children.

11               However, there is no one-size-fits-all approach and we respect the sovereign right of each country to decide how best to tackle its own drug problem, within the framework of the three international drug conventions. Each country’s drug policy must take into account its historical, social and cultural context and the norms of its society.  The UNGASS in 2016 must respect each country’s individual approaches to tackling the drug problem.

12               Singapore’s experience has shown that the battle against drugs is worth fighting. With the joint efforts of all the UN member states, I strongly believe that we can realise the vision of a world that is free from drugs. Thank you.

. . . . .