STATEMENT BY MISS LI YIHONG, DELEGATE OF THE REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE TO THE 79TH SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON AGENDA ITEM 69, ON ELIMINATION OF RACISM, RACIAL DISCRIMINATION, XENOPHOBIA AND RELATED INTOLERANCE, THIRD COMMITTEE, 4 NOVEMBER 2024

Mdm Chair, 

1 Singapore aligns itself with the statement made by Uganda on behalf of the Group of 77 and China. 

2 Since the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, tackling discrimination and achieving equality has been a key priority for the international community. Singapore reaffirms our commitment to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action which calls on States to make this a lived reality for everyone around the world. Singapore has also signed the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination almost ten years ago, which underscores our continued commitment to work towards eliminating racial discrimination.     

3 From our inception as a Nation, Singapore has been acutely aware of the existential threats posed by racism, racial discrimination and xenophobia. Communal tensions shortly before our independence threatened to tear apart the fabric of our diverse multi-ethnic, multi-religious society. This difficult history informed our commitment to the ideals of justice and equality for all, where no one would be disadvantaged simply because of their race or religion. 

4 Building a society that is truly harmonious requires concerted laws and policies that protect the rights of different social groups. Our Constitution mandates the principle of non-discrimination – that all persons are equal before the law. Many of our policies flow from a responsibility to protect and care for the interests of racial minorities in Singapore. Since 1970, we have had in place a Presidential Council for Minority Rights that scrutinises every Bill that is passed in Parliament, to ensure that our legislation does not disadvantage any racial or religious community. 

5 We have also taken steps to eliminate discrimination in the private sector, in particular, in employment practices. All organisations are expected to abide by the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices, which espouse that the recruitment of employees should be solely on the basis of merit. We intend to further strengthen these protections for workers by introducing legislation, in the form of the Workplace Fairness Legislation.

Mdm Chair, 

6 We do not take the peace and harmony in Singapore for granted. It is not by chance that one of the most religiously diverse places in the world, within a densely populated city State, reports high levels of interreligious tolerance and acceptance. A 2022 Pew Research Survey found that an overwhelming majority of Singaporeans across all religions view other religions as peaceful. Recognising the new and complex challenges that sow divisions in our society, we have refreshed our Inter-Racial and Religious Confidence Circles, which were set up more than twenty years ago as a platform for community and religious leaders to engage each other. Renamed as Racial and Religious Harmony Circles, community partners come together to organise events that deepen Singaporeans’ understanding of various faiths, beliefs and practices, and also celebrations for a newly designated Racial and Religious Harmony Month in July.  

7 At the same time, Singapore has put in place strong policies to tackle hate speech and any attempts to incite racial or religious hatred. The right to Freedom of Expression is not an unfettered right, and its exercise may be subject to restrictions necessary to respect the rights of others. In our country, we do not allow free speech to be exploited to sow division or ill will. Today, online hate speech can travel faster and reach wider audiences than before. There is also misinformation and disinformation widely available online, which shape and distort the worldviews and values of those in our society. We have thus recently concluded public consultations on a new Maintenance of Racial Harmony Bill to address new and continued threats to maintaining racial harmony, and also on the introduction of reparative measures that seek to mend community ties, as an alternative to criminal sanctions for race-related offences.  

Mdm Chair, 

8 Singapore has always believed that our strength lies in our diversity. We will continue to build a society where everyone, regardless of race, language, or religion, can not only live harmoniously, but thrive alongside one another. We stand committed to working together with the international community to fight against all forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.

9 Thank you. 

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