STATEMENT BY COUNSELLOR FELICIA CHUA AT THE HIGH-LEVEL MEETING ON THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE ELIMINATION OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN, 25 NOVEMBER 2024

Mr Chair,

1 Singapore is vulnerable to the scourge of drugs. We are a small and densely populated city-state near major drug production centres. We take the world drug problem seriously, and remain firmly committed to tackling this threat in close partnership with the international community. This is why we have joined consensus on the resolution ‘Addressing and Countering the World Drug Problem through a Comprehensive, Integrated and Balanced Approach’ this year.
2 At the outset, we would like to thank the facilitator of the resolution, Mexico, for their open, inclusive and consultative approach, which has allowed the views of all delegations to be heard fairly throughout the process.
3 However, Singapore would like to place on record our concern that the resolution before us omits key references that ought to be included in a resolution on the world drug problem. A resolution on effectively addressing and countering drug-related challenges should focus, first and foremost, on dealing with the harms that drug abuse and trafficking inflict on individuals, families and societies. As such, we support commitments from Member States to promote a “society free of drug abuse” to ensure that all people can live in health, dignity, peace, security and prosperity. This echoes the longstanding commitment by ASEAN Member States to achieve a Vision of a Drug-Free ASEAN. We regret that this commitment, incorporated as PP14 of the omnibus resolution titled “International cooperation to address and counter the world drug problem” at the 76th UNGA, which was adopted by consensus, was left out of the resolution despite the support it received from many Member States.
4 Singapore will continue to engage constructively on the text when it is next tabled for discussion.
5 I thank you.

. . . . .