STATEMENT BY MR LIN SHILIE, DELEGATE TO THE 69th SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Mdm Chairperson

              My delegation congratulates you on assuming the Chairmanship of the Third Committee of the 69^th Session of the General Assembly and assures you of our fullest support.  We also wish to thank the members of the Bureau for their hard work and leadership.

2            Singapore is fully committed to the effective implementation of the 2002 Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing.  As one of the fastest ageing societies in Asia, Singapore is deeply convinced of the value that older persons bring to our society and the importance of the promotion and protection of their rights.

3            Given its multi-faceted nature, ageing issues in Singapore are coordinated through the Ministerial Committee on Ageing in a “whole of government” approach.   In our ageing policies, Singapore adopts a two-pronged approach.  First, we aim to provide quality care that is accessible and affordable to them.  Second, we aim to keep seniors healthy, active and safe in the community to the largest extent possible.

Providing quality healthcare.

4          There is a Chinese saying, (家有一老，如有一宝), which means an older person is like a treasure to the family.  It encapsulates the attitude of Singapore society and the government towards older persons.  Singapore celebrates 50 years of independence next year.  Looking ahead to this significant milestone, the government has introduced policies to benefit the pioneer generation whose hard work and sacrifice helped lay the foundation for Singapore. At the end of 2015, Singapore will implement lifelong, universal healthcare insurance coverage for all Singaporeans.  Those above 80 years old, need not pay any premiums.  Our government will also provide subsidies and top-up the retirement accounts of our senior citizens.  These policies ensure that older Singaporeans will be well-looked after in their old age.

5            In the area of outpatient care, we will be providing these older persons with additional subsidies when they visit specialist outpatient clinics in our public hospitals and for the purchase of standard drugs.

6            Singapore is keen to ensure that our senior citizens will have access to quality healthcare.  In this regard,  we have  ramped up our capacity for aged care services, including by providing more nursing home beds, opening Senior Care Centres which provide day care services, and increasing the capacity for homecare sectors to serve more homecare clients.  Singapore has also been working to improve the quality of aged care.  A new set of Nursing Home Standards with a clear articulation of standards for clinical care, psycho-social well-being, and organisational excellence will be implemented from 2015.  We are currently consulting seniors and care providers on the proposed Home Care Guidelines which will lay down the regulations regarding the level of care expected of all home care and centre-based services. One specific challenge we currently face is a shortage of caregivers to care for our ill and aged.  To address this shortage, we have been working with aged care providers to reach out to residents living around them and offering them new jobs. We have also been increasing community support, where people in the neighbourhood chip in to support frail seniors.  For example, under the Eastern Health Alliance’s Neighbours for Active Living Programme, neighbours visit seniors with high care needs in their homes, monitor their condition and also help them out in other ways.    

Active Ageing

Mdm Chair

7            In addition to providing good aged care, Singapore believes that seniors should be healthy, active, and safe in the community to the greatest extent possible.  To achieve this, Singapore has put in place several schemes to promote active ageing so that seniors remain mentally engaged and have a sense of purpose.  We have made available more lifelong learning programmes, and opportunities for senior volunteerism and employability.  Our seniors have attended leadership and first aid courses to help in their organisation of activities for each other. The government works through the Council for Third Age to promote and support lifelong learning activities.  The Council collaborates with like-minded voluntary welfare organisations like Young-at-Heart!, Community College and Fei Yue Community Services to bring lifelong learning courses to the community.  We provide community screening programmes, which encourage seniors to go for regular health screening.

Keeping seniors productive

8            Another aspect of keeping seniors active and engaged is for them to engage in meaningful work.  To allow seniors to work longer, a law was passed in 2012 requiring employers to offer re-employment to workers who had reached the retirement age of 62, for another 3 years.  Since the law was passed, 99 percent of private sector local employees who had turned 62 have been offered re-employment.  The government is currently in discussion with unions and employers on the timeline to further raise the re-employment age from 65 to 67.  In fact, just last week Singapore announced that companies that voluntarily re-employ workers beyond 67 before the proposed legislation comes into effect will receive incentives. 

9            My delegation notes that the Secretary-General’s report A/69/180 called for an explicit reference to age in national anti-discrimination legislation and to take effective measures to prevent forms of discrimination against older persons.  In Singapore, the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (or TAFEP) was set up to address the issue of age and other forms of discrimination.  Companies found to have put up discriminatory job advertisements were made to take down those advertisements and put up public apologies.  Nevertheless, more needs to be done to address the issue of age discrimination.  Older workers sometimes find it harder to return to the labour force or to secure a job compared to their younger counterparts.  We need to promote positive perceptions towards older workers.  From June this year, through the Tripartite Committee on the Employability of Older Workers, we launched a promotional campaign entitled “Tap on the Wealth of Experience” to highlight the invaluable experience of our older workers to their employers, and encourage  them to hire and retain them.

Conclusion

Mdm Chair

11          Singapore’s experience has convinced us of the importance of planning for an ageing population, and of the need to look after the well-being of older persons.  We are thus pleased that the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals had incorporated language that was age-inclusive in their proposed targets and indicators.  We hope that the interests and rights of older persons could be better reflected in the appropriate resolutions of the General Assembly and the work of UN agencies.

12          In conclusion, Singapore reiterates our committment to the implementation of the 2002 Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing.  Our demographics will be challenging given that 1 in 5 Singaporeans will be over 65 years old in 2030.  Our vision is to achieve “Successful ageing for Singapore”, so that we will be well-prepared for the opportunities and challenges that this demographic change will bring to our society.  We will continually strive to create a society where our seniors will be valued and appreciated, including by introducing initiatives that address their healthcare and employment needs.  Thank you.     

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