Over 200 people representing a cross-section of individuals and organisations working with children will meet to discuss Singapore's progress in the promotion and protection of children's rights on 2 July 2008.
The consultation forum, to be moderated by Ambasador Ong Keng Yong who is also Director of the Institute of Policy Studies, will involve policymakers from various government agencies, students, educators, social workers, medical and other professionals, and volunteers working with children. They will exchange and give their views on a draft report that Singapore is preparing for submission to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child.
Participants are expected to touch on issues such as the provision of better protection of children, efforts to improve child development outcomes, education, enhanced standards and practices for early childhood development.
Minister-of-State for Community Development, Youth and Sports, Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon, who is the guest-of-honour for the consultation forum, said, ''Singapore's success in furthering children's rights in Singapore is a result of strong people, public, and private sectors' commitment to the creation of an enabling environment for children to grow and flourish as individuals. It is a distinctive formula of collective responsibility in the best interests of our children which has served us well. I have no doubt our approach of collective responsibility and effort will continue to be a key ingredient in our ongoing work to make Singapore an even better place for children.''
The forum is jointly organised by the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports, the National Council of Social Service and the Singapore Children's Society. Participants will discuss a draft report which is a progress update on Singapore's implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). Singapore's initial report was submitted in 2002. Views raised at the forum will be incorporated in the final report that will be submitted to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child in Geneva later this month.
The UNCRC is a comprehensive charter on the rights of children, setting minimum standards that governments should meet in providing healthcare, education, legal and social services in their countries. Singapore has been a signatory to the UNCRC since October 1995. As State Party to the convention, it is obligated to provide periodic updates on key developments promoting and protecting the rights of children.
Ms Ang Bee Lian, CEO, National Council of Social Service said ''NCSS has worked with the relevant ministries to put in place measures to enhance the well-being of our children, including children with disabilities, to ensure that disability services remain accessible to children and that these services are appropriately resourced."
"Training being key to appropriate resourcing, the training institute of NCSS, the Social Service Training Institute, has ensured that professionals and volunteers working with children attend courses for skills training, upgrading and progression."
"As the national co-ordinating body for Voluntary Welfare Organisations (VWOs) in Singapore, NCSS plays a key role in facilitating the consultation process between the Government and VWOs and other stakeholders. We will continue to seek the views of the VWOs and present them to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child later in the year with further recommendations on how we can strive towards reaching new levels of excellence as a developed country.''
Mr Koh Choon Hui, Chairman, Singapore Children's Society said, ''The overall social and emotional well-being of children in Singapore is good. Only a small percentage of children in Singapore do need intensive social service help and support. I believe Singapore Children's Society, like many other VWOs here, is well equipped to meet the challenges of shaping the future of our children through our various services and programmes.''
Please refer to Annexes 1 to 2 for more information on the consultation forum, opening address by the guest-of-honour, United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, and key areas of progress made by Singapore.
JOINTLY ISSUED BY
MINISTRY OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, YOUTH AND SPORTS, NATIONAL COUNCIL OF SOCIAL SERVICE, SINGAPORE CHILDREN'S SOCIETY
MCYS MEDIA RELEASE NO: 41/2008
DATE OF ISSUE: 02/07/2008
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ANNEX 1
UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD
1 The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is a comprehensive charter on the rights of children, setting minimum standards that governments should meet in providing healthcare, education, legal and social services in their countries. The UNCRC was adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 20 November 1989. Singapore has been a signatory to the UNCRC since 2 October 1995.
2 The Convention is governed by 54 articles. It spells out the basic human rights to which children all over the world are entitled: the right to survival; the right to the development of their physical and mental potential; the right to protection from influences that are harmful to their development; and the right to participation in family, cultural and social life. The Convention reaffirms that children need special care and protection. It places emphasis on the primary caring and protective responsibility of the child before and after birth, respect for the cultural values of the child's indigenous origin and community, and the vital role of the international co-operation in securing children's rights.
3 Underpinning the Convention is the premise that the child's best interests shall be a primary consideration in all actions and deliberations concerning the child. Therefore, all decisions made by governmental, administrative or judicial authorities, or even families themselves, should adhere this principle.
4 The Convention emphasises the need to respect the children's ''evolving capacities'', but that does not accord children the right to make decisions for them at too young an age.
5 Singapore submitted its Initial Report to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child in 2002 and concluded its oral presentation before the Committee on the Rights of the Child in September 2003. Singapore is submitting the 2nd and 3rd Periodic Reports to the Committee on the Rights of the Child this year.
For more information on the Singapore's Initial Report, please visit: http://www.mcys.gov.sg/MCDSFiles/download/CRC_Initial_Report_Full_Report_Website.pdf.
For the detailed convention, please visit: http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu3/b/k2crc.htm
For more information on the Convention, please visit: www.unicef.org/crc.
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ANNEX 2
KEY AREAS OF PROGRESS IN SINGAPORE
LEGISLATION AND INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS
Amendments to the Penal Code (sexual offences against minors)
1 The Penal Code was reviewed in 2007. The amendments were passed by Parliament on 23 Oct 2007. The amendments afford greater protection for children in relation to sexual crimes and commercial sex involving minors under 18 years of age, both in Singapore and in other countries. Child sex tourism operators and those responsible for organised child sex operations are also criminalized under the amendments.
Amendments to Employment Act and Ratification of ILO Convention 138
2 Singapore has ratified two ILO child labour conventions (Nos. 138 and 182). Children below the age of 13 years (formerly 12 years) are prohibited from being employed while those between the ages of 13 (formerly 12 years) and 16 years may be employed subject to employers' compliance with the safeguards in the labour legislation.
3 The Employment Act (Cap. 19) was amended in 2004 to raise the minimum age of employment from 12 to 13 years old, in line with ILO Convention No. 138, which Singapore ratified on 7 November 2005.
Automatic Singapore citizenship for children born to a Singaporean mother and foreigner father
4 The amendment to Art. 122 of the Singapore Constitution reversed the past policy which had disallowed the automatic recognition of a child whose mother is a Singapore citizen but whose father is born outside Singapore. Children of this parentage are now recognised as Singapore citizens under the Constitution.
Review of the Children and Young Persons Act (CYPA)
5 The CYPA is currently being reviewed. MCYS had announced in March 08 the licensing of ungazetted Children and Young Persons Homes to ensure that care standards are met, and to allow for external periodic review of children and young persons admitted to reside in these Homes.
Accession to the Hague Convention on Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction
6 MCYS announced in March 2008, Singapore's intention to accede to the Hague Convention on Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. Acceding to the Convention will underscore our commitment to managing cases of child abduction in the best interests of children, which is aligned to our obligations under the CRC. The Convention ensures clear procedures that facilitate the return of a child that has been wrongfully removed from his or her state of residence.
LEGAL INIATIVES
Establishment of the Community Court, Children Care Court and Family Care Court
7 The Community Court was set up in 2006 to allow more sentencing options for offences related to social issues of public concern. A key focus of the Community Court is more flexible rehabilitative sentencing options for young adult offenders aged 16-18 years old. These offenders fall outside the current jurisdiction of the juvenile court.
8 The Children Care Court was set up in May 2008 will handle children and teens who have been neglected or abused, or those who are beyond parental control. The new court will be able to handle cases involving non-offending youth separately from youth offenders.
9 The Family Child Court was also developed to deal with divorce proceedings involving children, with the child?s best interests as its focus and to ensure that children are not caught in the conflict between parents.
EDUCATION
Compulsory Education
10 The Compulsory Education Act in 2003 seeks to ensure that all Singapore citizens are enrolled in National Schools up to Primary 6. The 6-year education aims to give all our children a common core of knowledge that will provide a strong foundation for further education, and a common educational experience which will help to build national identity and cohesion.
Diverse Educational Pathways
11 The Singapore government has continued to seek ways to promote diverse educational pathways for all children through the development of alternative schools such as Independent Schools and Special Schools including the Singapore Sports School and School of the Arts. For students who are unable to progress through the mainstream academic school system and are at risk of prematurely leaving school, Northlight School was established in 1997 to provide a holistic programme tailoring to learner's needs for educational and socio-emotional support. The creation of such schools complements Singapore's effots in providing a wider range of curricula for children of various abilities and talents.
CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES
Enabling Masterplan
12 The Enabling Masterplan was released in February 2007, charting the development of programmes and services in the disability sector for 2007 to 2011. One key component of the masterplan was in early Intervention and education for children with disabilities. Implementation of the recommendations is underway.
HELP FOR DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILIES
Inter-Ministry Committee on Dysfunctional Families
13 The Inter-Ministry Committee (IMC) on Dysfunctional Families was set up in November 2007 to review help for dysfunctional families with children. The IMC is chaired by Minister (MCYS) and supported by various government agencies, social work agencies, self-help groups and people sector representatives working with dysfunctional families.
14 The IMC will focus on better identification of at risk / dysfunctional families, prevention through identifying and supporting at-risk families and their children, effective intervention by strengthening community agencies to address needs of these families, and raising the capability of social service sector to effectively deliver services to dysfunctional families. The IMC?s recommendations are expected to be finalized in mid 2008.
LEISURE AND THE ARTS
Arts and Heritage Programmes for Children
15 Arts programmes for children including the annual Singapore Youth Festival, Noise Singapore (a media-based Arts Festival), Heritage Educational programmes and reading programmes provide exposure to various artistic mediums and inculcate in children an appreciation for diverse platforms for expression.