Statement by the Permanent Mission of Singapore during Agenda Item 2 of the 39th Session of the Human Rights Council on 11 September 2018

Mr. President,

Singapore warmly congratulates Ms Bachelet on her appointment as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.  We are confident that the OHCHR will benefit from her leadership and extensive experience in politics and the UN system. 

Singapore is a strong supporter of the UN and the rules-based multilateral system.  We hope that the OHCHR under High Commissioner Bachelet’s leadership will engage all stakeholders, including small States, in a constructive and cooperative manner, and to bear in mind their specific national contexts and circumstances.  This will help foster trust and mutual respect between the OHCHR, States and other stakeholders.

Singapore has been contributing to the OHCHR and the Human Rights Council (HRC) in concrete ways even though we are not a HRC member, in particular to support small States and the sharing of best practices. 

We had contributed to the Voluntary Technical Assistance Trust Fund to Support the Participation of LDCs and SIDS in the Work of the HRC, the Trust Fund for Participation in the UPR, as well as the Voluntary Fund for Financial and Technical Assistance for the Implementation of the UPR.  We had also hosted the 6^th Istanbul Process meeting in Singapore in 2016.  We will continue to contribute in such meaningful ways.

Singapore is also playing a leading role in the Forum of Small States (FOSS) in Geneva.  We hope that High Commissioner Bachelet will actively engage FOSS to promote and protect the human rights of their citizens. 

We look forward to working with High Commissioner Bachelet and wish her every success in executing her mandate.

Thank you Mr President.