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Singapore’s Statement At The UN Conference Of State Parties To The Convention On The Rights Of Persons With Disabilities

Type: Press Releases

Topic(s): Disability Services

Published on 18 June 2024

1. Singapore reaffirmed its commitment to achieve an inclusive society at the 17th Conference of State Parties (COSP) to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). COSP17 was held from 11 to 13 June 2024 in New York. Mr Eric Chua, Senior Parliamentary Secretary (SPS) for Social and Family Development, and Culture, Community and Youth, delivered Singapore’s National Statement as the Head of Delegation.

 

2. The National Statement emphasised Singapore’s commitment to realising the objectives under the CRPD and turning the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)[1] into a reality for persons with disabilities living in Singapore.

 

3. SPS Chua highlighted the progress we have achieved under Singapore’s successive national roadmaps for disability inclusion – the Enabling Masterplans, with the fourth iteration, Enabling Masterplan 2030 (EMP2030) launched in August 2022. EMP2030 built on earlier plans and guides Singapore’s efforts to implement policies and initiatives aligned with the Convention and the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development. Key areas of Singapore’s progress include:
  • Education: Singapore has improved support for children with disabilities and other developmental needs, including through adding about 1,500 places to the Early Intervention Programme for Infants and Children (EIPIC) and EIPIC-P, and lowering fee caps for Special Student Care Centres in 2024,
  • Employment: Launch of the first Enabling Business Hub in 2023 to bring employment opportunities closer to where persons with disabilities live, and a rise in the employment rate of persons with disabilities from 28% in 2018-2019 to 33% in 2022-2023,
  • Community living: Launch of the first Enabling Services Hub (ESH) in 2023, with two more ESHs set to launch in 2025, working with community partners to create inclusive neighbourhoods and strengthen regional support services for persons with disabilities and their caregivers, and
  • Accessibility: Proportion of accessible high-traffic government websites has increased from 61% in 2022 to 73% in 2023.

 

4. Singapore’s delegation included representatives from the Ministry of Social and Family Development, SG Enable and other disability organisations, including disability advocate Mr Joshua Tseng. Mr Tseng participated as a panellist at a roundtable on employment for persons with disabilities, where he shared his views and expertise alongside a panel of experts from Australia, Columbia and the International Labour Organisation. The delegation also spoke at roundtable discussions on promoting the adoption of accessible technology and ensuring a disability-inclusive approach in emergency preparedness.

5. SPS Chua met with CRPD Committee Chairperson and Members, as well as representatives and participants from over 10 countries. They discussed the challenges faced by persons with disabilities and their families and exchanged ideas on strategies to boost the employment of persons with disabilities, enable persons with disabilities to live independently in the community and change public attitudes and mindsets towards persons with disabilities.

 


[1] The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a collection of 17 global goals set by the UN General Assembly under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The SDGs cover a broad range of social, economic, and environmental development issues, including poverty, hunger, health, education, gender equality, clean water, and climate action, among others.