Singapore supports 71% of UN human rights recommendations

“Singapore’s approach to human rights has always been shaped by our diverse peoples and a pragmatic outlook,” he said. “In this spirit of continuous improvement, we will continue advancing human rights in ways that improve lives, safeguard dignity and expand opportunities for our people.”

At the Sept 28 session in Geneva, several UN member states and civil society organisations noted Singapore’s progress in enhancing support for vulnerable groups like children, the elderly and migrant workers.

The Singapore Council of Women’s Organisations said the Workplace Fairness Act enacted in 2025 was an important step in strengthening protection against workplace discrimination. It also noted that the city-state has strengthened legal protections through amendments to the Women’s Charter.

Meanwhile, local charity for people with disabilities SPD noted that Enabling Services Hubs have broadened support for those with disabilities within their neighbourhood.

Accessibility has also improved as a result of revisions to the Code on Accessibility in the Built Environment that took effect in November 2025, mandating stricter standards such as on lifts and barrier-free connectivity, it noted.

However, some civil society organisations expressed disappointment that Singapore did not support a number of recommendations on what they termed “fundamental rights”.

Of the 99 recommendations that Singapore did not support, 22 were on Singapore’s use of the death penalty, and 12 concerned rights to freedom of speech, expression and assembly.

For instance, the representative from CIVICUS – an alliance of civil society organisations – called on the Government to repeal the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA), and said the Public Order Act had been used to criminalise the right to peaceful assembly.

In its national report, the Republic said every Singaporean has constitutionally protected rights to freedom of speech, freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. However, these rights were not absolute and had to be exercised responsibly.

Singapore also fully recognises the irreversibility of capital punishment, and took great care to ensure that every such case proceeded with due, fair and transparent process.

“Capital punishment remained fundamentally a criminal justice matter and a sovereign decision for states,” it added. “The Government will continue to safeguard the right of citizens to live in safety and security.”

In his speech, Ratnam noted that about one-third of the recommendations that Singapore did not support related to the ratification of international human rights treaties.

He said the city-state does not regard treaty obligations as an aspirational exercise, and accedes to them only when it is certain it can fully implement every aspect.

Singapore’s commitment to human rights is not abstract, the ambassador added.

Its efforts have been recognised internationally, he said, citing how the Republic ranked 13th globally on the UN’s 2025 Human Development Index, second for the absence of corruption, and eighth for gender equality, among other international metrics.

“But we care more about the lived realities of our people than about rankings, and the work is never finished,” he said. “Every generation inherits a Singapore made by the choices of those before them.”