Singapore National Statement delivered by Acting Minister Lawrence Wong at UNESCO

Mr President of the General Conference 
Chair of the Executive Board 
Director-General 
Distinguished Delegates 
Ladies and Gentlemen

1. I am happy to address you this morning in this 37th UNESCO General Conference. We meet in a time of rapid change and uncertainty. Globalisation and technology have presented tremendous opportunities, but also many challenges. And even as we discuss ways to address the constraints in UNESCO resources, we are reminded that in this age of widening inequality around the world, UNESCO's priorities of education, science and culture for sustainable development are more relevant than ever.
   

2. As a small and open city-state, Singapore has long been exposed to global trends. We sit squarely in the cross-currents of global interactions, and we are continuously looking at ways to remake ourselves into a key node in the global knowledge network: connected to others, creating value for the world, and securing our place in the sun.
   

3. This is why we have invested heavily in education. We aim to give every child an affordable and high-quality education, and to keep paths upwards wide open to all. We also invest heavily in upgrading the skills of the workforce, keeping older workers current and employable. Our perspective is that in a small and intelligent island, every pair of hands has to be a pair of thinking hands.
   

4. Singapore shares fully in the UNESCO goal of “Education-For-All”, for this is the approach we have taken to transform our country. We are happy to share our experience in education, and have actively engaged regional and global partners to do so. Since 2012, our education officer based in UNESCO's Bangkok Office has conducted research and organised regional capacity building projects for the wider Asia-Pacific region.
   

5. In the area of science and technology, we have set up research centres and programmes in our universities, focussing on where our modest efforts can make an impact, for example, in areas like cancers and infectious diseases, as well as bioethics and biomedical research. These are cross-border issues, with ethical, legal and social implications. Singapore is currently represented on the UNESCO International Bioethics Committee. We hope to contribute even more to the articulation of international bioethics standards, and to help raise awareness of development in this space. It is in this context that Singapore has recently submitted our candidature for the UNESCO Intergovernmental Bioethics Committee.

6. Besides education, science and technology, we are also doing more on the cultural front, because we see culture as an enabler for sustainable development.
   

7. Singapore is a young nation, but we have a rich and diverse heritage. We have long stood at the crossroads of civilisations, as a trading hub between the East and the West. As a migrant nation, we welcome people from all backgrounds – not just our three major races – which are Chinese, Malays and Indians – but many other minority groups, like the Armenians, Jews, Parsis, and Arabs. We seek to maintain an environment in Singapore, our little island, where people from different backgrounds can live peacefully together and integrate into our society, while retaining their own languages and identity.
   

8. Last year, Singapore acceded to the UNESCO 1972 World Heritage Convention, in recognition of the need to preserve our heritage, and also to safeguard world heritage. To demonstrate our commitment to heritage preservation, we will be putting up the Singapore Botanic Gardens as the candidate for Singapore's first UNESCO World Heritage Site.

9. The Botanic Gardens in Singapore was founded in 1859 as an English colonial garden - it sits on prime land in the heart of our densely populated city-state, which is just over 700 square kilometres. Yet through the years, we have carefully preserved the Gardens and protected it as an oasis of cultural and natural heritage.
   

10. The Gardens is significant because its history intertwines closely with that of the region. It has pioneered significant advances in horticulture that have gone on to influence the tides of modern history. For example, in the late nineteenth century, the Gardens' rubber seeds were distributed to plantation owners around the region. This founded an industry that would grow to supply more than half of the world's demand for rubber within 25 years.
    

11. For many Singaporeans, the Botanic Gardens is a special place of shared memories and values. When Singapore first attained self-government in 1959, the Gardens was the site for cultural concerts, where Malay, Chinese and Indian performances shared the stage for the first time. It has contributed much to our national identity which is rooted in a strong sense of multi-culturalism. As Singapore celebrates its 50 years of independence in 2015, the Gardens is a precious link to our history and represents our strong commitment to preserving our heritage through many generations.
    

12. Singapore shares the challenges of many countries in our heritage preservation and sustainable development in the face of rapid economic and population growth. We have much to learn and to share with others.
    

13. Singapore is therefore fully committed to the capability building efforts of UNESCO. We hope to work with UNESCO to develop suitable platforms for technical experts to share their experience in preservation and conservation in urban settings. In June next year, we will also be hosting the 4th World Cities Summit, which will bring together government leaders and industry experts to explore innovative solutions in sustainable development. I would like to invite all UNESCO member states to join us in Singapore for the Summit.
    

14. Mr President, Singapore reaffirms our support for UNESCO and UNESCO's mission. We will do our part as a responsible member of this international community, and we look forward to what we can accomplish together to make the world a more sustainable and liveable one for all our people.