Committee on the Rights of the Child

Eighty-first session

13–31 May 2019

Item 4 of the provisional agenda

C onsideration of reports of States parties

List of issues in relation to the combined fourth and fifth periodic reports of Singapore

The State party is requested to submit in writing additional, updated information (10,700 words maximum), if possible before 15 February 2019. The Committee may take up all aspects of children’s rights set out in the Convention during the dialogue with the State party.

Part I

1.In the light of the extensive declarations and reservations made by the State party upon ratification of the Convention, please inform the Committee about the measures taken to implement the Committee’s previous recommendations and to withdraw such declarations and reservations without further delay.

2.Please indicate which body is currently responsible for coordinating all activities in the area of children’s rights. Please also provide information on whether the Interministerial Working Group on Child Protection has sufficient authority and a mandate to coordinate activities in all areas of children’s rights and how it fulfils its functions and mandate.

3.Please provide information on the State party’s plan to establish an independent monitoring mechanism in accordance with the principles relating to the status of national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights (the Paris Principles), which would also have a mandate to receive and investigate complaints from, or on behalf of, children regarding all areas covered by the Convention.

4.Please inform the Committee about the measures taken to implement the recommendations in its previous concluding observations (CRC/C/SGP/CO/2-3, paras. 25–26) to adopt corporate social responsibility parameters regarding children’s rights for national and international enterprises under its jurisdiction.

5.Please provide updated information on the measures taken to implement the Committee’s previous recommendation (CRC/C/SGP/CO/2-3, para. 30 (a)) to revise its legislation to respect and ensure the rights set forth in the Convention for all children within its jurisdiction, in particular girls, children with disabilities and children of foreign origin, without discrimination of any kind.

6.Please indicate the measures taken to implement the Committee’s previous recommendation (CRC/C/SGP/CO/2-3, para. 32) to appropriately integrate the principle of the best interests of the child in national legislation, as well as in judicial and administrative proceedings and decisions concerning children. Please also advise on the measures taken to prohibit corporal punishment of children, including caning, in all settings.

7.Please inform the Committee about the measures taken to change traditional attitudes towards children and promote the right of children to be heard in the family and other settings, and to establish formal procedures enabling children to express their views. Please also indicate whether the Children and Young Persons Act has been amended to include the right of children to be heard. Please also clarify how children can exercise their freedom of speech and association in the State party.

8.Please update the Committee on the outcome of the Beyond Parental Control system review, which was launched in 2013. Please also provide information on the steps taken to promote family-based care for children deprived of a family environment.

9.With reference to the statistics provided in table 22, annex C, of the State party report, please provide information on the support system and services provided to children with disabilities in mainstream schools. Please also inform the Committee of the policies and programmes adopted with regard to children with disabilities under the Enabling Masterplan 2017–2021.

10.With reference to the Committee’s previous recommendations (CRC/C/SGP/CO/2-3, para. 59), please clarify how the State party ensures access to compulsory and free education for non-citizen children, and provide information on the impact of its efforts to reduce stress and competitiveness in the school system. Please also provide information on the measures taken to address the high rate of suicide among children.

11.Please indicate the measures taken to provide child victims of trafficking with protection, rehabilitation and reintegration. Please also provide information on how the State party regulates the foreign bride trade, which may involve trafficking in girls.

12.Please indicate any measures taken to implement the Committee’s previous recommendations (CRC/C/SGP/CO/2-3, para. 69) to urgently raise the extremely low minimum age of criminal responsibility to an internationally acceptable standard. Please also inform the Committee about the measures taken to prohibit the use of solitary confinement and corporal punishment, and abolish life imprisonment, of children under the age of 18 years, and to ensure that the cases of all children up to the age of 18 years are dealt with by the juvenile justice system.

13.Please provide information on the measures taken to implement the Committee’s previous recommendations on the Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict (CRC/C/OPAC/SGP/CO/1).

Part II

14.The Committee invites the State party to provide a brief update (no more than three pages) on the information presented in its report with regard to:

(a)New bills or laws, and their respective regulations;

(b)New institutions (and their mandates) or institutional reforms;

(c)Recently introduced policies, programmes and action plans and their scope and financing;

(d)Recent ratifications of human rights instruments.

Part III

Data, statistics and other information, if available

15.Please provide consolidated information for the past three years on the budget lines regarding children by indicating the percentage of each budget line in terms of the total national budget and the gross national product.

16.Please provide updated statistical data, disaggregated by age, sex, ethnic origin, nationality and socioeconomic status, for the past three years on:

(a)The number of non-citizen children attending primary and secondary schools;

(b)The number of child victims of sexual exploitation and abuse;

(c)The number of child victims of trafficking.

17.Please provide data, disaggregated by age, sex, socioeconomic background, ethnic origin and nationality, regarding the situation of children deprived of a family environment, for the past three years on the number of children:

(a)Living in foster families;

(b)Living in institutions;

(c)Reunited with families.

18.Please provide data, disaggregated by age, sex, type of disability, ethnic origin and nationality, for the past three years on the number of children with disabilities:

(a)Living with their families;

(b)Living in institutions;

(c)Attending regular primary schools;

(d)Attending regular secondary schools;

(e)Attending special schools;

(f)Out of school;

(g)Abandoned by their families.

19.Please provide updated statistical data, disaggregated by age, sex, type of offence, ethnic origin, nationality and socioeconomic status, for the past three years on children in conflict with the law who have been:

(a)Arrested;

(b)In pretrial detention;

(c)In detention;

(d)In diversion programmes.

20.Please provide the Committee with an update of any data in the report that may have been outdated by more recent data collected or other new developments.

21.In addition, the State party may list areas affecting children that it considers to be of priority with regard to the implementation of the Convention.