Mr President,

Distinguished Delegates,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Mr President, on behalf of the Singapore delegation, I would like to congratulate you on your election to chair this 13^th Asian Regional Meeting. We would also like to register our appreciation to the Kingdom of Thailand for hosting this Meeting and for the warm and generous hospitality extended to my delegation.

Mr President, the current Asian Regional Meeting is taking place amidst a global economic downturn. . Export growth in most Asian countries has been adversely affected. Based on the Asia-Pacific Consensus Forecast August 2001, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth for Asia declined to 4.5% in 2001 compared to the rosy figure of 7.5% for 2000. Singapore’s economy is also not spared. Our growth forecast for 2001 has been adjusted downwards to 0.5% - 1.5% compared to the 9.9% registered in 2000. We have introduced off-budget measures to alleviate the burden on workers and businesses. More incentives have been provided to employers to step up training and skills upgrading for workers to promote their employability.

Mr President, the pursuit of the Decent Work and its four strategic objectives as outlined in the ILO Director-General’s Report is indeed challenging given the current regional economic scenario. The strategic objectives cover employment creation, promotion of workers rights, labour protection and social dialogue. The focus on stimulating economic growth and employment creation as the key strategy to bring about Decent Work in countries in Asia is timely. As pointed out by the Director-General, decent work is contingent on the availability of work in the first place. Without work, basic rights cannot be effectively realised nor equal opportunities for decent employment between men and women achieved. Child labour, for instance, whose main cause is rooted in poverty, will be best solved by generating economic growth and gainful employment for the adults so that their children will be in school to receive basic education.

In Singapore, and also many countries in the region, economic growth was successfully pursued through an open policy of attracting foreign investments which brought along capital, technology and markets for the country. Without new investments, countries will face difficulties to achieve sustainable economic growth to generate enough jobs for their citizens. A critical factor to attract investments is to strengthen one’s competitive advantage particularly in the area of human resource development.

The Knowledge-Based Economy, characterised by rapid info-technological advancements and globalisation, underlines the urgency of enhancing the capability of our workers to keep pace with the rapidly changing needs of industries. Therefore, continuous upgrading in workers’ education and training, and the promotion of innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship is imperative. The important role of education and training in this info-technological age has been underscored in the ILO World Employment Report 2001. The ability to quickly plug into the New Economy will create new opportunities in trade and investment and this translates into better jobs and better rewards for our workers. Achieving these objectives will facilitate the realisation of decent work.

Singapore has adopted the concept of the School of Lifelong Learning with the objective of promoting a lifelong learning culture. Various initiatives have been introduced such as the Singapore Learning Festival, the Skills Redevelopment Programme, the National Skills Recognition System, the Manpower Development Assistance Scheme and the National IT Literacy Programme to provide more training opportunities for all levels of workers and to encourage them to develop a mindset of lifelong learning

On the fundamental principles and rights at work as promoted by the ILO, Singapore has recently ratified ILO Convention No. 182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labour. We have strongly supported the elimination of child labour. Child labour is non-existent in Singapore. Our children are our hopes for the future. They should be nurtured and not exploited. We also firmly believe in the principle of equal job opportunities and treatment for all. The principle of meritocracy is enshrined in our policies and practices. To reaffirm our commitment to this principle, we have announced our intention to ratify ILO Convention 100 on Equal Remuneration.

The Director-General’s Report has highlighted the importance of social dialogue. In Singapore, social dialogue involves the active engagement of our three social partners, ie. employers, trade unions and the government, on key manpower and industrial relations issues. Thus, tripartite cooperation is the cornerstone of Singapore’s harmonious industrial relations, and the mainstay for economic growth, job creation and social progress. The Director-General’s Report has cited two instances of tripartite cooperation which have been successfully implemented in Singapore. They are the National Wages Council and the Tripartite Committee on Portable Medical Benefits which provide good examples of tripartism at work. Additionally, active social dialogue at the company or enterprise level helps develop creative and constructive responses to workplace changes, and this enables our enterprises to stay flexible and competitive, while at the same time addressing the concerns of workers.

Enlightened management leaders and positive union leadership have helped to construct a strong foundation for economic growth. As a result, Singaporean workers have enjoyed good economic and social progress over the years. Although we are facing a severe economic downturn, we are confident that our positive tripartism will help us to successfully overcome the tough challenges ahead.

In conclusion, Singapore strongly supports the ILO’s programmes to promote Decent Work . My delegation looks forward to constructive and fruitful discussions at this important meeting.

Thank you.