Singapore becomes member of UN drug policymaking body, aims to focus on rehab for drug offenders

SINGAPORE – The Republic gained a seat on the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) on Wednesday evening.

The result was announced during the UN Economic and Social Council’s 17th Plenary Meeting held in New York.

Singapore was among 33 countries, such as the United States, Thailand, China, Japan and Indonesia, that were elected to the commission for the same term on Wednesday.

Singapore, alongside 52 other member states, will serve from 2024 to 2027 and hold voting rights during its tenure.

This is the first time Singapore has a seat on the CND, on which it has been an observer since 1997.

As the main drug policymaking body of the UN, the CND meets annually to discuss the world’s drug problem, develop strategies on international drug control, and recommend measures for governments to address the problem.

Minister for Communications and Information and Second Minister for Home Affairs Josephine Teo, who led Singapore’s delegation at the UN CND in 2021, announced the Republic’s intention to run for membership during that meeting.

Minister of State for Home Affairs and National Development Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim said in his opening address at the launch of the bid for CND membership in New York in February that Singapore planned to fulfil three pledges if elected.

These are promoting greater cooperation and dialogue on drug policies and programmes, contributing to capacity building in the form of organising workshops and programmes, and advocating for a greater focus on rehabilitation for drug offenders.

He said: “There is no one-size-fits-all solution to the multi-faceted problem of drugs, and each country must decide its own drug policies based on its own context. But there is so much that we can learn from each other when developing these policies.”

For example, Singapore currently co-chairs the Group of Friends of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime’s Research with the European Union and actively champions cross-regional dialogue and cooperation between delegations – even those with different approaches to drugs – which will be continued throughout the membership in the CND, added Dr Faishal.

Singapore also organised a workshop in 2022 on drug control, which was attended by senior officials from 17 countries.

Dr Faishal had said in February that if elected to a voting seat on the CND, Singapore will expand the training programmes and conduct specialised courses to share best practices among law enforcement agencies, correctional officers and drug analysis laboratories.

Ms Chew Wan Lin, deputy director of Transnational and Financial Crime at the International Cooperation and Partnerships Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs, said that Singapore’s disappointment with CND member states’ decision to remove cannabis from the list of the most tightly controlled category of drugs during the reconvened 63rd session of the commision in December 2020 strengthened her team’s resolve in preparing Singapore’s bid for membership, Home Team News reported in June 2022.

“This was when we realised that while our approach of lobbying member states to align with our position had worked well in the past, circumstances have changed, especially with the growing economic and political push for cannabis liberalisation in some parts of the world,” added Ms Chew.

“As the issues discussed at the CND become more hotly contested, every vote counts and being a voting member gives us the ability to make a more direct impact in that decision-making process. Having a greater say as a CND member will allow Singapore to advance our interests in the global arena.”

On the win, Mrs Teo said in a Facebook post that Singapore is honoured to be elected.

“We will work actively with the other member states towards addressing the world’s drug problem,” she said.