A/HRC/18/11 Introduction 1. The Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review, established in accordance with Human Rights Council resolution 5/1 of 18 June 2007, held its eleventh session from 2 to 13 May 2011. The review of Singapore was held at the 9th meeting on 6 May 2011. The delegation of Singapore was headed by Mr. Ong Keng Yong , Ambassador-at-Large in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs At its 13th meeting held on 10 May 2011, the Working Group adopted the report on Singapore. 2. On 21 June 2010, the Human Rights Council selected the following group of rapporteurs (troika) to facilitate the review of Singapore: Bahrain, Djibouti, Spain. 3. In accordance with paragraph 15 of the annex to resolution 5/1, the following documents were issued for the review of Singapore: (a) A national report submitted/written presentation made in accordance with paragraph 15 (a) (A/HRC/WG.6/11/SGP/1); (b) A compilation prepared by OHCHR in accordance with paragraph 15 (b) (A/HRC/WG.6/11/SGP/2); (c) A summary prepared by OHCHR in accordance with paragraph 15 (c) (A/HRC/WG.6/11/SGP/3 and Corr.1). 4. A list of questions prepared in advance by Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ireland, Latvia, Namibia, Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was transmitted to Singapore through the troika. These questions are available on the extranet of UPR. I. Summary of the proceedings of the review process A. Presentation by the State under review 5. In its opening statement, Singapore affirmed that it was committed to the promotion and protection of human rights and had worked hard to improve the lives of its people. Singaporeans were now better educated, better connected and informed, better housed, and led longer and healthier lives, with greater dignity and far wider life choices than at independence in 1965. 6. While there was still room for improvement, substantial progress had been made in the relatively short history of Singapore. Progress had been based on some fundamental and interrelated principles. 7. The first principle was balance. Rights implied obligations. Trade-offs between different kinds of rights were inevitable. While everyone must adhere to a universal standard of human rights, the interpretation and implementation of rights could not be divorced from their societal context and would evolve as society evolved. 8. The second principle was prioritization. As a small, multiracial and densely populated city State, social harmony formed the vital and irreplaceable foundation of the country’s survival and development. If social cohesion was ruptured, it could not be easily restored. Hence Singapore prioritized social harmony above other values. 9. The third principle was pragmatism. Singapore focused on the practical implementation of rights and how to balance them with economic imperatives and social stability. Acknowledging that there were no perfect solutions, Singapore noted by way of 3