UPR Sexual Rights Database

National Report:
Para 78) We supported Recommendations 94.18-19, 95.4 and 96.33 because we do not condone any form of Trafficking In Persons (TIP) and we seek to protect victims who fall prey to this scourge.

Para 79) We launched a National Plan of Action on TIP in 2012. This adopted a "4P" strategy to combat TIP - Prevention, Prosecution, Protection and Partnership. The InterAgency TIP Task Force has been implementing this plan, including securing a dedicated budget to fund various TIP efforts. It continues to work closely with other institutions, civil society and our international partners.

Para 80) Prevention of Human Trafficking Act. Our Parliament passed the Prevention of Human Trafficking Act in November 2014, which took effect on 1 March 2015. This Bill was developed by Member of Parliament Mr Christopher de Souza with the support of the TIP Task Force, and after extensive consultations with civil society and the public.

Para 81) This Act is an important additional tool for Singapore to deter and combat TIP. It clarifies the legal regime by providing a formal definition of TIP and prescribing severe penalties in a more targeted manner. Traffickers can be jailed for up to 10 years and fined up to S$100,000 for the first offence. The Court may also impose caning. We support these strong penalties because they serve as a strong deterrent against this serious crime. For cases involving children, this Act lowers the threshold of proof so that investigations can be initiated more easily.

Para 82) This Act also supports our collaboration with external law enforcement agencies for cases involving persons trafficked to, or through, Singapore. Our law enforcement officers are now empowered to investigate intermediaries in the trafficking chain. This Act also provides measures to protect the welfare of trafficked victims and to encourage the reporting of trafficking or suspected trafficking activity through provisions to protect informers.

Para 83) Singapore's recent efforts to combat TIP were positively noted in the June 2015 United Nations Secretary-General's report on TIP, which highlighted the Prevention of Human Trafficking Act and our work with NGOs to help businesses understand the implications of TIP for their supply chain management, among others. Most recently, Singapore acceded to the UN TIP Protocol in September 2015. This is an important step towards stronger cooperation with international law enforcement agencies. At the regional level, Singapore has worked closely with other ASEAN countries to conclude an ASEAN Convention to Combat, Prevent and Suppress TIP, which will be accompanied by a regional plan of action. This will improve regional capability to combat TIP and protect its victims.

Para 84) Protection of and assistance for victims of trafficking. Singapore's approach to TIP is not just about having effective laws and enforcing them. We also emphasise increasing public awareness of the TIP issue and protecting victims, including removing barriers that may impede them from approaching our authorities for assistance. Regardless of how a victim of trafficking is identified, once a person claims to be a victim or is identified to be a victim due to the presence of elements of TIP, they will be treated as such. Under the Prevention of Human Trafficking Act, there are measures to protect victims such as mandatory in-camera court proceedings for child victims and media gag orders for proceedings involving sexual exploitation. We also extend assistance to all victims. The Government works with a network of NGOs to provide them with food, shelter, medical care, trauma counselling and repatriation assistance. The movement of victims at shelters is not restricted.

UN Compilation:
Para 22) While welcoming the establishment of the Inter-agency Task Force on Trafficking in Persons and the adoption of the definition of "trafficking in persons", the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women remained concerned at the continuing prevalence of trafficking in women and girls in the country, the alleged criminalization and deportation of trafficked women and girls as immigration offenders and the low reporting rate ...

Stakeholder Summary:
Para 12) JS3 stated that although section 377A of the Penal Code, criminalising consensual sexual behaviour between adult males, had not been enforced since the last universal periodic review of Singapore in 2016, its continued existence permitted the institutionalisation of discriminatory policies against not just gay men, but the whole lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT+) community.
Para 40) JS4 stated that the stigma of being LGBTQ, associated with Penal Code Section 377A and media censorship, was a contributing factor in the failure to report or seek help when abused.

National Report:
Para 20) Enhancing protection against violence. Singapore has robust legislation criminalising violence under the Women’s Charter, the CYPA, the Protection from Harassment Act (POHA), and the Penal Code. With effect from January 2020, we fully repealed marital immunity for rape and expanded the definition of rape to cover nonconsensual oral and anal penetration by the penis. We also enhanced penalties for a range of offences committed against persons vulnerable to harm, including children, domestic helpers, persons in intimate relationships with offenders, and persons with disabilities whose mental or physical disabilities render them substantially unable to protect themselves from abuse.
Para 25) The Penal Code was amended in 2019 to double the maximum punishment for persons convicted of causing …, sexual offences, … against FDWs [Foreign Domestic Workers].

Stakeholder Summary:
Para 104) JS6 stated that public understanding of what constituted domestic violence, apart from physical violence, was poor.

Stakeholder Summary:
Para 1) AI noted that Singapore was yet to ratify the ICCPR and its OPs ... as recommended in the previous UPR.