At the 41st Consultative Committee Meeting of the Colombo Plan held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 21 to 22 August 2008, Singapore pledged to expand its cooperation with the Colombo Plan Secretariat by conducting two to four training courses each year under the Singapore-Colombo Plan Third Country Training Programme. Singapore also pledged to provide two post-graduate master scholarships per year for government officials of Colombo Plan member countries, tenable at the National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University and Singapore Management University.
The Meeting expressed appreciation to Singapore for its contributions. The country statement made by Mr Koh Tin Fook, the Singapore Head of Delegation and Director, Technical Cooperation Directorate, Ministry of Foreign Affairs is given below.
STATEMENT BY SINGAPORE HEAD OF DELEGATION MR KOH TIN FOOK, DIRECTOR, TECHNICAL COOPERATION DIRECTORATE, MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, AT THE 41ST COLOMBO PLAN CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE MEETING, 21-22 AUGUST 2008, KUALA LUMPUR
Chairman
Excellencies and Friends from the Colombo Plan member countries
I am pleased to say a few words about Singapore's support for the work of the Colombo Plan.
2 Singapore joined the Colombo Plan in 1959. In our early years, we had benefited from technical assistance provided by the Colombo Plan. The technical assistance provided, like training fellowships and scholarships, had contributed to Singapore's economic development in the early years of our nation-building.
3 In return, Singapore has, as far back as 1961, been doing its bit to give back to fellow Colombo Plan developing countries. From 1961 to 2004, Singapore provided technical assistance to Colombo Plan member countries through the Singapore Colombo Plan Training Award Scheme. This framework was then discontinued with the establishment of a new framework, called the Singapore-Colombo Plan Third Country Training Programme (TCTP), in 2006, which was implemented under the Singapore Cooperation Programme coordinated by our Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
4 To date, Singapore and the Colombo Plan have jointly trained a total of 402 senior government officials from Colombo Plan member countries in some 24 capacity-building programmes. Since 1997 to date, we have been conducting an average of 2 to 4 courses per year. In more recent years, the average has been 2 courses per year.
5 Under the Singapore Cooperation Programme, eligible Colombo Plan member countries have also benefited from our other technical asssistance programmes beyond the umbrella of the Colombo Plan, such as the Singapore Cooperation Programme Training Awards and the various joint programmes that we conduct with over 30 partners from the developed countries and international organisations. To date, more than 38,000 government officials from the Colombo Plan member countries have benefited from such programmes under the Singapore Cooperation Programme.
6 To show our continued commitment to the work of the Colombo Plan, from 2008 onwards, Singapore will ramp up its collaboration with the Colombo Plan by jointly conducting 2 to 4 courses each year with the Colombo Plan Secretariat under our Singapore Cooperation Programme. We hope this will bring added benefits to government officials from the Colombo Plan member countries. In Financial Year 2008, we have planned for 3 courses. In the September course, we will share Singapore's experience in public governance and administration. The October course will address the impact of competition law and policy on export promotion and foreign direct investment. And in the February 2009 course we will cover the important issues of climate change, energy and the environment. We will also be collaborating with the Colombo Plan Staff College on a course on enhancing pedagogy skills for teacher trainers in October.
7 Just as Singapore has benefited from the Colombo Plan Scholarship in the past, I am glad to inform the Meeting that Singapore will from this year work with the Colombo Plan Secretariat to sponsor 2 post-graduate Master scholarships each year for government officials of Colombo Plan member countries, tenable at the National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University or Singapore Management University.
8 On another aspect, Singapore supports Secretary-General Patricia Chia's call to increase the annual membership fee for the Colombo Plan by 20%, as this will help the Colombo Plan Secretariat to do more. This annual membership fee increase notwithstanding, Singapore’s main contribution will continue to be focused on our various human resource capacity building programmes in collaboration with the Colombo Plan under the Singapore-Colombo Plan Third Country Training Programme, and with effect from 2008 our sponsorship of post-graduate scholarships.
9 In closing, allow me to thank the Colombo Plan Secretariat, the Colombo Plan Staff College, and fellow Colombo Plan member countries for the strong support and partnership over the years. On behalf of the Singapore delegation, I also wish to convey a very special thanks to Malaysia for being a very effective and gracious host of the 41st Consultative Committee Meeting. We look forward to continue working together for the benefit of our fellow Colombo Plan member countries.
Thank you.
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Mr Koh Tin Fook and Madam Patricia Chia, Secretary-General of the Colombo Plan, greeting each other.
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