Reviewing Timeline and Sufficiency of Singapore's Contributions to United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

6 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs (a) what is the timeline for the Ministry’s regular review of Singapore’s contributions to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees; and (b) what criteria does the Ministry apply to determining whether the current level of contribution is sufficient.

Dr Vivian Balakrishnan: Singapore has provided annual voluntary financial contributions to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) since 2001. As a small country with limited resources, we take a holistic approach in determining our level of international humanitarian assistance. Singapore provides humanitarian assistance across various international organisations and to relief efforts in our region and beyond. Specific to UNHCR, our current annual contribution of US$60,000 is comparable to other ASEAN member states.

We will continue to contribute to international humanitarian assistance within our resources.