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Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA)

MFA aims to achieve the following outcomes with an allocated budget of $407 million:

• Advancement of Singapore’s national interests through the conduct of our foreign relations and working through regional and international organisations
• Reinforcing international recognition of Singapore as a useful partner, being effective, constructive and principled
• Prompt and effective consular services for Singaporeans
  
  

Advancement of Singapore’s national interests through the conduct of our foreign relations and working through regional and international organisations

MFA aims to strengthen relations with our neighbours, ASEAN partners and key regional countries such as the US, China, India, Japan, the EU/Europe, Russia, Australia and New Zealand. We will enhance our engagement with emerging markets, including the Middle East, Central and Eastern Europe, Russia, Latin America and Africa. We will also enhance relations with all our friends and partners. On the multilateral front, we will contribute to strengthening international and regional mechanisms such as ASEAN, ARF, APEC, EAS and ASEM. We will play an active role in international organisations and in shaping the regional architecture so as to enhance peace and stability and advance Singapore's interests, and continue to build an international constituency of support for Singapore.

To achieve this outcome, we will:

• Maintain a steady level of visits and exchanges
• Focus on deepening ASEAN integration through the implementation of the ASEAN Charter so that ASEAN remains relevant and central in the regional architecture
• Work with the US in its Chairmanship to strengthen APEC’s role and its focus on regional economic cooperation and integration
• Build up our knowledge and expertise on emerging markets by expanding links and enhancing our diplomatic presence in key regions
• Support the efforts of our economic agencies in expanding our web of Free Trade Agreements and promoting our business and commercial interests and activities overseas
• Support the work of think tanks, such as the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS), S Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Institute of South Asian Studies (ISAS), and Middle East Institute (MEI)

$217.2m will be allocated to the above efforts. This constitutes 53.4% of MFA’s total budget.

Reinforcing international recognition of Singapore as a useful partner, being effective, constructive and principled

MFA aims to enhance Singapore’s relevance and standing in international organisations in collaboration with other Singapore agencies, through constructive participation and by taking principled positions at the UN and key international forums. MFA will continue to build goodwill for Singapore and profile the Singapore brand name through technical assistance, outreach activities and cultivation efforts.

To achieve this outcome, we will

• Play an active role in international organisations and forums such as the UN, WTO, IMO, ICAO, IAEA, WIPO, WHO, ILO, UNESCO, G20, Commonwealth, and the Proliferation Security Initiative, and participate in efforts to enhance their roles and effectiveness
• Play a constructive role during Singapore’s tenure on the IAEA Board of Governors from September 2010 to September 2012
• Participate actively and constructively in, and lead the inter-agency effort to safeguard Singapore's interests at, the climate change negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
• Serve as the Secretariat for the Inter-Ministry Committee on Export Controls, Inter-Ministry Committee on Legal Issues relating to Terrorism, and Inter-Ministry Committee on Human Rights
• Lead the inter-agency preparations for Singapore's Universal Periodic Review in 2011
• Work with other ministries to support Singapore’s candidatures for key international organisations. In FY2011, our efforts will be focused on our bid for re-election to the Council of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO)
• Support the efforts of Singapore agencies to participate more effectively in international forums by providing training and foreign policy inputs
• Continue to work with EDB and other agencies to profile Singapore internationally and attract blue-chip inter-governmental and non- governmental organisations to establish a presence in Singapore
• Provide technical assistance through the Singapore Cooperation Programme (SCP) and share Singapore's developmental experience with developing countries

$119.6m will be allocated to our participation in and contributions to regional and international organisations, the Singapore Cooperation Programme and outreach activities.

Prompt and effective consular services for Singaporeans

MFA aims to provide better, more timely and effective consular services through Singapore’s overseas missions, the network of Honorary Consuls General (HCGs) and Consuls, as well as friends of Singapore. This would include

• Working with other agencies to strengthen our crisis management coordination and capacity
• Monitoring and responding to crises and disasters, and providing expeditious assistance to Singaporeans in distress overseas
• Supporting the Elections Department in carrying out overseas voting in the next presidential election and general elections, which are due by 2011 and 2012, respectively.
• Working closely with the Overseas Singaporean Unit (OSU) in their efforts to engage Singaporeans overseas

$70.2m will be allocated to providing consular services.

To find out more about the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and our initiatives, please visit our website.