Singapore Cooperation Programme: South-South & Triangular Cooperation Featured Partner
About SCP
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Singapore is responsible for conducting and managing diplomatic relations between Singapore and other countries and regions. The Ministry’s Technical Cooperation Directorate manages the Singapore Cooperation Programme (SCP), which is Singapore’s flagship platform for technical assistance to fellow developing countries.
In its early years of independence, Singapore benefited from technical assistance from developed countries and international organizations such as the World Bank and UN agencies. The SCP is Singapore’s way of giving back to the international community for the assistance we received and reflects our belief that a country’s most valuable asset is its human capital.
SCP as a Platform for Collaboration
The SCP respects the principles of South-South Cooperation, such as non-conditionality, equality, and mutual benefit, and is an integral part of Singapore’s contribution towards South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC).
SCP serves as a platform to allow Singapore and fellow developing countries to share experiences and best practices based on our respective circumstances and to benefit from the knowledge and expertise of one another. All SCP programmes are aligned with the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
Since 1992, the SCP has hosted close to 150,000 officials from more than 180 countries and territories as well as international and regional organizations.
Partnerships
Singapore collaborates with major donor countries, international organizations and aid agencies to pool resources, expertise and networks to provide capacity-building under our Third Country Training Programme (TCTP) and Joint Training Programme (JTP) frameworks. Some of our TCTP partners include: countries such as Japan, the US, Thailand, Morocco, ROK, Norway; international organisations such as the UNDRR, UNICEF, UNEP, UNODC, WTO, WIPO, IMF, UN-Habitat; private sector partners such as Google and Microsoft
Singapore-UNICEF JTP
Collaborating since 1999, Singapore and UNICEF in recent years, have jointly conducted programmes supporting SSG 6 (Clean Water & Sanitation). Since 2017, over 200 participants from 55 countries have participated in our water resource management-related courses. See highlights of our water management programme with UNICEF here.
IMF-Singapore Training Institute
Since 1998, STI, located in Singapore, serves as the IMF’s regional training centre for the Asia-Pacific region. It provides training and technical assistance in macroeconomic and financial management, and legal and statistical issues to over 16,000 government officials from 37 countries. Click here for details.
Singapore-US TCTP
Since 2012, Singapore & US agencies have jointly conducted more than 60 programmes in areas including public health, smart cities, digital economy, climate change and renewable energy for over 1,800 participants from ASEAN Member States, Timor-Leste & the ASEAN Secretariat. The TCTP marked its 10th anniversary in 2021 with a renewed MOU.
Japan-Singapore Partnership Programme for the 21st Century
Since 1994, the Japan-Singapore Partnership Programme for the 21st Century (JSPP21) is the largest and longest-running TCTP. Nearly 7,000 government officials from Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and the Pacific have benefitted from attending close to 400 joint capacity-building programmes.
Supporting Southeast Asia
The SCP places emphasis on strengthening ASEAN. Over 60 percent of SCP participants come from ASEAN countries. SCP offers a variety of ASEAN-specific programmes to support the region’s goals and priorities.
SCP offers customised regional capacity-building programmes for ASEAN member states as well as bilateral programmes for individual ASEAN countries and the ASEAN Secretariat (ASEC). Under the ASEAN Training Awards, launched at the 4th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting in 1971, more than 2,600 ASEAN officials participated in programmes aimed at building capacity in border security and narcotics enforcement
In 2018, Singapore launched the Enhanced Technical Assistance Package (ETAP) for the Strengthening of the ASEAN Secretariat (ASEC) to help ASEC strengthen its institutional capacity. More than 120 ASEC officials participated in ETAP programmes.
Participants attending a course under the ETAP for ASEC
Participants at the Vietnam-Singapore Cooperation Centre
Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI)
The Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) was launched by then-Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong at the 4th ASEAN Informal Summit in November 2000 to narrow the development gap within ASEAN and to accelerate ASEAN integration through capacity-building programmes for the newer ASEAN member states of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam (CLMV). Singapore is the largest ASEAN contributor to the IAI, and has pledged a total of S$170 million since its inception in 2000. Singapore has delivered over 400 IAI courses in diverse topics ranging from food security, trade facilitation, English language, public administration, healthcare, and environmental management. More than 45,000 officials from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam have benefited from IAI courses.
In 2018, Singapore pledged to enhance the IAI Training Centres in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam to Singapore Cooperation Centres. These serve as an integrated platform for Singapore to deliver capacity-building programmes more holistically.
Special and Customised Packages
Palestinian Study Visit on Singapore’s Approach to Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET)
Technical Assistance Package for the Palestinian Authority
The package was established in 2013 as part of Singapore’s ongoing commitment to support the capacity-building and development needs of the Palestinian Authority. Palestinian government officials participate in customized study visits to Singapore and capacity-building courses. The package also offers scholarships for promising young Palestinians to pursue their postgraduate studies at Singapore’s internationally renowned universities.
The SCP has sponsored more than 600 Palestinians to participate in various technical assistance and postgraduate programmes in areas such as Public Administration, Technical and Vocational Education and Training, and Economic Development.
Singapore-African Partnership Package
Singapore is committed to support Africa’s development through capacity building. PM Lee Hsien Loong announced the Singapore-Africa Partnership Package (SAPP) during his official visit to Rwanda in June 2022. SAPP will run from 2022 to 2025 to share Singapore’s development experience and best practices in areas relevant to Africa’s needs and priorities. Key topics include Public Administration and Governance, Trade and Economy, Climate Change and Sustainability, and Digitalisation and Smart Cities.
Asia-Middle East Dialogue (AMED)
Singapore mooted the idea of establishing an Asia-Middle East Dialogue (AMED) in 2004 as part of our efforts to foster political, economic and cultural engagement between Asia and the Middle East. A Regional Vocational Training Centre (RVTC) in Marka was established by Singapore and Jordan in 2007. A Regional Vocational Training Centre for Public Administration (RTCPA) in Doha was established by Singapore and Qatar in 2006. Hundreds of officials from more than 50 countries across AMED and Africa have participated in courses through the RVTC and RTCPA. More information on AMED can be found here.
Singapore-Morocco JTP: Leadership and Governance for African officials under the SAPP
Protocol training workshop for Fiji officials
Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Package
Singapore is committed to supporting the development needs of small states, including Small Island Developing States (SIDS). As small island states, we have similar constraints and face common challenges such as climate change, COVID-19 economic recovery and sustainable development.
Singapore has offered specialized technical assistance packages for SIDS since 1999. The Singapore Partnership for the SAMOA Pathway (SPa) is Singapore’s 5th technical assistance package. The package offers priority placement for our SCP courses, customized bilateral and regional courses, and aviation and maritime fellowships. Over 10,000 participants from SIDS have participated in programmes under the packages. Learn more about how Singapore shares our experience with the Pacific Islands here.
Sustainability Action Package
Singapore launched a dedicated Climate Action Package (CAP) in 2018, to offer capacity-building support in climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies, flood management, disaster risk reduction, and green finance. The CAP will be succeeded by a three-year Sustainability Action Package (SAP) in 2023.
The SAP will give greater focus to the global sustainability agenda and support capacity-building in areas including strategies to build resilience for water resources and food security; managing and financing green projects; developing sustainable infrastructure, managing carbon markets.
Meeting Current and Future Challenges
The SCP continually updates and reviews our programmes to respond to the needs of fellow developing countries. We have focussed on urgent needs to build resilience in key priority areas. Since 2015, we have linked all our programmes with the SDGs. To support countries in emerging stronger from the COVID-19 pandemic, we have introduced new courses on global health and pandemic preparedness and digital transformation.
The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that countries need to build a more robust global health architecture to protect future generations. The SCP introduced a new cluster of public health courses on pandemic management, urban pandemic response, field epidemiology, and global health law
[/nectar_flip_box]SCP aims to help ensure that all states, particularly small states, developing and least developed countries benefit from digital transformation. The SCP introduced new courses on the digital economy, e-commerce, artificial intelligence, and smart nation.
[/nectar_flip_box]Featured Publications
Experience Singapore (Issue 75): Solutions for a Sustainable Tomorrow
Experience Singapore (Issue 76): Transforming Our Landscape Via Technology
Experience Singapore (Issue 77): Feeding The Future
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