The Official Opening Ceremony of the 7th Asia and Pacific Regional Conference

20 Nov 2006

By Mr Khaw Boon Wan, Minister for Health

Venue: The Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel

Mr Juan Manuel Suarez Del Toro, President of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies;

Mr Jacques Forster, Vice President of the International Committee of Red Cross;

Dr Mohammed Al-Hadid, Chairman, Standing Commission of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies;

Lt Gen Winston Choo, Retd., Chairman of the Singapore Red Cross;

Excellencies;

Distinguished Guests;

Ladies and Gentlemen

I first heard of Mr Henry Dunant and the Red Cross movement that he founded when I was in junior high school, growing up in Malaysia.  That was 40 years ago. 

A senior schoolmate introduced me to this movement and asked me if I would join him and a few others to start off a Red Cross Society in our school.  He gave me a few books to read and before long we got the Red Cross Society up and running.  During those pioneering years, there were many things to do: marketing the idea, recruiting members, writing circulars, writing constitution, getting registration etc.  There were established Red Cross Societies in other schools, and there were active inter-school programmes, like first aid competitions, quizzes, picnics etc.  So while we were busy getting a fledging society established, we could not wait to train up our members, learn how to march, how to render first aid and also preparing songs and dances to take part in the many inter-school social activities.

We were busy, but we were happy. We learnt many new things and not just technical stuff; we learnt leadership training on the job.  The senior schoolmate who got me into the Red Cross movement eventually became the Principal of our high school, and me in politics.  I reflected on our pioneering batch of founding members.  Many have gone on to become successful businessmen, professionals and leaders in public service.  It is hard to compute the value of the uniformed groups like the Red Cross in a teenager's subsequent career development but I am sure it is not trivial.

My high school's Red Cross Society has since been renamed the Red Crescent and I have moved on with age.  But my relationship with the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement remains intact.  As the Health Minister, I depend on the Singapore Red Cross for a world-class blood donation programme which has saved many lives in hospitals and clinics.  Our professional relationship has also progressively grown and expanded overseas.  When the tsunami hit our region two years ago, we worked with the Red Cross to render prompt rescue and reconstruction efforts to the many victims in Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka and the Maldives.  When earthquake struck central Java last year, the Red Cross and our partners stepped forward again to render valuable assistance.  Unfortunately, tragedies will continue to strike and our partnership will remain in demand.

This morning, I thank you for the opportunity to participate in your Asia and Pacific Regional Conference.  It is a great honour for Singapore to host this conference which brings together more than 200 senior leaders from 46 National Societies in countries throughout the Asia and Pacific region, including the Middle East.  I am delighted that participants from other national Societies in Europe, Canada, America, the leadership of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and International Committee of the Red Cross have also come to this event.  I hope that you will set aside some time to enjoy the multi-cultural sights, sounds and tastes of our global city.

The Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement has a long and proud history of serving humanity through helping to relieve suffering and reconstruction after emergencies.  You help ensure that the most vulnerable in one's country are served.

In Singapore, the Singapore Red Cross has been strongly associated with serving the severely disabled, promoting first aid and disaster management readiness, encouraging youth to be involved in community service, blood donor recruitment and providing local and overseas humanitarian assistance.  Though a small national Society, the Singapore Red Cross has actively facilitated collaborative efforts and maximized limited resources with other voluntary welfare organizations and NGOs to serve humanity together.  They make Singaporeans proud.

Serving Humanity Effectively

Your theme for this Conference is "Serving Humanity Effectively". As a leading international humanitarian organization with 100 million members, the world expects much from your Federation. This regional conference will provide you with opportunities to reflect, review and reaffirm your shared commitment to make a difference in the lives of people who need our help.  In the next four days, you will be discussing three key topics - Disaster Management, Health and Care, and Resource and Capacity Building.

First: Disaster Management

Responding to disasters and other emergencies is your core competence. You have the ability and credibility to mobilize resources quickly through your vast network of staff and volunteers. We have seen this tested and aptly demonstrated in many recent disasters.

Responding to disasters is not just about being the first on the ground. It is also about being prudent and effective in mobilizing and using resources to relieve the sufferings of those who have been affected. We have witnessed the huge outpouring of public donations and volunteerism during such crises. How we use these resources will affect our future credibility to mobilize them. Accountability and transparency in managing these resources will ensure that the public and donors are assured that their funds are used in an effective and efficient manner.   

Second: Health and Care

National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies have a history of partnering governments and communities to develop and provide health programmes, especially for disadvantaged and vulnerable populations. As the epidemiologic and demographic landscapes change in the Asia-Pacific region, we should also re-evaluate our approaches to see how we can remain relevant to society.

New topics like infectious diseases and the provision of community-based healthcare for vulnerable groups have become topical. HIV/AIDS and a possible influenza pandemic threaten the health of our societies. With the changing nature of our societies, new vulnerable groups needing help might emerge. The National Red Cross and Red Crescent societies have an important role in assisting the government and community to prepare for and deal with these challenges.

Third: Resource and Capacity Building

A strong humanitarian organization depends not only on the size of its volunteer pool, but how its resources and capacity are harnessed and developed. The diverse background of the local and international volunteers is undeniably the strength of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, and a reason why you are highly valued by your government partners.

We all have much to learn from one another. Where problems are similar, we should not reinvent the wheel.  This conference will provide National Societies with the opportunity to share, learn and adopt modalities of work and promote practices to ensure the continued efficient execution of programmes and services to the less fortunate.

In addition, there will be many other well-meaning humanitarian organizations on the ground during emergencies or peacetime operations. Each of them has its own strengths and expertise. Establishing partnerships with other international humanitarian agencies, national societies and national government will ensure that efforts are co-ordinated and each others strengths are leveraged upon.

Finally, I am glad that the role of youths will be also discussed during this conference. We must continue to inculcate the spirit of volunteerism in our younger generation. To attract and retain their interest in humanitarian work, they must feel that their contributions are meaningful. Giving youths a chance to participate in decision-making processes will also benefit both the volunteers and the organization.

Conclusion

On this note, I would like to congratulate in advance the Conference Planning Committee and the Singapore Red Cross for a successful conference.  I have no doubt it will be a very fruitful meeting. 

Thank you.