Promoting the Rule of Law and Peaceful Settlement of Disputes The rule of law is the "supremacy of regular power

as opposed to arbitrary power." Today, the concept of the rule of law is embedded in the Charter of the United Nations. In its Preamble, one of the aims of the UN is to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained thus maintaining international peace and security. In accordance to Chapter VI Article 33 of the Charter of the United Nations its stipulated that The parties to any dispute, the continuance of which is likely to endanger the maintenance of international peace and security, shall, first of all, seek a solution by negotiation, enquiry, mediation, conciliation, arbitration, judicial settlement, resort to regional agencies or arrangements, or other peaceful means of their own choice. Looking back at the violence that almost brought Kenya to a standstill after the 2007 general election were Over 1,200 people were killed in the election violence and as many as 350,000 people displaced! However following former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annans meetings with Kibaki and Odinga, as well as dialogue between all three actors, mediation efforts led to the signing of a power-sharing agreement on 28 February 2008 and On 4 August 2010, the Kenyan public voted to accept a new draft constitution. As I assess the Rule of Law in Singapore allow me bring it to your awareness that Singapore is nominally a democratic state that has been ruled by the Peoples Action Party (PAP) since independence in 1965. The PAP won the May 2010 elections with the lowest percentage of the popular vote in its history. Resolving differences on your own is a better alternative to going to court. This should be encouraged even as such solutions - achieved through mediation, for example - are gaining prominence in the court system, said Chief Justice Chan Sek Keong. Contracts are secure, there is no expropriation, and the commercial court functions efficiently. Singapore has one of Asias strongest intellectual property rights regimes, although enforcement could be improved. The government enforces strong anti-corruption measures, and acts of bribery, whether committed inside Singapores territory or overseas, are prosecuted by the government. Assessing the Social Impact of the Global Financial Crisis

The Secretary-General called for urgent attention to the social impacts of the financial and economic crisis. Lessons from other crises show that social consequences need to be tackled rapidly, as they lead to a quick increase in unemployment, disease, poverty and hunger.

The Jobs Credit Scheme provided businesses with a cash grant based on the wages of Singapore and PR employees, set at 12% on up to the first S$2500 of wages per month. To encourage businesses to retain workers, the scheme only paid out if the workers were still employed by the firm at the end of a 3 month period. This addressed the need for businesses to cut costs during the downturn. In the housing market, there is a need to streamline terms and conditions of different types of mortgages so that they are easier to understand. The lender could provide monthly repayment schedules over a few years for different kinds of mortgages, under different scenarios (changing interest rates, different down payment sizes). The overall regulatory environment remains one of the worlds most transparent and efficient in Singapore and with no minimum capital required launching a business takes only three days. There is no statutory minimum wage, but wage adjustments are guided by the National Wage Council. The trade regime is very open and competitive, and no tariffs are imposed on imports. Foreign and domestic businesses are treated equally under the law, but foreign investment in some service industries remains limited. As a leading global financial hub, the efficient financial sector is highly competitive. Beyond 2015: Re-defining MDGs policy SINGAPORE AND THE UN's MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS During the Millennium Summit in September 2000, world leaders adopted the UN Millennium Declaration, committing their nations to a new partnership to combat poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, environmental degradation and discrimination against women, and agreeing to a set of measurable goals and targets to be achieved by 2015. The proposals in the Millennium Declaration were expanded into eight specific Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). More information is available at the UN's MDG website Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, Achieve universal primary education, Promote gender equality and empower women, Reduce child mortality, Improve maternal health, Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, Ensure environmental sustainability, Develop a global partnership for development Singapore supports the achievement of the MDGs and recognises the challenges that many developing countries face in achieving them. Within our means, we share our development experience in particular, in human resource development and economic development with other countries through MFA's Singapore Cooperation Programme (SCP).