A/HRC/48/16 between individual interests and societal needs. In 2020, Singapore had been ranked twelfth on the human development index and twelfth for gender equality on the gender inequality index. 9. Singapore continued to have rigorous debates in Parliament and the community on how it could adapt to changing circumstances. In preparation for its review, the Government had held consultations with civil society, in addition to its regular and ongoing cooperation with civil society in the context of human rights. Singapore was grateful for the engagement of civil society in the universal periodic review process. 10. Singapore had ratified the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination in 2017, underscoring its commitment to working towards a society free from racial discrimination. 11. The Government had increased grants to help more Singaporeans to acquire their own homes, with a special focus on low-income families. Over 90 per cent of the population of Singapore owned their homes. 12. To promote the right to education, and in line with Sustainable Development Goal 4, significant investments had been made in early childhood education. Regular review of bursaries for higher education had been conducted, and the Government would continue to work towards preserving social mobility. Mindful of the importance of lifelong learning, the Government had been helping the population, including those of all ages, to upgrade and learn new skills through the SkillsFuture programme. 13. Greater social support had been introduced for vulnerable members of society. The Government had continued to disburse cash supplements to lower-wage workers and older persons, as well as subsidies to ensure that members of lower-income groups could afford digital devices and Internet connections. 14. The Government had started a national conversation series to get feedback from the population on issues concerning Singaporean women at home, at the workplace, in school and in the community. It would result in a white paper with recommendations for ways to enhance development among women, which would be submitted to Parliament. 15. Singapore was of the view that there could be no one-size-fits-all approach to development and the realization of human rights, as each society had its own unique circumstances. 16. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government had covered the hospital bills of COVID-19 patients in public hospitals, including for intensive care, for both citizens and long-term residents. The national vaccination strategy had been rolled out, prioritizing high-risk and vulnerable groups, including migrant workers. 17. Beyond public health, the socioeconomic impact of the pandemic had also been severe. Singapore had spent close to $75 billion on health, welfare and stimulus measures. Most of those measures were targeted at vulnerable groups, such as lower- to middle-income households, children, older persons, migrant workers and those at risk of domestic violence. 18. It had introduced grants and programmes to co-fund wages and help lower- to middleincome Singaporeans who had lost their jobs or had suffered substantial loss of income. Social services and legal recourse had remained available during the period of lockdown measures for those at risk of domestic violence. Singapore had also worked to ensure that children continued to have unimpeded access to education, despite the challenges posed by the pandemic. It had implemented home-based learning, during the period of school closure. Tablets, laptops and Internet-enabled devices had been loaned to students in need of them. Lower-income households could apply for subsidized computers and broadband services. 19. Singapore had actively countered the spread of false information on the pandemic through public clarifications and the judicious use of the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act. 3