Mdm Halimah Yacob, President of the Republic of Singapore, to attend the opening ceremony of ICN’s 2019 Congress

Geneva, Switzerland; 17 May 2019 – Mdm Halimah Yacob, President of the Republic of Singapore will be attending the opening ceremony of the International Council of Nurses’ (ICN) 2019 Congress on 27 June 2019 as a Guest-of-Honour – it has been announced today in Geneva and Singapore.

Mdm Halimah Yacob was sworn in as the 8th President of the Republic of Singapore on 14 September 2017. Before becoming the first female president of the country she was Singapore’s representative in the International Labour Organisation for 12 years and the first Singaporean to be elected into the ILO. In 2011, she became Appointed Minister of State for Community Development and Sports. She introduced various programmes for seniors and enhanced services for the disabled. She also laid the foundation for the Social Services Offices. In 2013, she was elected as Speaker of Parliament, the first woman to hold the position. President Halimah obtained her law degree and master’s in law from the National University of Singapore.

ICN President, Annette Kennedy, expressed the organisation’s gratitude to President Halimah Yacob for her decision to support ICN’s Congress with her presence. “ICN, as the global voice of the over 20 million nurses worldwide, strongly believes that the effective and safe delivery of comprehensive PHC services depends on the strength, capacity and capability of the health workforce. Nurses are leading the way in many areas of care and it is very important that nurses share that knowledge at every policy table: that’s why we greatly appreciate President Yacob’s presence in our congress” – she said.

ICN Chief Executive Officer Howard Catton also expressed his gratitude for President Yacob’s attendance at the opening ceremony. “We need nurses in leadership positions, sitting at the table where decisions about healthcare are made, expressing the voice of nursing. We are convinced that the presence of President Halimah Yacob at our congress is a strong indication that the voice of nurses is heard in Singapore at the highest level.”

Close to 5,000 delegates are already registered for ICN 2019 and they will have a very enriching and rewarding experience. Keynote speakers, including Elizabeth Iro, WHO Chief Nursing Officer; Mr Kim Hwang-sik, former Prime Minister of South Korea; Dr Linda Aiken, renowned nurse academic, and Cindy McCain, American businesswoman, philanthropist, educator and humanitarian, will address key issues affecting the world’s health and the nursing profession.

One of the largest gathering of nurses in the world, the ICN Congress will be held between 27 June and 1 July in Singapore. For more information and to register please click here.

Note for Editors

The International Council of Nurses (ICN) is a federation of more than 130 national nurses’ associations representing the millions of nurses worldwide. Operated by nurses and leading nursing internationally, ICN works to ensure quality care for all and sound health policies globally.

For further information please contact

Gyorgy Madarasz, Press Officer, International Council of Nurses, Tel: +41 22 908 01 16

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