Singapore’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and for Law K Shanmugam and the United States Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the Singapore - United States Third Country Training Programme (TCTP) on 1 February 2012. The signing took place in Washington DC as part of Minister Shanmugam's introductory visit to the US.

Under the MOU, both countries will collaborate to provide technical assistance to developing countries, particularly those in ASEAN, in areas such as public health, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, sustainable development, aid for trade, and economic development.