ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL CONTINUES REVIEW OF FOLLOW-UP TO WORLD CONFERENCES AND SUMMITS
Press Release
ECOSOC/5727
ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL CONTINUES REVIEW OF FOLLOW-UP TO WORLD CONFERENCES AND SUMMITS
19970717 (Reissued as received.)GENEVA, 16 July (UN Information Service) -- The Economic and Social Council carried on this afternoon with a review of efforts to implement the various goals of a series of United Nations world conferences held since 1989. These meetings included global summits on human rights, children, women, the environment, human settlements, population, social issues, small-island nations, and food.
A number of country delegations called for coordinated responses to these meetings, so that various United Nations agencies carried out tasks that were complementary rather than overlapping, and said special emphasis should be placed on actions at the country level, where programmes would become most specific and have the greatest impact.
A representative of Chile said a "renewed commitment" by the international community to enhancing development had sprung from world conferences on social issues, while a delegate of China contended that if emphasis was too much tilted towards social aspects without seeking economic development and providing the resources to achieve it, the entire process of following up to the summits would turn into empty words on paper. An official of the Russian Federation expressed the hope that the United Nations Administrative Coordinating Committee (ACC) would elaborate a system-wide approach to be followed by all programmes and agencies in the fight against poverty.
Also offering statements were representatives of Luxembourg (on behalf of the European Union); United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF); Bangladesh; United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); Colombia; Jamaica; UNAIDS; United States; International Movement ATD Fourth World; World Confederation of Labour; World Food Programme; Tunisia, and International Telecommunications Union.
The Council will reconvene at 10 a.m. Thursday, 17 July, to begin consideration of its agenda item on "special economic, humanitarian and disaster relief assistance".
Statements
KAY KILLINGSWORTH, Special Adviser to the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), introducing a report on the outcome of the 1996 World Food Summit, said the main outcome of the meeting had been to renew global commitment at the highest political level to the task of eliminating hunger and malnutrition and to the achievement of sustainable food security for all. The Rome Declaration adopted at the Summit set forth seven commitments forming the basis for achieving sustainable food security, while a plan of action spelled out objectives for implementation of those commitments. Commitment seven stressed that the main focus of action lay at the country level, where Governments had the primary responsibility for creating an economic and political environment that assured the food security of their citizens. Forthcoming would be arrangements for allocation and sharing of responsibilities among United Nations organizations for support to implementation of the Rome Plan of Action.
SYLVIE SCHOSSELER (Luxembourg), speaking on behalf of the European Union, said the follow-up to major international conferences had to be ensured at country, intergovernmental and field levels. The Council should take into account a coordinated follow-up and should assess annually progress made at the different levels. Any follow-up should also ensure feedback from activities carried out at the country level.
CHRISTIAN MAQUIERA (Chile), speaking also on behalf of Argentina and Brazil, said there was a renewed commitment by the international community to enhancing development springing in large part from recent world conferences on social and development matters; it had been valuable to have a dialogue at the morning meeting with the heads of the respective task forces on follow-up to the global summits. There was a need for the United Nations to work in coordination so that there was sufficient support for countries to work effectively on such important tasks as poverty elimination. Careful study of work performed by Governments would be important; an integrated approach should be ensured; and obviously coordination and efficiency were important -- one wanted complementarity and not overlapping in the work of various United Nations commissions.
WANG XINXIA (China) said implementation of the follow-up to the various United Nations conferences in the social and economic areas had become key to the concrete realization of the goals of such gatherings. In doing that, too much emphasis on the social aspect without seeking goals of economic development and providing the assured resources would turn the entire process into empty words on paper. There should be cooperation at the national, regional and international levels.
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V.K. ERMAKOV (Russian Federation) said the results of world fora should fully be taken into account when planning, executing, and contemplating the results of various United Nations programmes and activities; on the other hand, there should not be duplication; creation of effective machinery for inter-agency cooperation, drawing on various areas of expertise, was vital. The activities of the Administrative Committee on Coordination (ACC) were critical to establishing such coordinated follow-up. It was to be hoped that the ACC would elaborate a system-wide approach to be followed by all programmes and agencies in the fight against poverty; and the Committee should taken maximum account of the decisions of subsidiary bodies dealing with issues in the field.
NORA GALER, of the United Nations Children's Fund UNICEF, said the agency had participated actively in the three inter-agency task forces to develop United Nations system-wide mechanisms for the implementation of the goals and objectives of the major United Nations conferences. The task forces generated products to coordinate better the delivery of support at regional and country levels, as part of the resident coordinator system, so that the United Nations field offices might assist governments and national institutions more effectively.
A.K. CHOWDHURY (Bangladesh) said his country had participated vigorously in the various world conferences, and had followed up with appropriate actions at the country level. It might be appropriate for the Council to organize consideration of this agenda item next year back-to-back with the high-level segment, to allow the participation of various high-level Government officials. Bangladesh was impressed by the idea suggested this morning that a compendium be issued on implementation of the various conference outcomes at the country level.
A.K. CASSUM, of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), said the agency continued to emphasize the need for the United Nations system to coordinate its approach in an integrated manner, and at all levels, with regard to the implementation of the various commitments, conventions and programmes-of-action resulting from international conferences. UNESCO was currently examining the recommendations of the various conferences pertaining to its spheres of competence and was in the process of developing a coherent approach so as to contribute effectively to the realization of the development goals of its member States.
GUSTAVO CASTRO GUERRERO (Colombia) said establishment of an intergovernmental framework to implement the outcomes of world conferences, especially the World Social Summit, was an idea worthy of support, as was pursuit of coordinated inter-agency follow-up within the United Nations system. The regional economic commissions could play an especially useful role; the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) had
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already held a valuable meeting on such matters as implementation of Agenda 21 and on urban development in Latin America and the Caribbean. The Columbian Government's programme known as the "social leap forward" corresponded to the goals set out at the Social Summit; the aim was to improve the quality life of the poorest sectors of the Colombian population; the percentage of the Colombian Government budget dedicated to social programmes had risen in recent years from 36.9 to 41.8; and other efforts were being made to implement the 12 points contained in the outcome of the Beijing women's conference.
VILMA McNISH (Jamaica) said the Secretary-General's report on follow-up to international conferences provided a very comprehensive overview of the United Nations system; the Council could consider his recommendations on the need to comprehensively review the ACC and periodically report on progress achieved. The Council could also note the need for relevant organizations of the United Nations system to further integrate the results of major conferences into their programmes and to contribute relevant information in support of the Council's work. These recommendations could be built on to enhance the Council's role in the follow-up to these conferences since it had a key political and strategic role to play. An integrated follow-up and coordination had to entail a cooperative approach between United Nations agencies and national governments.
RENU CHAHIL GRAF, of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), said the agency had been active in focusing on many of the issues addressed by the world conferences; it was recognized, for example, that AIDS was having a major effect on development in the world's least-developed countries, that the disease, including its social implications, affected men, women and children differently, and that transportation and migration between small island nations played a major role in the transmission of the disease in those countries. There also were major labour and food impacts resulting from AIDS, as populations with high rates of the disease tended to focus on less demanding forms of work and agriculture. UNAIDS was ready to share its experiences and knowledge with other agencies through theme groups being established.
SETH WINNICK (United States) said she commended the ACC for its work in developing a common framework to assist countries in the coordinated implementation and monitoring of the programmes of action adopted at the recent global conferences. Governments had the primary responsibility for implementing the programmes of action; the ACC was to be saluted for focusing the three inter-agency task forces it had established on country-based approaches designed to assist countries in implementing international conference documents. Non-governmental organizations were also integral to the success of the recent world conferences.
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BRUMO ROMAZZOTTI, of International Movement ATD Fourth World, said the plight of people living in extreme poverty was a recurring theme of world conferences; given the unbearable burden of human suffering, implementation of the outcomes of these global summits was indispensable; so, too, however, should emphasis be placed on spiritual as well as material issues; it also was clear that extreme poverty was an obstacle to the enjoyment of all kinds of interrelated rights; it was necessary to find ways to exercise partnership with persons living in extreme poverty. Economic structures which tolerated extreme poverty could not be modified; they had to be torn down and re-erected; also deserving attention was a world economy which allowed such wretchedness; redistribution of wealth was necessary -- a rethinking of economics; it was not enough merely to say that one could create more wealth and so offer more to the extremely poor; it was necessary to restructure and rethink the current economic system and distribution of wealth.
BEATRICE FAUCHERE, of the World Confederation of Labour, said the organization was concern at the lack of interest shown by several specialized agencies and financial institutions in carrying out commitments made at the Social Summit in Copenhagen. It was urgent to acquire the necessary resources to carry out the Copenhagen commitments at the national, regional and international levels. For instance, job creation depended on many factors, and not all of them were in the hands of the International Labour Organisation. The ability of the international system to provide guidance to develop employment depended on closer ties between the ILO and financial institutions like the World Bank.
JEAN-JACQUES GRAISSE, of the World Food Programme (WFP), said the World Food Summit had been a seminal event for the WFP, which had contributed actively to the preparation for the conference and would be no less active in implementation of the Summit's plan of action. At the meeting it had emphasized that food security was about people, not merely growing more food; that the challenge of hunger must be met today, or it would lead to hunger tomorrow; that women were a key part of the solution; that investments must be made in people, not just in agriculture; that liberalization of markets after the Uruguay Round offered promise but also left many questions unanswered; and that peace was a pre-requisite for food supply. The WFP would focus its action on linking emergency relief and development; supporting women, especially in emergencies; and focusing on the neediest. It was fully involved in efforts to carry out a coordinated follow-up to the Summit.
HABIB KAABACHI (Tunisia) said the involvement of various United Nations secretariats and the creation of task forces in the follow-up of international conferences were adequate means for the implementation of decisions taken at such gatherings. Most of the work, however, should be carried out at the country level; it was also necessary to define social indicators to evaluate implementation. Furthermore, the Council should continue to be the
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appropriate forum to review follow-up and provide guidelines for the secretariats of different agencies charged with that task.
VENEN PARATIAN, of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), urged the Council not to lose sight of the Inter-Agency Project on Universal Access to Basic Communication and Information Services. The project had been launched within the framework of the ACC's efforts to promote an integrated follow-up to conferences, and was seen as supportive of the work of the three task forces established by the ACC. The ACC considered that ensuring the compatibility, accessibility and convergence of communications and computer-based systems among organizations of the system was a crucial element in coordinated follow-up.
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