NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS ISSUES STRONG APPEAL FOR ACTION ON SOCIAL ISSUES
Press Release
NGO/301
REC/10
NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS ISSUES STRONG APPEAL FOR ACTION ON SOCIAL ISSUES
19970912 BANGKOK, 12 September (UN Information Services) -- Major Asian and Pacific non-governmental organizations meeting in Kuala Lumpur this week have made a strong appeal to governments and their citizens for a renewed commitment to achieving social equity and change."We believe that while there have been some important achievements in some countries and in some areas globally, it is clear that greater political will is required on the part of all, and in particular by governments, to meet the challenges set at the 1995 World Summit for Social Development in Copenhagen and in the regional agenda", the message read in part.
"Hundreds of millions of people are denied full employment or productive livelihoods and live increasingly insecure and vulnerable existences. Powerful forces far too frequently prevail, discriminating against minorities and undermining efforts to promote social integration. Large sections of society are marginalized, cut off from economic and political power", the message continued.
More than 100 NGOs from 28 countries met here this week, from 8 to 10 September, to give voice to their role in addressing pressing problems in the region, and to consider future action which should be taken by governments, NGOs and other key groups. The National Council of Social Welfare of Malaysia was the local organizer, and the meeting was sponsored by the Government of the Netherlands and the Asian Development Bank.
The NGO Forum on Social Development in Asia and the Pacific was organized by the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and the International Council on Social Welfare.
Opening the Forum, Malaysia's Minister of National Unity and Social Development, Zaleha Ismail said: "There is no doubt that one of the most important priorities for social development is to evolve our capabilities to respond to social problems in a timely and effective fashion. Such a capability will not come about at the initiative of government alone."
"No agenda for social development can be complete without specifying the role of government, the community, the business sector, the voluntary sector and the family. It must be emphasized that social development must build on a durable partnership between these sectors of society", she said.
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Without these partnerships, "a fully caring society is not likely to evolve and instead become a mere charity-based remedial activity that has little relevance to the new challenges we will encounter as industrial nations", she said.
Concerns were also raised about the impact the current economic crisis in south-east Asia will have on social development. "There are many predictions of considerable crises that may face many Asian economies in the coming years. Even some of the so-called tiger economies have now entered into a period of crisis. Such developments will aggravate social problems rather than enhance social development. This negative environment needs to be considered if the issue of a positive environment is to be discussed in a serious manner", said Basil Fernando, Executive Director of the Asian Human Rights Commission.
The set of recommendations that will be made to governments at the Fifth Asian and Pacific Ministerial Conference on Social Development in Manila in November include the following:
-- reducing malnutrition by the year 2000 to half the levels in 1990 in every country where it has a significant presence;
-- providing all people with access to safe drinking water and sanitation by the year 2000;
-- providing all people with basic education by the year 2000, with a halving of illiteracy from 1990 levels and an emphasis on female literacy; and
-- eradicating absolute poverty by the year 2015.
To implement the regional social development agenda, governments in the region have agreed that, through intersectoral consultation and coordination, they will formulate clear priorities and ensure that the respective strengths of all partner institutions are utilized.
"The Manila meeting is being held in response to ESCAP and General Assembly resolutions referring explicitly to the need for active multisectoral implementation of the outcome of the 1995 World Summit for Social Development which the coming conference will focus on", said Edward Van Roy, Director of ESCAP's Social Development Division.
Mr. Van Roy said that ESCAP is fully prepared to take up the challenges and facilitate regional coordination between the region's governments and NGOs.
The Regional Agenda for Social Development, adopted in Manila, identifies specific, time-bound, regional social development goals, along with targets and agreements on their attainment.
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