COMMISSION FOR SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT TO HOLD THIRTY-SIXTH SESSION AT HEADQUARTERS, 10 - 20 FEBRUARY

9 February 1998

Press Release
SOC/4430

COMMISSION FOR SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT TO HOLD THIRTY-SIXTH SESSION AT HEADQUARTERS, 10 - 20 FEBRUARY

19980209 Background Release

In the future, societies will be judged according to their treatment of vulnerable groups, and civilization will be assessed by its treatment of vulnerable countries. Thus, the need for integrated cooperation among governments, the private sector and civil society towards achieving social justice, as social development entails more than economic progress.

That assessment is among the elements discussed by the Secretary-General in a report to be considered by the Commission for Social Development as it convenes its thirty-sixth session at Headquarters from 10 to 20 February.

As part of the Commission's multi-year, thematic programme of work, the main theme of the session will be "Promoting social integration and participation of all people". Among the subthemes to be addressed is "Violence, crime and the problem of illicit drugs and substance abuse as factors of social disintegration". The Commission will also continue its review of efforts to implement the outcome of the World Summit for Social Development (Copenhagen, 1995).

As it considers inclusion and participation as integral parts of a socially just society, the 46-member Commission will pay particular attention to vulnerable and disadvantaged individuals and groups. The Secretary-General defines the vulnerable as those that face high exposure to risks, for reasons ranging from physical conditions to demographics to economics; and the disadvantaged as those who encounter structural obstacles to access to resources, benefits and opportunities.

In order to deal with the vulnerability issue, the report goes on, governments should be responsive to the interests of all. To reduce vulnerability, it is essential to reduce conflict and support mechanisms for the peaceful resolution of differences, it adds. Also, the private sector should be encouraged to recognize that its responsibilities towards achieving a society for all go beyond activities motivated by profit. The report stresses that social, religious and cultural networks can help to represent the specific economic interests of all the different groups in the community, particularly excluded groups.

Also during the session, the Commission will consider options for conducting the future review and appraisal of the implementation of the International Plan of Action on Ageing. The Commission is charged with reviewing the Plan's implementation every four years and making proposals to update it as necessary.

The 1995 Social Summit's core issues were poverty, jobs and social exclusion. The Copenhagen Declaration and Programme of Action were based on the understanding that people must be placed at the centre of development. The Declaration contains 10 commitments, the basis for launching a global drive for social progress and development, while the Programme of Action contains integrated recommendations for local, national, and United Nations- level actions to alleviate the social aspects of underdevelopment.

Summaries of reports before the Commission follow.

In his report on promoting social integration and participation of all people, including disadvantaged and vulnerable groups and persons (document E/CN.5/1998/2), the Secretary-General describes and recommends elements for fostering participation and social justice.

According to the report, those elements include the use of formal democratic systems and instruments for dialogues and exchanges; enabling civil society to make its full contribution to the promotion of peoples' various goals; guaranteeing fair and accessible judicial systems to reduce the likelihood of decisions that are arbitrary, corrupt and biased; identifying mechanisms to allow all people to participate in the process of designing economic policies; the responsibility of governments to secure for all legal residents a means of subsistence and social services; and also governments' responsibility to provide information and the capacity to produce and understand information, as education is the most powerful way to break the vicious circle of poverty and exclusion.

Two expert-workshops provided input to the Secretary-General's report. They addressed participation and social justice (document E/CN.5/1998/4) and social protection and reducing vulnerability (document E/CN.5/1998/5), respectively.

The Secretary-General's report defines vulnerable groups and persons, and suggests strategies and principles for alleviating their plight. While vulnerability is an integral part of the human condition, it says, "the vulnerable" are considered to be those in a state of high exposure to risks -- resulting from acts of nature or caused by human action -- combined with reduced abilities to defend themselves from and respond to the results of those risks. It distinguishes between vulnerability and disadvantage, defining the latter as pertaining to structural obstacles preventing access to resources and opportunities.

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The report discusses the fact that certain groups are exposed to cumulative risks, which can, in turn, lead to greater discrimination and marginalization. It recommends that efforts to address the interests of different groups should be long term, spanning several political administrations, to ensure they focus on addressing social needs rather than political objectives. It also addresses means to enhance employment opportunities for vulnerable groups, such as working mothers and older persons. To reduce vulnerability, an enabling environment must be developed, in which respect for culture and traditions are respected. Such an environment requires adoption of a two-pronged approach in which immediate needs are addressed while long-term solutions and protections for social vulnerability are pursued.

The report also addresses the need to increase broad social solidarity with vulnerable persons and groups. In that regard, suggested policy responses include the development of "incentives for empathy", including tax incentives and allowing employees time off for voluntary activities. Institutions that focus on caring for others should be regularly audited to ensure that their focus lay on serving their clients rather than their institutional needs. Social inclusion and protection of the vulnerable can also be facilitated by networking between vulnerable and non-vulnerable groups, as well as between States.

The Secretary-General emphasizes that social development must be approached through the combined efforts of civil society organizations, local and national governments, and the private sector. Such interdependence should be both within and between societies. Local and community-based groups should be active in designing, planning and monitoring activities to benefit the community. Government decisions should be made in partnership with business and civil society organizations. Synergy on the regional level can lead to capacity building, as well as enhanced bargaining power for better terms in external transactions.

Patterns of risk and structural disadvantage are repeated on all levels, from individual to community to nation to region, according to the Secretary- General. Social factors should be taken into account in the design of structural adjustment programmes. Some countries in transition have successfully coordinated the political, economic and civic realms to overcome hardships related to their integration into the global market-based economy. In those cases, difficulties have been eased by the efforts of community-based organizations, which have improved living standards through non-market mechanisms.

Although economic decisions tend to be biased in favour of those with power and resources, according to the report, people could become economic actors and decision makers. Using their roles as consumers, taxpayers and as members of interest groups, excluded individuals and groups could influence economic trends. To do so, access to information and a supportive legislative framework was needed.

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The Secretary-General notes that vulnerable groups have a high risk of becoming victims of various kinds of violence. Also, economic vulnerability at the community level can result in internal social and ethnic conflicts, which further reduces the prospects of development. On the other hand, both individuals and societies are strengthened when all people contribute to their maximum potential. Policies to reduce vulnerability would lead to the promotion of social integration and social justice.

Addressing the resource implications of his proposals, the Secretary- General states that expenses arising from efforts to promote social integration should be considered investments that will yield great returns over time. Also, due to the interconnectedness of the issues involved, he points out that expenditures in one area could lead to significant savings in another. He calls for formal recognition of unpaid and volunteer work, as well as of socially useful work, to yield a more accurate sense of the distribution of work in an economy, provide valuable information for policy makers and lead to better awareness and appreciation of those kinds of work.

The report of the workshop on participation and social justice covers various factors related to the development of an inclusive and just society. It states that social integration is often hindered by weaknesses in the democratic system, and all stakeholders should see themselves as part of the political process. On the matter of access to income and social services, the report says that citizens should participate in decision-making processes at the plant, industry, country and supra-national levels. It calls for a rethinking of the idea that the provision of social services should be linked to economic activity and employment, in light of the fact that traditional employment-based social security systems are being challenged. Welfare should be provided by a mix of State, non-governmental, private and informal entities. Wealthier groups should be included in such services to secure loyalty and respond to the fact that targeted services are "recipes for social exclusion".

The workshop on ways to enhance social protection and reduce vulnerability emphasized that development must be pursued by a mix of social, cultural and economic policies. The negative consequences of vulnerability can be reduced or eliminated by changing the behaviour of people and governments. To achieve such changes, vulnerability must be understood, respected, and cushioned by protective action. The experts stress that the separation of economic conditions from their social and cultural contexts prevented the achievement of a holistic conceptualization of development. They call for the promotion of inclusive societies in which the rights of people to life, development and full participation are respected, and in which all actors participate in the formulation of relevant policies.

Another Secretary-General's report before the upcoming session provides options for review and appraisal of the implementation of the International

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Plan of Action on Ageing, which was adopted by the World Assembly on Ageing in 1982 (document E/CN.5/1998/3). In the four appraisals held to date, three persistent trends in the area of ageing have been evident: the world's aged population is growing; global and national responses have not kept pace with the group's rate of increase; and the number of countries participating in the review has been low -- fewer than half of Member States.

The Secretary-General comments that the lack of response may be attributable to substantive and procedural factors. The substantive reasons may have to do with the dramatic economic changes in many countries in the 15 years since the Plan's adoption. In such countries, issues related to the situation of older persons perhaps required policy responses that differed from those taken by a traditional developed country. Procedural causes for the lack of participation may stem from the fact that the review questionnaire was a voluntary exercise and that interpretation of its questions could vary from State to State.

Responding to the Commission's request for recommendations on different options for future reviews, the Secretary-General suggests that the review process should be adjusted incrementally to become more relevant to emerging socio-economic realities and to promote participation. Towards that end, it could be conducted every five years beginning in 2005, followed by a report on the world ageing situation the next year. It should focus on priority areas, as identified by the Commission, of a perspective "plan on ageing to the year 2020", which would be elaborated in close alignment with the International Plan of Action on Ageing. As resources became available, the review and appraisal could be supported by a database of policies and programmes on the Internet; household surveys; and an ageing-related development index.

Background on Commission

The Commission for Social Development was established in 1946. Originally called the Social Commission, it was charged with advising the Economic and Social Council and governments on a wide range of social policy issues and on the social perspective of development. During the more than 50 years of its existence, the Commission has approached social development from various angles and in different settings. It periodically adopts its agenda and working methods to enable it to offer to the Council, multilateral funds and programmes, as well as governments, relevant commentary on changing realities. The latest review of the Commission's mandate and programme of work was adopted by Council resolution 1996/7. With 18 members at its inception, the Commission has been expanded over the years to its current number of 46 participating States.

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Commission Membership

In 1998, the 46 members of the Commission, who are elected by the Council for four-year terms, are as follows: Argentina, Austria, Belarus, Benin, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Germany, Guatemala, India, Iran, Jamaica, Japan, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritania, Mongolia, Nepal, Netherlands, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russian Federation, South Africa, Spain, Sudan, Togo, Uganda, Ukraine, United States, Venezuela.

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