LACK OF POLITICAL WILL TO IMPLEMENT SOCIAL SUMMIT OUTCOME STRESSED BY SPEAKERS IN PREPARATORY COMMITTEE FOR ASSEMBLY'S SESSION

20 May 1998

Press Release
SOC/4449

LACK OF POLITICAL WILL TO IMPLEMENT SOCIAL SUMMIT OUTCOME STRESSED BY SPEAKERS IN PREPARATORY COMMITTEE FOR ASSEMBLY'S SESSION

19980520 Preparatory Committee Should Coordinate Its Work With Commission for Social Development, Japan's Representative States

The lack of political will for fostering social development must be addressed in the follow-up efforts to implement the outcome of the World Summit for Social Development (Copenhagen, 1995). That was among the recommendations made this morning to the Preparatory Committee for the Special Session of the General Assembly on the Implementation of the Outcome of the Social Summit and Further Initiatives as it continued its organizational session.

There had been a clear lack of political will to support international development since the Summit, said the representative of Cuba. That was evident in the decline of financial aid for development assistance. Only four countries had lived up to their official development assistance (ODA) commitments made at the Summit. Stressing the need for strict compliance with the goals of the Social Summit as well as those of the other major conferences, he said that the trend of introducing new goals and issues into the discussion was alarming.

The representative of Iran said the Preparatory Committee should address the question of political will for the implementation of the Summit outcome. Related to that issue was the question of financial resources available for the implementation of those goals. He added that global trends should also be given greater attention in the Preparatory Committee because such factors as liberalization and globalization had a great impact on nations as seen in the Asian financial crisis. The United Nations had to have a clear understanding of those processes and their impact, he emphasized.

The objective of the special session should be to identify innovative and creative proposals in light of new and evolving situations in the world, said the representative of Japan. The agenda of the special session should focus on three core issues: eradication of poverty, productive employment and social integration. In order to avoid duplication in the follow-up process, the Preparatory Committee should coordinate its work with the Commission for Social Development.

Also making statements were the representatives of Venezuela, Kazakhstan and Turkey.

The Preparatory Committee will meet again at 3 p.m. today to hold a panel discussion on the appraisal of implementation of the outcome of the Social Summit.

Preparatory Committee Work Programme

The Preparatory Committee for the Special Session of the General Assembly on the Implementation of the Outcome of the World Summit for Social Development and Further Initiatives met this morning to continue its general discussion on preparations for the special session, scheduled for 2000. (For background information, see Press Release SOC/4446 of 18 May.)

Statements

CARLOS ALTIMARI (Venezuela) said evaluating progress achieved in implementing social policy approaches should be measured in quantitative terms and qualitative terms. There was still a great deal to be done in measuring progress in the area of social development. His Government was working to come up with meaningful and reliable instruments that would allow it to measure the impact of its social policies in attaining its goals. In that regard, the important question of social capital and how to measure it in the implementation of social policy needed to be considered. In the year 2000, evaluation of social development must be applied to the progress achieved at the country level. Progress should also be measured on a comparative basis among countries in order to see how decentralization had been achieved. As countries moved forward in the decentralization process, they were able to broaden identified goals and work more efficiently and affectively in implementing social policy.

Countries must also come to grips with the important relation between the State and civil society in implementing social policy, he said. Civil society was a holistic entity, and governments must move forward in coordinating its efforts. Evaluation of progress in social development should also examine, in greater depth, the question of strengthening the quantitative participation of citizens and their groups. The implementation of micro-credit programmes was the only instrument that allowed people to tear themselves away from poverty and participate in the process of development.

AKMARAL KH. ARYSTANBEKOVA (Kazakhstan) said the General Assembly's special session should avoid a simple review of the achievements of the Summit. Parties in the session should identify concrete measures for the implementation of the Summit goals. It must be recognized that the aims of the Summit have not been fully achieved. The situation was worsened by conflicts and wars that undermined the basis of social organization. It was desirable to have governments report on national experience in social development in the follow-up process, and those reports should take into account developments since the Summit. States should be encouraged to support and take initiatives to develop an overall strategy for international cooperation in social development. They should also be encouraged to share positive experiences in that area.

Preparatory Committee - 3 - Press Release SOC/4449 3rd Meeting (AM) 20 May 1998

TAKESHI KAMITANI (Japan) said the Committee must make arrangements with the Commission for Social Development to conduct the follow-up to the Summit in an effective and cooperative manner and avoid the duplication of work. It was also important that future sessions of the Committee not be scheduled at the same time as other meetings of the United Nations and other high-level international conferences. The Committee should consider whether 10 working days were really necessary for its substantive session. As the Committee's second session coincided with the session of the Commission on Human Rights, his Government requested the Secretariat to suggest alternative dates. Regarding the proposal by Switzerland to convene the special session in Geneva, overall cost-effectiveness should be considered. Perhaps the Secretariat could present a written opinion on that matter to the Committee for clarification.

He said the agenda of the special session should focus on three core issues: eradication of poverty, productive employment and social integration. The objective of the special session should be to identify innovative and creative proposals in light of new and evolving situations. Regarding the participation of civil society and non-governmental organizations, Japan believed that cooperation between Member States and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) should be promoted through constructive dialogue. NGOs qualified to participate in the Summit should be allowed to participate in both the Preparatory Committee and the special session.

BAGHER ASADI (Iran) said the objective of the special session was not to reiterate the commitments of the Social Summit. Before the session, the Preparatory Committee should arrive at a realistic perception on how many of the Summit's objectives had been achieved and what obstacles had been encountered in those efforts. The Committee should have a more comprehensive understanding of social development when the special session begins. The Secretary-General's report to the Committee had focused on sectoral matters, but cross-sectoral issues should be addressed as well. The Committee must also discuss the question of political will for the implementation of the Summit outcome. Related to that issue was the question of financial resources available for the implementation of those goals. International cooperation for social development should also be discussed.

Global trends should be given greater attention in the follow-up process and in the Committee, he added. Liberalization and globalization had a great impact on nations, as seen in the Asian financial crisis. The United Nations had to have a clear understanding of those processes and their impact. Marginalization of countries as a result of those two processes should also be addressed in the Committee. The Committee and the special session should help decide what kind of strategy for social development should be followed that would not lead to polarization and to social or political explosions or atrophy.

Preparatory Committee - 4 - Press Release SOC/4449 3rd Meeting (AM) 20 May 1998

YUSUF ISIK (Turkey) said evaluation of the world economic and social situation in the last three years had confirmed the pertinence of the Summit's core areas and commitments. Despite the progress witnessed at the conceptual level, social factors were not taken into account in a great part of economic decisions. It would be erroneous to seek answers to social problems without consideration of the macroeconomic situation.

Regarding the core of the agenda for the special session, he said it would useful to put forward and discuss national and international best practices in critical areas. The session could also discuss the social consequences of the Asian financial crisis and lessons learned. It also might be useful to divide the process into a review of the implementation of the Declaration and Programme for Action and the formulation of guidelines for further action. Other subjects could include some of following: the basic characteristics of an enabling environment; regulations for an efficient market; avoiding exclusion in access to information technologies; the scope and features of social capital; and empowerment.

The increasing roles played by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Bretton Woods institutions in matters of social development were welcome and should be encouraged further, he said. The participation of the private sector in social development was also necessary. The increasing participation of civil society was useful. There was a need to enhance the further role of the Commission for Social Development. In that context, it was important to draw on the work done in the entire United Nations system in carrying out work in preparation for the special session.

RODOLFO REYES RODRIGUEZ (Cuba) said there should be a holistic approach to the concept of development. The goal of the Summit was to place social development on the agenda, and human development should be a priority in that regard. Social development should not be approached sectorally. Rather, it should include those matters that cut across many sectors. Those areas, such as full employment and poverty eradication, had been identified by the Commission for Social Development. There were many trends that had emerged in international development since the Summit. The Asian crisis was the most visible example of the link between economic factors and social development.

Also since the Summit, there had been a clear lack of political will to support international development, he said. That was evident in the decline of financial aid for development assistance. Only four countries had lived up to their official development assistance (ODA) commitments made at the Summit. There was a need for strict compliance with the goals of the Social Summit as well as those of the other major conferences. The trend of introducing new goals and issues into the discussion was alarming, he stressed. The number of civil society groups participating in the special session should be restricted for practical reasons. Only those that had participated in the summit itself should be invited to attend.

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