PREPARATORY COMMITTEE FOR SPECIAL SESSION ON WORLD SOCIAL SUMMIT CONDUCTS HIGH-LEVEL DIALOGUE
Press Release
SOC/4501
PREPARATORY COMMITTEE FOR SPECIAL SESSION ON WORLD SOCIAL SUMMIT CONDUCTS HIGH-LEVEL DIALOGUE
19990517 Fourteen State Ministers Address Committee; Efforts To Eradicate Poverty, Promote Economic Growth Focus of DiscussionIf poverty was to be eradicated, national policies must stress respect for the individual, socialization, decentralization and the participation of all, Germany's State Secretary in the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development said this afternoon, at the high-level segment of the Preparatory Committee for the General Assembly special session that will review the outcome of the World Summit for Social Development.
The Special Session of the General Assembly on the Implementation of the Outcome of the Social Summit and Further Initiatives, to be held in Geneva from 26 to 30 June 2000, is intended to provide the opportunity for sharing and comparing experiences and identifying further concrete means of addressing the 10 commitments of the Social Summit, which was held in Copenhagen in 1995.
In his statement this afternoon, Germany's State Secretary added that the human being was at the centre of development and, therefore, social policies must have the individual as its priority. Respect for human rights was key to eradicating poverty and, in that regard, it was important to emphasize social security and ensure the minimum standards for living. The special session of the General Assembly should focus on new initiatives in order to make greater progress for social development.
The Minister of Labour, Social Security and Sport of Jamaica said that key ingredients for eradicating poverty include having a macroeconomic policy that was balanced and credible, with the potential to promote economic growth and employment. Businesses should adopt a culture of social responsibility, where they returned some profits to the communities in which they operated. Also, it must be recognized that economic and social policies were mutually reinforcing; social policy should, therefore, be considered as a productive factor that could have a positive impact on development.
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The Minister for Economic Planning and Development of Swaziland said that his country had developed a policy to directly involve the poor in poverty eradication efforts. It allowed the poor to analyse their own condition, perceptions and experiences of poverty and identify for themselves constraints to, and opportunities for, improving their well-being. It also strengthened the dialogue between policy-makers, service providers and the poor.
The afternoon's discussions were divided up into two panel discussions. Participating in the first panel were: the Minister from Germany; the Minister of Women's Affairs of Chile; the Minister of Social and Community Development of Trinidad and Tobago;, the Under-Secretary of State for Labour and Social Policy of Poland; the Minister from Swaziland; and the Minister of the Presidency of Peru.
In the second panel, the speakers were: the Minister of Social Transformation of Barbados; the Special Adviser to the President of Brazil; the Minister of Education and Culture of Ecuador; the Minister from Jamaica; the Minster of Social Security and National Solidarity of Mauritius; and the Minister of Community Development and Social Services of Zambia.
During the question-and-answer period, statements were made by the Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Affairs of Thailand, the Under-Secretary for Planning and Programming of Guatemala and the representative of Indonesia.
The Preparatory Committee will meet again at 10 a.m. Tuesday, 18 May, to begin general discussions on a preliminary review and appraisal of the implementation of the outcome of the Social Summit.
(oage 2 follows)
Committee Work Programme
The Preparatory Committee for the 2000 Special Session of the General Assembly on the Implementation of the Outcome of the World Summit for Social Development met this afternoon to hold a high-level dialogue on global review and initiatives of implementation of the goals of the Summit. In that regard, it will hear two panel discussions. The first panel will have ministers of the Bahamas, Germany, Peru, Poland, Swaziland and Trinidad and Tobago. The second will have ministers from Barbados, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Jamaica and Mauritius. Each panel will be followed by a question-and-answer period. (For background information on the Committee's session, see Press Release SOC/4498 of 14 May.)
First Panel Discussion
ERICH STATHER, State Secretary in the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany, said that much needed to be done in the area of social development. Life expectancy in developing countries had deteriorated, as had poverty and employment rates. Also, no country had attained full equality for women. On solutions to poverty and unemployment, countries must be sensitive to new ideas for progress. There were problems that had not been understood because of their complexity and imagination and creativity must be demonstrated in solving them. It was heartening that, over the last 10 years, there had been increasing attention by governments to social issues. Their social policies must stress respect for the individual, socialization, decentralization and the participation of all.
He added that another key for social policies was respect for human rights. The human being was at the centre of development. Therefore, social policies must have the individual as its priority. It must also be remembered that economic growth was not only a condition for social development, it was also its consequence. It was also important to emphasize social security and ensure the minimum standards for living. The special session of the General Assembly should focus on new initiatives, in order to make greater progress for social development.
JOSEFINA BILBAO, Minister of Women's Affairs of Chile, said that by the end of the 1990s the Chilean economy would have doubled, which was possible to a large extent due to the economic and social policies implemented since the 1920s. That development had had an impressive effect on the lives of the population. The physical and social situation of Chile had moved forward vigorously.
She said that one of the main aims of the Copenhagen meeting was to recognize the multidimensional nature of poverty. Without the participation
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of women, countries could not develop. In Chile, there had been substantial improvements in the situation of women. Paid employment for women was a key element in the eradication of poverty. Chile had promoted the citizenship of women through the promotion of their rights and leadership.
MANOHAR RAMSARAN, Minister of Parliament and Minister of Social and Community Development of Trinidad and Tobago, said the Social Summit challenged all its signatories to create an adequate administrative environment for the promotion of social development. As a first step, the Government of his country recognized that one of the key strategies was the creation of a mechanism that would have a holistic vision and stimulate and coordinate a partnership between the Government and the rest of society.
Consequently, in 1996, a National Social Development Council was established to spearhead the implementation of the Summit Programm for Action, he said. Renamed the Ministerial Council on Social Development, it comprised 12 Government ministers and was the first of its kind in the English-speaking Caribbean. The Council was designed to build collaboration among ministries, non-governmental organizations and the private sector on the basis of a holistic vision of social development for his country. Another of the Council's guiding principles was to ensure that all stakeholders, including poor communities themselves, were brought into the process of dialogue and collaborative planning. Its major focus since its inception was poverty eradication.
IRENA BORUTA, Under Secretary of State for Labour and Social Policy of Poland, said that at the beginning of the new millennium, it seemed necessary to define the interdependence of economic and social well-being. Economic development was an indispensable condition for social development. In case of a conflict of interests, priority should be given to economic development. She said her country accepted, in general, the diagnosis of the Copenhagen Declaration and Programme of Action. Also, an international instrument governing the rights of the family should be drawn up.
MAJOZI SITHOLE, Minister for Economic Planning and Development of Swaziland, said that, in an effort to address the 10 commitments adopted at the Social Summit, his country had created the National Development Strategy. Commissioned in 1996, it was meant to coordinate the process of formulating a comprehensive, long-term plan to guide the development process and manage the allocation and efficient use of resources. It also addressed the serious challenges faced by the country, including poverty, increasing unemployment, a high population growth rate and the deteriorating state of the environment.
The Government of Swaziland had also initiated research to systematically develop a poverty profile, he said. The Participatory Poverty
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Assessment study was carried out between 1995 and 1997 to complement the Swaziland Household Income and Expenditure Survey, in order to develop a poverty profile. The Assessment was a people-centred initiative that involved the direct participation of the poor in analysing their own condition, perceptions and experiences of poverty. It allowed the poor themselves to identify constraints to and opportunities for improving their well-being. It also strengthened the dialogue between policy makers, service providers and the poor.
EDGARDO MOSQUEIRA MEDINA, Minister of the Presidency of Peru, said that in 1995 the international community, represented by 186 countries, had assumed the outstanding challenge of the struggle against poverty, the creation of productive employment and the reinforcement of the social fabric. The individual had, thus, been placed at the core of development. The Copenhagen Declaration and action programme had become a global commitment, and a universal conscience on the multiple effects of poverty on human development had been born.
There were no rigid strategies, nor unique formulas or easily applied measures for the alleviation of poverty, he said. Also, the essential characteristics of each society imposed different priorities in the execution of social policies. In that sense, to preserve cultural, ethnic and historical identities, it was important to incorporate all the sectors of the civil society into the common task of generating opportunities and benefits for the most vulnerable groups.
He said the fight against poverty demanded: the existence of solid institutions; appropriate financial resources that would permit the sustainability of the tasks; specific programmes to identify the areas and pockets of poverty; and the undeniable political will of governments. If any of those elements was absent, the vicious circle of poverty could not be broken.
Dialogue Section
PAVENA HONGSAKULA, Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Affairs of Thailand, said that while Thailand had enjoyed economic growth for many decades and had been moving towards people-centred development goals, in 1997 it had been the first country to experience a dramatic reversal of fortune and was presently going through a period of adjustment. The Government had undertaken many policies and measures to alleviate the social impact of the economic crisis, such as the introduction of a social safety net, job creation, as well as assistance programmes for vulnerable and disadvantaged groups in the areas of social welfare, education and health care.
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JORGE ESCOTO, Under-Secretary of the Department of Planning and Programming of Guatemala, said poverty and unemployment in his country were decreasing, albeit slowly. Preliminary data showed that there had been an improvement in the alleviation of poverty in Guatemala, but much remained to be done. Between 1990 and 1998, the social expenditure represented 36 per cent of public spending. Social expenditure by 1998 was three times higher than in 1990, especially since the new Government had entered office.
PAYAMAN SIMANJUNTAK (Indonesia) said that the period since the Social Summit had been short and it was difficult to measure results in implementing its goals. Currently, Indonesia was working on a five-year plan, which included macroeconomic policy for greater income distribution and employment. Since the first five-year plan in the early 1970s, the Government had given high priority to poverty alleviation as a policy goal. Because of that policy, the proportion of the population who live below the poverty line had dropped significantly, from 70 million in 1970 to 22 million in 1995. The overall goal was the elimination of absolute poverty by 2004. To do that, Indonesia had concentrated on policies to improve income-producing employment. Employers and workers were encouraged to solve problems collectively and the Government provided a system to develop self-employment and encourage small businesses.
Second Panel
HAMILTON LASHLEY, Minister of Social Transformation of Barbados, said that since the 1995 Copenhagen Summit there had been severe global constraints, which had limited the efforts of many in the developing world to achieve the goals and commitments of Copenhagen. While the development of globalization had offered great opportunities for most developed countries for economic growth, it had often created greater challenges for most developing countries.
He said the scourge of HIV/AIDS had taxed the health sectors and caused a severe setback to social services in many countries. Since Copenhagen, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) had reported that 1.3 billion people lived in poverty today, while unemployment remained the major cause of social strife and political turmoil globally. It was against that background that Barbados, as a small island developing State, remained committed to the creation of an economic, political, social, cultural and legal environment that would enable its citizens to achieve social development. To that end, initiatives had been undertaken at the national level to give effect to the Government's commitment to eradicate poverty, foster social integration and promote productive employment -- the core issues that had arisen from the first summit in Copenhagen.
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VILMAR E. FARIA, Special Adviser to the President of Brazil, said his country was one of continental dimensions whose economy was among the 10 largest urban-industrial economies in the world. It was rich in human and natural resources and endowed with a culture that was respectful of diversity and that promoted tolerance. Yet, it still had a long way to go in the fight against social exclusion, against discrimination in all its forms and in the elimination of absolute poverty. Therefore, to Brazil, it was imperative to turn the Copenhagen commitments into reality. That was the task of the Government, as well as civil society.
He said the federal Government had been working to create and sustain four necessary conditions for the promotion of social development: to ensure macroeconomic stability, especially regarding inflation control; to keep fiscal austerity and budgetary balance; to promote a sound functional and administrative reform of the State; and to develop policies aimed at creating and ensuring the conditions for economic growth at rates compatible with the country's need to create more and better job opportunities.
ROSANGEL ADUM JARAMILLO, Minister of Education and Culture, Ecuador, said that people had a common enemy and that enemy was poverty. Her country's national policies were focused on eradicating and managing the impact of poverty. In its policies to eradicate poverty, priority was placed on solidarity, social participation, decentralization and strengthening democracy. The office of the Secretary of State and Social Development had become a symbol of the goals of social development in her country, coordinating all the national activities with regard to the needs of children and women.
Another important issue for Ecuador was equity and justice, especially in regard to those groups that were marginalized, she said. Her country maintained policies that intended to combat discrimination. The fact that the Ministry of Education and Culture presided over the social issues field demonstrated that it was only education that allowed people to get out of the cycle of poverty. Her country wanted to build a culture of citizenship -- a culture of enjoying civil and civic rights, which allowed the people to define their own future.
PORTIA SIMPSON-MILLER, Minister of Labour, Social Security and Sport of Jamaica, said the quest for social development was a most urgent issue in her country and that had engendered a certain level of impatience nationally, as evidenced by recent civil disturbances. Those disturbances, however, had not been prolonged, as a result of swift government response to the issues. Jamaica's social agenda embraced three core themes of the Social Summit: poverty eradication, expansion of employment and social integration.
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Much remained to be achieved in respect to social development goals in Jamaica, particularly in the battle against poverty, she continued. Among the key ingredients for eradicating poverty was having a macroeconomic policy that was balanced and credible, with the potential to promote economic growth and employment. Also, businesses should adopt a culture of social responsibility, returning some profits to the communities in which they operated. In addition, there was an urgent need for the international community to assist in cancelling or significantly reducing the debt burden of developing countries. Further, it must be recognized that economic and social policies were mutually reinforcing; social policy should, therefore, be considered a productive factor that could have a positive impact on development.
V.P. BUNDHUN, Minister of Social Security and National Solidarity of Mauritius, said his country had initiated socio-economic policies for promoting sustainable human development well before the advent of the World Social Summit. Following the Summit, a new policy approach had been adopted to consolidate and strengthen measures towards promoting human-centred sustainable development, with special emphasis on: improvement of the quality of life in general; provision of increasing support and protection to needy and vulnerable groups; greater liberalization of the economic system with the full participation of non-governmental organizations; and further democratization and transparency of public and private institutions.
He said that the efforts of many African countries to meet the commitments of the World Social Summit were threatened by internal civil disturbances, border disputes, the disastrous effects of natural catastrophes such as droughts and floods, the shortage of foreign reserves and unfavourable terms of trade. Against such a disturbing international background, it must be re-emphasized that man should always be at the centre of all development. The development of balanced international trade relations between developed and developing nations was an indispensable condition for ensuring global peace, stability and human security.
DAWSON LUPUNGA, Minister of Community Development and Social Services of Zambia, said poverty was a major concern of his country, with about 70 per cent of the Zambian people being poor and female-headed households, children and rural communities among the hardest hit. The Government, with the assistance of UNDP, had developed a National Poverty Reduction Action Plan aimed at reducing poverty from 70 per cent to 50 per cent between 1999 and 2004. In that regard, the main focus was on achieving broad-based economic growth and national development, mainly in agricultural production in rural areas and increasing productivity of micro-enterprises. The informal sector, which employed 76 per cent of the labour force, was being provided with adequate infrastructure to enable it to operate efficiently.
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He said that by the year 2000, Zambia would have an estimated 500,000 children orphaned by HIV/AIDS and requiring support and protection. Zambia would continue to consolidate reforms in the social sectors to improve provision accessibility and utilization of basic social services. That, however, was an almost impossible task, due to declining revenues and rising expenditures, especially on debt servicing. Zambia could achieve more if its huge debt was relieved, which would make available more funds for eradicating poverty, create favourable conditions for employment generation and improve social conditions to facilitate social integration.
Question-and-Answer Period
Committee Chairman CRISTIAN MAQUIEIRA (Chile) then opened the floor for questions. Seeing none, he asked what the ministers were expecting from the special session next year.
Ms. SIMPSON-MILLER, Minister of Labour, Social Security and Sport of Jamaica, said she expected governments to be very serious in defining the expectations and goals of the Summit and find the political will to have them implemented. It was also important to find ways to allow the poor to get quality services from their governments. In the course of discussions, there was too much focus on achievements and not enough ideas about how to address problems. There should be more focus on coming up with solutions.
Mr. BUNDHUN, Minister of Social Security and National Solidarity of Mauritius, said it was important to share experiences on best practices and policies. The Preparatory Committee was a platform to share experiences concerning health, education and other topics so that other countries could learn from them.
Mr. LUPUNGA, Minister of Community Development and Social Services of Zambia, said that next year he hoped to see more discussion on reducing international debt and making more resources available for poverty eradication programmes. There could be no reduction of poverty without money and resources.
Mr. BUNDHUN, of Mauritius, responding to a question from a delegation, said his country was one of the most densely populated, with about 540 people per square kilometre. The country had previously been a monocrop economy, relying entirely on sugar, but had shifted to textiles. Mauritius did not have any resource other than its people and its political stability, which had attracted foreign investors. As an island nation, Mauritius had taken the maximum opportunity to develop its tourism industry. Basically, the source of Mauritius' success was providing proper education and political stability.
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Mr. LUPUNGA, of Zambia, said his country had once been a socialist State, which believed in giving free food to people when they had no money. It had thus come to a point where that Government had accumulated massive debts. But the current government was a little capitalist-oriented and advised people to work hard and to put their money to good use, so that they could repay those who had lent them money. Zambia was mobilizing its people and changing their attitude from one where they did not repay loans to one where they did. If the Zambian Government was provided with the necessary funds, it would target the poorest people -- who had only one hectare of land -- so they could buy such inputs as fertilizer.
Ms. SIMPSON-MILLER, of Jamaica, expressed the hope that, as the Committee prepared to move to the next stage in Geneva, members would not only meet to share their achievements, but would sit down to discuss real economic issues affecting social development in the world. There were enough statistics, data and information on what was plaguing various countries. The time had come for policy makers to come together and have the political will to attack the problems. A special appeal was being made to the stronger countries to assist those who were weak, because poverty anywhere was a threat to stability everywhere. The political will she was referring to was one that would empower the people and not one that would restrict rights and freedoms.
Mr. BUNDHUN, of Mauritius, also speaking on political will, said it had been said at another forum 10 years ago that child labour must be done away with. Ten years later, only one country had signed and ratified the relevant Convention. Should child labour be done away with, or only its worst forms?
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