PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY FOR SOCIAL PROTECTION RESTS WITH GOVERNMENTS, S0CIAL DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION TOLD

Commission for Social Development

Thirty-ninth Session

3^rd Meeting (AM)

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY FOR SOCIAL PROTECTION RESTS WITH GOVERNMENTS,

S0CIAL DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION TOLD

Speakers stressed that the primary responsibility for social protection rested with national governments, as the Commission for Social Development continued its consideration of its priority theme “Enhancing social protection and reducing vulnerability in a globalizing world”, this morning.

Many speakers called on governments to guarantee social rights, to ensure the existence of supporting regulations and institutions, and to raise awareness among their citizens about their rights.  However, the Commission was also told that international cooperation was key in enabling developing countries to overcome their social welfare challenges.  Speakers stressed the need for enhanced financial and technical assistance, for means to facilitate sharing of best practices and knowledge, and for institutional arrangements to assess the impact of globalization on social protection.

Iran’s representative (on behalf of the “Group of 77” developing countries and China) said it was necessary to take a fresh and analytical look at social protection, in light of globalization and its impact on social development.  Globalization was still a powerful and dynamic force for growth and development, with the potential to improve the performance of developing countries in social areas, to open up export market opportunities, and to increase resources available for investment.  However, maximizing the benefits and minimizing the risks required the international community to address imbalances and asymmetries in the international economy.

Chile’s representative (on behalf of the Rio Group) said that a global approach to social protection would help to more clearly define the functions of governments, the private sector, civil society and the family, and would help to encourage more efficient, effective use of resources. 

Sweden’s representative (speaking on behalf of the European Union and associated States) said that no country or region was spared the problems of poverty.  In many parts of the world, large parts of the population were still outside formal systems of social protection.  If poverty and social exclusion were to be tackled regionally and globally, the sustainability of social protection must be stressed, she said. 

The Assistant Minister for Planning and Management, Ministry of Health and Welfare of the Republic of Korea, said social protection should not be confined to providing vulnerable groups with minimum livelihoods, but should also provide

the means for them to exit the poverty cycle, through health care, access to education and employment in productive jobs.  Such social protection would contribute to social integration and to long-term economic growth based on qualified human resources.

The Minister of Labour and Social Welfare of Croatia also addressed the Commission this morning, as did the representatives of South Africa, United States, Russian Federation, Spain, Bangladesh, Mexico, Japan and Nigeria.

Representatives of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) also spoke, as did representatives of the Council of Europe, the International Movement ATD Fourth World and the International Council on Alcohol and Addictions.

The Commission will meet at again at 3 p.m. today to continue its considerations of its priority theme.

Commission Work Programme

The Commission for Social Development met this morning to begin its general exchange of views on its priority theme for this session –- “Enhancing social protection and reducing vulnerability in a globalizing world”.

Statements

BAGHER ASADI (Iran), speaking on behalf of the "Group of 77" developing countries and China, said the Group supported the notion of the mutual supportiveness of economic development and social protection.  Therefore, social protection programmes should not be labelled unproductive financial burdens, but seen as an investment in social cohesion, in the improvement of human conditions and, hence, of society as a whole.  It was understood that social programmes should be cost-effective and suited to country-specific situations and the development level of the country concerned. 

He said it was necessary to take a fresh and analytical look at issues of social protection and reducing vulnerabilities, in the light of globalization and its impact on social development.  Globalization remained a powerful and dynamic force for growth and development, with the potential to improve the overall performance of developing countries in social arenas, to open up market opportunities for their exports, and to increase financial resources available for investment.  However, maximizing the benefits of globalization and minimizing its risks required that the international community address the imbalances and asymmetries in the international economy.

Particular attention must be paid to the field of information technology and the digital divide, he emphasized.  Otherwise, the gap between rich and poor countries would inevitably widen, rendering many prospective changes in the social development arena impossible or meaningless.  Sustainability had little meaning in a world marked by poverty and inequality.  Unless the international community made serious and expeditious attempts to bridge the ever-widening chasm between developed and developing countries, the world would be faced with new and more complex forms of vulnerability on a massive scale.

EWA PERSSON GÖRANSSON (Sweden) spoke on behalf of the European Union and the associated States of Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Cyprus, Malta, Turkey and Norway.

She said no country or region was spared from the problems associated with poverty.  Unemployment, lack of resources, social exclusion and indebtedness were realities in the Union, as well as in other parts of the world.  The situation called for social protection systems that promoted full employment, education for all, access to social services, equal opportunities for women and men, and the combination of work and family life. 

In many parts of the world, large parts of the population were still outside formal systems of social protection, she said.  If poverty and social exclusion were to be tackled, both regionally and globally, “we must emphasize the sustainability of social protection”.  The link between economic, environmental and social development must not be neglected.  The primary responsibility for social protection rested with governments, for example, in guaranteeing social rights, ensuring the existence of regulations and supporting institutions and raising awareness among citizens about their rights.

Other actors, however, such as non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the private sector, employers, trade unions and family members, also had vital roles to play, she continued.  In many regions, the HIV/AIDS epidemic had put social protection systems under great strain.  The importance of improving the quality of life of people with the virus should be particularly stressed.

J. GABRIEL VALDES (Chile) spoke on behalf of the Rio Group (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Dominican Republic, Uruguay, Venezuela and Guyana, representing the Caribbean States).

He said the members of the Group met in Cartagena, Colombia, last June at the XIV Summit of heads of State and government, and reiterated their determination to place people at the centre of their concerns in socio-economic policies.  They shared the view that a global approach to social protection would help to more clearly define the functions of governments, the private sector, civil society and the family, and would help to encourage more efficient and effective use of resources. 

The Group also agreed with the Secretary-General on the importance of mainstreaming gender perspectives into the elaboration of social protection and security systems, since women still suffered from various forms of discrimination in employment, education and health, he said.  The policies and programmes of social protection and security promoted by governments must take that reality into account.

He said this forum should be used to exchange concrete experiences, and for analysis of innovative ideas in the area of social protection.

JEANETTE NDHLOVU (South Africa) stressed that the benefits of globalization must be shared by all and that the marginalization of the developing world, especially Africa, must stop.  South Africa, like other parts of the world, was grappling with the need to put into place democratic, responsive and sustainable social protection systems to address social exclusion, poverty and unemployment.

She said that among the challenges facing her country was a breakdown in family and community life -- a legacy of apartheid that had manifested itself in low levels of education and skills.  Other manifestations included a high incidence of preventable diseases like tuberculosis, high infant mortality rates, high levels of child abuse and neglect, and violence of all sorts against women, children and the elderly.

Furthermore, she noted, structural unemployment and a lack of opportunities in the formal labour market, as well as poverty and the devastating impact of HIV/AIDS, had resulted in greater fragmentation and alienation and hardship for many, thereby placing increased demands on the Government.  The current challenges were to accelerate the transformation of South African institutions, to review and redesign benefits, and to improve the regulatory framework to ensure responsiveness to the needs of the poorest people in the society.

DAVORKO VIDOVIC, Minister of Labour and Social Welfare of Croatia, said unemployment ranked as one of the top socio-economic problems in his country.  It had risen to some 20 per cent in 2000.  Despite affecting nearly every sector of the population, there were several groups that were most vulnerable.  Those included women, young people without work experience, and workers older than

50 years of age.  The national employment programme that was currently being drawn up would pay great attention to those groups.

Reducing poverty was another top priority for Croatia, he said.  While the country had a relatively low level of absolute poverty, concerns had been raised regarding the disparity between rich and poor, which was greater in Croatia than in any other country in transition.  Work had therefore begun on the preparation of a national programme to fight poverty and social exclusion.  Particular emphasis was being given to vulnerable groups such as children, disabled persons, the elderly, single parents and victims of violence.

He said that within the framework of Croatia’s social overhaul, a reform of the healthcare system had already been initiated to essentially improve quality and limit cost increases.  Three strategic goals had been established to that end:  prolonging life; improving the level of health; and reducing imbalances in the quality and accessibility of medical services provided.

BETTY E. KING (United States) said her country remained committed to the goals of the World Social Summit (Copenhagen, 1995) and had worked towards the creation of a more equitable social system.  It had paid attention to the concerns of minorities, women, youth, older persons and people with disabilities.  Great emphasis had also been put on the value of education, and President George W. Bush had made that one of the top priorities of his administration.

She said while Members States had achieved impressive successes since the Summit, an area that needed attention and commitment from all was the creation of an enabling environment for social development.  “We believe that good governance is a critical element of an enabling environment”, she said.  Free and fair elections, the rule of law, transparency in political processes, and an independent and free media were the basic building blocks of good government and a stable society.

She said the United States believed that development must rely on local capacities.  States must empower people and national and local institutions.  Globalization could not, in itself, be viewed as either the cause or the solution to poverty.  The process underscored the importance of government commitments to sound socio-economic policies and good economic management and governance.  Developing countries should not, however, face their tasks alone.  They needed help to close gaps, so that they could successfully harness the benefits of globalization for economic development. 

She said the international community must work with developing countries in areas such as trade capacity-building, debt relief, expanding digital opportunities, and untying official development assistance (ODA) to the least developed countries (LDCs).  Social protection was also an essential component of socio-economic development.  Related policies should aim at enabling people to move out of poverty.  Specific objectives should include universal access to primary healthcare and basic education.

Ms. KORUNOVA (Russian Federation) said that events in the twenty-first century would determine whether or not the advantages of globalization and the technological revolution would be used to bring together the poles of poverty and wealth.  The Russian Federation greatly appreciated and supported the aim of the United Nations to implement the goals of the Copenhagen World Social Summit as quickly as possible.  However, primary responsibility for their implementation undoubtedly lay with national governments.

She stressed the need for the international community’s support, particularly international organizations like the United Nations, in creating a powerful new impetus for assistance to countries with economies in transition.  That would enable them to meet the dual challenge of the transition period and the positive-negative challenges of globalization.  While economic growth was not, in itself, a panacea for lack of social well-being, recent positive tendencies in the Russian economy had raised hopes for a decline in the number of socially vulnerable people.  In addition, social programmes had been instituted to teach vulnerable people how to support themselves.

ALBERTO GALERON DE MIGUEL (Spain), associating himself with the European Union statement, said that his country’s economic policy, adopted with the aim of achieving a balanced budget, was driving economic growth, which was a prerequisite for the provision of social protection.  Spain had also improved its methods of combating fraud in the collection of pensions and allowances and had created institutions enabling civil society to participate in designing programmes to satisfy social needs.

He said Spain had created a State board for persons with disabilities and a State board for elderly persons.  It had launched initiatives to make pensions universal, promote preventive health programmes, increase the number of places in nursing homes, create places for elderly people in Spanish universities, and promote flexible programmes to support families caring for elderly people.  On the international level, Spain had offered to host the Second World Conference of Ageing next year.  That event would pay special attention to the problems of ageing in developing countries.

KYEONG-HO LEE, Assistant Minister for Planning and Management for the Ministry of Health and Welfare of the Republic of Korea, said social protection should not just be confined to providing vulnerable groups with minimum livelihoods.  It should also actively provide them with the means to exit the poverty cycle, by developing their capacities through health care, access to education, and employment in productive jobs.  Such forms of social protection emphasized the rehabilitation of vulnerable groups, and contributed not only to social integration but also to long-term economic growth based on qualified human resources.

He said the main responsibility in establishing and implementing a proper social protection system lay with governments.  They, in the spirit of good governance, ought to not only secure the minimum livelihood of the poor, but also give them an opportunity to develop their capacities.  Furthermore in pushing forward social protection policies, governments should view their budget expenditure on social welfare as a key investment in securing highly qualified human resources.

He said that, in facing its economic difficulties, his Government had introduced a revolutionary concept of social welfare policy that integrated social protection with economic productivity –- “productive welfarism”.  Viewing social development as a prerequisite for consistent economic growth, “welfarism” aimed at securing the minimum livelihood for the poor as well as encouraging them to develop their capacities.  While governments should assume the primary responsibility for providing for vulnerable groups, international cooperation was needed, since some of the effects of globalization might fall beyond the control of governments.

ANWARUL KARIM CHOWDHURY (Bangladesh) said there were many critical challenges to effective social protection in developing countries.  One of those challenges was endemic and widespread poverty.  Social protection in those countries had to be tied to overall poverty-elimination strategies.  Also the structural adjustment measures in place in developing countries often lacked a human face and prioritized export promotion and fiscal and monetary measures. 

He said another challenge was weak capacity and insufficient resources.  That meant lesser ability to provide people with the skills needed to benefit from shifting opportunities.  There was less attention to basic needs as emphasis was placed on competition.  There was also less coverage, as funds were diverted from the social sector.

He said more emphasis had to be put on human development, human security and human rights.  There also had to be an effective partnership between governments and civil society.  International cooperation was also key in enabling developing countries to overcome the challenges facing them.  Such cooperation had to be intensified, with enhanced financial and technical assistance, sharing of best practices and knowledge, and institutional arrangements for assessing the impact of globalization on social protection.

BLANCA LILIA GARCIA (Mexico) expressed her country’s solidarity with the people of El Salvador in the wake of the two recent earthquakes there.

Associating Mexico with the statement of the Rio Group, she said that the issue of social development was one of Mexico’s top national priorities.  The new Government was focusing on that area as a fundamental part of its policy to place the human being at the centre of development.  It had launched major initiatives in poverty eradication, promotion of free markets and education.  The Government was also promoting measures to guarantee a life of stability and growth, while ensuring balanced development for all vulnerable social groups.

She stressed that in an environment where democratic values had become a way of life, the well-being of society as a whole must be considered.  The Mexican Government was preparing a national development plan that would consider the ideas, needs and demands of all sectors of society.  The Government of Mexico’s planning process came from the grass-roots level, reflecting the direct expression of the citizens.  Today, the President was launching the first national programme for micro-regions, which would deal with the social development of the 250 micro-regions, which contained the communities with the highest levels of vulnerability.

HIDEAKI KOBAYASHI (Japan) noted that due to economic globalization and rapid advances in information technology, Japanese society, too, faced radical challenges.  In the course of the twenty-first century, Japan’s population would age at a rate never before experienced anywhere in the world.  It was estimated that social welfare benefits and the ensuing burdens would increase faster than economic growth.  Japan had made the concept of human security and dignity one of the pillars of its diplomatic policy in order to guarantee the survival, security and dignity of every individual.

He said that, to date, Japan had contributed more than $90 million to the Human Security Fund, which had been started to support the socially vulnerable in the aftermath of the 1997 Asian economic crisis.  Under its Okinawa Infectious Diseases Initiative announced last July, Japan would enhance its assistance in that area to $3 billion over the next five years, in recognition of the huge stress placed on social protection capacity by HIV/AIDS and other diseases.  In the field of information and communications technology, Japan would be preparing a comprehensive cooperation package, with a view to extending a total of $15 billion in public funding over the next five years.

ARTHUR C.I. MBANEFO (Nigeria) said economic measures taken in the past to stimulate growth and development in developing countries had not yielded the desired results and, in most cases, had saddled those nations with trade deficits, mounting debt burdens and drastic currency volatility.  Those negative factors had hindered efforts to meet social development goals and had increased the vulnerability of developing States.  Unlike the developed countries, where structures existed to deal with universal social protection, as well as the resources to expand it, their developing counterparts had neither the structures nor the resources to ensure protection for their populations.

In Nigeria, as in many African countries, there was a reliance on the family and community to care for those without the means to care for themselves, he said.  Deteriorating economic conditions in the last decade, occasioned by the Structural Adjustment Programme had, however, contributed to weakening the resolve of family and community to provide social protection for those in need.  While his Government was aware of its responsibility to provide social protection for all, other institutions, including civil society and the private sector, were also involved.

He said social policies competed with other priorities:  external debt servicing, infrastructure development, health, education and full employment.  A coherent and comprehensive approach to the debt issue should ultimately include outright cancellation, if scarce resources were to be freed for social development.  Improved international mechanisms for sharing national experiences and best practices in all aspects of social protection were necessary.  Furthermore, there was an urgent need to redesign the international financial structure to increase participation of developing countries in macroeconomic decision-making.  Future financial architecture must, of necessity, include social development measures.

ALEJANDRO BONILLA GARCIA, Policy and Research Coordinator in the Social Protection Sector of the International Labour Organization (ILO), said adequate social protection was a human right and a fundamental element in the viability and acceptability of economic globalization.  Effective incorporation of social protection into the current process of globalization presented the international community with significant challenges.  The difficulty was clearly not determining objectives, but rather how to achieve them.  Any initiatives should include concrete elements of inter-agency coordination needed to elaborate analytical policy frameworks that avoided hegemony of any one nation or system over another.  They should provide clear ways forward for realizing both social and economic development.

He said that the vast majority of the world's population did not have adequate social protection.  As globalization spread, broadening the divide between the developed and the developing world, there was increasing evidence that that situation would only worsen.  Indeed, exclusion, the poor partner of democracy, had further proved to be the worst enemy of inclusive globalization. It was essential, therefore, to improve social protection systems in all their dimensions, including income security, health and safety at work, family health, and in pensions and retirement.  Priority should be accorded to promoting effective equality between the sexes, as well as to confronting new and emerging challenges such as international migration and the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

He said the egregious and broad-scale absence of social protection demanded an innovative and creative remedy.  Addressing that problem also required the determined participation of individuals, families and communities at all levels.  Approaches or initiatives should be accompanied by efficient and democratic responses to changing social and economic risk factors.  The ILO supported promoting decent work as a focus of developmental strategy.  Indeed, respect for the fundamental rights of workers and social protection were inextricably linked.  The agency's governing body had decided to discuss social security at its June 2001 conference.  From that meeting, the ILO hoped to craft a vision of social security reflective of its principles and which identified current challenges and opportunities.

JOHN MARTIN, of the Health Sustainable Development Division of the World Health Organization (WHO), stressed the need to integrate health-care systems, as opposed to health, as a strategic option in campaigns to provide social protection.  It was also necessary to rapidly expand strategies to fight killer infectious diseases like HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis, as well as to make health care more pro-poor.  At present, health care was anti-poor and its negative impact affected mainly women and children.

He said it was essential to address the health consequences of globalization, particularly those involving trade policies and practices that negatively affected the poor.  All sectors -– economic, environmental and social –- had something to gain from integrating health-care strategies. That something was increased human productivity.  The Commission could be instrumental in pulling health into the debate on social protection and allowing it to play its full role.  The WHO was ready to support the dialogue, without which health care would be innovative and strategic in principle, but remain marginal and traditional in practice.

GABRIELLA BATTAINI-DRAGONI, of the Council of Europe, said her organization had developed a European strategy for social development and aimed to achieve the goals of the World Social Summit (Copenhagen, 1995).  The European Social Charter, or Convention on Social Rights, was based on the strengthening and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, particularly social, economic and cultural rights.  It was grounded in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), which laid down a number of social rights.  The European Social Charter also took many of its ideas from a number of charters of the International Labour Organization (ILO).  The Charter had been ratified by 23 European States, including the members of the European Union, while many other countries had signed it.

She said the European code of social security aimed to guarantee minimum protection and higher standards in legislation.  There were, however, many obstacles to real social rights for many people.  Nevertheless, there was work in progress to identify and assess those barriers.  That evaluation would serve as a basis for proposing policies to ensure access.  There was not a single path to achieving social development and all regions could learn from the practices of each other.

DIANA SKELTON, representative of the International Movement ATD Fourth World, said the Secretary-General had opened the Commission's current session by urging the international community to define, promote and support social protection in the broadest terms possible.  Indeed, it should be seen as a question of human rights, not one of charity.  Such a view would ensure that, beyond economic growth and sound market functioning, social assistance and insurance enhanced the exercise of fundamental human rights for all the world's people.

She drew the Commission's attention to the role that people and families living in deep poverty played in social protection in the world.  Since people suffering from the worst forms of poverty had little access to formal social protections, they made enormous efforts to sustain one another in times of illness or crisis.  While not discounting the toll poverty could take on the overall ability to help others, the international community must recognize the day-to-day social responsibilities already undertaken by the abject poor.  The value of the experiences of people living in poverty, and the knowledge they gain from it, should be recognized.  The world community must use that expertise

to craft solutions to the challenges facing broad implementation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

PETER CROWLEY, of the International Council on Alcohol and Addictions, said the family was the main social institution that dealt with “our own personal vulnerabilities”.  Families were presently at risk from the negative effects of globalization and the impact of sanctions on targeted countries.  He asked the United Nations and governments to prioritize ways and means to eradicate poverty in the world, as a first step in relieving the vulnerability of families.  He also urged the protection of children from all types of violation, including sexual abuse and the use of children in armed conflict.  Poverty, illiteracy, disease, drugs and substance dependence were just some of the factors that worked against families and should be urgently addressed.

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