SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION TO MEET AT HEADQUARTERS 10-21 FEBRUARY, WITH FOCUS ON NATIONAL, INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION

Background Release

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION TO MEET AT HEADQUARTERS 10-21 FEBRUARY,

WITH FOCUS ON NATIONAL, INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION

“National and International Cooperation for Social Development” will be the focus of the forty-first session of the Commission for Social Development, to be held at Headquarters from 10 to 21 February.

The Commission will consider its priority theme, which includes five sub-themes:  sharing of experiences and practices in social development; forging partnerships for social development; social responsibility of the private sector; impact of employment strategies on social development; and policies and role of international financial institutions and their effect on national social development strategies.

Also during its current two-week session, the Commission will consider the review of relevant United Nations plans and programmes of action pertaining to the situation of social groups. 

A functional commission of the Economic and Social Council, the Commission for Social Development consists of 46 members elected by that body.  The mandate and the membership of the Commission were expanded following the World Summit for Social Development, held in Copenhagen in 1995.  Since then, the Commission has been the key United Nations body in charge of the follow-up and implementation of the Copenhagen Declaration and Programme of Action.  It meets annually in New York, usually in February.

Numerous side-events on topics related to social development are scheduled to take place in conjunction with the Commission’s two-week session.  Topics for the side-events, which will take place in several locations, include:  “Madrid to Berlin:  Challenges for Implementation in an Ageing Society”; civil society approaches to policy monitoring; youth crime prevention in Africa; and, achievements in the implementation of the objectives of the International Year of the Family since 1994.

Report of the Secretary-General

The Secretary-General’s report on national and international cooperation for social development (document E/CN.5/2003/5) provides an analysis of each of the Commission’s five sub-themes.  It includes issues such as capacity-building for social development; priority-setting and financing; information and evaluation; lessons learned from recent experiences with social development partnerships; and approaches to the social responsibility of the private sector.  The report also

addresses the impact of employment strategies on social development and appraises the impact of international financial institutions on national social development strategies. 

Unlike the concept of international economic cooperation, which has a long history at the United Nations, international cooperation for social development has been less thoroughly thought through, the report states.  Social development is largely seen as a national task supported by the international community mainly by means of aid, capacity-building and technical cooperation.  It is often contingent on matters such as good governance, democracy and the rule of law.  While social development is about end results and encompasses long-term development objectives, economic development is about a means towards end results and is generally short-term.

The objective of the 37 policy recommendations contained in the report is to reflect the complexity and breadth of national and international cooperation for social development, the report continues.  While the primary responsibility for development rests with national governments, without international support, many developing countries and countries with economies in transition will find it difficult to reach their development objectives within reasonable time frames. 

Among the recommendations is the need to enhance national ownership of, and responsibility for, development policies and programmes.  Governments should avoid adopting approaches to development that reduce national autonomy in setting priorities for social development.  South-South cooperation should play an important role in that regard, by promoting mutual learning among developing countries.  Building the capacity of developing countries to create effective structures and formulate policies for development is a primary objective of international cooperation. 

Donors need to provide cooperation in ways that interfere less with government functions by using sector-wide approaches and by reducing aid conditionality, the report says.  Multilateral organizations should develop focused strategies and financial packages to assist countries facing catastrophic events such as war, financial crisis and natural disaster.  International financial institutions should strengthen efforts to ensure that concern for improved social outcomes is incorporated into their policies and into the national policies they support.  The private sector should contribute to social development through constructive engagement, seeking business opportunities that increase participation and improve well-being.

The integration of economic and social policies is a prerequisite for society’s well being as a whole, the report concludes.  The harmonization of economic growth and social policies is crucial to successful social outcomes.  The United Nations is the place where the confluence of the economic and social spheres should occur.  Moving the social agenda items of the General Assembly’s Third Committee to the agenda of the Second Committee should be considered.  To provide a more focused agenda for the Commission, the adoption of a multi-year programme of work should also be revisited, with a view to replacing it with biennial adoption of the Commission’s priority theme.

Additional Reports

Also before the Commission is the Secretary-General’s report on preparations for the tenth anniversary of the International Year of the Family in 2004 (document E/CN.5/2003/6), which describes preparations at the global, regional and national levels.  It provides information on salient activities and experiences of the United Nations system, Member States and non-governmental organizations, and includes recommendations for the successful observance of the anniversary.

According to the report, while significant achievements have been made during the preparatory process, numerous challenges still remain to ensure a successful observance.  A number of actions are suggested, among which are the following.  First, while the preparatory process has established the organizational and promotional backdrop for the observance, it is imperative that governments promote and facilitate the actual observance at the national and local levels, with the full participation of all segments of society.  Complementary measures at the regional and international levels are also necessary.

Also, governments are encouraged to raise awareness of family issues, promote a greater mainstreaming of family issues in their social policies and formulate national strategies for enhancing the well being of families beyond 2004.  Governments are also encouraged to enlist all segments of society in the development and implementation of national plans.  In addition, governments are invited to strengthen partnerships with non-governmental organizations working on family issues and to promote their contribution to those organizations at all levels.

The note by the Secretariat on modalities for the review and appraisal of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, 2002 (document E/CN.5/2003/7) addresses the role of the Commission in integrating the different dimensions of population ageing in its work and the modalities for the review and appraisal of the follow-up to the Second World Assembly on Ageing (Madrid, 2002).  A system-wide and coordinated follow-up is proposed in the form of a bottom-up and flexible approach to better address the Madrid objectives.  The Commission, as the intergovernmental platform for global review and appraisal, is called on to play a crucial role, as ageing becomes a pressing issue in the decades ahead.  In this regard a number of recommendations are presented.

The report states that the all-encompassing nature of population ageing demands that the review and appraisal of implementation should engage governments, the United Nations system and civil society.  The process should involve open-ended dialogues, meetings and forums with various stakeholders at local levels, in as well as outside of government, and in partnership and coordination with national actors.  The findings of these local gatherings would be consolidated at the subregional and regional levels. 

Regional entities, most notably the regional commissions and their intergovernmental bodies, should play an active role in assessing the implementation of the Madrid Plan of Action by networking with their member countries, national committees and other stakeholders in the exchange of information and the gathering and compiling of data and research findings.  The Commission may wish to consider a review and appraisal of the Madrid Plan of Action every four or five years. 

The report of the Secretary-General, entitled World Youth Report 2003 (document E/CN.5/2003/4), contains a review of the current global situation of young people, based on the findings of the Expert Group Meeting on Global Priorities for Youth, held in Helsinki in October 2002, as well as an evaluation

of the World Youth Forum of the United Nations System, last held in Dakar from

6 to 10 August 2001. 

The report makes recommendations in a number of areas.  For instance, it suggests that any future sessions of the World Youth Forum should avoid large-scale, unfocused discussions that are not directly linked to any intergovernmental process.  Without such a direct link, future sessions of the Forum risk increasing frustration among young people and disappointment with the workings of governments and the United Nations system.  Therefore, it is recommended that the convening of future sessions of the Forum be based on an intergovernmental mandate emanating from the Assembly.

Furthermore, to promote meaningful youth participation, governments should take a more positive stance when addressing the ideas and questions of young people.  In view of the large number of challenges facing young people, the tenth anniversary of the World Programme of Action, in 2005, represents both an opportunity and a call for action in addressing those challenges.  It provides an opportunity for a focused intervention by young people and governments to respond to the issues of concern to young people. 

[The World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and Beyond, adopted by the General Assembly in 1995, contains the primary set of guidelines for youth policies to be carried out by Member States.  It covers 10 priority areas for national youth policies and provides a framework to measure and evaluate achievements. 

The review of the global situation of youth contained in the present report takes up not only those 10 priority areas, but also five new issues of concern to young people that have emerged since its adoption.  The 15 areas are:  education, employment, hunger and poverty, health issues, environment, drug abuse, juvenile delinquency, leisure, girls and young women, youth participation, globalization, information and communication technologies, HIV/AIDS, youth and conflict prevention, and intergenerational relations.]

The Commission is also expected to consider the report of the Secretary-General presenting the results of the fourth five-year review and appraisal of the World Programme of Action concerning disabled persons (document E/2003/5).  A basic conclusion of the review is the strong commitment of governments to the equalization of opportunities and to the rights of persons with disabilities in the context of development.  Differences in emphasis and approach are reported, but commitment is widespread.  The advancement of persons with disabilities in a broad human rights framework will require fresh thinking and approaches based on “next” practices that contribute to purposeful action and concrete results in the equalization of opportunities. 

The report presents conclusions and recommendations, submitted on policy options to promote the rights of persons with disabilities in the context of development; substantive aspects of mainstream approaches to the equalization of opportunities; and improved coordination of activities of the United Nations system to promote the advancement of persons with disabilities in the context of development.

Among other things, the Assembly may wish to provide guidance on the importance of urgent action to improve data and statistics on persons with disabilities, so that they can be compared internationally for purposes of policy

design, planning and evaluation from the disability perspective.  Also, it may wish to consider identifying priorities for action related to statistics and indicators, with top priority accorded to indicators for education and employment.

Also before the Commission is a note by the Secretary-General transmitting the report of the Board of the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (document E/CN.5/2003/2) covering 2001 and 2002.  During the reporting period, there was considerable progress in a range of projects carried out under four of the main themes that structure the Institute’s research programme:  social policy and development; democracy, governance and human rights; civil society and social movements; and technology, business and society.  The presentation of the Institute’s research in the present report is organized under these four programmes. 

In addition to work within its ongoing research programme, the Institute organized a number of special events to inform the international development community and policy makers of its research findings.  Among other things, the Institute contributed to the Assembly’s special session on Istanbul+5, the Second World Assembly on Ageing and the World Summit on Sustainable Development.  It also pursued a special initiative aimed at improving research and knowledge on social development in international organizations.

Also, Institute staff carry out a range of advisory tasks for United Nations agencies, multilateral and bilateral organizations, governments, non-governmental organizations, research institutes and universities.  Through its research findings and outputs, the Institute aims to stimulate debate on a wide range of questions and challenges in social development. 

In 2001-2002, the Institute’s Web site was the focus of much attention and underwent a comprehensive redevelopment.  A steady output of publications was also maintained and these were made available at many relevant events worldwide.  The level of core funding rose during the reporting period, as has the level of project funding, although the latter is still insufficient and must be increased. 

The Commission will be called on at its current session to nominate four new members to the Board of the Institute for a four-year term, expiring on 30 June 2007.  Four new candidates with appropriate qualifications have been identified for nomination and their biographical information is contained in the annex to the Secretary-General’s note (document E/CN.5/2003/3/Add.1) on the issue.

Commission Membership  

The Chairman of the Commission at its forty-first session is Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury (Bangladesh).  Other members of the bureau are Alejandra Marta Ayuso (Argentina), Nicole J. Elisha (Benin) and Paloma Duran (Spain).

The current members of the Commission are:  Algeria, Argentina, Austria, Bangladesh, Belarus, Benin, Bulgaria, China, Comoros, Croatia, Czech Republic, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, France, Gabon, Germany, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, Peru, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, South Africa, Spain, Sudan, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, United Republic of Tanzania, United States and Viet Nam.