GOVERNMENTS REAFFIRM CRITICAL IMPORTANCE OF FAMILY TO SOCIETY, AS THIRD COMMITTEE CONCLUDES DISCUSSION OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

Fifty-ninth General Assembly

Third Committee

5^th Meeting (AM)

GOVERNMENTS REAFFIRM CRITICAL IMPORTANCE OF FAMILY TO SOCIETY,

AS THIRD COMMITTEE CONCLUDES DISCUSSION OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

The approaching tenth anniversary of the International Year of the Family had prompted many governments to reaffirm the critical importance of the family as a central unit of society, and to implement new policies and programmes, several delegates said as the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today concluded its general discussion on social development.

Ahead of the December reappraisal of the International Year, some countries had implemented initiatives aimed at raising awareness of new problems confronting families today, such as the television and brochure-based campaign being conducted by Syria, while others had been prompted, like the Government of Belarus, to adopt new policies to benefit the family.

His Government, said Belarus’ representative, had augmented its support for needy families and held that the United Nations should step up its role in examining family issues.  Belarus’ current national family policy was based on gender equality in the fulfilment of family duties, ensuring the welfare of children and promoting favourable socio-economic conditions for the family.

Seconding the importance of focusing on gender equity in terms of the family, the representative of Haiti noted that, beyond measures aimed at ensuring gender equity in the short term, her country must take the special status of women in Haitian society into account.  Haitian women played stabilizing roles in the family and were greatly responsible for the education of future generations, as women were often the head of Haitian households.

These positions crystallized the sentiment that, while the historical importance of the family as the basic element of family endured –- and should be promoted –- in today’s world, there was some need to re-imagine the many roles that the family unit had and could play in the process of social development.

This re-evaluation had already begun, noted the representative of South Africa, recalling that the Plan of Action on Families in Africa, endorsed by African Parliamentary Union this year, addressed issues related to poverty reduction, access to social services, promotion of the environment, sustainable development and ensuring peace, security and follow-up monitoring and evaluation. The family was a potentially powerful agent for political, economic, cultural and social change, as well as a potent vehicle for the care, protection and development of its members.

The family was the most important unit of society, affirmed the representative of the United Arab Emirates.  It played an essential role in fulfilling the emotional and physical needs of individuals, which was necessary for the achievement of economic and social development.  Describing a situation of mutual dependence between the family and development, he stressed that the advancement of families and education could, nevertheless, not be achieved without economic development, poverty eradication and the enforcement of peace and security in the world.

As the consideration of these issues of social development drew to a close, those addressing the Third Committee also reaffirmed the importance of the work of the Ad Hoc Committee drafting a Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, of promoting implementation of the United Nations Literacy Decade and of recognizing the important role to be played in all aspects of social development by the youth of today.  As the youth representative from Sweden concluded, youth organizations had contributed, locally, to society for generations.  It was now time to rethink the agenda and encourage their efforts to move from “thinking globally and acting locally”, to “acting and thinking locally as well as globally”.

Also addressing the Third Committee today were the representatives of Philippines, Austria, Uganda, Nepal, Syria, Viet Nam, Congo, Bahrain, Bahamas, Thailand, Myanmar, Fiji, Tunisia and Cameroon.  The representative of the Organization of the Islamic Conference also spoke.

Speaking in exercise of the right of reply were the representatives of Israel and Syria.

The Third Committee will next meet at 10 a.m. on Friday, 8 October, to begin its consideration of issues related to crime prevention and criminal justice and international drug control.

Background

The Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) met today to conclude its general discussion of issues related to social development.  For additional background information, please see Press Release GA/SHC/3777 of 4 October.

Statements on Social Development

ADAM AXELSSON (Sweden) said that youth led organizations had, for centuries, committed themselves to make a difference and had succeeded in making real changes in society.  As the elected youth representative of his country, he had friends around the globe who were all working together to make the world a better place -– they monitored elections in Ghana, worked for integration between the Israeli and Palestinian people and worked with street kids in Sweden.  Those individuals showed that young men and women should be acknowledged as a resource for development, not a target group for aid.

Today’s youth constituted the key to sustainable development, he continued, and a vital factor for achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.  The time had come to rethink the old agenda and to reform present structures.  Instead of “thinking globally and acting locally”, the idea should be to “act and think locally as well as globally”.

Urging all nations to send national youth representatives to the 2005 General Assembly session for the tenth anniversary of the World Programme of Action for Youth, he reiterated the Swedish youth’s call for all nations to implement policies –- on a local, national and global basis -– that viewed youth not as a problematic group, but as a tremendous resource for development.  There was no such thing as good governance without youth participation.

ISMAEIL AL-ZAABI (United Arab Emirates) said the reports on the world social situation highlighted the strong link between poverty and lack of social justice, illiteracy, crime, and the exploitation of vulnerable individuals, particularly women and children.  In such a deteriorating social and economic environment, the family unit was the first to be affected.  The family was the most important unit of society and played an essential role in fulfilling the emotional and physical needs of individuals, which was required for achieving economic and social development.

Families in the United Arab Emirates received special attention from the highest levels in the State, he said.  A decree issued last year by the President had established the Higher Council for Childhood and Maternity, whose goal was to protect the rights of the child and the welfare of mother and child.  There were educational and marriage counselling sessions, through lectures and the media, for the purpose of promoting best practices, as well as providing financial assistance and social support for young couples and troubled families.  The Government had also passed laws to protect working women and to help provide balance between the demands of work and motherhood.

His country recognized that the advancement of families and education could not be achieved without economic development, eradication of poverty and the enforcement of peace and security in the world.  He added that this called for enhanced efforts by the international community to ensure the implementation of the Millennium Declaration and the recommendations of all relevant international conferences, with special attention to integrating social development needs with other development requirements.

MARIA LOURDES V. RAMIRO LOPEZ (Philippines) said her Government had endeavoured to pursue policies consistent and coherent with the overarching social development objectives of the United Nations, as they were embodied in major documents like the Millennium Declaration and the outcomes of the World Summit on Social Development.  It also continued to search for a process of development with a strong social dimension that would lead to attainment of a “society for all”. Therefore, the ten-point national development agenda included public investment in education and the creation of decent jobs, while the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) for the Philippines centred on social services, good governance and equitable development.

Over the period 2001-2004, the Philippines had achieved decent growth rates, she noted.  The country had also embarked on a more aggressive implementation of policies aimed at addressing the most critical threats to macroeconomic stability and long-term growth and development.  The Medium-Term Development Plan had thus provided a blueprint for sustainable socio-economic development and embodied the anti-poverty and overall development framework of the country.  Social integration of disadvantaged groups had been promoted through policies and programmes designed to increase access to quality education, health, nutrition and reproductive healthcare.

However, she concluded, while many significant achievements had been realized, the work of those committed to social development remained a never-ending struggle.  For that reason, the Philippines held the following areas, among others, to be priorities for action.  Developing countries must address weaknesses in their macroeconomic environments and fiscal conditions; pro-poor growth must be pursued through programmes promoting rapid economic growth, reduction in income inequality and increased access to resources and jobs; the quality of basic education must be improved; and a credible and complete database for monitoring and formulating social development policy actions should be established.

ILIA DIB (Austria) said that because life was constantly changing quickly for young people, they were often more open-minded.  Such openness to new ideas constituted a great opportunity for the United Nations and its MemberStates, since it could allow the international community to avoid getting “stuck in traditional courses”.  Noting, however, that turnout at democratic elections among young people was often low, she said political participation must be encouraged by schools, families and politicians.  Young people must be made to feel that what they were saying had importance and that they were being treated as full and equal partners in order for them to experience democracy.

The elimination of gender disparity in primary and secondary education was one of the most important goals of the Millennium Declaration, but it was not enough, she said.  It was not enough to achieve legal equality, as legal equality did not automatically lead to real equality between boys and girls, and between women and men.  Gender equality must be taught in the schools, and teachers must treat girls and boys equally.  Young women must be accorded the same opportunities in education and work as young men.  Illiteracy was still mostly a problem of girls and women and the majority of people living in poverty were women.

Young people were grateful for the implementation of the declaration “A World Fit for Children” adopted by the General Assembly in 2002, but they wanted to be a greater part of the discussions and decisions shaping the world.  As a youth representative, she urged delegations to increase the participation of young people from all regions of the world.

CATHERINE OTITI (Uganda) noted that, while her country had become a good example for best practices in combating HIV/AIDS, many unanticipated challenges remained to be overcome.  Therefore, the National Strategic Framework, formulated in 2000-2001, had been reviewed to reassess progress made and to identify gaps and emerging issues, resulting in the formulation of the National Overarching Policy on HIV/AIDS, the National Orphans and other Vulnerable Children policy, the National Condom Policy and Strategy, the National Policy on HIV/AIDS and the World of Work, the Voluntary Counselling and Testing policy and the National Antiretroviral policy.

The main goal of the National Strategic Framework remained reduction of HIV/AIDS prevalence by 25 per cent, she said, in order to mitigate the effects of HIV/AIDS, strengthen the national capacity to coordinate and manage the multi-sectoral response to the pandemic and mitigate the disease’s health effects and its psychosocial and economic effects.  In effect, the goal was to mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS on the development of Uganda.  To that end, the work of the Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, World Bank Multi-Country AIDS Programmes for Africa, Great Lakes Initiative on AIDS, the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, as well as the work of United Nations agencies, bilateral partners and the Government of Uganda, all remained crucial to bring the pandemic to an end one day.

Regarding other social development issues, she noted the establishment and strengthening of the Department of Disability and the Elderly, which aimed to ensure that the concerns of older persons and persons with disabilities were mainstreamed into social development sectors.  On literacy, the Universal Primary Education initiative had led to an increase in the number of children enrolled at the primary school level from 2.5 million in 1986 to 7.5 million today.  Furthermore, the Government’s Social Development Sector Strategies Investment Plan sought to operationalize the ideals of the Poverty Eradication Action Plan in areas such as nutrition and non-formal adult learning at all levels.

BEDU RAM BHUSAL (Nepal) said the primary responsibility for social development lay with national governments.  However, the commitments made at the World Summit for Social Development had not been fully achieved.  Developing countries were still mired in the cycle of poverty, hunger, disease, and social deprivation.  The eruption of conflicts in Asia and Africa had further complicated the situation.  Nepal urged developed countries to make good on their promises to provide 0.7 per cent of their national income to assist in the socio-economic development of poor countries.

Nepal had implemented social development programs aimed at reducing poverty and generating employment opportunities, he said.  Its poverty reduction strategy was built on the concept of promoting broad-based economic growth, social development, good governance and programs for social inclusion.  Substantial progress had been achieved in increasing life expectancy and illiteracy rates. Nepal attached importance to the aspirations of youth and believed young people should be integrated in the development process by providing them with gainful employment opportunities.  Nepal was also committed to the protection and promotion of the rights of disabled persons and the elderly.  The United Nations should be instrumental in bringing the efforts of the world together to realize shared goals of poverty eradication and social inclusion.

RANIA AL HAJ ALI (Syria) said that developing countries’ attainment of social development objectives continued to be thwarted by impediments including the widening income gap between developing and developed States, negative social impacts of globalization and economic sanctions against developing States.  Unless the situation was redressed, it would be difficult for developing countries to meet the goals enshrined at the World Summit on Social Development and its five-year review.

On the national experience, she noted that Syria had a high percentage of youth of both sexes, a situation which had imposed major challenges on the process of development.  To respond, the Government had offered free education to all across all levels of education, including university.  The Government had also sought to combat unemployment and to establish a balance between the supply of and demand for jobs.  In other areas, the Government had promulgated legislation to promote the rights of the elderly, including through a national plan for social and health care, which aimed to safeguard and enhance their health of older persons, improve their socio-economic status and raise awareness of the issues facing them.

In preparation for the tenth anniversary of the International Year of the Family, the Government had initiated, in cooperation with civil society, a television and brochure campaign, which addressed the most critical issues confronting Syrian families today.  National legislation on disabled persons guaranteed their rights in terms of health, education and employment, and special interest had been accorded to children with special needs.  However, she concluded, it was incorrect and far from the reality of the situation to talk about achieving social development goals so long as Israel continued to occupy the Syrian Golan, draining national resources and negatively impacting the economic, social and humanitarian situation in the occupied Arab territories.  The international community must hasten to end this situation, which had dire results for all.

LE LUONG MINH (Viet Nam) said it was encouraging to see that the international community had been taking steps in developing strategies for eradicating poverty, enhancing productive employment, and promoting social integration.  Major achievements had been recorded by different countries through these great efforts, however many problems remained for each country and for the international community.  Globally the world was witnessing a widening gap between the rich and the poor.  Wars and ethnic and religious conflicts were using up national resources that could otherwise be used for social development.  The HIV/AIDS pandemic continued to spread, and social evils such as drug addiction, organized crime, and smuggling plagued many parts of the world.

Viet Nam believed that achieving progress in the realization of the goals and objectives of social development required supportive and coherent economic policies at both the national and international levels.  Strengthened international cooperation and solidarity were more important than ever.  His country had followed a policy of harmonizing economic growth and social developments on the principle of ensuring social equality and progress.  Investments by the State in social development continued to increase, accounting for 36.9 percent of the national budget in 2003.  But like other developing countries, Viet Nam was facing numerous challenges in combating high poverty rates, unemployment, difficult living conditions in remote areas, and low quality health care for the poor.  His Government was determined to move ahead and looked forward to the cooperation of other countries and international organizations.

DUMISANI S. KUMALO (South Africa) said the 10-year review of the World Summit on Social Development should produce an outcome document to chart the way forward and inform the international community on the best strategies and measure to ensure that processes such as globalization were geared toward the benefit of all.  As a member of the African continent, he also noted that the “Group of 77” developing countries and China had introduced important new resolutions over the past two years, which had supported implementation of the social objectives of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and sought to ensure both that NEPAD became part of the 10-year review of Copenhagen and that partnership with the international community, private sector and civil society became the central tenet in ensuring a better life for all.

On the issues of persons with disabilities, he voiced strong support for the elaboration of the Convention on persons with disabilities, cautioning that the instrument should not be viewed in isolation from the core human rights instruments.  Instead, it should serve as a complementary instrument and focus on filling existing gaps.  Concerning the observance of the anniversaries of the International Years of the Family and of Older Persons, he said South Africa would celebrate October as Social Development Month, in conjunction with its celebration of 10 Years of Freedom.

The family, he stressed, had been recognized throughout humanity as an important and basic element of society.  In South Africa, it was regarded as a potentially powerful agent for political, economic, cultural and social change, as well as a potent vehicle for the care, protection and development of its members.  The Plan of Action on Families in Africa, endorsed this year, addressed several issues pertaining to poverty reduction, access to social services, promotion of the environment, sustainable development, strengthening family relationships and ensuring peace, security and follow-up monitoring and evaluation.  That Plan of Action would be used as a guide to develop South Africa’s family policy.

RENE NSEMI (Congo) said the international community was far from achieving the goals set nine years ago at the World Summit for Social Development in Copenhagen.  Broad areas of society, especially in developing countries remained to be dealt with, particularly, poverty, social inclusion, and inadequate access to education and health care.  There were great disparities that continued to hamper development, and his country was no exception.  Today 70 percent of Congolese lived below the poverty level.  Unemployment, especially among young people, was widespread, as were prostitution and child trafficking.

The Congo had initiated programmes aimed at reducing poverty and unemployment and improving access to basic services.  His Government had also accorded special attention to enhance employment opportunities for young people.  It had launched a decade-long program, from 2004-2013, for agricultural and fisheries development which aimed to provide jobs, improve the quality of life in rural areas and reduce dependence on food assistance.  HIV/AIDS, one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality, was another social problem faced by the Congo. His Government had created a National Council to combat HIV/AIDS as part of a national strategy to combat the pandemic.

He emphasized that the Congo could not adequately face the challenges of social development without the support of the international community.  His delegation hoped the upcoming session of the Commission for Social Development in February 2005 would allow the international community to take new steps towards implementing the goals of the World Summit.

ALEG IVANOU (Belarus) noted that his country’s economic policy aimed to establish a socially-oriented market economy, and stressed that Belarus had made great progress in achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.  For example, less than one per cent of the population lived in conditions of absolute poverty, and the country had one of the lowest unemployment rates in the world.  Throughout its development policies, the government had paid particular attention to the needs of the most vulnerable groups in the population, and had devoted some 14 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) to programmes for their support.

A particular area of concern for his country was the need to strengthen the health of those who had suffered as a result of the Chernobyl disaster, he said. Nationally, one in five had so suffered.  The Government was presently implementing its third programme in response to the disaster, which was based on the objective to create safe and healthy living conditions in affected areas.  Further noting that some 480,000 citizens of the country were persons with disabilities, he described State-sponsored programmes aimed at reducing the causes of disabilities and mainstreaming and rehabilitating disabled persons.  The Government also provided benefits to employers creating jobs for those with disabilities and to enterprises owned by disabled persons.

Turning to the issue of the family, he said the tenth anniversary of the International Year had drawn attention to issues facing the family and had fostered the adoption of new programmes in that area.  The Government of Belarus offered social support to needy families, and held that the United Nations should step up its role in examining family issues.  Belarus’ family policy was based on gender equality in fulfilment of family duties and ensuring the welfare of children and favourable socio-economic conditions for the family, including through targeted assistance and a broadened base of social services.

MUNA RADHI (Bahrain) said the Kingdom of Bahrain believed that the human being was the aim of all development.  Social integration required the participation of the elderly, young people, and people with disabilities.  The Constitution of Bahrain confirmed the importance of the family, and Bahrain had set up official bodies to guarantee the rights of all family members.  It had also consolidated the role of civil society in programmes geared towards supporting families, youth, and older persons. It was essential to ensure their participation in social life.

She said Bahrain welcomed the efforts of the international community for a convention to protect and promote the rights of disabled persons.  To improve living standards, it was critical to ensure the participation of youth and older persons in the development process.  Young people played a vital role in social development.  Their participation was particularly significant in efforts aimed at achieving greater prosperity.  Political openness had enabled the participation of young people in development efforts and had allowed them to increase their participation in social and civil life and in discussions on prospective legislation.  Bahrain had just concluded work on an implementation plan for a parliament of youth.  It had also established awareness-raising workshops for young people with the aim of increase political awareness among youth and to encourage them to voice opinions on items particularly relevant to young people.

Bahrain had cooperated with the United Nations Development Programme in the launching of development strategies particularly geared towards young people, she said, adding that her country had adopted a people-centred approach for strategies geared towards combating unemployment, particularly for youth.  A number of initiatives had been launched to integrate young people into society and to encourage them to seize opportunities that had been made available to them for greater participation in the development process.

GRANVILLE BUTLER (Bahamas), speaking on behalf of the youth of his country, raised several issues of critical importance to them, including that of narcotic drugs.  Although the Bahamas was not a final destination for illegal narcotics, it sat in the transhipment lanes, which meant Bahamian youth had become a market.  The effects of drugs had been felt in the rise in crime -– particularly violent crime -– which cut short the lives of many young people.  The transhipment of drugs, and its association with the illicit trade in weapons, also threatened the social and economic development of the country and jeopardized the future of today’s youth.

Education constituted one of the tools in the fight against drugs, he noted, and the Government had made every effort to live up to the international obligation to provide for the right to quality education for all.  Young persons in his country sought to expand and maximize their educational opportunities.  Giving the young people the tools necessary to take their rightful place in society would benefit all.

Finally, he stressed that HIV/AIDS was one of the single most important issues of the day, as it posed a grave threat to human, social and economic development.  One of the greatest tragedies of the pandemic was its impact on the young.  The Government of the Bahamas had made great strides in tackling mother-to-child transmission, yet much remained to be done. The youth must commit themselves to healthy lifestyles and play their part in the fight to eliminate this scourge.

KHUNYING LAXANACHANTORN LAOHAPHAN (Thailand) said Thailand had achieved remarkable progress at the national level.  Most, if not all, the targets of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) had been achieved.  Her country was now setting an MDG-Plus target to reduce the proportion of poor people to below 4 per cent by 2009.  If successful, this would represent a stunning four-fifth reduction of people living in poverty since 1990, six years in advance of the Millennium Goals target of 2015.

Despite this achievement, Thailand realized that its success would also depend on a stable and favourable international environment.  It recognized that poverty remained a global challenge and was a major obstacle to all aspects of social development in many developing countries.  For its part, Thailand’s efforts to contribute to the global development agenda were guided by the principles of self-help and partnership which were essential for sustainable development.  This approach was reflected not only in its national policies but also in its intra-regional and inter-regional initiatives that sought to build partnerships from diversity.

Although development was primarily a national responsibility, the successful realization of internationally agreed upon development goals by poor countries required the shared responsibility and support of all countries.  The continued efforts of developed countries played a leading role in this regard.  Furthermore, the realization of a people-centred approach to development was inextricably linked to international peace and security.  Thailand stood ready to contribute within its capacity to these efforts, bilaterally and multilaterally both at the regional and international levels.

Ms. ROMOULUS (Haiti) said she wished to draw special attention to the socio-political crisis her country was presently experiencing and which had reduced its development prospects for a number of years to come.  Moreover, the serious damage caused by the recent floods –- which had led to the death of some 3000 people -– had exacerbated that situation.  Thus, while the Government had undertaken a strategy based on reconstruction and rehabilitation, it was to be hoped that the international community would show solidarity to provide assistance to reduce the effects of these developments on the most disadvantaged persons in society.  For its part, the Government strategy aimed to rehabilitate the people in terms of their habitat, the integration of youth into the economy, recognition of women’s rights and lowering the unemployment rate.

Hailing the Brazilian initiative against hunger and poverty, she called for concrete action in follow-up.  Haiti’s programme to combat those phenomena focused on the creation of jobs, which would encourage the equality of all the country’s citizens.  She also stressed that gender equality was a major concern in Haiti, as the issue affected more than 50 per cent of the population.  However, beyond measures aimed at ensuring equity in the short-term, Haiti must take the special status of women in Haitian society into account.  Haitian women played stabilizing roles in the family and were greatly responsible for the education of future generations, as women were often the heads of Haitian households.

Noting that illiteracy remained an issue for the poorest populations in the richest countries, as well as for developing countries, she welcomed the 2005 Literacy initiative for marginalized groups.  She also expressed pleasure that the situation of persons with disabilities and the aged was becoming better understood and that their right had been affirmed internationally.

DAW KHIN THANDAR (Myanmar) said her Government’s economic and social development strategy was people-centred and aimed at the alleviation and eventual eradication of poverty, particularly in the less developed border areas.  The Myanmar National Committee on Social Development had placed emphasis on poverty alleviation, expansion of productive employment, and social integration.  As a developing country, Myanmar was trying its best to achieve the goals set down in the Copenhagen Declaration.

Literacy was crucial to alleviating poverty, she continued.  Myanmar, for its part, was implementing a 30-year National Education Development Plan and the Four Year Special Education Plan.  In the past decade, the number of colleges and universities had increased from 32 to 154, and enrolment had risen dramatically from 120,000 to 890,000.  Myanmar had joined the Secretary-General’s call to the international community to collectively support the efforts of those countries with particular needs by providing the financial and technical assistance required to improve their literacy programmes.  Their enhanced support was necessary if the United Nations Literacy Decade goals were to be achieved.

ELIZABETH BUCKNELL (Fiji) said the youth of today would soon take over the reins of government, industry and everyday society.  How well they did would depend on how their elders now prepared them for the various roles they were to inherit.  Thus, it was only fitting to ask those elders to make concerted efforts to create environments conducive to ensuring that young people made informed decisions on the challenges confronting them.  To that end, the Government of Fiji intended to endorse a national youth policy primarily designed and driven by youth themselves.  The policy would provide an operational framework with realistic objectives and guidelines to springboard implementation of programmes.

However, frameworks and programmes came to nought if regulatory mechanisms and predetermined monitoring and evaluation methodologies were not in place, she warned.  Structures, systems and institutions must be re-examined to guarantee the secure transition of youth into adulthood.  Clear organization and bridging programmes were essential in the formative years to help youth to equip themselves with the skills essential to facing the challenges of a swiftly changing world.

It should also be recognized that the family played an important role in nation-building, she added.  Families laid the foundation of the nation and shaped the destiny of young people.  Adults must, therefore, ensure that the youth learned from good role models, starting with the parents and continuing to the wider community of teachers and peers.  And as adults, the youth of today should be responsible and equal in the development of their communities and nations. Their advocacy should properly be directed at ensuring that youth initiatives and programmes were sustainable and enjoyed some guarantee of continuity.

MOHAMMED SAMIR KOUBAA (Tunisia) said his country shared the Secretary General’s opinion that in addition to discussing globalization in terms of market considerations, there was a need to take into account the social aspects of globalization in order to meet the needs of people.  The Tunisian approach towards development recognized the linkage between economic and social development.  Tunisia had called for a World Solidarity Fund, based on the principle of shared responsibility to assist countries that were not benefiting from globalization or that had suffered from its effects.

Tunisia attached special interest to the implementation of programmes to support disabled persons.  It was also convinced that civil society, including non-governmental organizations, should be encouraged to contribute to efforts at the national and international levels to help ensure the participation of disabled persons in the development process.

MARTIN BELINGA-EBOUTOU (Cameroon) said most of the points that must necessarily be made on social development had already been stated clearly by others preceding him in the discussion.  He wished to reaffirm the importance of good leadership from the Bureau of the Committee and said they could count on his country’s goodwill.

To the Committee, he recalled that the people of the United Nations had declared their commitment to human rights and fundamental freedoms, as well as to economic and social progress, nearly sixty years ago.  Therefore, this Committee constituted a crucial link in the Organization’s framework for protecting people from the scourge of the future.  Elsewhere facts, figures and statistics were under discussion, but in this room, the subject remained the human being.  The rights of that human being must be protected from situations arising from conflicts.

Unfortunately, those rights had often been reduced to purely political rights, he stressed.  However, one could not divide human rights between their political, economic and social aspects.  The attempt had often divided this Committee.  Human rights had often proven to be divisive –- rather than unifying -– issue.  Therefore, Committee members must do more to seek out solutions favouring progress and advancement.  The solution was not to impose one unified view, but to respect the multiplicity of views.

SHAHID HUSAIN, Observer from the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), said his organization shared the view of previous speakers that the natural family was the basic social unit of society on which the pillars of human society were held.  It was essential therefore to strengthen the family in order for a healthy society to emerge from all national development efforts.

The Organization of the Islamic Conference maintained its belief that the United Nations Secretariat had a crucial role in assisting mainstreaming efforts, which called for the strengthening of the Family programme in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs.  The OIC stood ready to cooperate with the United Nations.  The family was the vehicle through which the global village of the future could be developed into a productive world community envisaged by the Millennium Development Goals.

Statements in Exercise of Right of Reply

Speaking in exercise of the right of reply, the representative of Israel said that, given the productive discussion that had been witnessed here, it had been discouraging to hear the Syrian representative return to baseless hostility and unprovoked aggression, which had no place in this forum.  Regrettably, Syria took every opportunity to criticize and shame Israel, calling into doubt its so called “call for peace”.  Bashing Israel and passing one-sided resolutions did not contribute to the promotion of peace in the region.

Also exercising the right of reply, the representative of Syria said that, in accordance with international law, Israel was a State that occupied surrounding territories.  In addition to the dramatic implications of that occupation on the population of the territories, the occupation itself constituted an infringement of fundamental human rights.  Those who strove for peace must take steps, she agreed, but that which was seen on television and read about in the United Nations reports called into question Israel’s statement.  Peace would arrive with the end of the occupation, which would also end the suffering and pain of those in the occupied territories.

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