GOVERNMENTS SHOULD ‘CONSTANTLY STRIVE’ TO IMPROVE PUBLIC SECTOR, SAYS SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION, AS IT CONCLUDES FORTY-SECOND SESSION

Commission for Social Development

Forty-second Session

14^th Meeting (Resumed) (AM)

GOVERNMENTS SHOULD ‘CONSTANTLY STRIVE’ TO IMPROVE PUBLIC SECTOR, SAYS SOCIAL

DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION, AS IT CONCLUDES FORTY-SECOND SESSION

The Commission on Social Development concluded its forty-second session this morning with a strong call for world governments to constantly strive to bolster public sector effectiveness and to strengthen dialogue, partnership and cooperation at all levels to help improve delivery of public services and support sustainable development, particularly in developing countries.

Since the convening of the World Summit for Social Development in Copenhagen in 1995, 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.  With the tenth anniversary of the Summit approaching, the Commission’s agreed conclusions approved today, stressed the crucial role an efficient and robust public sector could play in reaching one of the Programmes main goals –- achieving people-centred development -- by ensuring equitable, adequate and accessible social services to all, particularly those most in need.

Emphasizing the primary responsibility of governments for the provision of social services in order to enhance social development so as to contribute to the attainment of international development goals, the Commission also encouraged governments to strengthen exchanges of experience and methods of effective delivery of public services.  It invited governments to consider complementary and alternative approaches in that regard, through, among other ways, decentralization, privatization and public private partnerships, or, where appropriate, the introduction of competitive, market-based structures.  

The Commission reiterated that sound social and economic development policies at national and international levels should be part of the framework for improving public sector effectiveness. That required long-term planning, well defined priorities, coherent policies, effective implementation and capacity-building.  It acknowledged that improving public sector effectiveness could be achieved through, among other things, dialogue, partnership and cooperation at all levels.  Improving the public sector also required all countries to strive to eliminate corruption at all levels.

Acknowledging that developing and least developed countries needed to have sufficient levels of financial resources to provide social services commensurate with the needs of their citizens, the Commission recognized, therefore, that a substantial increase in official development assistance (ODA) and other resources would be required if those countries were to achieve internationally agreed goals and objectives, including those of the Millennium Declaration.

While recognizing that each country had the primary responsibility for its own economic and social development, the Commission reaffirmed nevertheless that international cooperation had an essential role in assisting developing countries in strengthening the human, institutional and technological capacity to improve public sector effectiveness.  The United Nations system and the international financial, trade and economic institutions and bilateral donors were invited to play an important role, through an integrated and coherent approach in assisting governments, particularly developing and least developed countries and those with transition economies, to that end.

Also today, per its two-year-old practice, the Commission elected the bureau for its next session.  Dumisani Shadrack Kumalo (South Africa) was elected Chairperson by acclamation.  Jeanette Ndhlovu (South Africa) delivered a brief statement on Mr. Kumalo’s behalf.

The remaining officers of the bureau, to serve as vice presidents, were:  Paloma Duran (Spain), Ewald Wensley Limon (Suriname), Hossein Moeini Meybodi (Iran), and Octavian Stamate (Romania).

In other business, the Commission adopted it provisional agenda and documentation for the forty-third session (document E/CN.5/2004/L.2), which was introduced and updated by Johann Scholvinck, Director for the Division for Social Policy and Development.

Vice-Chairperson Garcia Gonzalez (El Salvador) introduced the draft report on the current session (document E/CN.5/2004/L.4), which the Commission then adopted.

It also took note of the Secretary-General’s report on improving public sector effectiveness (document E/CN.5/2004/5), as well as the Secretary-General’s report on review of methods of work of the Commission (document E/CN.5/2004/2).  It further decided to take note of the views expressed by delegations on the methods of work, with a view to further discussions on the issue at its forty-third session.

Before the Commission began its work, Acting Chair PRAYONO ATIYANTO (Indonesia) read out a message on behalf of Chairman Jean-Jacques Elmiger (Switzerland).  On his own behalf, Mr. Atiyano said that while nothing was perfect, with good faith and cooperation, delegations could work hand in hand for the betterment of the Commission itself and for human kind.

Alto taking the floor today were the representatives of Senegal, China, Sudan, Cuba, Russian Federation, Mali, Qatar (speaking on behalf of the “Group of 77” developing countries and China), India, Switzerland, Ireland (speaking on behalf of the European Union), Iran, Yemen, United States, and Suriname.

Expressing concern about the cost of convening today’s one-off meeting -- after the session had been suspended last Friday due to time constraints – the representative of Egypt spoke after the adoption of the Commission’s agreed conclusions.

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