Sixty-first General Assembly

Third Committee

1^st & 2^nd Meetings (AM & PM)

FORGING MEANINGFUL LINKS BETWEEN SOCIAL, ECONOMIC POLICIES KEY TO POVERTY

REDUCTION, THIRD COMMITTEE TOLD AT OUTSET OF DEBATE ON SOCIAL ISSUES

Speakers Also Stress Importance of Official Development

Assistance; Job Creation, Improving Conditions of Disabled Persons

Success in eradicating poverty -– at a time when rising income inequality within countries has become “a global pandemic” - would depend greatly on forging meaningful links between social and economic policies, José Antonio Ocampo, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, told the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today as it began its debate on social development issues.

Reminding the Committee that it bore a crucial responsibility to raise the profile of development issues, he said development referred not only to progress in developing countries, but also to the development of all societies, rich or poor, through sustainable development in their economic, social and environmental dimensions and through the realization of economic and social rights.  The United Nations development agenda, crystallized in the Millennium Development Goals, represented a road map towards a better future for all, but achieving that vision depended on forging meaningful links between social and economic policies.  Citing research at the United Nations University, he said seven out of eight citizens of the world today lived in countries where income distribution had worsened over the past three decades, he said. 

Fielding questions from delegates, Mr. Ocampo said that since the 2002 Monterrey Conference on financing development, there had been a recovery in the volume of official development assistance (ODA) and broad acceptance of the new principles on aid effectiveness.  However, that positive trend did not mean that all industrialized countries would reach the target of donating 0.7 per cent of their gross domestic product, a target that went back to the 1960s but had been clearly restated at Monterrey and at the Millennium Summit.  He added that most of the recovery of such assistance was associated with debt relief, technical assistance and humanitarian relief efforts, and that the international community should take further steps to target ODA channelled through the budgets of recipient countries.

The Committee also heard reports from Johan Scholvinck, Director, Division for Social Policy and Development, and Suzanne Billelo, Acting Director of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) office at the United Nations.

In the general discussion which followed, several countries noted how the international community was still lagging in realizing the goals and targets of the World Summit on Social Development in 1995 which produced the Copenhagen Declaration and Programme of Action.  Several representatives addressed the issue of job creation especially for young people saying more jobs were essential if developing countries were to put poverty behind them.  Conditions for elderly and disabled citizens also were frequently mentioned.

Also today, the Committee adopted its programme of work as outlined in document A/C.3/61/L.1, and invited several Special Rapporteurs and independent experts of the Human Rights Council to address the Committee during the current session on such issues as the promotion and protection of human rights while countering terrorism, torture and other cruel punishment, religious freedom, the right to food, internally displaced persons, migrants’ rights, violence against women and the human rights situation in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, Myanmar, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Sudan.

Other experts were invited to speak on the promotion and protection of the rights of children, indigenous issues and the elimination of racism and racial discrimination.

The representatives of South Africa (on behalf of the Group of 77 and China), Finland (on behalf of the European Union), Japan, Switzerland, Egypt, Lesotho (on behalf of the Southern African Development Community), Pakistan, the Sudan, Bangladesh, China, Saint Lucia (on behalf of the Caribbean Community), Algeria, and the Republic of Korea also made statements. 

Hamid Al Bayati ( Iraq), Third Committee Chairman, also made a statement.

Safiya Cağar, Director of the Information, Executive Board and Resource Mobilization Division of the United Nations Population Fund, and Djankou Ndjonkou, Director of the International Labour Organization office for the United Nations, also spoke.

The Committee will meet again at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, 3 October, to continue its debate on social development.

Background

The Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) met today to begin its general discussion of social development.

The Committee had before it the Secretary-General’s report on follow-up to the implementation of the outcome of the World Summit for Social Development and of the twenty-fourth special session of the General Assembly (document A/61/99), which highlights “uneven progress” made on reducing poverty during the United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty (1997-2006).  Thanks to rapid economic expansion in China and India, absolute poverty has declined on a global scale.  But in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America, poverty reduction has been stagnant and in Western Asia, poverty has actually increased.

The report notes that the United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty put poverty eradication at the centre of the international agenda, but there has been limited progress especially in giving developing countries more access to international economic opportunities and in achieving a system of fair trade.  Progress has also been slow in providing debt relief to heavily indebted countries.

The report concludes that an enabling environment is critical for achieving equality and social development.  Measures to achieve growth have to be balanced with measures to achieve economic and social equity, in order for there to be an impact on overall poverty levels.

The Committee also had before it the Secretary-General’s report on implementation of the International Plan of Action for the United Nations Literacy Decade (document A/61/151), which reviews the state of literacy worldwide and the challenges facing the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as lead agency in pursuing the Literary Decade’s goals.

While there has been steady progress at a global level since International Literacy Year 1990, there are great disparities across regions within countries and within populations, the report says.  Above all, countries and international organizations are not yet making essential sustained efforts to meet goals.  Commitments need to be sustained, reinforced and translated into practical action.  The report notes that 771 million adults over the age of 15 lack basic literacy skills; this number is much greater if those aged 15 to 24 who have been denied the opportunity to learn or who have left school early are taken into account.

The Committee also had before it the Secretary-General’s report on the follow-up to the Second World Assembly on Ageing (document A/61/167), which highlights efforts to boost the ability of States to implement the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing.  Among its recommendations, it suggests more efforts to reduce poverty among older persons, particularly older women, by folding ageing issues into poverty reduction strategies and national development frameworks.  Governments and organizations should also forge stronger partnerships with others to help build capacity on ageing issues.

Statement by Chairman

Opening the first meeting of the Third Committee (Social, Cultural, and Humanitarian) of the sixty-first regular session of the United Nations General Assembly, Chairman HAMID AL BAYATI (Iraq), began by noting that the importance of the Committee’s work could not be overstated.  Deliberations on the sensitive issue of human rights in all its aspects was of particular value to his own country, Iraq, which had just come out of a very difficult period under a regime that deprived its own people of basic rights.

Diligence and discipline would be required to complete the Committee’s work programme, he said, reminding delegates of guidelines approved by the General Assembly recommending that efforts should be made to reduce the number of resolutions before the Assembly and that such resolutions should be shorter, with a focus on action-oriented operative paragraphs.  Regarding financial matters, the Main Committees should allow sufficient time for the Secretariat, the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions, and the Fifth Committee to do their related work.

Adoption of Programme of Work

The Third Committee extended invitations to Special Rapporteurs and Independent Experts to address the Committee, including:  Hina Jilani, Special Representative of the Secretary-General on the situation of human rights defenders; Manfred Nowak, Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; Philip Alston, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions; Martin Scheinin, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights while countering terrorism; Walter Kälin, Representative of the Secretary-General on the human rights of internally displaced persons; Asma Jehangir, Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief; Yakin Erturk, Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences; Jean Ziegler, Special Rapporteur on the right to food; Jorge A. Bustamente, Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants; Paul Hunt, Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health; John Dugard, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967; Leandro Despouy, Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers; Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar; Vitit Muntarbhorn, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea; Akich Okola, Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Burundi; Titinga Frédéric Pacéré, Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; Sima Samar, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Sudan; Ibrahim Salama, Chairperson-Rapporteur for the Working Group on the right to development for the Commission on Human Rights; and Bernards Andrew Nyamwaya Mudho, Independent Expert on the effects of economic reform policies and foreign debt on the full enjoyment of all human rights, particularly economic, social and cultural rights.

Mr. Pinheiro, who is also the Independent Expert directing the Secretary-General’s in-depth study on violence against children, was invited to address that issue.  Also invited to speak were Rodolfo Stavenhagen, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous people; Doudou Diène, Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance; and Amada Benavidez de Perez, Chairperson of the Working Group on the use of mercenaries as a means of violating human rights and impeding the exercise of the right of peoples to self-determination. 

Statements

JOSE ANTONIO OCAMPO, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, reminded the Third Committee that it bore “a crucial responsibility” to raise the profile of development issues.  He said “development” referred not only to progress in developing countries, but to the development of all societies, rich or poor, through sustainable development in their economic, social and environmental dimensions and through the realization of economic and social rights.  The United Nations development agenda, crystallized in the Millennium Development Goals, represented a road map towards a better future for all.  Achieving this vision, however, would depend on forging meaningful links between social and economic policies.

According to research at the United Nations University, seven out of eight citizens of the world today lived in countries where income distribution had worsened over the past three decades, he said.  Rising income inequality within countries had become a “global pandemic” undermining the achievement of the Development Goals set at the World Social Summit.  The challenge of making growth both equitable and inclusive had to be confronted urgently.  Experience indicated that faster progress could be made in the area of human development; however, such social progress was insufficient for economic success and it was harder to transform economic growth into social progress.  “Inclusiveness” of economic growth and thus economic globalization was not an automatic outcome of market forces, and therefore had to be ensured through explicit public choices.

Employment generation was the key link between the economic and the social, he said.  The capacity of economic growth to generate decent and productive employment, especially for the poorest, was just as important as growth itself.  Unfortunately, in every region there had been an inadequate generation of quality employment even in developing countries which have been undergoing rapid economic growth.  The Ministerial Declaration that had come out of a high-level segment of the Economic and Social Council last July identified a number of steps to make full and productive employment and decent work for all a central objective of national and international policies.

Given the lack of integration between social and economic policies, and given an inadequate generation of employment, much attention had been focused on providing safety nets for times of economic crises, he said.  More attention had to be paid to developing integrated economic and social polices aimed at preventing crises and developing permanent social protection systems.  To be effective, such systems had to cover basic risks in an integrated way, particularly nutrition, health, ageing and unemployment policies.  Admittedly, such systems would take longer to develop in those countries where the labour force was largely rural or informal, but it ought to be the ultimate objective of efforts in this area.

JOHAN SCHÖLVINCK, Director of the Division for Social Policy and Development, introduced the report of the Secretary-General on implementation of the outcome of the World Summit on Social Development (document A/61/99), which provided an overview of discussions on the review of the United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty that took place during the forty-fourth session of the Commission for Social Development.  The report highlighted the uneven progress made on reducing poverty during the Decade.  The shared determination to fight poverty cut across economic and social policies, he said, which was consistent with the principle of solidarity embodied in the Millennium Declaration.  The report suggested that determining the causes of poverty in some regions required the examination of the existence of profound inequalities, which generally was not adequately addressed.  Those most likely to suffer from rising inequalities were those who suffered from discrimination and who were already poor and marginalized.  The goal of sustained poverty reduction could not be achieved unless equality of opportunity and access to basic social services were ensured.

The report pointed out that entrenched inequality was an obstacle to sustained economic growth and inclusive, people-centred development, he said.  It was imperative to balance measures to achieve growth with measures to achieve economic and social equity if there were to be an impact on overall poverty levels.  Recent summits and conferences had helped shape a broader development vision, with the Copenhagen Summit, in particular, having shifted development thinking with its emphasis on poverty eradication, employment and social integration as three key ingredients to encouraging social development.  He emphasized that a consultative process was required to advance development, with the broad-based participation of all stakeholders, including the poor themselves.

The report of the Secretary-General on follow-up to the Second World Assembly on Ageing (document A/61/167) focused on efforts to strengthen national capacity on ageing, he continued.  The report outlined five essential elements of national capacity development within the context of the Madrid Plan: institutional infrastructure; human resources; mobilization of financial resources; research, data collection and analysis; and a sound policy process, including the use of mainstreaming.  While international cooperation on ageing was essential for national capacity-building, one could not escape the sobering reality that there remained insufficient political attention and inadequate financial support to implement the Madrid Plan.  Within the United Nations system, a major proportion of current assistance to ageing focused on funding ageing-specific activities rather than on an integrated strategy for mainstreaming the issue, as called for in the Madrid Plan.  He noted that there appeared to be a positive trend at the global level towards a more comprehensive approach, which he hoped would continue.

In conclusion, he joined Mr. Ocampo in welcoming the agreement on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities as a historic breakthrough.  He also recalled that the Secretary-General, in his final address to the General Assembly, had highlighted three great challenges facing humanity:  an unjust world economy, world disorder, and widespread contempt for human rights and the rule of law.  The Third Committee as steward of the social, humanitarian and cultural issues in the General Assembly was the forum for much of the debate on the divisions that threatened the very notion of an international community, he said.  It was within this Committee that crucial social policies were considered to vanquish those divisions and create the components of a complete strategy to forge peace and security, development and human rights.

SUZANNE BILELLO, Acting Director of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Office at the United Nations, introduced the report of the Director-General of UNESCO on the implementation of the International Plan of Action for the United Nations Literacy Decade (document A/61/151).  She explained that at the global level, the most significant new development was UNESCO’s launch in 2005 of the Literacy Initiative for Empowerment (LIFE), a major step towards implementing the Literacy Decade.  That initiative was being put into action in 35 countries which had a literacy rate of less than 50 per cent or which had more than 10 million people who could not read or write.  Eighty-five per cent of the world’s non-literate population lived in those countries.  LIFE would be implemented over 10 years, guided by three principles:  country ownership and diversity, links with national policy and progressive phasing.

One of the objectives of the Literacy Decade was reinforcing national and international commitment to literacy through advocacy and communication, she said.  To that end, the Education for All Global Monitoring Report 2006 (document number unknown) represented a major advocacy tool for literacy.  It stressed the core importance of literacy as a human right and a development imperative, and mapped out the global literacy challenge.

In another development, she said, Laura Bush, the First Lady of the United States, as honorary ambassador of the Literacy Decade, had hosted a White House Conference on Global Literacy on 18 September which underscored the need for the global and national promotion of literacy, as well as the need for public-private partnerships when investing in literacy programmes.  The main message conveyed was that literacy was the gateway to human and economic development and the basis for prosperity and peace.  The Conference had highlighted successful programmes which had improved lives in various parts of the world, especially for women and girls.  It had also articulated the link between literacy and such vital topics as health, economic development and poverty eradication.  Regional follow-up conferences would follow, with the first one for the Arab region having been scheduled in Qatar for 12-14 March 2007.

Discussion

During the ensuing question-and-answer period, the representative of the Sudan asked whether Mr. Ocampo felt that developed nations had lived up to their responsibilities to help developing countries meet agreed objectives.  On the subject of literacy noting cooperation between UNESCO and the Sudan, he asked whether there was any statistical information to show any progress realized.  He also recommended that there be more regional conferences on the issue in order to develop more regionally-specific strategies to address the problem of illiteracy.

The representative of Finland asked Mr. Ocampo to elaborate on how the United Nations system could support the efforts of Member States to make their development systems more broad-based and participatory.

The representative of Lebanon noted that Mr. Ocampo in his statement had mentioned that low-income countries required the consistent provision of official development assistance (ODA) in order to ensure that social policies were effectively integrated with economic policies.  He asked whether the provision of ODA was necessary only for low-income countries.

The representative of Cuba asked Mr. Ocampo and Mr. Schölvinck for their assessment of how industrialized countries had met their financing commitments to help developing countries meet certain targets, especially the Millennium Development Goals.  The report of the Secretary-General had indicated that expectations regarding the eradication of poverty had not been met.  The representative asked for a response to the view that, to a great extent, that was related to the lack of financing given to developing countries to eradicate poverty.  The representative also asked Ms. Bilello to provide information about any concrete measures apart from conferences undertaken by UNESCO to eradicate illiteracy worldwide.

The representative of the Philippines asked Mr. Ocampo to clarify the thinking behind his statement on the need to consider reviewing the mandate on persons with disabilities and on the standard rules, noting that the two instruments provided important frameworks for countries on implementation of disability laws and programmes.

The representative of Cameroon echoing concerns raised by Cuba asked whether the gap between promises to eradicate poverty and actual performance could be bridged by 2015 so that agreed objectives could be met.  He noted that the answer would have an impact on the credibility of the United Nations.

The representative of Costa Rica noted that, while the reports submitted focused on the distinction between low-income, middle-income and high-income countries, the vast majority of poor persons and people living in extreme poverty lived in middle-income countries.  He asked what action the United Nations system was taking to ensure that poverty eradication efforts were geared toward these persons not just to people in low-income countries.

The representative of Turkey asked for more details on the status of the development of guidelines for age-friendly cities and proposed field work on ageing.

The representative of Colombia asked Mr. Ocampo what action was being planned within the United Nations framework to ensure integrated follow-up to all the summits and conferences on social development.  The representative asked Mr. Schölvinck whether it was possible to identify any regional trends regarding poverty eradication efforts.

The representative of Benin asked to what extent was it possible to integrate social policy in overall economic policy without having a separate social policy.

Mr. OCAMPO responded to the questions raised by the Sudan, Cuba and Cameroon on the commitments made by industrialized countries on debt relief and ODA.  He noted that it was quite clear that since the Monterrey Conference there had been a recovery in the volume of ODA and broad acceptance of the new principles on aid effectiveness.  However, that positive trend did not mean that all industrialized countries would reach the target of donating 0.7 per cent of their gross domestic product, a target that went back to the 1960s but was clearly restated at Monterrey and at the Millennium Summit.  He added that most of the recovery of ODA was associated with debt relief, technical assistance and humanitarian relief efforts and that the international community should take further steps to target ODA channelled through the budgets of recipient countries.  Regarding debt relief, he said there had been a major effort to write off the debt of the poorest countries, but that problems remained.  He also highlighted efforts by the Paris Club to provide debt relief for Nigeria and Iraq among others.  International schemes to address the problem of countries that were over-indebted to the private sector remained insufficient.

Responding to the related question of Lebanon on the relation between ODA and human development, he said that, while many countries could increase public sector spending in social sectors, low-income countries could not achieve development goals with domestic resources alone.  That was why he stressed that more ODA was needed for low-income countries.

Turning to the question raised by Costa Rica, he said it was true that most of the poor resided in middle-income countries especially large ones such as China and Brazil.  Particular attention should be given to middle-income countries and many institutions were providing a framework for dialogue in this area.  He noted that there were plans for Spain to host an international conference on cooperation with middle-income countries.

Addressing the questions of Finland and Colombia on United Nations efforts and follow-up to international meetings on social development, he noted that at the operational level the work was being organized through the United Nations Development Group using the Millennium Development Goals as a framework for action.  He recalled that the 2005 Summit recommended giving the Economic and Social Council the major responsibility for integrated follow-up to international conferences and summits and looked forward to approval of a resolution on that matter.  He added that there was a bit of duplication in the intergovernmental process that needed to be addressed, particularly regarding activities of the Council and the General Assembly.

On the question posed by the representative of Benin, he noted that his call was that the integration of social and economic policies should be given more attention.  Social objectives should be integrated into economic policy not handled as an afterthought, he said.  For example, employment had to be a central aspect of economic policy not just considered separately as part of social policy.

Mr. SCHOLVINCK took up the question from the Philippines, noting that the Secretariat was in the process of consolidating various reports on disability.  Once the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was adopted, further rethinking would need to be done to effective implementation and reporting.

Regarding the question from Turkey, the guidelines on ageing had been edited and were being translated and would be out in time for the next session of the Commission on Social Development.

Ms. BILELLO of UNESCO told the representative from the Sudan that she would provide additional information and statistics requested later in the day.  In response to Cuba’s question, she noted that the executive board was currently meeting to review questions regarding various efforts to fight illiteracy.  UNESCO did not promote a uniform or homogeneous approach, but believed that a heterogeneous approach was required.  She hoped to have more to report after the meetings of the executive board.

The representative of Cuba took the floor again to say that he had the impression that his question was not understood.  He was requesting information on any concrete measures that might be undertaken by UNESCO to eradicate illiteracy.

Ms. BILELLO repeated that at the moment UNESCO was not endorsing any particular policy, but that the executive board was reviewing that question and examining various projects.

DUMISANI S. KUMALO (South Africa), speaking on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, said that, more than 10 years after the World Summit for Social Development and the adaptation of the Copenhagen Declaration, poverty and underdevelopment remained the biggest threats to achieving equality among nations big and small and to ensuring a better life for all.  The core priorities of poverty eradication, social integration and full employment therefore had to stay high on the international agenda.  Slow and uneven progress in achieving the Copenhagen goals, especially the goal of reducing hunger and poverty, was a major concern for the Group of 77 and China, which looked forward to the adoption by consensus of the Committee’s annual resolution on the follow-up to the implementation of the outcome of the World Summit for Social Development.

International cooperation was critical to achieving the goals of social development, he said.  Fundamental to that was the issue of adequate resources, and the Group of 77 and China called upon its developed partners to be faithful to their commitments regarding ODA.  However, ODA could not be the main source of funding for social development; international cooperation had to be geared towards helping countries to develop national social and development policies which were suited to their national situations, and to assisting developing countries in overcoming the legacies of the past.  The Group of 77 and China also supported the continued focus on women, youth, older persons, the family and persons with disabilities.  It was important that those groups be mainstreamed into poverty reduction policies and social development programmes.  Regarding literacy, there had to be a bigger political and financial commitment by Member States and the adoption of explicit literacy policies in order to expand quality primary and lower-secondary education.

JANNE JOKINEN (Finland), speaking on behalf of the European Union, said that, since the adoption of the Copenhagen Declaration, a consensus had emerged which identified poverty reduction as the primary goal of development policies and cooperation.  Monitoring poverty reduction, however, needed clear and measurable indicators.  While focused indicators were part of the Millennium Development Goals, too many countries were not on track to reach them.  Many people in sub-Saharan Africa, especially women and girls as well as rural people were still suffering from pervasive poverty.  It was important to involve such people in poverty alleviation strategies.  Combating poverty would be successful only if equal importance was given to investing in people, protecting natural resources, securing sustainable livelihoods, and investing in wealth creation.

Social integration was an important commitment set out in the Copenhagen Plan of Action, he said.  Societies which functioned peacefully, democratically and in synergy could achieve more than the sum of their parts.  Liberalization, privatization and deregulation were important policy options, but competent Governments and democratic decision-making processes were a prerequisite for social integration, social inclusion and social cohesion.  To move forward, there needed to be consensus on balanced socio-economic, environmentally sustainable strategies, tailored to every community, society and region.  While concrete plans had to emerge at the local and national levels, the United Nations was the best forum for discussing broad principles.  However, in developing countries, while the economic imperatives of globalization were being strongly voiced by finance ministries which enjoyed growing support from donor countries, other Government ministries which were responsible for social protection and other aspects of social policy were often very weak.  They needed to benefit more from strategic partnerships with donor countries and from capacity-building programmes so as to be able to strengthen their voice in national policy-making.

SATOMI OKAGAKI ( Japan) noted that her country supported implementation of commitments made at the World Summit for Social Development in Copenhagen in 1995 and remained committed to implementing internationally agreed development targets, including the Millennium Development Goals.  Japan reiterated its strong support for achieving those commitments based on the people-centred approach of “human security”, which her Government had actively promoted as an essential aspect of foreign policy.  To date, Japan had contributed about $280 million to the Trust Fund for Human Security, which had supported more than 160 projects since it had been established in 1999.

Japan welcomed the agreement on a draft convention to protect the rights of persons with disabilities.  She noted that the continued participation of civil society, including persons with disabilities, in the negotiations had set a good example of cooperation between Member States and civil society.  Japan, which had actively participated in the negotiations, hoped that the Convention would be adopted during the sixty-first session of the General Assembly. 

On issues related to ageing and older persons, she said those concerns remained relatively low on the national and international development agendas in many parts of the world.  The reality of an ageing society presented serious challenges in Japan, where the percentage of the population over age 65 had reached 21 per cent in 2005.  Her country continued to implement policies and programmes on ageing within the broad framework provided by the Madrid Plan of Action.

On literacy, she noted that Japan recognized that investment in education should be the basis for nation-building and was committed to achieving the Literacy Decade goals through international cooperation.  She highlighted the work of the World Terakoya Movement, initiated by the National Federation of UNESCO Associations in Japan in 1989, which had implemented more than 409 projects in 34 countries to provide basic education and improve literacy.

MAJA RŰEGG, youth representative from Switzerland, drew attention to the fact that more than half the world’s population was under the age of 24.  In some countries, up to 70 per cent of the population was under 24.  But at the same time, nearly half of the world’s unemployed were young men and women according to the International Labour Organization.  That had disastrous consequences not just for the individuals involved but for society overall affecting social cohesion, security and peace.  In extreme situations, jobless young people were liable to be tempted by extremism.  Promoting jobs for young people was thus an absolute precondition for social development, and all Governments together with the private sector and civil society had to make it a priority.

While young migrant workers faced some problems, Switzerland had relatively low youth unemployment and many Swiss youth were aware that they were in a relatively well-off situation, she said.  That privileged position enabled Swiss youth to join the struggle for greater solidarity worldwide.  Social integration meant the full participation of all social groups in the life of a country.  The slogan, “Youth are the future”, ignored the fact that young people were here-and-now and that they were essential partners in facing up to global challenges.  Governments had to recognize the primordial role of youth; by the same token, the United Nations had to see youth not only as a social group, but as a key partner in the management of migration, eliminating poverty, promoting human rights, and maintaining peace and security.  The youth perspective had to be integrated into all aspects of the Organization’s work.

SOHA GENDI ( Egypt) said that despite all endeavours and accomplishments since the Copenhagen Declaration, social development had yet to be fully achieved and its core issue of poverty eradication was “still lagging behind”.  That issue has been haunting the international conscience and a sincere political will was needed to overcome its damaging repercussions.  The Secretary-General’s report rightly tackled the uneven progress which States have made in eradicating poverty, a challenge that so many countries still faced especially in Africa.  A recovery plan was needed diagnosing the root causes of poverty and prescribing its cure.

In Egypt, she said, there had been noticeable progress during the past decade achieved through cooperation between Government, the private sector and civil society.  Those efforts had included low-cost housing, gender equality, better services, a five-fold increase in schools and 96 per cent of children registered in primary schools.  Support from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in building hundreds of one-class schools in urban and rural areas was appreciated.  Knowing that poverty and illiteracy were two sides of the same coin, the Egyptian National Institution for Planning had come up with a comprehensive strategy to fight poverty, foster employment, raise wages and fight illiteracy at its roots. 

Over and above the Secretary-General’s report, she said Egypt wanted to underline as well the vital role of employment not only in eradicating poverty but also in achieving sustainable development and meeting the United Nations development agenda.  Egypt hoped to see social development in Africa highlighted as a topic at the sixty-third General Assembly session in order to review what has been achieved on the continent vis-à-vis the Copenhagen Agenda.

LEBOHANG F. MAEMA ( Lesotho), also speaking on behalf of the Southern African Development Community, aligned his statement with that of the “Group of 77” developing countries and China.  The Community attached great importance to implementation of the outcomes of the World Summit for Social Development and the twenty-fourth Special Session of the General Assembly, whose core goals were underscored by the Millennium Declaration and the 2005 World Summit outcome document.  He noted that joint strategies adopted by the Community had helped the region attain a medium-level of human development with some Member States having achieved sustained annual rates of gross domestic product crucial for halving overall poverty by 2015.  However, the Community still faced daunting social and human development challenges including the eradication of poverty as there were more than 14 million people in the region living in abject poverty.  Domestic and foreign resources were being intensively mobilized to finance poverty reduction strategies, with Governments increasingly forging partnerships with the private sector and non-governmental organizations to provide social services.

He noted that the HIV/AIDS pandemic continued to decimate the lives of many and was the most serious threat to socio-economic progress in the region.  The Community had undertaken measures to intensify a comprehensive response to the epidemic.  He called for the implementation within agreed timeframes of all commitments made during the General Assembly special session on HIV/AIDS, including fulfilment of international commitments to provide sufficient resources to support the Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.  He also urged development partners to meet agreed targets of ODA to developing countries.  The Community recognized that development efforts must be complemented by national efforts to provide an enabling legal, economic and social environment, he said, noting the importance of democracy and good governance.  He applauded the historic steps taken by the Congo for holding democratic elections in a peaceful and transparent manner.  The Community reiterated its commitment to the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing and also welcomed the recent adoption by the Ad-Hoc Committee on the convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

FARUKH AMIL ( Pakistan) said that despite a multitude of commitments at United Nations gatherings, positive changes in the lives of the poor, disenfranchised and marginalized were taking place too slowly.  Many parts of the world were still off-track in reaching internationally agreed development goals.  Attention had to be focused on achieving uniform progress on poverty eradication, job creation and social integration; adopting an inclusive approach in addressing the root causes of poverty; eliminating the asymmetries of globalization; creating new financial resources through increased ODA, debt cancellation and increasing equity in trade; resolving ongoing armed conflicts; and using the opportunities created by migration in order to meet the Millennium Development Goals.

In Pakistan, he said, an economic upsurge and high growth trajectory maintained over several years had helped to bring poverty down from 34.5 per cent in 2001 to 23.8 per cent in 2006.  Since 2003-2004 and until the first half of 2005-2006, 5.82 million new jobs had been created and the unemployment rate had dropped to 6.5 per cent at the end of 2005.  These gains came despite rising energy prices and the October 2005 earthquake.  Economic growth alone could not fulfil the needs of the poor, however, and the Government had taken steps to redistribute State land to landless tenants and to make credit available on easy terms among other measures.  Regarding international trade, it was known to all that the existing trading rules were weighed against developing countries.  Huge agriculture subsidies and market-access restrictions in rich countries were visible examples of this inequity.  It was necessary to build upon the recommendations of the World Summit 2005 on ODA targets, debt relief, enhancing and improving aid, and advancing on trade, investment flows and global governance.

IDREES MOHAMED ALI MOHAMMED SAEED (the Sudan), supporting the statement made by the “Group of 77” developing countries and China, noted that the Copenhagen Summit of 1995 had laid down a pragmatic methodology to deal comprehensively with issues of social development.  A global partnership for development was needed to achieve agreed objectives.  Achievements so far were considerable but had fallen short of ambitions and expectations, he said, calling for further intensification of efforts.  Aware of the relationship between education and development, the Sudan supported the plan for improving literacy and was working with UNESCO particularly on programmes to provide education in rural areas.

The Sudan had improved development of all social sectors including for women, youth, and older and disabled persons.  A comprehensive peace agreement signed last year had provided a great impetus to these attempts and created the basis for a political system that recognized the importance of diversity, democracy, the rule of law, good governance and respect for human rights, he said.  His Government also had signed a peace agreement on Darfur in May under the auspices of the African Union and with the blessing of the United Nations.  Meanwhile, in Eritrea, negotiations regarding Eastern Sudan had made progress and might be completed soon.  As the Sudan accepted the challenges of peace, it looked forward to the international community fulfilling its commitments to relieving debt burdens and removing obstacles to development.  The Sudan looked forward to implementing the Madrid Plan for Action on Ageing and supported the agreed Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities.

IFTEKHAR AHMED CHOWDHURY ( Bangladesh) said there had been both progress and setbacks in the past decade.  Root causes of poverty such as unequal distribution of assets, income and opportunities as well as insecurity and vulnerability, social exclusion and powerlessness had not been adequately addressed.  Bangladesh regretted that the Commission for Social Development had ended its forty-fourth session without any outcome on the priority theme of poverty eradication.  Without greater efforts in the United Nations, it would not be possible to achieve the shared goal of poverty eradication.

In Bangladesh as elsewhere, poverty was multidimensional and, sadly, pervasive, he said.  The battle against it had to be waged on several fronts.  His country’s eight-point strategy included the areas of employment, nutrition, quality education, local governance, maternal health, sanitation and safe water, criminal justice and monitoring.  Already, it had achieved the highest primary-school enrolment rates and the incidence of poverty had fallen from over 70 per cent in 1971 to around 40 per cent in 2005.  Microcredit programmes had reached over 12 million people, most of them women.  Bangladesh was pleased to see the finalization of the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities, but developing countries urgently needed technical and financial support in order to prepare to be parties to the Convention.  At the regional level, through the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), poverty alleviation strategies had been undertaken addressing hard-core poverty at the grass roots level.  Bangladesh stood ready to share its best practices with the wider international community.

ZHANG DAN (China), supporting the statement made by the representative of South Africa on behalf of the “Group of 77” developing countries and China, said that despite some progress there was still a long way to go before the goal of poverty eradication was achieved.  Addressing the issue of poverty was not just an economic issue but also a political one, and offered three suggestions for tackling the problem.  First, there was a need to build a peaceful, stable international environment that sustained harmonious development.  The international community should make real efforts to maintain regional peace, contain conflicts and create a favourable environment for economic development and eradication of poverty.  Second, there was a need to strengthen the global partnership based on mutual benefit and the win-win principle.  Development aid provided the necessary resources for poverty eradication and would help move globalization towards a mutually beneficial outcome ensuring prosperity for all, she said.  Third, a poverty eradication model should be based on the participation of all sectors of society including Governments, the private sector and non-governmental organizations.  Efforts should be made through broad-based dialogue to mobilize all types of resources to bring new life and vitality to the global cause of poverty eradication.

China, which sought to achieve poverty eradication through sustainable development, had achieved remarkable success over the past two decades, he continued.  The number of people living in poverty in China had been reduced from 250 million in 1978 to 23.65 million at the end of 2005.  China now faced the dual tasks of meeting the basic needs of the remaining poor while consolidating its achievements.  Despite its large poor population, China had actively participated in international cooperation and supported poverty eradication efforts in least developed countries through measures such as debt relief and tariff waivers.  China also actively supported the global cause of literacy, including through its financial contribution to the Confucius Scholarship established by UNESCO in 2005 and by hosting UNESCO’s fifth high-level meeting on Education for All.  China had achieved the Education for All goal of cutting the illiterate population by half and the Millennium Development Goal of reducing by half the proportion of people living in poverty. 

MICHELLE JOSEPH (Saint Lucia), speaking on behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), said economic and social inequities remained formidable challenges, six years after the adoption of the Millennium Development Goals.  Some 30,000 children died of preventable disease every day; every minute a woman died from complications in pregnancy and childbirth; some 60 countries had actually become poorer in the 1990s; clean drinking water remained unavailable for more than one billion people.  For small island developing States, economic and social vulnerability remained critical and unique factors in realizing sustainable development.  It was with utmost urgency that CARICOM reiterated the importance of implementing the outcomes of international mandates which affected small island developing countries.

She recalled the High-Level Ministerial Dialogue on Social Security and Sustainable Social Development in the Caribbean held in June.  At that meeting, it had been recognized that while the Caribbean had performed well in a number of areas, poverty and inequity remained serious development challenges with education, social vulnerability, youth in transition and HIV/AIDS being highlighted.  It was quite remarkable that progress had been made, however, despite the turbulence of globalization and a fast-changing economic and social environment.

YOUCEF YOUSFI (Algeria), supporting the statement made on behalf of the “Group of 77” developing countries and China, noted that the agreement to reduce by half by 2015 the proportion of the population living in extreme poverty had emerged as a cornerstone of the global agenda for development.  However, 10 years on, one must admit that results were not up to expectations, he said.  Poverty appeared to be not retreating but advancing, which was particularly obvious in the African context.  A number of African countries were besieged by galloping poverty due to their lack of resources, the difficulty of accessing global markets and the spread of pandemics.  The New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) was waging a resolute campaign against poverty, but relied on solidarity from institutional and State partners.  Algeria noted the importance of good governance and freer external trade in promoting economic growth and development, but believed that it was also necessary to eliminate debt, improve the access of poor countries to international markets, and for donor countries to meet their commitment to provide 0.7 per cent of their gross domestic product to ODA.

He noted that the Social Development Commission was unable to achieve consensus on whether it should include consideration of economic measures to combat poverty.  Algeria believed that it was not possible to fight against poverty without integrating economic policy into planned actions.  His country had made tremendous progress through implementing a national strategy to combat poverty as evident in its rise on the human development index and the almost total elimination of extreme poverty.  In closing, he noted his country’s support for adoption of the International Convention for the Promotion and Protection of Persons with Disabilities.

SHIN DONG IK ( Republic of Korea), called poverty a fundamental hindrance to social development.  While there had been progress in eradicating poverty in the past decade, much remained to be done.  Every country had to take primary responsibility for eradicating poverty and pursue development within its borders.  However, development assistance ought to be increased significantly not only for humanitarian reasons, but also from an economic and security standpoint.  Less poverty would lead to greater purchasing power, expanded markets, more jobs and the growth of domestic corporations.  It would also encourage democracy, good governance, and regional and global security.

The target of 0.7 per cent of gross national income for development assistance set at the World Summit 2005 was the cornerstone of the Republic of Korea’s commitment to the Millennium Development Goals, he said.  As part of its pledge to double overall ODA by 2009, the Republic of Korea would substantially increase its development assistance to Africa.  The lesson to be drawn from the Republic of Korea’s experience was that education was central to development and that women and girls played the most effective role for social change and progress.  Lasting social change could not be realized until women were fully incorporated into the process.  Regarding ageing, the Republic of Korea had one of the fastest-ageing societies in the world with 9.5 per cent of its people living over the age of 65.  The Government had promoted measures and policies to integrate the ideas set out in the Madrid Action Plan on Ageing.  These included creating jobs for older people, strengthening social integration through inter-generational relations, and raising a positive awareness of older persons.

SAFIYA ÇAĞAR, Director of the Information, Executive Board and Resource Mobilization Division of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), said that poverty was more than a lack of income, but also a lack of opportunity and choice, a lack of rights and resources.  Far too many women and young people were denied opportunities to improve their lives.  As was stressed by the Secretary-General and others, without radical change in the approach of the international community towards poverty eradication, agreed targets would not be achieved.  It was time to put people first and keep the promises made including those to reduce poverty and achieve the Millennium Development Goals, to deepen debt relief, to make trade fair, to reach the target of 0.7 per cent of gross domestic product for aid, to secure women’s rights, to fight corruption and embody good governance, and to improve aid effectiveness.

To advance social development, the Fund focused on promoting human rights and the leadership of women, the youth and the elderly, she said.  The world was witnessing an unprecedented increase in the ageing population with one person in ten aged 60 or over, and that figure was due to rise to one in five by mid-century.  There was a strong need for Governments and the international community to provide improved public services and social protection for the elderly.  At the same time, there were more young people than ever before.  The Fund had identified four priority areas in promoting the human rights of youth:  working with young people to incorporate their issues in national development plans and poverty reduction strategies; facilitating the provision of comprehensive, life skills-based education including sexuality education; improving sexual and reproductive health; and supporting youth participation and leadership.  The Fund also worked in more than 140 countries to create an environment where women’s rights were secure; violence against women was prevented, treated and punished; and sexual and reproductive health was guaranteed.  The agency believed that linking sexual and reproductive health and HIV/AIDS services would reverse both the feminization and spread of the AIDS pandemic.

DJANKOU NDJONKOU, Director of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Office for the United Nations, recalled how the Copenhagen Programme of Action gave the ILO a special role in employment and social development.  It had carried out a significant amount of work in the area of employment promotion thus contributing to the pursuit of poverty eradication and social integration.  Youth employment was a main point of focus for the ILO with particular emphasis on training and employment promotion strategies.  The Organization was also committed to the issue of older workers and population ageing specifically in elaborating international standards regarding employment, invalidity, old-age and survivors’ benefits, standards and guidance on retirement policies, the level of pension entitlements and maintaining the standard of living of pensioners.  Special attention was being given to gender related issues in ageing given that women make up the majority of the over-60 population in many countries.

Regarding workers with disabilities, he said such individuals were frequently trapped in a vicious circle of marginalization, poverty and social exclusion.  Barriers faced by disabled persons in the labour market had to overcome through policy measures, regulations, programmes and services.  Working families meanwhile faced two fundamental problems:  discrimination in caring for their families and lack of decent working conditions.  An important first step in addressing this problem was the ILO Convention No. 156 on Workers with Family Responsibilities, but its ratification by a number of countries was not enough.  Many of the worst experiences of working families could have been avoided through decent working conditions and simple services such as maternity and paternity leave, appropriate working hours, adequate wages and affordable child care.

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For information media • not an official record