Commission for Social Development

Forty-sixth Session

10^th & 11^th Meetings (AM & PM)

IN SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION, SPEAKERS ARGUE FOR ‘INCLUSIVE DEVELOPMENT’,

INTEGRATING PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES INTO DEVELOPMENT AGENDA

Also Hears Presentation on Women’s Progress in Global Labour Market

With nearly 10 per cent of the world’s population -- some 650 million people -- living with some form of disability, 80 per cent of them in developing countries, delegations speaking before the Commission for Social Development today urged States to fulfil their duty to provide dignity and quality of life for all segments of their populations.

Along with an expert panel discussion on disabilities, the Commission also heard a presentation on “full employment and decent work: intensification of efforts to eliminate all forms of violence against women” by Manuela Tomei, Director of the Working Conditions Branch of the International Labour Organization (ILO).

Kicking off the panel discussion, Rosangela Berman-Bieler, Executive Director of the Inter-American Institute on Disability and Inclusive Development, said people were often locked in a vicious circle of poverty and disability.  Poor people were at risk of acquiring a disability due to a lack of access to good nutrition, health care and living conditions, while disabilities created barriers to education, employment and public services -- the very things that would help lift them out of poverty.  An estimated 100 million people in the world acquired a disability due to malnutrition, and only about 20 to 30 per cent of children with disabilities attended school in the developing world.

Those and other challenges underscored the need for “inclusive development”, an emerging concept that recognized diversity as fundamental to sustainable socio-economic and human development, she said.  It was based on the notion that every human being could contribute to the development process.  Rather than isolated policies, it promoted an integrated strategy benefiting individuals and, as a result, whole societies.  To structure such a strategy, she suggested all projects related to education, health promotion and social protection consider disabled people.

Echoing that call, Charlotte McClain-Nhlapo, Senior Operations Officer at the World Bank, pointed out that removing barriers to participation, for example, would not only improve the lives of people with disabilities, but society as a whole, by increasing productivity, lowering employment and reducing reliance on Governments.  With the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2006, the question was no longer “why” to include disabled people in the development process, but “how”.  The landmark instrument called for the allocation, on a predictable and sustainable basis, of budget and other resources for programmes targeted for poverty alleviation among persons with disabilities.

In her afternoon presentation, Ms. Tomei described how women had fared in the global labour market over the last decade.  The 1996-2006 period had seen some positive developments.  For example, gender gaps in education had declined everywhere and women’s entry into the labour market had continued in most countries, creating greater economic opportunities and greater needs.  In addition, women’s employment-to-population ratios had increased, while those for men had dropped.

At the same time, however, too many women continued to work without pay, she said.  In South Asia, for example, 62.6 per cent of total employed females fell into that category.  Women were often overrepresented among informal workers and bore a heavier workload than men, due to longer hours in unpaid work.  To illustrate that trend, she pointed to the case of Ghana, where women devoted 88.7 hours per week to paid and unpaid work, while men only 57.6 hours.  On top of such challenges, women, on average, continued to earn less than men, even for the same work and work of equal value.

Among the causes was discrimination, notably in the allocation of jobs, which constituted “occupational segregation”.  Discrimination was also based on pregnancy and motherhood, seen in such areas as remuneration and in the form of sexual harassment.  As for what to do, she urged a combination of policy devices, first to measure and monitor trends in labour market outcomes for women and men.  She encouraged the development of “proactive laws”, rather than individual complaint-based mechanisms, and consistency between labour codes and civil or family laws.  Obstacles to justice should also be lowered.

In other business, Johan Schölvinck, Director for the Division for Social Policy and Development in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, drew attention to two notes before the Commission on its future work in light of its recent adoption of two-year, action-oriented implementation cycles, which included a review and a policy segment.  One note informed the Commission that the Secretariat, in consultation with the Bureau, had proposed “social integration” as the priority theme for the 2009-2010 review and policy cycle.

Also participating in today’s panel discussion were Venus M. Ilagan, First Vice-President of International Relations of the Disabled Peoples’ International World Council; Barbara Murray, Senior Specialist, Disability Skills and Employability Department, International Labour Organization; and Ronald Wiman, Senior Social Development Adviser in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland.  Claude Heller, Permanent Representative of Mexico, served as Moderator.

Taking part in the interactive discussion were the representatives of Egypt, Brazil, Haiti, Indonesia and the Philippines.  Slovenia, on behalf of the European Union, made a general statement that was not circulated and a representative of Rehabilitation International also spoke.

Speaking in the general discussion on disabilities was the Deputy Minister for Social Protection, Family and Child of Moldova.  The Director of the Division of Rehabilitation for Persons with Disabilities in the Ministry of Health and Welfare of the Republic of Korea also spoke, as did the representatives of Germany, Argentina (on behalf of the Southern Common Market), Cuba, Colombia and Mexico.

A representative of the International Labour Organization also spoke.

Taking the floor on the Commission’s methods of work were the representatives of Slovenia (on behalf of the European Union), Cuba, Switzerland and South Africa.

The representatives of Indonesia, Jamaica and the Netherlands spoke in the interactive discussion following the presentation by Ms. Tomei, as did a representative of United Families International.

The Commission will reconvene at 10 a.m. Thursday, 14 February, to hear the introduction of draft resolutions.

Background

The Commission for Social Development met today to hear a panel discussion and hold an interactive dialogue on “mainstreaming disability into the development agenda”.  It was also expected to begin its general discussion of matters related to disability, as well as hear a briefing on “full employment and decent work: intensification of efforts to eliminate all forms of violence against women”.

Panel Discussion

Launching the morning’s panel discussion, Moderator CLAUDE HELLER ( Mexico) said his country had promoted strengthening of the rights of persons with disabilities.  He was pleased that more than 120 countries had signed the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, saying that only four more signatures were required for the instrument to come into force.  Mexico was among the first 20 countries to sign the Convention, and he urged others to do so, as the Convention was both a human rights and a development instrument.  Several publications contained guidelines on persons with disabilities, among them those published by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).  In closing, he expressed his hope for arriving at useful conclusions to address the needs of persons with disabilities.

Panellist ROSANGELA BERMAN-BIELER, Executive Director of the Inter-American Institute on Disability and Inclusive Development, said that diversity was what characterized the populations the development sector was meant to serve; each individual had a diverse way of functioning.  With that in mind, societies, therefore, had a responsibility to provide dignity and quality of life, equally, to all its members.  Further, public-sector projects and programmes, throughout the development spectrum, must be fully inclusive of societies’ diversity -- from design to implementation.

She went on to say that nearly 10 per cent of the world’s population -- some 650 million people, 80 per cent of whom lived in developing countries -- lived with some form of disability.  People with disabilities were locked in a vicious circle of poverty and disability: poor people were at risk of acquiring a disability because of a lack of access to good nutrition, health care, sanitation and living conditions, while disabilities created barriers to education, employment and public services -- the very things that would help lift them out of poverty.  By example, she said that it was estimated that 100 million people in the world acquired a disability due to malnutrition, and only about 20 to 30 per cent of children with disabilities attended school in the developing world.

In addition, 80 to 90 per cent of the world’s disabled people were unemployed or outside the formal work sector, doing jobs that paid little or nothing.  Those and other challenges highlighted the need for Governments to bolster their efforts to ensure inclusive development.  That emerging concept recognized diversity as a fundamental aspect in the process of sustainable socio-economic and human development.  It was also based on the notion that each and every human being could contribute to the development process.  Rather than isolated policies and actions, inclusive development promoted an integrated strategy benefiting individuals and, as a result, whole societies.

“Inclusive development is an effective tool for overcoming social exclusion, combating poverty and ensuring social and economic sustainability,” she continued, adding that, in reality: “Sustainable development means inclusive development!”  Here, she highlighted some possible suggestions on ways inclusive policy interventions could be structured, including that all projects related to education, health promotion and social protection should consider disabled people and their families.  Further, access to building space, as well as information, should also be taken into account, and all projects involving construction of schools, heath facilities and other public administration buildings should be planned with the principle of inclusive design.  She also said that all HIV/AIDS- and youth-targeted projects should include disabled people and their families among their focus groups and as their direct beneficiaries.

VENUS M. ILAGAN, First Vice-President of International Relations of the Disabled Peoples’ International World Council, said her organization today worked with 140 municipal and city governments in the Philippines to holistically rehabilitate children with disabilities and promote their rights.  The organization’s 13-year partnership with governments had helped some 14,000 children, with more than 8,000 of them now in school.  She underscored the point that investing in a disabled child’s health at an early age was more economical than taking care of an un-rehabilitated and unproductive person in the longer term.

To date, the Philippine Government had invested 120 million pesos, or $3 million, in programmes to help disabled children.  She discussed lessons learned through the years by first pointing out that Governments were not always aware of the various ways to help disabled persons, which created opportunities for organizations to advise and partner with them.  Regardless of a country’s economic strength, resources could be made available to help the disabled when there was the desire to do so.  To make that point, she cited an example of a mayor in a Philippine town who had invested 3 million pesos to build a centre for disabled children in three weeks time. “That is unusual in the Philippines,” she said.

She said that gender development funding could also be accessed, particularly for disabled women, and there were opportunities to seek them out.  As service providers, organizations were in a position to convince Governments that it was important to serve those with disabilities.  To make visible impacts, it was often best for organizations to work with local governments, which often had their own resources, understood local realities and had the means to reach out to local communities.  Identifying “champions” within Government to “argue the issues” on behalf of disabled people, was also effective.

To make projects sustainable and to instil a sense of community ownership in them, “don’t underestimate the capacity of communities to produce resources”, she said.  Further, it was important to continuously build allies within various groups -- such as women’s groups -- to speak about disability, as that greatly increased awareness.  To underscore that point, she said that, had it not been for pressure from the Philippine disabled community, her Government would have not signed the Convention on the Rights of Disabled Persons.

“We cannot afford to exclude people with disabilities just because they are disabled,” said the next panellist, CHARLOTTE MCCLAIN-NHLAPO, Senior Operations Officer at the World Bank.  People with disabilities had the same wishes -- and the same rights -- as everyone else to feel needed and to be a part of society.  Mainstreaming was, therefore, about fundamental rights and human dignity.  Removing barriers to participation would not only improve the lives of people with disabilities, but society as a whole, by increasing productivity, lowering employment and reducing reliance on Governments.

She went on to say that, with the adoption of the Convention in 2006, the question was no longer “why” to include disabled people in the development process, but “how”.  To that end, the principles of the Convention must be advanced with conviction, in real terms, including the landmark instrument’s call to adopt comprehensive approaches to policies and programmes that were socially inclusive, disability responsive and gender sensitive.  In addition, the Convention called for the allocation, on a predictable and sustainable basis, of budget and other resources for programmes targeted for poverty alleviation among persons with disabilities.

Overall, it was necessary to ensure that development efforts were directed to attain impacts that were equitably beneficial for all people, she said.  And, though she was not in favour of a “cookie-cutter” approach to policy creation -- the task required some nuance, as societies and populations within them were endlessly diverse -- the Convention should serve as a framework.  That said, however, there were some broad scale actions that could be taken, including the identification of barriers, such as societal attitudes that hindered people with disabilities from participating and benefiting from policies and programmes.

She said that, to promote the required shift in public policy planning, it would also be necessary to examine, among other things, how new policies were supporting the attainment of outcomes and to what extent persons with disabilities were involved in the planning of such policies.  For the shift to be successful, the increased responsibilities for people with disabilities must be accompanied by the guarantee of adequate support, such as adequate cash benefits, services, incentives for workers and employers, anti-discrimination laws and attitudes that promoted full participation in the labour market.

Finally, she said that mainstreaming of disability was an instrument to promote equality of opportunities for disabled people.  Implementing a mainstreaming strategy was a complex and long-term process that required a diverse approach, as well as political commitment.  It demanded analysis of the current situation to establish the impact of disability policies, better data, funding and participation of people with disabilities in the decision-making process.

BARBARA MURRAY, Senior Specialist, Disability Skills and Employability Department, International Labour Organization (ILO), gave practical examples of how States could help disabled persons in the course of pursuing development strategies, saying first that creation of good work was important for the inclusion of disabled persons in societies, whether through companies or self-employment.  Meeting the challenge of creating productive work conditions should involve Governments, companies, community groups and disabled persons’ organizations, as there were several factors that determined the paths that disabled people would follow throughout their lives.

Describing the current situation, she said there were almost 500 million people with disabilities of working age worldwide.  While many of them had set up small businesses, millions faced adverse conditions, including much lower earnings than non-disabled people.  Due to earlier experiences of exclusion, many were discouraged at the prospect of attempting to enter the workforce in the first place.  As a result, many disabled often ended up in “passive resistance” programmes, reliant on families and charities.  They were more likely to be poor and have limited access to education and training that would improve their income prospects.

To address such gaps, she said, enabling legislation was needed, as many people were hampered by legal provisions that incorporated a charity-based, rather than a rights-based, understanding of disability.  However, she had been encouraged by the involvement of disabled people in the creation of new laws, particularly in the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zanzibar.  General employment legislation must also be reviewed from a disability perspective, to ensure it did not contain disability-constraining provisions, such as those regulating the number of hours disabled people could work each day.  Enabling policies were also needed in education, vocational training, employment services, access to credit and public transport, all of which affected the employability of disabled persons.

Access to updated skills was also an issue, and policies must be reviewed to ensure that training courses were certified and offered useful skills, she said.  Public employment services could reach out to companies at job fairs, a strategy that had led to the successful recruitment of disabled persons in Asia.  Finally, she said, States had a role to play in increasing access to business skills and credit, particularly in developing countries, and creating measures to combat the stereotypes that often led to discrimination.

RONALD WIMAN, Senior Social Development Adviser in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland, said the Convention had led to a move away from the charity, welfare or simple protection models to a rights-based approach.  Human rights were indivisible and disability cut across all societies.  Therefore, it deserved equal attention in policy-making.  Such policies should be non-discriminatory, ensure reasonable accommodation and adhere to the principle of “design for all”.  The process should be guided by the framework set out under the Convention and should also include the active participation of persons with disabilities.

Highlighting next some of his Government’s experience, he said that approximately 5 per cent of Finland’s official development assistance (ODA) was earmarked for disability-specific activities.  Much of that funding was channelled through non-governmental organizations.  At the same time, he stressed that disability-specific activities did not amount to “mainstreaming”.   Finland believed that mainstreaming implied a long history of support for efforts to improve the situation of persons with disabilities.  For its part, Finland had provided support to the World Bank to include disability aspects in Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers sector analyses.  It had also included a disability training component in its Foreign Ministry and launched the Global Partnership on Disability and Development, along with Italy, Norway and the World Bank.

Wrapping up, he said that disability issues should be handled within the context of the main policy planning for each and every sector, not just as an afterthought or add-on.  Coverage of disability issues should be budgeted as part of normal and necessary costs required for acceptable outcomes from the perspective of human development, social sustainability, equity, accessibility and economic cost-effectiveness.

Responding to questions, Ms. BERMAN-BIELER focused first on the link between ageing and disability, in light of increasing life expectancy, saying that States should take macro-actions to reduce social barriers that excluded people with disabilities.  By example, she said States were increasing their use of social benefits, which provided money for families to provide for their children’s health and education.  She urged delegates to consider a family with a disabled parent, who was unable to meet the requirements to receive such funding.  Children in that family would lack access to education and health services.  The system imposed a “double penalty” on poor families in which there was a disabled person.  She urged that disability be considered in terms of providing an equitable environment for the disabled.

Ms. MCCLAIN-NHLAPO focused on mainstreaming as a “system-wide approach”.  It was a process towards transformation, often long.  The question was: “What can States do on an incremental level?”  It was important to have clear terms of reference on who should be doing what, and to develop systems of accountability.  She urged educating the judiciary to foster the understanding that rights pertained to everyone, and raising awareness within disabled communities of their rights.

On reviewing the Millennium Development Goals with a “disability lens”, she said the Goal on universal primary education, for example, did not exclude children with disabilities.  Inherent in the Goal to halve poverty was attention to the disabled, who were disproportionately among the world’s poor.

Mr. WIMAN said it was a “golden moment” to start putting policies into practice.  Decisions must be made to cover institutions system-wide.  There were many tools, but they must be tailored to each country’s situation.  Multi-stakeholder partnerships were among those tools, meaning that Governments, civil society, academia and businesses must be involved in solutions.  “We must first of all admit that we can do better,” he said.

Ms. ILAGAN drew attention to the importance of narrowing the gap among those who were aware of the Convention and those who were not.

Ms. MURRAY, responding to a question on increasing coherence among the three United Nations mechanisms -– the Standard Rules, the Programme of Action and the Convention -– said ILO Convention 159 was the single legally binding treaty that addressed disabled persons’ issues, and she urged that it be recognized in United Nations documentation on that matter.  Developing guidelines for States to implement the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities should be part of increasing the coherence of the instruments in the human rights and development arenas.

Statements

RUDIGER URECH ( Germany) said his Government considered the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities as both a human rights document and a development tool.  The Convention clarified the ways in which the rights of persons with disabilities applied to sectors such as education, employment, social protection and health.  It also had numerous implications for development actors, including those related to international cooperation, capacity-building, research and accessibility, and towards the implementation of inclusive development programmes.

For its part, Germany had published a policy paper on disability and development reflecting the rights-based, inclusive development approach regarding persons with disabilities.  The paper had also reflected the Government’s broad discussions with ministries and civil society actors concerning the relevant advancement and inclusion of persons with disabilities in all spheres of life.  He said that Germany was also collaborating intensively with civil society partners worldwide in a number of projects on inclusive poverty-reduction efforts.  Still, he said, much remained to be done, and Germany was committed to working towards inclusive development and respecting the rights and needs of vulnerable groups.

JORGE ARGÜELLO ( Argentina), speaking on behalf of the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR), said the international community must recognize the relationship between disability and development, especially since 80 per cent of the people with disabilities lived in the global South, many in poverty.  That said, the adoption and eventual entry into force of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities would provide significant guidance for Governments as they faced the task of mainstreaming the perspectives of persons with disabilities in their development programmes and strategies, bearing in mind the instrument’s rights-based approach.

He went on to say that the States members of MERCOSUR were strongly committed to democratic inclusiveness and respect for fundamental human rights.  Those States welcomed measures that had been taken both within the United Nations system and on the initiative of individual Member States and civil society organizations to strengthen efforts to mainstream disability at all levels.  At this stage, the international community was still in the process of building a consensus on the definition of the notion of a “disability perspective”, the ultimate goal of which must ensure the full integration of persons with disabilities into society.  At the same time, the lack of a definition should not hamper or deter Governments from taking urgent measures to mainstream that perspective in both national and international development agendas.

LUCIA GAVRILITA, Deputy Minister for Social Protection, Family and Child of Moldova, said that her Ministry, which had been created almost exactly one year ago, was committed to promoting real reforms in social protections throughout the country, specifically towards expanding social services and making social assistance more efficient.  The Ministry had already launched several reforms, including the signing of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and, last December, Moldova’s President had outlined the key changes required regarding persons with disabilities.  Those changes at the national level were meant to serve as a platform for ratification of the Convention, she added.

On the current situation in Moldova, she said that more than 50 per cent of people with disabilities were over 50 years old, and 55 per cent lived in rural areas.  In light of the President’s initiative, Moldova had identified specific targets for social reform, including, among others, social services and early intervention.  Social services development would aim to supplement cash benefits and encourage people with disabilities to participate more in society.

As for early intervention, she said that educational institutions were the entry point to social integration, and Moldova was making sure that they were hospitable, physically accessible and had enough resources to provide targeted assistance throughout the educational process.  She said that reforming the social protection strategy for people with disabilities was perhaps one of the most ambitious initiatives the Government had undertaken.  Indeed, implementation carried with it certain risks, as the challenges impacting disabled people were myriad and the answers to many questions remained unclear.  Still, the Government would press ahead and had recognized that the process should involve all social sectors, including central and local authorities, international and non-governmental organizations, the private sector and organizations for persons with disabilities.

Mr. QUINTANILLA ROMÁN ( Cuba) said his country, since 1959, had put measures in place for the disabled, including universal free access to social services.  Indeed, the Government had always sought to address disabled persons’ needs, despite the harsh embargo imposed on the country by the United States.  Disabled persons’ issues were at the core of Cuba’s development plan years before the creation of the Convention on the Rights of Disabled Persons, demonstrating its commitment to their situation.  Since 1995, the Government had created measures to care for disabled persons and instituted methods for implementing and monitoring policies.  The plan, made up of 50 programmes, brought together various stakeholders in addressing disabled persons’ rights vis-à-vis education, employment, training and access to information and communications technology.  The National Council for Persons with Disability was in charge of coordination.

In the area of employment, he said State programmes had helped some 28,000 disabled persons integrate into the labour force.  In terms of mainstreaming, Cuba had undertaken measures in the areas of education, culture and sport, and had worked to eliminate architectural barriers.  In closing, he reiterated Cuba’s strong commitment to promoting the rights of persons with disabilities and developing programmes for their full integration into society.

CARLOS SUAREZ ( Colombia), endorsing Argentina’s statement on behalf of MERCOSUR, said that, in 2004, the National Economic and Social Policy Council had adopted a disability policy, which included mitigation, prevention and remedies, and measures to improve the conditions of the most vulnerable.  Within its social protection system, Colombia had worked to promote a policy that would offer ways to comprehensively improve social conditions for disabled people and improve access to training and rehabilitation programmes.

The Government also sought to adopt measures whereby public and private entities would remove all barriers preventing disabled people from taking part in their work, he said.  Poverty exacerbated disability, which was why Colombia was mainstreaming disability in the development agenda.  To be successful in that pursuit, he called for strengthening international initiatives.  Further, national capacities for incorporating disabled persons in decision-making must be approved.

DONGHO KIM, Director, Division of Rehabilitation for Persons with Disabilities in the Ministry of Health and Welfare of the Republic of Korea, said that, as with gender mainstreaming, mainstreaming disabilities meant more than increasing the participation of persons with disabilities in decision-making processes.  While such participation was important, a truly inclusive approach required that development agendas included major consideration of disability perspectives in policy-making and resource allocation.  Ultimately, mainstreaming persons with disabilities demanded changing social structures and culture to be more inclusive of, and accessible to, them.

He went on to say that, halfway to the 2015 target date for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, the United Nations “Fact Sheet on Persons with Disabilities” revealed a grim link between poverty and disability.  The results spotlighted, among other things, that every initiative undertaken to meet those important Goals -- from poverty eradication to gender equality and education -- should give special attention to inclusiveness and accessibility of persons with disabilities.  Here, he cautioned that the starting point for policymaking required solid reliable data on the current situation of persons with disabilities.  The Republic of Korea looked forward to the accumulation of such data and statistics in order to monitor implementation of the Convention.

Highlighting some of his Government’s efforts to mainstream disabilities into the development agenda, he said the Republic of Korea had improved the legal and institutional foundation for the social participation of such persons, among other ways by enacting last year the Anti-Discrimination against and Remedies for Persons with Disabilities Act.  It was also reforming its medical judgement-based disability classification system, hoping to pave the way for services tailored to individual needs.

AMALIA GAMIO RIOS ( Mexico) identified 10 points for mainstreaming disability, which included strengthening the promotion of decent work.  The exclusion of disability in State policy constituted discrimination, and Mexico fully supported including such matters in all policies, particularly vis-à-vis the elderly, children and indigenous people.  A human rights perspective must be incorporated into policies and, in line with the Millennium Development Goals, Mexico supported using acquired experience in incorporating a gender perspective into policies.  Further, it was fundamental for the disabled to play a strong role in the adoption of decisions and to strengthen networks that included civil society organizations.

In compiling data and statistics, she continued, States must update their information.  For justice department staff, disability training should be provided. For health personnel, she urged that disability training be provided to all, not only those in prevention and rehabilitation services, as that would, for example, help ensure access to general and reproductive services for disabled people.  In sum, she said, initiatives must be focused both on broad-ranging national plans and on measurable actions within sectoral programmes.

Ms. MURRAY, International Labour Organization, said that, for many years, ILO had promoted employability of women and men with disabilities through its standards on discrimination and disability; the development of knowledge on good practice, training and employment; its policy advisory and advocacy work; and through its technical cooperation efforts.

By example, she said that ILO recommendation No.99 on vocational rehabilitation of disabled persons had been adopted in 1955 and had become an important and relevant instrument towards the mainstreaming of training, non-discrimination in pay and the application of general, statutory regulations in the employment of disabled persons.  She added that the theme of the inclusion of persons with disabilities in general programmes and services was reflected in ILO’s work on identifying good practice in training and employment, and in ongoing technical cooperation projects in Africa and Asia.  ILO was, in the coming months, also moving towards promoting consideration of a disability perspective across all of its activities relating to employment.

Methods of Work

JOHAN SCHÖLVINCK, Director, Division for Social Policy and Development in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, drew the delegations’ attention to notes before them on the Commission’s future work.  The first note (document E/CN.5/2008/5) was prepared pursuant to Economic and Social Council resolution 2005/11, which called on the Commission to undertake a review of the functioning of the two-year review and policy cycle, in order to ensure that that approach enhanced its effectiveness and functioning.  Further, pursuant to Council resolution 2006/18, the Commission was expected to identify the theme for the 2009-2010 review and policy cycle.

According to the note, in view of the fact that the Commission had taken up the issue of poverty eradication at its forty-fourth session and full employment and decent work at its forty-fifth and forty-sixth sessions, the Secretariat, in consultation with the Bureau of the Commission, proposed the theme “Social integration” as the priority theme for the 2009-2010 review and policy cycle.

Mr. Schölvinck said the second note (document E/CN.5/2008/9) invited the Commission to review the proposed strategic framework for the biennium 2010-2011 and to provide comments.  The proposed biennial programme plan, modified as appropriate, would be submitted to the Committee on Programme Coordination at its forty-eighth session.  Its recommendations would be transmitted to the General Assembly’s next session, when it considered the 2010-2011 strategic framework.

Commenting on the notes, DANIJELA HOVART ( Slovenia), speaking on behalf of the European Union, said her delegation had supported the adoption of Economic and Social Council resolutions 2005/11 and 2006/18 on the organization of the work of the Commission and believed that more interactive dialogues would enhance the Commission’s work.  Participation continued to be important for all stakeholders, including United Nations agencies and programmes, regional commissions, non-governmental organizations and the private sector.

At the same time, while review and policy sessions allowed for more time to consider substantive issues, consistent with the reform of the Economic and Social Council and the Commission’s working methods, the Commission must remain as flexible as possible regarding the adoption of policy session themes.  The 2009-2010 priority theme, “social integration” -- one of the three pillars of social development -- could be a valued area of discussion.  The Union also considered useful the inclusion of “emerging issues” within the Commission’s work programme.

Finally, the European Union supported the notion of a short procedural resolution on the future organization and working methods of the Commission, allowing as much flexibility as possible regarding the adoption of the themes of future sessions.  It also supported a review of the Commission’s work that would enable the body to delve deeper into its chosen themes by addressing cross-cutting issues, emerging issues and linkages.

CLAUDIA PÉREZ ÁLVAREZ ( Cuba) said the Commission was in the process of negotiating a draft resolution that would set guidelines for its future work.  To that end, Cuba reiterated its right, as in the past, to return to a discussion on the Commission’s work at any time during the session or intersessional period.  Her delegation supported the consideration of “social integration” and stressed that the Commission must achieve solid results if that priority theme was ultimately agreed upon.  She reminded delegations that the Commission had been unable to come up with concrete recommendations during the 2006 review of the first United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty (1997-2006) because a small group of countries had opposed those conclusions.

She said that, in order for delegations to get their preparations under way earlier, it would be appropriate for the Commission to decide, this year, the theme for the third working cycle and organize in greater detail its methods of work in broader areas of its operation.  On “emerging issues”, Cuba believed that it would be vital for the Commission to determine such themes much farther in advance of their consideration.   Cuba did not consider it appropriate to choose an “emerging issue” just a few months before it was considered.  She reiterated Cuba’s belief that social integration should be taken up during the Commission’s second work cycle, followed by a return to commitments undertaken regarding eradication of poverty in 2010-2011.

JEAN-DANIEL VIGNY ( Switzerland) said that only an effective Commission could ensure credible follow-up to the 1995 Copenhagen Summit and the twenty-fourth special session of the General Assembly.  At the same time, a review of working methods was not an end in itself, but should lead to significant enhancement of the body’s work and the identification of workable solutions to current and emerging challenges.

Such a review must also ensure the continuity of the Commission’s work over the medium- and long-term, as well as ensure the relevance of its discussions and dialogues between experts and practitioners.  In future, the Commission should consider having the term of the Bureau correspond with its two-year working cycle.  He added that Switzerland supported the adoption of “social integration” as the theme for the Commission’s next working cycle.

LUVUYO NDIAMANE ( South Africa) said his delegation was concerned by the manner in which the Commission had been operating, especially the increasing number of resolutions the body was considering.  It was also concerned that, recently, the Commission had been unable to complete its work in the eight days allotted for its sessions or come up with concrete recommendations at the end of its sessions, leading to overlapping or resumed meetings.  He hoped the Commission might look at time management issues, in due course.

Presentation by International Labour Organization

MANUELA TOMEI, Director of the Working Conditions Branch of ILO, defining decent work as that which was available to all men and women who needed or wished to work, said that gender discrimination produced deficits in such work by limiting the range of women’s work opportunities and choices.  It reduced women’s income and enhanced their economic insecurity, which, in turn, generated inequalities in labour market outcomes.

Describing the link between decent work and violence against women, she said violence at work was often linked to violence in the family and community.  Thus, the elimination of discrimination and promotion of gender equality at work was essential for attaining “decent work for all”.  Case studies had shown that discrimination increased tardiness, absenteeism and turnover, which were all determinants of productivity.  In that context, persistence of employment inequalities could significantly reduce the advances achieved through economic growth.

As for how women had fared in the labour market over the last 10 years, she described some positive developments achieved in the 1996-2006 period.  For example, gender gaps in education had declined everywhere, while women’s entry into the labour market had continued in most countries, creating greater economic opportunities and greater needs.  In the last two decades, the number of women taking part in paid work had significantly increased due to various factors, including globalization and reforms relating to the organization of work.  In addition, women’s employment-to-population ratios had increased in most countries, while men’s ratios had declined.  Women were also holding more high-status jobs.

Still, there were challenges, she said, noting first that too many women continued to work without pay.  In South Asia, 62.6 per cent of total employed females fell into that category.  Women were overrepresented among informal workers and their workload was higher than that for men, due to longer hours in unpaid work, for which demand was growing.  Ageing, poverty and privatization of services also played a role in that phenomenon.  In Bolivia, for example, women devoted 61 hours per week to paid and unpaid work, while men only 51 hours.  In Ghana, women registered 88.7 hours, men 57.6 hours.  Moreover, women, on average, continued to earn less than men, even for the same work and work of equal value.

Among the causes was discrimination, notably in the allocation of jobs, which constituted “occupational segregation”, she explained.  Discrimination was also based on pregnancy and motherhood, seen in such areas as remuneration and unequal division of paid and unpaid work and in the form of sexual harassment.

As for what to do about such phenomena, she urged a combination of policy devices.  First, trends in labour market outcomes for women and men must be measured and monitored.  Without statistics, it would be “extremely difficult” to determine the way forward.  In terms of coherent laws and enforcement mechanisms, she encouraged the development of “proactive laws”, rather than individual complaint-based mechanisms.  Labour codes should be consistent with civil or family laws and other bodies of law, while obstacles to justice should be lowered.  Further, a coherent set of public policy interventions should act simultaneously upon occupational segregation, discrimination in remuneration, unequal division of paid and unpaid labour and sexual harassment.

Interactive Discussion

When the floor was opened for discussion, delegations raised a host of concerns, including the difficulty of proving sexual harassment in the workplace, the economic costs of violence or discrimination against women in the workplace and what could be done to address the situation of women migrant workers.  One speaker also asked about the creation of strategies that would mutually benefit women as well as men in the workplace.

Responding to the questions and comments, Ms. TOMEI said that the dramatic changes taking place in society -- including the impact of globalization, rapid ageing and longer life spans, as well as decisions about family size and planning -- had challenged the perception of what had been traditionally considered “women’s issues”.  Therefore, the perception of women in the workplace had dramatically changed, requiring increased attention to their treatment.

On the lack of disaggregated data on women in the labour market and other spheres of society, she said that the Department of Economic and Social Affairs had been key in promoting stepped up international efforts in that regard.  While ILO had been doing its part as well, she acknowledged that data was lagging regarding wages.  While companies did compile breakdowns of wage levels of men and women, they usually were not made public.  That led to a delay in transmission of such information to ILO and other organizations.

On sexual harassment in the workplace, including unfair dismissal, she noted that Chile had adopted a “very interesting and progressive” law requiring all establishments of a certain type/size to set up bilateral committees featuring representatives of both labour and management, charged with engaging in regular monitoring of occupational health and safety issues, including sexual harassment issues.  Such a scheme provided a way to address issues before they moved into the legal system.

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