Commission for Social Development

Forty-seventh Session

4^th & 5^th Meetings (AM & PM)

DECENT WORK AGENDA EXTOLLED AS KEY COMPONENT OF INTEGRATION AS COMMISSION

FOR SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT CONTINUES GENERAL DISCUSSION

 

Against the backdrop of an international economic mosaic showing a growing chasm between rich and poor, as well as the combined impact of the current global energy, climate, finance and food crises on the quest for well-functioning, inclusive societies, several speakers cited decent work for all as a key component of social integration as the Commission for Social Development continued its general discussion today.

Remaining focused on its priority theme of social integration, the Commission heard from more than 40 speakers today, with many stressing the value of economic inclusion.  The representative of Ecuador said that her country, having recently overhauled its economic development scheme in favour of a people-centred approach, believed human labour was at the centre of all endeavours.  The Government favoured “dignified labour”, had eliminated outsourcing and was striving to combat all forms of labour exploitation.  Today, 90 per cent of all companies had done away with outsourcing and many workers now held regular jobs.

Offering a different perspective, Switzerland’s representative noted that developed countries had had to face new challenges in recent years with the emergence of new forms of poverty and social exclusion such as the so-called “working poor” and single-parent families.  The ageing of the population also brought with it the risk of family breakdown and loss of intergenerational solidarity.  In all societies, however, access to education and vocational training opened the door to social integration and decent work.  Switzerland considered decent work to be among the most important factors of social integration.

The Director of International Affairs in the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment of the Netherlands urged the Commission to place issues of full employment and decent work for all, social protection and the promotion of universal access to basic social security high on the political agenda.  A growing body of evidence supported the idea that social protection could be effective in reducing risks and vulnerabilities, and in boosting development and poverty eradication.  Well-designed social protection programmes could lead to decent work where possible, and where not possible, they could reduce vulnerability and promote social inclusion.

Indeed, a growing emphasis on decent work, with a focus on social dialogue and social protection, offered better prospects for social integration, the representative of Bangladesh agreed, noting that her country’s latest poverty reduction strategy paper pursued the goals of accelerated poverty reduction, full employment and decent work.  Yet progress towards achieving decent work for all remained elusive.  Social inclusion, social cohesion and social justice were crucial to lasting peace, but Governments acting alone could not guarantee effective social inclusion.  Non-governmental organizations, the private sector and civil society had roles to play, while international partnerships buttressed national efforts.

When the discussion continued this afternoon, Viet Nam’s representative shifted the focus to persons with disabilities, suggesting they deserved special attention in the context of social integration.  With nearly 7 per cent of Viet Nam’s population afflicted with disabilities resulting from many decades of war, the country had done its utmost to relieve their difficulties, improve their access to economic life and enhance their social integration.  It had been among the first countries in the Asia-Pacific region to support the initiative of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to implement a long-term plan for persons with disabilities, and was preparing to ratify the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.  Viet Nam’s health care and rehabilitation network had benefited more than 300,000 persons with disabilities in the past 10 years, including tens of thousands of children.

Also this afternoon, Flavia Pansieri, Executive Coordinator of the United Nations Volunteers Programme, said volunteerism promoted social integrity and could transform the pace and nature of development by engaging people in tackling development challenges.  There was clear evidence that volunteerism could help combat feelings of personal isolation, empower individuals by giving them confidence and feelings of self-worth, challenge stereotyping and offer opportunities to acquire skills and contacts that would enable them to change their environment and themselves.

If properly harnessed, volunteerism could be a powerful force for breaking down barriers that helped to maintain and foster exclusion, she said.  Volunteerism was a positive means of bringing communities together, expanding social inclusion, building social capital and contributing to the United Nations peace and development agenda and towards a just society for all.

Contributing to this afternoon’s exchange of views on volunteerism were the representatives of the Czech Republic (on behalf of the European Union), Brazil, Japan and Italy.

The Deputy Minister and Senior Adviser to the Minister for Social Solidarity of Egypt also participated in the general discussion, as did the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of the United Republic of Tanzania.

Other speakers in the general discussion were the representatives of South Africa (on behalf of the Southern African Development Community), Morocco, Algeria, Pakistan, Belarus, Philippines, Colombia, Turkey, Cuba, United Kingdom, Republic of Korea, Slovakia, United States, China, Tunisia, Yemen, Peru, India, Costa Rica, Nepal, Jamaica, Venezuela, Syria, Republic of Moldova, Armenia, Indonesia and Mexico.

The Permanent Observer of the Holy See also delivered a statement.

Also participating were representatives of the following non-governmental organizations: Baha’i International Community; HelpAge International; Triglav Circle; and NGO Citizens United for Rehabilitation of Errants.

The Commission will meet again at 10 a.m. tomorrow, Friday, 6 February, to continue its work.

Background

The Commission for Social Development met this morning to continue its forty-seventh session.  (For details of the session, see Press Release SOC/4747 of 2 February.)

General Discussion

DUMISANI S. KUMALO (South Africa), speaking on behalf of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), welcomed the significant strides made since the 1995 World Summit for Social Development, which included the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the World Programme of Action for Youth.  While those achievements were critical, several compelling and persuasive social challenges remained and must be effectively addressed at the international and national levels.  Social integration required the creation of robust, broad policies and programmes to promote social cohesion and social justice, while addressing the challenges of unemployment, underemployment, child labour, inadequate productivity, perpetual poverty and social protection.

Such programmes should be aimed at ensuring the integration of all communities and individuals, respect for diverse cultures, good governance and addressing past inequities, he said.  The following was also needed: long-term processes involving concrete and actionable social development goals; access to resources to prevent marginalization; instruments to combat poverty, discrimination and racism; the promotion of social justice; ensuring that legal instruments were in place to combat inequalities affecting social groups; and addressing the question of social integration in the informal economy, which comprised the majority of the working poor, especially women.

He said the Southern Africa region remained committed to addressing those challenges, and, accordingly, its members had assumed national ownership of SADC programmes and policies in various areas.  For example, member countries had approved the SADC Code on Social Security, which sought, through guidelines, to address such regional challenges as high poverty and vulnerability levels, wide disparities, narrow coverage and fragmentation.  To address persistent high poverty, a strategic intervention was required that would encompass comprehensive social security, social welfare services, community development, sustainable livelihoods and population development.

AHMED ABOU ELKHEIR, Deputy Minister and Senior Adviser to the Minister for Social Solidarity of Egypt, said that, in its 2005 human development report, his country had committed to develop a new social contract linking citizens to the State through a process of confidence-building.  It focused social policies on health, quality education, social care and social protection with the aim of achieving social justice and equal opportunities for all, in accordance with the Copenhagen Declaration and Programme of Action.

Despite a 7 per cent economic growth rate, however, neither a significant improvement in living standards nor a marked reduction in the poverty rate had occurred, he said.   The gap between rich and poor and urban and rural areas remained.  Egypt had learned several lessons, including the realization that economic growth did not necessarily lead to improvements in the quality of life, and that it could in fact be accompanied by poor income distribution or a gap between rich and poor.

Working to improve its social safety, social protection and social welfare policies with the goal of better protecting marginalized groups and the poor, he said, the Ministry of Social Solidarity had convened a national conference on integrated social policy in February 2007, in partnership with the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA).  Follow-up to that event had revealed a growing awareness that reactive poverty reduction approaches would no longer work without incorporating social equality and justice.  Several recommendations had emerged from the conference, which had been implemented.  For example, Egypt had instituted a system of checks and balances to apply social-equity analysis based on solid data collection; created a sustainable partnership for development by engaging civil society organizations and the private sector in all stages of policy-development implementation; and provided capacity-building and awareness-raising at all levels of Government, civil society and the private sector.

ISMAT JAHAN ( Bangladesh) said that, despite the pronounced commitments to the internationally agreed development goals, the promise of action towards social integration remained largely unfulfilled.  It was also disconcerting that globalization had not only led to greater exclusion, but the social integration component of development strategies had largely remained ignored.  The question of securing the rights of migrant workers had still to be properly addressed; it was still a far cry from the full emancipation of women; rapid and unplanned urbanization had led to homelessness; and progress towards the goal of decent work for all remained elusive.

She said the key development challenge for her country was achieving sufficient economic growth.  The national welfare policy of 2006 had been formulated in line with constitutional commitments and the Millennium Development Goals to complement the national poverty reduction strategy paper.  Bangladesh had taken up pro-poor, multidimensional and intensive programmes for all social and disadvantaged groups with the aim of ensuring their access to opportunities and decision-making processes.  The main thrust of social development policy was people-centred.

Emphasizing that poverty eradication and women’s empowerment were integral to development planning, she said access to microcredit and non-formal education had paved the way for the economic, political and social empowerment of women by fostering their entrepreneurship and employability.  The latest poverty reduction strategy paper pursued the goals of accelerated poverty reduction, full employment and decent work.  A growing emphasis on the latter, with a focus on social dialogue and social protection, offered better prospects for social integration.

Kinship, in addition to social and familial ties and values were hallmarks of Bangladesh society, which was also known for its secularism, openness, tolerance and respect for diversity, she said.  As a result, minorities and distinct ethnic groups had become an integral part of the mainstream culture without surrendering their religious and cultural identities.  But while social inclusion, social cohesion and social justice were crucial to lasting peace, Governments acting alone could not guarantee effective social inclusion.  Non-governmental organizations, the private sector and civil society at large also had important roles to play.  International partnership should buttress national efforts, and there was a need for concrete benchmarks and monitoring mechanisms.

MOHAMMED LOULICHKI ( Morocco) noted that World Bank estimates on social integration in sub-Saharan Africa showed a near doubling of the number of people in the region living on less than $2 a day, and that the global economic recession had led to an increase in unemployment.  It was essential to take measures to reverse the historic decline in public investment in rural areas and to enact programmes that would alleviate social exclusion.  More must be done to spur agricultural development, which could lead decisively to a decrease in poverty and an increase in revenue in rural areas.

Social integration involved policies and programmes to provide good sanitation and hygiene, employment, housing and other social services, which must be part of any minimum social policy, he said.  Morocco supported the adoption last June of the contract on social policy of the International Labour Organization (ILO).  The country was also making efforts to enhance international cooperation to create full and equitable globalization.  It was important not to ignore the active role that the private sector must play in addressing social problems in terms of welfare, training and employment.

He recalled that, in 2005, his country had launched a national initiative for human development focused on respect for human dignity, promoting the rights of women and children, and integrating all citizens into economic and social life.  Morocco had recently ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.  Government action had led to a notable reduction in rural poverty levels, and had earmarked $1 billion in 2006 and 2007 to counter social exclusion in various areas.  It had also developed microcredit programmes, which continued to have a positive impact in lifting people out of poverty.

LAURIS BEETS, Director of International Affairs, Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment of the Netherlands, aligned himself with the European Union, saying that the present economic crisis was a multifaceted, complex challenge that could only be addressed if all countries worked with the international and regional financial institutions.  Nationally, all relevant actors should work together, with a view to a coherent performance at the international level.  Economic inclusion was mostly understood as equality of opportunity in employment and training, and unless economic growth benefited all people in society, there could be no sustainable development.

Universal access to a minimum living standard, including access to basic social security, such as a pension, basic health care, education and housing, were basic elements of socio-economic cohesion, he said.  Decent work was of key importance to social integration as being without a decent job meant exclusion and poverty.  Poverty and exclusion were clearly interrelated.  Indeed, decent employment should be the first step towards social integration, and if that was not possible, mechanisms should be put in place to reduce vulnerability due to ill health, injury, old age and high food prices.

He said there was a growing body of evidence supporting the idea that social protection could be effective as a preventive measure, reducing risks and vulnerabilities, and that it could have a positive impact on development and poverty eradication.  Well-designed social protection programmes should, where possible, lead to decent work, and where not possible, social protection programmes could reduce vulnerability and promote social inclusion.  The Netherlands recommended that the Commission place issues of full employment and decent work for all, social protection and the promotion of universal access to basic social security high on the political agenda.

YOUSRIA SENDID-BERRAH ( Algeria) said the Copenhagen World Summit had already drawn attention to the unacceptable connection between globalization and persistent poverty.  Today’s global economic mosaic showed a widening of the gap between the rich and poor, while the redrawing of the relationship between developed and developing countries had not necessarily benefited the poorest.  Indeed, globalization had profited a limited number of countries while the majority had been plagued by negative spin-offs, including poverty and unemployment.  The combined impact of the current global crises in the areas of energy, economics and food compounded that already very worrying situation.

In Africa, social exclusion was considered a direct consequence of poverty, conflict, unemployment, underemployment and inadequate health care and other services, she said.  Last October’s conference in Namibia had elaborated a joint African position on social integration and efforts being made around the continent should be encouraged.  The aim of social integration was not to make people adapt to society, but for society to accept all its members and give them the same rights and opportunities.  In the interest of social justice and national solidarity, Algeria was acting to ensure that socio-economic development safeguarded social equity and combated social inequalities.  To that end, the country devoted enormous resources to benefit the most vulnerable segments of the population, including disabled and elderly persons.

FARUKH AMIL ( Pakistan) said the poorest and most vulnerable had been hit hardest by the current development crisis that was being described as the worst since the Great Depression.  In addition to the adverse impact of the unfolding crisis, poverty in developing countries further undermined progress in social development.  The asymmetric impact of globalization, the failure of the Doha Round of trade negotiations and increased inequities in the global economic architecture demanded a comprehensive review and fundamental rethinking of the way in which business was conducted in a globalized world.

He said his country had undergone a qualitative transformation over the past few years through broad-based structural reforms in all sectors.  The Government had taken several important steps, including the adoption of a comprehensive poverty reduction plan, in accordance with the Millennium Development Goals.  The national poverty reduction strategy paper included a human development strategy with a central role for provincial and local governments.  Pakistan had also adopted the Benazir Income Support Programme, a social support programme for the poor, with an initial budget of 34 billion rupees.

Under that programme, 4.5 million families would each receive 1,000 rupees per month, covering about 15 per cent of the population in the lowest income bracket, he said.  Pakistan was also developing a national employment policy with a particular focus on employment for youth and women.  A new national action plan provided for early intervention, assessment and medical treatment, education and vocational training, employment and rehabilitation for persons with disabilities.  Pakistan’s social insurance system was governed by the Employees Old Age Benefits Institution and the Provincial Social Security Institutions for the ageing population, invalids and widows.  The Ministry of Women’s Development had launched a gender reform action plan to empower women and facilitate gender equality.  The Government had also set up a national commission to protect minorities.

IRINA VELICHKO ( Belarus) said discrimination was among the most dangerous and widespread components of social exclusion, noting that women in particular were not always able to compete in the labour market.  Moreover, trafficking in women exacerbated social problems and prevented social integration.  There was a need ensure international cooperation in counteracting that scourge.  Belarus had adopted a resolution in December which sought to combat trade in people, and called on the international community to develop a plan of action to defeat that social evil.  Preparation of such a plan by the United Nations should contain elements for women’s empowerment, including steps to improve women’s employment.

She said her country had changed its approach to training and educating children.  Belarus now had an integrated system for assisting special-needs children, enabling them to live with their families and providing them with psychological assistance.  The country was ready to share its experience in that regard with other States.  It had also stepped up national efforts to help children with limited means, as very little had previously been done in that area.  Hopelessness and disappointments characterized life among the most vulnerable, and while it was not possible to make the world a happier place for all, there was a need to pave the road towards possibility of achieving positive results in that regard.

MARIE YVETTE L. BANZON-ABALOS ( Philippines) said there had been insufficient progress on social-impact analysis and on policies promoting social integration, despite the proclaimed commitment to development goals.  The extent to which social integration and cohesion were present in a society was directly proportional to its level of peace, security and development.  Effective social integration would require empowerment of and equal opportunity for vulnerable members of society.

It was necessary to empower vulnerable groups such as women, the poor, youth, indigenous people, persons with disabilities, older persons, migrants and disenfranchised groups, so as to increase their sense of belonging and responsibility.  To achieve equal opportunity, Governments must be sensitive to overt and hidden barriers to participation.  Affirmative action policies could help integrate marginalized groups, but they should not include forcible integration that would cause the group to lose its identity or suffer human rights violations.

Describing poverty as the leading cause of marginalization in her country, she said rural poverty was the Government’s particular focus, since about 73 per cent of the country’s poor resided in rural areas.  The rural poor -- mainly small and landless farmers, fishermen and indigenous people -- continued to lack access to productive resources such as land, credit, technology and infrastructure.  Poverty reduction policies, programmes and strategies gave the highest priority to rural and agricultural development by supporting rural enterprises and cooperatives; constructing more farm-to-market roads; providing greater access for farmers and indigenous people to land, credit and technology; reducing the exploitation of farmers and fishermen; providing more strategic, effective and timely interventions and safety nets during natural disasters and economic shocks; and improving the quality of life of the rural poor.

CLAUDIA BLUM ( Colombia) said that, thanks to a comprehensive agenda combining security and confidence on the part of citizens and investors, her country had managed to consolidate a virtuous circle of sustained growth, poverty reduction and wellness.  The national Government had implemented policies that had created favourable conditions for economic revival and the creation of decent and productive employment.  Those included policies of social equity and the elimination of extreme poverty, and allowed the channelling of investment into infrastructure, education, health and other high-impact aspects of building human and social capital.

An effective strategy for building a society for all must seek to eliminate poverty and inequality, she stressed, adding that, accordingly, the main objective of her country’s social policy was to ensure access for all Colombians to quality education, equitable social security, the labour and business markets and effective social promotion mechanisms.  Education and training of human resources were fundamental to creating a more inclusive society and Colombia had created initiatives to generate stable incomes for young adults, which sought to expand training and access to the labour market, especially for the poorest.

The gradual increase in the number of older adults was a social policy challenge, she said, noting that, in response, Colombia had developed a national policy on ageing, which would grant benefits such as education, leisure and health to those over 62 years old, in addition to a general improvement of their living conditions.  To ensure equitable participation by women in income generation, specific initiatives had been launched, while incentives had been created to encourage the hiring of persons with disabilities.  As part of its strategy to reduce poverty and inequality, the Government was implementing a network to support extremely poor families through preferential access to State social programmes and projects.

ÖZHAN ÜZÜMCÜOĞLU ( Turkey) said that minimum living standards, especially access to health care and education, were the key elements of his country’s social development plans, noting that access to affordable education had been instrumental in Turkey’s social transformation.  Economic disparities between rural and urban areas as well as rapid urbanization posed particular challenges to social integration, and in order to overcome their negative effects, the Government had adopted and implemented regional and social development plans.  Unemployment had always been the greatest contributor to social exclusion, and macroeconomic growth strategies were essential to addressing that problem.

The success of economic growth strategies depended largely on macroeconomic stability and sound public finances, he said, adding that Turkey had achieved important results on that front in the last seven years.  However, economic growth did not automatically lead to job creation.  Taking that into account, the Government had been trying to place employment generation at the centre of social and economic policies.  That approach sought the participation of both the private sector and civil society, in addition to aiming to improve labour market conditions and improve education in accordance with labour demands.  Turkey had strengthened its legal framework and institutional capacity, in line with the European Union accession process.

ABELARDO MORENO FERNÁNDEZ ( Cuba) said the marginalization of a great number of nations in the South, as a result of the prevailing unjust and exclusive international order, was the main impediment to social integration and lay at the very core of social exclusion and economic and social inequity.  Despite the commitments made at Copenhagen to resolve the alarming social problems in the countries of the South, the unjust international order imposed by industrialized countries made hunger, extreme poverty, illiteracy and early death, among many other phenomena, a constant feature in a high number of Member States.  It was not possible to build more just societies when inequality and exclusion, selfishness and injustice, hegemonic pretensions and inequity, wastefulness and excessive consumerism prevailed.

He asked what sort of social integration could be achieved in the developing world when the majority of its 1.4 billion people lived on less than $1 a day, when more than 900 million people went hungry and 3 billion suffered from water scarcity.  That situation would only change when the most powerful countries surrendered their privileges and wastefulness, he said.  There would only be progress in social integration when the powerful nations met their commitments with respect to official development assistance.  The industrialized countries, currently promoting multi-million dollar financial plans to save corrupt and irresponsible bankers through public intervention measures previously contraindicated for the countries of the South, had the resources to assist the development of the South’s peoples, but they lacked the necessary political will.  There was also social exclusion in the industrialized countries, trapped in the pockets of poverty, which often included immigrants.

Since 1959, Cuba had undertaken socio-economic change to build a just and solidarity-driven society, even as it faced threats, aggression and a long-standing criminal blockade imposed by the United States, he said.  That policy was imposed with all severity, even when intense hurricanes lashed the island nation, devastating agriculture and seriously affecting infrastructure and homes.  Today, however, the entire Cuban population had access to free health care and education, and life expectancy exceeded 77 years of age.  The infant mortality rate was 4.7 per 1,000 live births and children were protected against 13 preventable diseases.  Cuba enjoyed 100 per cent primary school attendance and 99 per cent secondary school enrolment.  More than two thirds of the State budget was devoted to education, health, social security and assistance.  Cuba was proud of its profoundly popular and participatory democracy.

STEPHEN RICHARDS ( United Kingdom) said there was a clear need for continuing action to address the special needs of certain vulnerable groups such as youth.  The United Kingdom, a firm supporter of the Youth Employment Network, had hosted an event last year that had brought together a number of its “lead countries” to examine ways to develop specific targets to aim for when promoting youth employment.

Despite the adoption of various new international initiatives, women, older people and people with disabilities continued to face obstacles to social inclusion worldwide, he said.  Vulnerability to social exclusion was not static, and continued social and demographic changes such as urbanization and changing traditional family structures posed new challenges.  The current global financial crisis also presented new challenges requiring global attention.  While employment was the best route out of poverty, and was critical to achieving the Millennium targets, increasing access to employment was also important for social inclusion.

Stressing the need to end discrimination in the labour market, he said full employment lay at the heart of the United Kingdom’s strategy to ensure an inclusive, coherent and prosperous society based on fairness and social justice.  The Government had announced a number of measures to help people who had lost their jobs find another other work by offering incentives to encourage employers to recruit and train unemployed people and to help those wishing to set up businesses.  Given that ILO estimated that 80 per cent of the world’s population had little or no social protection, the United Kingdom recommended that Governments pursue the promotion of full employment and decent work as central instruments for promoting social inclusion and poverty reduction.  They should also design and implement basic social protection schemes and instruments.  The United Kingdom also supported national action to develop socially inclusive policies that explicitly prohibited discrimination.

JEAN-DANIEL VIGNY ( Switzerland) said his country was made up of four regions and had four national languages.  It was a multicultural society with a long tradition of social and political integration.  Its people had learned to cement their unity by promoting coherence, the coexistence of different cultures and mentalities, and social responsibilities.  The latter was based on the principles of direct democracy, solid federalism, the pooling of individual interests, citizenship and shared history, an effective social welfare State and the awareness both of the need to protect minorities and the search for a consensus that encouraged integration.

Those typically Swiss characteristics made up the cohesive force holding the society together, he said, pointing out, however, that participatory democracy was not the only means to counter social exclusion.  It was also necessary to accept the particularities of different social groups and to take measures to meet their specific needs.  Developed countries had had to face new challenges in recent years as they had seen new forms of poverty and social exclusion emerge with the so-called “working poor” and single-parent families.  Furthermore, the ageing of the population brought the risk of family breakdown and the loss of intergenerational solidarity.

Like other developed countries, Switzerland had a well-established social security system, but was increasingly confronted with the problems of financing it due to longer life expectancy and low birth rates.  There were also expectations linked to current economic and social realities, which had forced Switzerland to take measures that could harm social integration by reducing social protection.  As in other industrialized countries, Switzerland had undergone a general shift away from social protection to individual responsibility.  To the Swiss, it seemed as though the Secretary-General’s report had omitted those aspects.  Gainful employment contributed strongly to the individual’s integration, and economic inclusion was an essential part of that.  Encouraging social integration, therefore, required an economic policy and a job market that both tackled the roots of the lack of opportunities for decent work and encouraged retraining and continuing education throughout one’s entire working life.  Switzerland, therefore, considered decent work to be among the most important factors of social integration.

JAE-BOK CHANG ( Republic of Korea) said the current global economic situation illustrated clearly that socially and economically marginalized and vulnerable groups had been hardest hit by the economic slowdown.  Many countries must now meet the dual challenge of sustaining economic growth and reaching out to socially marginalized groups to enhance social integration.  It was vital that all Governments show the determination and will to turn the crisis into an opportunity to lay the groundwork for building societies of greater social inclusion.

The labour market was the weakest link between marginalized groups and mainstream society, he said.  In order to achieve enhanced social integration, there must be encouragement and support for most vulnerable groups so they could be included in the labour market on an equal footing with others.  Last year, the Government had introduced the Disability Discrimination Prohibition Act and ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.  It was actively providing job-placement and skills-development services designed to suit the needs of the aged.

He said the Government was also implementing the Fourth Basic Plan for Equal Employment and Work-Family Life Reconciliation, a comprehensive package of measures to promote women’s participation in the labour market.  The Plan entailed expanding current employment opportunities for women, reducing the child-care burden on working mothers and establishing work systems that enabled people to find harmony between work and family life.  The Government planned to expand microcredit programmes to give people experiencing economic hardships access to funds for the creation of businesses or the maintenance of households.

MILOSLAV HETTEŠ, International Labour and Social Policy Director General, Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family of Slovakia, noted that his country and other new European Union member States were gradually transforming from countries of emigration into receiving countries.  There was a “new geography” of migration and a diversification of migrant flows in Europe, which required flexible frameworks entailing coordination between migration and other policies.

He said managed economic migration was an alternative to a lack of local labour resources, adding that bilateral and regional arrangements to protect and promote the rights of migrant workers brought benefits to both sending and receiving countries.  Cooperation with ILO was essential.  An explicit and enforceable ethical framework should supervise recruitment and hiring policies to ensure that Governments, recruitment agencies and employers complied with national and international codes.  Human resources development, including in emigrant countries, led to employment opportunities and the effective integration of families.  Strong monitoring systems were important in that respect.  Considering the changing mobility patterns of labour migration, there was a need to create migration-flexible and adaptable policies with long-term implications.  Migration could reduce unemployment and generate remuneration that boosted national economies.

LAURIE PHIPPS ( United States) said it was significant in terms of promotion and social integration that the first United States congressional bill that President Barack Obama had signed into law had been the 2009 Fair Pay Act aimed at ensuring equal pay for equal work for all people.  One of the first priorities of the new Administration was to promote job creation and help Americans who had lost their jobs and could not find new ones.  President Obama had declared his intention to increase the minimum wage so as to ensure that full-time workers could earn a living wage, raise their families and pay for basic needs like food, transportation and housing.

Cautioning that economic recovery in the United States and globally would take time and concerted effort, she expressed concern about the ongoing financial crisis and its impact on development.  The United States had its own economic stimulus plan, but was also active internationally through the G-20 and many ongoing bilateral discussions.  With its record of fighting discrimination and social exclusion, the United States would continue to work to eliminate discrimination against marginalized groups and to provide equal opportunities for people of all ages, genders, ethnic and racial origins and religious persuasions.  It would work during next year’s policy discussion on social integration to craft effective recommendations.  Could the world return to the hope and idealism encapsulated at Copenhagen? The answer had to be: “Yes we can!”

MARÍA FERNANDA ESPINOSA (Ecuador), noting that her country had just celebrated the second year of its Citizens’ Revolution, said the Government’s economic development scheme had been overhauled to ensure that the people lived in dignity in the context of social justice policies.  Ecuador, changed following the Citizens’ Revolution, was now building a “solidarity homeland”, with opportunity and rights for all men and women.  The role of the State in guaranteeing the right to benefits for all peoples in the interest of collective well-being had been restored, a major transformation and a new social compact embodied in the new Constitution.

The Political Charter of 2008 allowed the country to leave behind the damaging paradigm that had failed at the world level, she said.  Ecuador was now protected from the domination of speculative world capital and freed from a model of wealth that encouraged inequity, hunger and injustice, while preventing a narrowing of the gap between rich and poor.  Despite its problems, Ecuador had selected an alternative path.  Resisting and combating the old model, Ecuador had built a new one based on its history, culture and structural reality.

She said the Government was applying a people-centred policy that sought to restore the homeland for all and placed human work over capital.  It was generating efficient mechanisms to offer credit and loans, and to restore confidence and hope to peasants and small producers who had traditionally been excluded.  Today, human beings and their work were at the centre of all endeavours, which, in the employment sphere, favoured dignified labour, eliminated outsourcing and strove to combat all forms of labour exploitation.  Today, 90 per cent of all companies had done away with outsourcing and many workers now had regular jobs.  A series of collective agreements had been revised to guarantee labour rights, replacing a history of abuses.  Labour was not just a source of well-being and social fulfilment, but the main tool of social integration.  Dignified work promoted social economy.  Ecuador endeavoured to achieve social security for all, including housewives, students, farmers and members of the informal sector.

CELESTINO MIGLIORE, Observer for the Holy See, said social cohesion was an expression of social justice and an indispensable condition for confronting the global crises challenging humanity.   The absence of social integration, resulting in social exclusion, was pervasive in developing and developed regions alike, and had common causes, namely poverty, inequality and discrimination at all levels.  It was laudable that the recommended strategies aimed at promoting social integration under current circumstances stemmed from the framework for developing, shaping and implementing socially inclusive policies devised during the Copenhagen World Summit.

The preoccupation with measurable results in efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals must not distract the world’s attention and prevent it from focusing on policies aimed at achieving integrated development, he said.  The pursuit of the Millennium Goals, development and social cohesion required not only financial aid, but also the effective involvement of people.  What seemed to be missing from the fight against poverty, inequality and discrimination was not primarily financial assistance or economic and juridical cooperation, but rather people and relational networks capable of sharing life with those in situations of poverty and exclusion, as well as individuals capable of presence and action.  The fight against poverty needed men and women who lived in a profoundly fraternal way, able to accompany individuals, families and communities on journeys of authentic human development.

TAHIRIH NAYLOR, Baha’i International Community, called attention to the need to protect every individual’s freedom of conscience, religion or belief.  The human being was not only an economic and social creature, but also a noble one, with free will and a conscience that made possible the search for meaning and truth.  Without the freedom to pursue that fundamentally human quest, neither dignity nor justice was possible.  Yet, approximately half the world’s population lived under restrictions on the right to freely adopt and change one’s religion or beliefs.  Towards changing that, the Baha’i International Community encouraged the promotion of literacy and education; acknowledgement by the Commission of the role of that freedom in social development and in the establishment of cohesive and just societies; initiation of research by the United Nations on the connection between freedom of conscience, religion or belief and various dimensions of social development; and a call by Governments for a report by the Secretary-General on the status of that freedom, examining also its limitations on particularly vulnerable groups.

Mr. WILSON, a representative of HelpAge International, said the organization was a global network that helped older people claim their rights, challenge discrimination and overcome poverty so they could lead dignified, secure, active and healthy lives.  Commitment four of the 1995 Copenhagen Declaration required Governments to promote social integration for all, including older persons.  Everywhere the world was ageing fast, and by 2050 20 per cent of the world’s population would be over the age of 60, with 75 per cent of those older people living in developing countries.

Stressing that investment in older people must begin now, he said global ageing would define and change history in everything from business and finance to society and people.  It was time for ageing to influence, not be on the margins of, public policy, including social integration policies.  Older women and men were often the backbone of family and community, the bedrock of socially integrated societies, but they remained among the poorest of the poor.  Recognizing and supporting their contributions would result in more socially cohesive, equitable and resilient societies.

He said it was important to listen to older people who consistently called for national policies that addressed their financial security, health care, shelter and well-being.  They wanted national policies that protected them against abuse and exploitation, and helped them realize their rights.  They should be involved in policymaking that affected them, and Member States should integrate them fully into development policies and programmes.  There was also a need to support initiatives to promote and protect social security entitlements for older persons, mainstream ageing into HIV/AIDS policy and programming and integrate older persons into the design and implementation of humanitarian responses.

BARBARA BAUDOT, Triglav Circle, said that social integration, or the prevention and cure of social exclusion, depended on reason informed by empathy, love and an overall change of heart.  To succeed, policies required genuine acceptance of the innate dignity of every human being and of the responsibility to recognize the worth of the other.  The pervasive fear of the “other” must be overcome, as must the selfish arrogance and pride of power that built invisible, and sometimes concrete, walls between the “haves” and the “have-nots”.

If different groups of peoples and nations were to exist as a community, she said, it must be the result not only of tolerance and mutual interest, but also of an appreciation of each other’s merits and a celebration of diversity and pluralism.  Legislation alone was powerless to eradicate the roots of bigoted instincts or abolish distinctions based on physical differences or material circumstances.  “Habits of the heart” must be taught in the course of socializing children for the “good society”, which was indeed the society for all.  That could also be instilled in adults if public and civil institutions made the necessary efforts to break down the prejudices and fears that separated classes and categories of people.

BETTY CYPSER, NGO Citizens United for Rehabilitation of Errants, called for a holistic approach to criminal justice with a focus on restoring wholeness by healing offenders rather than incarcerating them.  Healing offenders was important to the well-being and stability of society.  The reintegration of offenders yielded huge payments for society, making them productive members again and lowering the costs of prisons.  There should be an expansion of alternatives to incarceration, which should be employed only when necessary, and without excessive sentences.  It was necessary to place greater emphasis on education, development and life skills as well as job training for offenders.  Equally necessary was better treatment for alcohol and drug addiction and for mental illness.

THOMAS BRENNAN, Salesian Missions, said millions of youngsters and children were neglected, often forgotten, and frequently abused in societies where poverty was rampant, war raged, or land degradation had accelerated due to climate change.  In some places, youngsters were treated as sexual commodities to be sold and bought with impunity.  Local communities and national Governments must recognize their responsibility to attend to the vulnerable young in their midst and assist them to become integrated members of society.  Education was a prime tool in promoting the common good and social integration, as well as a vital instrument for empowering the young and helping them to acknowledge the importance of diversity in the human family.

Although progress had been made in advancing social integration, gaps remained in nearly all societies, he said.  Lack of solidarity, increased fragmentation of social relations, the breakdown of family life, social discrimination, exclusion and alienation were present in many societies.  The experience of the Salesian Missions with young people worldwide concerned their integration into society, particularly unaccompanied young migrants and refugees, street children, child soldiers, Roma and gypsies, trafficking victims, child labourers and internally displaced persons.  Young people could and must contribute to the social development of their communities and get involved in the process.

FLAVIA PANSIERI, Executive Coordinator, United Nations Volunteers (UNV), said volunteerism was a powerful means of engaging people in tackling development challenges.  It could transform the pace and nature of development.  In that context, volunteerism contributed to the promotion of social integration.  Today, research was focusing on the development and application of methodologies to measure the contribution of volunteers to national economies, with impressive results.  Since 2001, with increased research, volunteerism was proving a significant and acknowledged asset for contributing to the shaping of society, as envisaged at Copenhagen in 1995.

Today there was clear evidence that volunteerism for people experiencing social exclusion resulting from marginalism could, under certain circumstances, lead to higher levels of integration, she said.  Specifically, it could help combat feelings of personal isolation, empower individuals by giving them confidence and feelings of self-worth, challenge stereotyping, and offer opportunities to acquire skills and contacts that enabled them to change their environment and themselves.  There was evidence of growing recognition on the part of Governments of the potential of volunteerism to meet national development goals, as well as the need to put supportive policy frameworks and programmes in place.  Nonetheless, the concept of volunteerism as a force for more cohesive societies and with the potential to bring about social inclusion was rarely expressed in national policy, despite having featured in the outcome document adopted at the World Summit on Social Development + 5, held in Geneva in 2000.

She said volunteerism had contributed to developing social capital for each of the social groups, including youth, older persons, women and persons with disabilities.  Volunteerism was one response to the phenomenon of disenfranchised or marginalized youth, contributing to dialogue, participation and inclusion.  It also brought together communities, including ethnic minorities.  Capacity-building initiatives, focused on the development of skills at international, regional, national and local levels, had opened the way for excluded persons to volunteer in leadership roles, resulting in enhanced participation and inclusion.  Volunteering enabled young people to acquire skills and experience that facilitated their entry into the job market, while older persons remained actively involved in their communities and lived healthier and more rewarding lives.

Advances in communications technology were extending volunteerism’s reach, she noted, adding that online volunteer networks and databases facilitated linkages between volunteers and opportunities across the globe.  Mobile phones were providing even more access, extending outreach to youth who lacked computer access.  Online volunteering was providing greater opportunities for inclusion for people with limited means or availability for on-site volunteering, including disabled persons, seniors, children and primary care givers.  Online volunteering also allowed effective North-South and South-South contributions to development.  Volunteering was part of the basic fabric of well-functioning societies; it could make a significant contribution to the promotion of social inclusion.

In the ensuing question-and-answer period, several representatives hailed the role of volunteerism in development and its merits in achieving social cohesion goals.

The representative of the Czech Republic, speaking on behalf of the European Union, asked Ms. Pansieri to discuss her proposals for fostering an enabling environment for volunteerism and making optimal use of volunteers to carry out Government policies.  What could serve as best practices to promote growth and diversification of volunteerism that the International Year of Volunteers had helped to create?  How could the United Nations and Member States contribute to the development approach to volunteerism?

The representative of Brazil asked whether new research showed that volunteerism helped make people more employable.  What was the volunteer potential of older people, particularly those who were retired?

The representative of Japan asked what UNV intend to do in addressing unemployment and gender discrimination.  In what areas was there a shortage of volunteers?

The representative of Italy asked how the global financial crisis would affect UNV and the work of the United Nations in volunteerism.  How would UNV address that and could Ms. Pansieri elaborate further on the experiences of UNV in the field, particularly in West and East Africa?

Ms. PANSIERI responded by saying there was no blueprint for volunteerism, because it was an expression of every society.  The important task of national authorities was to recognize the cultural dimensions inherent in volunteerism and to support it institutionally in the most responsible way.  Promoting an enabling environment required the use of positive forces in society for volunteerism, setting up the requisite infrastructure, such as civil service mechanisms, and looking at ways to foster the building of skills, such as through internships.  Volunteerism did not include a salary, but it often included some financial contribution to cover the costs of volunteering so that people of all economic classes could participate.

Specialists usually had five to six years of professional experience, but UNV also employed young people with less experience, she said.  It also partnered with the private sector, which was increasingly involved in volunteerism.  Regarding the role of the United Nations in volunteerism, the Organization was becoming increasingly coherent in its support for national development, which had an impact on volunteerism.

Regarding older people, she said that, with the ageing of the population, there had been a growth in volunteerism among older people, whose valuable skills and experience were essential to volunteerism.  Slightly more women were involved in volunteerism than men.  Despite the challenges of the financial crisis it was doubtful that it would impact UNV’s ability to attract volunteers.  Forty-six per cent of its volunteers in Africa were from the continent.  Volunteers working in neighbouring countries were a force for peace and stability.

SEIF ALI IDDI, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of the United Republic of Tanzania, aligned himself with the African Group, SADC and the “Group of 77” developing countries and China, saying that, since independence, his country had been developing and implementing people-centred development policies.  The decentralization programme that devolved powers to local governments had reached the level of villages to ensure their participation in decision-making.  The Government also had policies in place devoted to vulnerable groups, and had incorporated those groups into the national strategy for growth and poverty reduction.  To augment social protection for vulnerable groups, the Government had developed a national social protection framework to improve coordination and enforce implementation of pro-poor policies that would ensure improved livelihoods for extremely poor and vulnerable people.  The framework had established guidelines on funding, planning and social protection interventions.

Despite those efforts, however, many challenges remained in the quest to achieve social inclusion for all, he said.  As in many other countries, poverty remained a major factor inhibiting social inclusion.  High unemployment figures and the impact of globalization, in addition to the financial, food and energy crises, had compounded the situation.  Full and decent employment was pivotal to the achievement of social inclusion, and the Tanzanian Government had established a national employment agency to help link unemployed job seekers, including youth, to potential employers within and outside the country.  In collaboration with ILO, it was implementing the United Nations join programme on wealth creation for poverty reduction.  In Zanzibar, there was a process to prepare regulations for facilitating implementation of labour laws and improvement of social dialogue.

LIU ZHENMIN ( China) said that, in order to promote social integration, it was imperative to provide social protection to vulnerable groups so as to prevent them from marginalization.  The current financial crisis had made the protection of vulnerable groups such as the poor, persons with disabilities, the elderly, youth and migrants ever more acute.  Providing them with employment, old age care, medical care and poverty relief would greatly promote social integration.

Calling for effective Government measures to narrow the gap between rich and poor while creating social systems tailored to the specific needs of their respective populations, he said Governments should adopt robust macroeconomic policies to promote a steady increase in job opportunities.  There was a need for more proactive employment policies, and attention should also be paid to the plight of developing countries, which had been hit particularly hard by the financial crisis.  The current situation made it all the more important for developed nations to fulfil their commitments to official development assistance (ODA) and provide genuine debt relief to least developed countries.

He said his country was ahead of schedule to reach the Millennium target of halving the number of people who lived in extreme poverty and hunger.  The country had reduced the number of people living in absolute poverty from 250 million to 15 million.  It had set up a social insurance system in cities, a medical care system in both urban and rural areas, put a minimum life guarantee system into place nationwide, and reformed cooperative medical care in rural areas.  China had signed and ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and amended its law on the protection of persons with disabilities.

HABIB MANSOUR ( Tunisia) said some progress had been made in seeking to create inclusive societies and provide equal access to employment, health care and education, particularly in developing countries.  Nevertheless, the energy, financial and food crises besetting today’s world, plus the climate change impacts, were wiping out those achievements, making countries and entire regions more vulnerable.  That was evidence that a new approach to development was necessary, demanding that absolute priority be given to certain aspects, such as social integration.  A country could ensure progress for itself only with the joint efforts of all its citizens.  Since its independence, Tunisia had put to work all the “life forces of the country”, making the individual the focal point of all development policies.

He said that women’s inclusion in all spheres of life had borne fruit, as Tunisian women were full-fledged citizens and partners, which had allowed for the emergence of an open, moderate and balanced society.  Women had pride of place in the country’s decision-making and were undoubtedly a decisive factor in Tunisia’s economic development, social cohesion and political stability.  In poorer parts of the country, women had benefited from social and economic integration, including via microcredits.  Tunisia had also always given priority to young people, who were a prerequisite for the success of policies that involved them; youth was the solution and not the problem.  Efforts had been made to increase employment opportunities for young people, and the national fund for employment, financed by voluntary contributions, helped integrate young people, and all others, into the labour market.  Also, efforts towards social integration were not limited to women and youth, but concerned all other categories of citizens, including persons with disabilities and children with special needs.

WAHEED ABDULWAHAB AHMED AL-SHAMI ( Yemen) said that, despite the progress achieved in social development, the financial, food and energy crises had exacerbated hunger, poverty and other social ills.  Developing countries, particularly the least developed ones, would be most affected by that and the international community must redouble efforts to assist them.  The World Summit for Social Development had set up a framework of policies and programmes for social integration, but poverty, discrimination and unemployment challenges remained.

He said his country was striving to achieve social integration in all areas of economic and social policies.  Yemen had played an active part in the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and had been among the first countries to sign the instrument.  In 1999, Yemen had enacted a law to protect disabled people and earmarked a significant portion of its federal budget for programmes to help them.  The Government had created centres for the elderly and a social fund to help them.   Yemen was working to comply with the Madrid Plan of Action on Ageing.  However, the country still faced poverty and had only a limited funding capacity.

LUIS ENRIQUE CHÁVEZ BASGOITIA ( Peru) said the purpose of social integration was the achievement of social cohesion.  Peru was committed to poverty reduction and to reducing chronic malnutrition.  It had national plans in place to promote the development of young people, integration of the elderly and quality of life for persons with disabilities.  National policies had been elaborated to promote social, political, economic and cultural inclusion of all vulnerable groups.  Young people, especially, must play an active role in political life.  Lack of education and decent work, however, curtailed their social integration.  In order to promote their greater participation, it was stipulated that 20 per cent of the list of candidates for local elections must be persons aged 29 or younger.  A number of plans were also in place to improve young people’s access to the labour market.

He said his country was also working to eliminate discrimination against persons with disabilities.  A national council for the disabled was established to ensure that persons with disabilities were included in the development of economic, social, and cultural policies.  The ombudsman’s office had a department for human rights to defend and promote the rights of persons with disabilities.  There was also a law for the elderly, which had allowed for the establishment of senior centres at the local level and a national plan to improve their welfare and participation in the country’s social and political life, and to enhance their levels of education.  To be more effective, however, those national policies required a favourable international context.  While States had the primary responsibility for eradicating poverty and seeking development aimed at full employment and decent work, national effort was not enough.  Appropriate macroeconomic conditions and an easing of the trade barriers were needed.

NIRUPAM SEN ( India) said there was no “one-size-fits-all” approach for social integration at the national level.  As most countries had evolved their own policies and programmes for social integration, that multidimensional concept still needed to be well understood and addressed.  That was particularly important now, as the world was grappling with difficult financial and food crises, which had a direct impact on various national programmes.  Those crises exacerbated social imbalances and made vulnerable groups more susceptible.  They also led to social tensions, further threatening social cohesion.  India had been using a social integration approach since independence, to ensure that social development was accessible to all.  In order to provide an affirmative Government role to improve the economic conditions of society, a series of five‑year development plans had been introduced.  India was implementing its 2007-2012 Five-Year Plan.  The plans used the concept of social integration to mainstream policies and programmes in all sectors through a comprehensive strategy with an inclusive development philosophy.

The current Five-Year Plan, which had the objective of empowering women politically, educationally, economically and legally, had made gender a crosscutting theme in all its programmes, he said.  The national rural employment guarantee scheme gave 100 days of employment to all rural households and greatly improved wages.  It was demand driven and had been a revolutionary instrument for empowerment and of breaking down social inequalities, while ensuring social dignity.  The 2005 Right to Information Act gave each citizen the right to seek information regarding Government action or inaction.  That has also encouraged a more participatory approach by people, and had made Government functionaries more responsive and accessible to society in general.

BUI THE GIANG ( Viet Nam) said that, among vulnerable groups, persons with disabilities deserved special attention.  The international community had not met its commitment of 15 years ago in the Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities.  Four concrete steps could help eliminate that gap.  First, it was essential to improve national legislation.  Second, there was a need to provide sufficient care for persons with disabilities; their independence should be supported by facilitating their own socio-economic activities while the Government promoted loans, funds and technical assistance and preferential schemes.  Third, public awareness must be improved, which would require efforts by the whole community, the education system and public media.  Finally, international cooperation and assistance to help persons with disabilities should be broadened to cover not only the cost of crutches, wheelchairs and funds, but also the exchange of experiences in promoting a legal framework, building friendlier infrastructures, and rendering effective support to their associations.

He noted that 6.63 per cent of his country’s population was afflicted with disabilities as a result of many decades of war, including large numbers severely wounded, victimized by the toxic chemical Agent Orange and dismembered by explosive remnants of war.  Viet Nam had done its utmost to relieve their difficulties, improve their access to economic life and enhance their social integration.  It had been among the first countries in the Asia-Pacific region to support the initiative of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to implement a long-term plan for persons with disabilities, and was preparing to ratify the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.  A health care and rehabilitation network had benefited more than 300,000 persons with disabilities in the past 10 years, including tens of thousands of children.  Access to education had also been improved owing to the development of textbooks in Braille for the visually impaired.  The number of children enrolled in secondary and tertiary education continued to increase, while some 10,000 adults with disabilities attended vocational training courses each year.  Government policies for persons with disabilities had been mainstreamed into national poverty reduction polices.

JORGE URBINA ORTEGA ( Costa Rica) said new analysis and ideas had helped the international community to understand the complex nature of social marginalization.  The deep-reaching crisis generated during decades of selfishness and greed had been played out in recent months.  The crisis should serve to make the international community press ahead to ensure that everyone could enjoy the benefits of scientific and technological advantages.  The world was aware of the cost of social exclusion, which knew no boundaries.  Since the 1995 Copenhagen Summit, it was obvious that the world had to go beyond the three pillars of social integration.  In many developing countries, little had been done to improve equality.  Improving equality and the development process must go hand in hand.  That was necessary for social cohesion.  It was necessary to redouble efforts and promote global strategies, as well as commit to implementing them.

Education and health services must be improved, he said.  Groups traditionally excluded from development must be included.  The international community must redouble efforts to combat gender discrimination and violence and to remove obstacles to gender mainstreaming.  Also, there must be more respect for ethical and cultural contributions to society.  International cooperation must be predictable, in order to promote social cohesion in a sustained fashion.  Further, developed countries must meet the goals they had set, and which they had systematically failed to achieve in the last 30 years.

MADHUBAN PRASAD PAUDEL ( Nepal) said full employment and decent work conditions in developing countries would be achievable when developed countries adopted a more accommodative approach towards developing-world migrant workers.  Least developed countries like Nepal faced a special predicament, trapped as they were in a vicious cycle of poverty and underdevelopment.  For many structural reasons, those countries suffered low economic growth, low productivity, underdeveloped industries and dependency on traditional farming systems.  Today, the growing gap between rich and poor within Nepal, as well as between nations, was a sure sign of looming disaster.  Because of the specific nature of least developed countries and their high level of vulnerability, Nepal strongly urged dedicated support for the issues confronting them and cooperation from all quarters.

He said the Government of Nepal was committed to move forward with the necessary legal practices of proportional inclusiveness for women, Dalits, other ethnic and indigenous communities, marginalized minorities, Madhesis and people in backward regions.  The Government was also establishing a national inclusiveness commission for that purpose.  The current global financial crisis was pushing more people below the poverty line, thereby depriving them of opportunity and leading to social exclusion.  Nepal was particularly responsive to the needs of older persons and had been making every effort to develop the capability of Nepalese youths.  As a signatory to the Disabilities Convention and its Optional Protocol, Nepal had formulated a national policy and action plan in addition to setting up a national coordination committee to serve persons with disabilities.

FAITH INNERARITY ( Jamaica) said the goal of social integration was embedded in Jamaica’s national motto “out of many, one people” that was reflective of the social and cultural pluralism that existed in the context of a post‑colonial society.  However, there had been major challenges, as successive administrations had implemented policies and programmes to create opportunities, reduce inequalities and ensure a better quality of life for all citizens.  The Administration that took office in September 2007 had revitalized the economy and created jobs as a top priority.  The financial, energy and food crises had put those central pillars of policy under severe pressure and the downturn in the demand in world markets for certain commodities had threatened and cut jobs in some of the most vital sectors of the economy, such as bauxite mining.  The financial crisis could further marginalize families living below the poverty line, cause family breakdowns, and create social instability and crime in poor, inner-city areas.

Unemployment among youth was 31 per cent in Jamaica, she said.  Educational attainment and quality of training influenced productivity, future job opportunities, earning power and the contribution of the individual to society.  Such opportunities were critical for young men and women.  Jamaica’s Government had renewed emphasis on the Educational and Transformation Programme, including gender-appropriate measures to stem the pervasive underachievement of boys and reduce the dropout rate of girls related to teenage pregnancies.  It was strengthening the social protection system, including by expanding social assistance for poor households to help children remain in school.  It was also conducting a review of the National Youth Policy to ensure that it provided an effective framework to create opportunities, promote and enhance youth participation in all spheres of society and improve the lives of all young people.

LORENA GIMÉNEZ-JIMÉNEZ ( Venezuela) said it was of crucial importance to consider social integration as a priority during the cycle of legislative review.  Social inclusion referred to the lack of equality and justice, meaning that social, cultural and political rights were not respected.  That, in turn, hampered economic growth and social development.  Society had to be developed with a view towards inclusion.  Venezuela looked at social inclusion from the point of view of the overall well‑being of all its citizens in all spheres of life, including access to health, sanitation, decent employment and housing.  Quality of opportunity facilitated social justice and ensured integral human development.  In Venezuela’s inclusive society, everyone was entitled to ongoing education with equal opportunity and without constraints.  Education was mandated at all levels and free up to the university level.  Twenty per cent of the State budget was earmarked for education.

She said attention was also paid to persons with disabilities, including to those persons incarcerated and lacking provision for education.  Last year, a university for “the third age” was established to assist the elderly and provide for the design and implementation of plans to enhance their lives.  However, speculative manoeuvres had led to the global financial crisis, which, along with the energy crisis, was directly affecting social inclusion and attainment of the Millennium Development Goals.  Money had been taken from the poor and given to financial institutions; that was the paradox of capitalism -- that institutions were helped before human beings.  The United Nations had a vital role to play in advancing the development agenda, and she trusted its capacity would be put to efficient use.

WARIF HALABI ( Syria) said her country was committed to the Copenhagen Declaration and its follow-up.  Poverty must be eliminated, and productive and full employment was necessary for social integration, the cornerstone of a stable society based on the promotion and protection of human rights.  Societies were now facing major challenges and serious threats that could undermine social development.  Syria had adopted steps to achieve sustainable economic growth and an equitable distribution of income.  It had emphasized the development of infrastructure in socio‑economic policies.  It worked to achieve balanced development and rights for refugees.  The world economic crisis was sparing no one.  Syria was also working to facilitate the access of families to services through adequate strategies, so that economic and social growth could go hand in hand.  The family was the basic unit of society and played a crucial role in social development.

Syria’s Government was also working to strengthen the capacity of young people, so that society could benefit from their potential and make them part of the human development process, she said.  Syria had adopted the Arab Plan of Action for Older People, in accordance with the Madrid Plan of Action.  Close national and international cooperation was needed to foster social development and social cohesion at all levels.  Further, the international community must intensify efforts to eliminate all obstacles to the right of self‑determination of people living under occupation.  That was necessary for building a stable society with equal rights and justice for all.

ANA RADU ( Republic of Moldova) said that, in the midst of the global financial crisis, there was an urgent need to strengthen international cooperation on the basis of the principles of non-discrimination, open competitiveness, transparent and universal access to global markets and fair and just rules for international trade in order to contribute to sustainable employment, growth and social integration.  It was also imperative to work towards closer integration between economic and social policies, both at the national and international levels.

Moldova had undertaken several measures, including an evaluation of its employment policy, she said.  As a result, recommendations had been produced to improve the labour market and social policies, and several national strategies, programmes and plans had been implemented to target the more vulnerable groups.  Those were aimed at reducing unemployment among young people; the social rehabilitation and integration of persons with disabilities; and protection of and assistance to victims of human trafficking.

She said her country had adopted a national strategy and action plan with a view to offering real opportunities for the social inclusion of persons with disabilities.  Several efforts had also been undertaken to cope with human trafficking, including the establishment of an ad hoc committee, local multidisciplinary anti-trafficking committees and sub-working groups on prevention, protection, legislation and child trafficking.  In 2006, a national referral system had been establishing to ensure that those returning from “a trafficking experience” had access to confidential and comprehensive help and support in rebuilding their lives, as well as opportunities for further integration into society.

Protection of the rights of the child, as well as the social integration of children’s, especially those from vulnerable families, remained core priorities, she said.  The Government had adopted a national strategy promoting education for all, and passed several laws aimed at protecting child victims of abuse, violence, trafficking and exploitation.  It had also started to restructure the child care residential system in order to mitigate the number of institutionalized children.  Social protection of the most vulnerable groups was a prerequisite for combating poverty, promoting greater social cohesion and reducing social risks.

LENA TERZIKIAN ( Armenia) said the world was in the midst of a financial crisis that had greatly affected society’s most vulnerable groups, such as the unemployed, the poor, the elderly and disabled, youth and children.  Urgent steps must be taken to diminish the impact of the crisis.  Armenia faced the same challenges and aimed to foster a stable and integrated society, where all human rights were respected and all residents, including vulnerable groups, benefited from equal opportunities provided by national legislation.  In late 2008, the Government of Armenia revised its existing Poverty Reduction Strategic Programme, which was adopted in 2003, and renamed it the Programme for Sustainable Development.  Rapid economic growth of 12.9 per cent on average during the last five years compelled the Government to devise more stringent indicators, to be achieved by 2015.

In 2005, the Government adopted the 2006-2015 Strategy for Social Protection of Disabled People, which aimed to improve the rehabilitation service system, provide free specialized medical care, improve their access to basic social services, implement key rehabilitation projects and help disabled people improve their physical functions and self-reliance, she said.  In 2009, the Government of Armenia declared that the annual federal budget would be socially oriented and would aim to achieve better social and economic conditions for the population through more funding.  The 2008 budget allocated for the social sphere was $11 million, versus $7 million the previous year.  The Government also approved the 2004-2010 National Plan of Action on Improving the Status of Women and Enhancing their Role in Society.

MARTY NATALEGAWA ( Indonesia) said that, as a plural society, his country had always prioritized social integration, which was necessary for national development.  To shield the poor from the negative social side effects of globalization, such as marginalization and exclusion, Indonesia emphasized the creation of decent employment with the aim of lifting rural communities out of poverty and facilitating social integration.  The ultimate goal was the elimination of interregional disparities as part of the development process and as an important step towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

To ensure productive employment and decent work, Indonesia had adopted several social protection measures, such as the provision of basic pensions, work insurances, and health and child benefits, he said.  Implementation of those measures by the Ministry for Labour and Transmigration had special significance for informal workers, who generally toiled without the benefit of social protection measures.  Indonesia was also committed to implementing its national action plan for persons with disabilities.  As for youth, the Government was preparing to ratify the law on youth which would address the issues of young people in a comprehensive, systematic and consistent manner.  It would also create the conditions for youth to reach their potential.

He said the number of elderly persons in Indonesia was increasing, making implementation of the Madrid Plan of Action highly relevant.  The Government was implementing policies to help the elderly overcome poverty, look after their own health and enjoy increased access to facilities.  Despite the social stresses generated by the global crises, the Government remained fully committed to advancing its social development agenda.  The 2009 national budget had been structured to reduce poverty and control unemployment by stimulating business and ensuring continued economic growth.

PRISCILA VERA HERNANDEZ ( Mexico) said Mexico was active in the meeting of the expert group on youth themes, organized last May by the Department of Economic and Social Affairs.  Mexico had also been promoting the participation of youth delegates in the General Assembly during the last four years to ensure that their concerns were considered.  More than 1.5 billion people between the ages of 15 and 24 were demanding rapid responses to their needs.  Mexico was one of the countries of Latin America with a high proportion of youth among its population.  One in three Mexicans was between the ages of 12 and 29 and Mexico now had more than 36 million youth -- the largest number in his history.  Mexico’s national youth policy worked to promote sustainable development for youth, based on six strategic objectives.  That included promoting the rights of young people, ensuring their access to high‑quality education, promoting equal access to health services, and promoting their access to affordable housing, among other things.

The Mexican Government stressed crosscutting youth policies, she said.  Last year, the Government allocated 6.5 billion pesos for youth programmes.  Employment was important in achieving social integration.  The Government had enhanced training programmes for entrepreneurs and programmes for training of women and young people.  Young people were of strategic importance in the population.  The international community was facing a major challenge in achieving the Millennium Development Goals, including those pertaining to youth.  In that regard, it was important to focus on international instruments from the youth perspective.

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