Commission for Social Development                          

Forty-eighth Session                                       

2^nd & 3^rd Meetings* (AM & PM)

SINCE 1995 PROGRESS MADE PROMOTING INCLUSION OF MARGINALIZED GROUPS, BUT CHALLENGES

TO SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT REMAIN ‘DAUNTING’, UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERAL TELLS COMMISSION

Chair Says One Aim of New Session Resolution on ‘Social Integration;’

Panel Commemorates Fifteenth Anniversary of Copenhagen Summit on Social Development

Since world leaders met in Copenhagen in 1995 to adopt a declaration and action programme for social change, encouraging progress had been made in promoting the inclusion of socially marginalized groups, but “daunting” challenges remained in reaching broader social development goals, Sha Zukang, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, said today, as the Commission for Social Development opened its forty-eighth session.

As the Commission celebrated the fifteenth anniversary of that meeting -- the World Summit on Social Development -- it had the opportunity to strengthen the Summit’s core principle of social integration and its link to poverty eradication, full employment and decent work for all, and to produce a consensus policy outcome on it, he said.

“One of the key lessons that we have learned about development in the years since Copenhagen is that economic growth alone is not enough to reduce poverty and hunger,” he said.  As rising inequality between and within countries thwarted efforts to stem poverty, the Commission must promote greater social cohesion and stability to guarantee basic social services in uncertain times and a share of economic development’s benefits for all.  “Effective social integration helps to accomplish this,” he said.

Socially inclusive policies helped support pro-poor growth and avert political instability, creating favourable conditions for achieving the Millennium Development Goals, he said.  The Commission should apply such strategies to tackle challenges, from new and ongoing conflicts to food insecurity, climate change and the global economic and financial crisis.

Commission Chairperson Leslie Kojo Christian ( Ghana) urged the Commission to take that thinking a step further and adopt its first-ever resolution on social integration.  Such a text could help Member States develop and refine national policies in that area, as well as creategreater national and international awareness of social integration’s crucial role in achieving overall development -- a merit that was often unrecognized and not fully understood.

He said that conclusions agreed to in the past were useful, but they did not carry the same political weight as a resolution, nor have significant influence outside the Commission.  A text, however, would create greater follow-up and accountability. 

Economic and Social Council President Hamidon Ali ( Malaysia) encouraged the Commission to clarify in its policy outcomes on the fundamental role of social integration in overall development goals.  That was particularly important, since ideas emerging from the Commission’s discussion on job recovery and creation, and on protecting core social spending in health and education in the wake of the financial and economic crisis would contribute important insights to the Economic and Social Council’s development debate.

Mr. Ali said there were obvious connections this year between the Commission’s work and the theme of the 2010 Annual Ministerial Review on “implementing the internationally agreed goals and commitments in regard to gender equality and the empowerment of women.”  Despite progress in some areas, women still experienced persistent -- and often severe -- discrimination and vulnerability.  Efforts to expand women’s access to education and employment opportunities and to remove barriers for them to take part in decision-making could directly help empower women and build more socially inclusive societies.

The Commission also held a panel discussion in the afternoon to commemorate the fifteenth anniversary of the Copenhagen Summit.  Several panellists lamented the poor progress in achieving the Copenhagen goals, as the world grappled with its biggest economic crisis in decades, and set forth possible courses of policy action to stimulate social development.

For example, Jimi Adesina, Professor of Sociology at Rhodes University, South Africa, pointed to World Bank estimates last year that suggested that 46 million more people would fall into extreme poverty and between 200,000 and 400,000 more children would die annually if the crisis continued.  A way to prevent that from happening was to create social policy regimes based on equality, including gender equality and social solidarity, and build capacity to pool resources and create social funds. 

Enrique Deibe, Secretary of Employment, Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security of Argentina, said the economic crisis had thrown 34 million people out of work since 2007, pushing millions into poverty.  Argentina had worked to overcome that by bolstering its gross domestic product and labour market opportunities, as well as maintaining and expanding its traditional social protection schemes, such as pensions and universal health care. 

Rudolf Hundstorfer, Minister of Labour, Social Affairs and Consumer Protection of Austria, shed light on Austria’s success in constraining unemployment since the crisis occurred through macroeconomic and labour market stimulus packages.  He said long-term employment, a well-functioning welfare state and solid social protection were fundamental for a stable, democratic society.  He also supported developing countries’ implementation of International Labour Organization (ILO) standards, a global trade system that provided social protections and decent work, and a socially oriented financial regime. 

Chua Hoi Wai of Hong Kong, China (Special Administrative Region of China), a registered social worker and business director of the Hong Kong Council of Social Services, discussed her organization’s work in promoting pro-poor policies and the role of civil society in Hong Kong in social development.

Also during the meeting, Tahirih Naylor, Chairperson of the NGO Committee for Social Development, presented the outcome of the civil society forum held Wednesday. 

Jean-Pierre Gonnot, Acting Director of the Division for Social Policy and Development, introduced documents for the Commission’s consideration during the session.

In addition, the Chairperson announced that the Bureau had agreed to divide responsibilities among its Vice-Chairperson for facilitating consultations for draft resolutions as follows:  Shoko Fujimoto (Japan), draft resolution on “mainstreaming disabilities in the development agenda”; Miloslav Hettes (Slovakia), draft resolution on “ageing”; and Christian Sieber (Switzerland), draft resolution on “methods of the work of the Commission”.  Connie Taracena Secaira ( Guatemala) would serve as Rapporteur.  Joyce Kafanabo (United Republic of Tanzania) would facilitate consultations on the draft on the session’s priority theme:  social integration.  The meeting also adopted its agenda and organization of work.

Also speaking during the morning’s general discussion were the Minister of Health and Social Policy of Spain (on behalf of European Union), the Secretary of State for Employment of Argentina (on behalf of the Southern Common Market), the Minister of Social Affairs of Senegal, and the Minister of State of Ghana.

The representatives of Yemen (on behalf of the “Group of 77” developing countries and China), Mexico (on behalf of the Rio Group), Viet Nam, Sudan, Russian Federation and the United States also spoke. 

The Commission will reconvene at 10 a.m. Thursday, 4 February, to continue its session.

Background

The Commission for Social Development met this morning to open its forty‑eighth session, which runs through 12 February.  For background information, see Press Release SOC/4757 of 1 February.

Introductory Statements

LESLIE KOJO CHRISTIAN ( Ghana), Commission Chairperson, said the session would focus on social integration and its relationship to poverty eradication and full employment and decent work for all.  It would also focus on developing a policy outcome in the form of a resolution on social integration to guide Member States in developing and refining national policies and programmes to promote social integration in the future.  A resolution would also help bring greater national and international awareness to the importance of social integration in achieving overall development.  Social integration had not received the attention it deserved and its crucial role in development had not been fully understood.

Conclusions agreed to in the past, although useful, did not carry the same political weight as a resolution, nor did they have significant influence outside the Commission, he said.  This year, the international community would focus on assessing progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals, which were intertwined with the “quest for humane, stable, safe, tolerant and just societies” identified in 1995 in Copenhagen.  A resolution would help remind the international community of the centrality of social integration to development and it would facilitate greater follow-up and accountability.  He urged everyone to adopt by consensus the first resolution on social integration that the Commission had seen in 15 years.

HAMIDON ALI ( Malaysia), President of the Economic and Social Council, said this year in particular there were obvious connections between the Commission’s work and the theme of the 2010 Annual Ministerial Review on “implementing the internationally agreed goals and commitments in regard to gender equality and the empowerment of women”.  Despite progress in certain areas, women still experienced persistent -- and often severe -- discrimination and vulnerability.  As noted in the Secretary-General’s report on promoting social integration, gender-based discrimination, the most prevalent form of institutionalized inequality, continued to obstruct social inclusion efforts.  Efforts to expand women’s access to education and employment opportunities, and to remove barriers to their participation in decision-making, could directly contribute to women’s empowerment and building more socially inclusive societies.

The session’s policy outcomes would be given full consideration in the discussions of the Annual Ministerial Review, he said.  Social integration was fundamental to overall development goals, but that message had not come across as loudly and clearly as it should.  He encouraged the Commission to clarify and strengthen that point in the policy outcome.  That outcome would be sent to the Economic and Social Council, giving the Commission a chance to influence the Council’s development debate, including the upcoming high-level General Assembly plenary meeting aimed at assessing progress towards reaching the millennium targets.

The ideas from the Commission’s discussion on policy responses on employment and the social consequences of the financial and economic crisis, including the gender dimension, would contribute important insights to the Economic and Social Council, he said.  The Secretariat note, which would be sent to the Council, gave valuable recommendations on responding to the crisis, such as prioritizing employment creation and social protection for all men and women; protecting core social spending in health and education; promoting policies that expedited job recovery by increasing the job content of growth; and giving special attention to the vulnerable and disadvantaged groups hit hard by the crisis.

SHA ZUKANG, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, said delegations would aim during the session to produce a consensus policy outcome on social integration and its links to poverty eradication and full employment and decent work for all. Indeed, those had been the three issues at the core of the 1995 Copenhagen Summit outcome, and it was, therefore, critical that those principles continued to be strengthened and that they remained central in policy-and decision-making.

He recalled that the Commission’s previous session had devoted itself to clarifying the elements and meaning of social integration, as a concept and global commitment.  That session had also heightened international attention to, and provided a deeper understanding of, the role played by social integration in achieving the overarching goals of peace, security and development.  At the current session, the Commission would have the opportunity to strengthen the profile of social integration, and apply its strategies and principles to tackling the many challenges the world faced, from new and ongoing conflicts to food insecurity, climate change and the global economic and financial crisis.

“Fifteen years ago, the Social Summit in Copenhagen marked a turning point in development thinking.  It put the focus where it should be -- on people-centred development,” he said, adding that, on that meeting’s fifteenth anniversary, delegations must take stock of the progress that had been made, identify remaining challenges and reflect on lessons learned.  He said that, since the adoption of the Copenhagen declaration and Programme of Action, there had been substantial progress regarding the adoption of international instruments to promote the inclusion and integration of social groups, including the 2002 Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing and the 2006 Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

While the international community should be encouraged by the adoption of such instruments to help guide Governments’ national strategies to combat discrimination and intolerance, daunting challenges remained in achieving broader social development.  Such challenges were further compounded by the ongoing effects of the global economic crisis, he said, noting that, even though there had been some signs of recovery, families still reeling from job losses and struggling to put food on their tables and roofs over the heads needed relief.  Moreover, the longer-term challenges posed by climate change were continuing to unfold, and that phenomenon was bound to affect marginalized people and communities disproportionately.

“One of the key lessons that we have learned about development in the years since Copenhagen is that economic growth alone is not enough to reduce poverty and hunger,” he continued, adding that rising inequality between and within countries had reduced the impact of growth on poverty reduction.  Therefore, delegations should work to ensure that everyone in society was able to share in the benefits of economic development.  “Effective social integration helps to accomplish this,” he said, urging delegations to renew their efforts to promote greater social cohesion and stability during uncertain times by working to guarantee people a minimum set of essential social transfers and services.

He noted that, last April, the United Nations System Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB) had launched a social protection floor as one of its nine joint crisis initiatives.  He applauded that effort and said that “nothing less will do” to address the crippling effects of increased vulnerability arising from global economic instability.  He went on to note that 2010 would be an important year for development.  Among other events, in September, the General Assembly would convene a high-level plenary on the Millennium Development Goals.  The Commission could consider how its work during the current session could facilitate the implementation of the Goals.

“We can argue that none of the [Goals] could be achieved without pursuing the underlying objective of social integration -- a society for all,” he said.  Socially inclusive policies not only supported pro-poor growth and development, they also helped to avert social conflict and political instability, creating favourable conditions for development and achievement of the Millennium Goals.  So, as the Commission embarked on its current policy session, he encouraged delegations to help pave the way forward and to keep the central message of Copenhagen alive.  By adopting a policy outcome, Member States would have a unique opportunity to propel forward an issue that was fundamental to the shared view of human progress.

After those introductory statements, JEAN-PIERRE GONNOT, Acting Director, Division for Social Policy and Development, introduced the documents before the Commission.  He drew delegations attention to, among other documents, the provisional agenda on “Follow-up to the World Summit for Social Development and the twenty-fourth special session of the General Assembly; priority theme: social integration”, and the relevant report of the Secretary-General (document E/CN.5/2010/2).  That report reemphasized that social integration was central to fighting poverty and unemployment and in creating a society for all, which was the ultimate goal of development.

He also highlighted the Secretary-General’s report on “Social dimensions of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD)” (document E/CN.5/2010/3), which examined progress in implementing the social dimensions of the African-driven development initiative and assessed the impact on social development of the converging global crises that had been affecting all nations.  He said that report underscored that Africa had not been spared the effects of the slowdown in the global economy.  Indeed, gains that had been achieved as a result of improved economic performance were likely to be lost.

The lack of social protection programmes to offset the negative impact of the global recession would likely compound that situation, with the working poor and other vulnerable groups bearing the brunt of the global crisis.  The report, therefore, concluded with a set of recommendations that underscored the importance of elevating and promoting Africa’s social development agenda.  In particular, African countries should continue to integrate and mainstream NEPAD priorities into national development plans to ensure that they bore the greatest responsibility for their own development.

Next, TAHIRIH NAYLOR, Chairperson of the NGO Committee for Social Development, presented the outcome of the civil society forum that had taken place yesterday.  She said that, since Copenhagen, it had become increasingly clear that problems and challenges were more global in nature and, as such, were beyond the reach of national Governments acting alone.  “This obliges us all to acknowledge our responsibility for each other, and to collaboratively seek inclusive solutions,” she continued, stressing that a commitment was needed to working for an equitable and shared society, one that was inclusive and socially cohesive.

Such a society encouraged the participation of all, including disadvantaged and marginalized groups and persons.  The measure of progress was how a society treated its most vulnerable, she said, adding: “Our vision of the future is a society that is socially just, sustainable, humane and respectful of every human person and the environment.”  Such a society was committed to the common good, respected cultural values and social institutions and promoted a solidarity that led to social inclusion.

“We NGOs know that it is urgent to confirm the principles of a ‘shared society for all’ and to establish policies that promote the full participation of all,” she said, noting that two of the most pressing issues of the day -- the economic and financial crisis and climate change -- demonstrated the importance of engaging everyone in creating more equitable societies and a sustainable development that respected “our common humanity and our home, planet Earth”.  Setting forth policies that promoted social inclusion was essential for the realization of two other core values identified at Copenhagen -- poverty eradication and full employment and decent work for all.

Concluding, she told the Commission that the non-governmental organization forum had identified some suggestions that would help delegations in their work, including on local participation and partnership, human rights, gender issues, youth and education, and monitoring and sharing of good practices.  She said that those items had emerged as important in the wake of a survey carried out ahead of the Commission’s current session.  The survey and its conclusions would be distributed in the conference room, and the non-governmental organizations attending the session counted on the Commission to study them and to work to respond to the moral imperative of the hour: achieving a society for all.

General Discussion

ABDULLAH ALSAIDI (Yemen), speaking on behalf of the “Group of 77” developing countries and China, said that, despite progress since the World Summit for Social Development, much more must be done to achieve mutual social development goals.  He was deeply concerned about the current financial, economic, food insecurity and energy crises and the challenges posed by climate change, as well as the lack of results so far in multilateral trade negotiations and a loss of confidence in the international economic system.  That had major negative implications for social development and social integration, and it could further undermine achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.

Despite Government commitments to promote social integration by creating inclusive societies that were stable, safe, just and tolerant, respected diversity and promoted equal opportunity and participation of all, the goal of creating “a society for all” remained elusive, he said.  The main obstacles to social integration -- poverty, unemployment, the lack of basic needs, inequality, conflict, discrimination and violence, among others -- must be addressed.  “Social integration must become a high priority for all, even during times of crisis, in order to achieve peace, stability and prosperity,” he said.  He called for developing socially inclusive policies and mainstreaming social integration into national development planning.

The three pillars of the Copenhagen Declaration -- poverty eradication, decent work and full employment, and social integration -- were interrelated, mutually reinforcing and could not be achieved in isolation, he said.  Holistic poverty reduction plans and comprehensive and inclusive employment strategies were indispensable to achieving social integration.  He stressed the importance of overcoming obstacles to realizing the right of people to self-determination, particularly people living under colonial and other forms of foreign occupation, which adversely affected their socio-economic development.  Implementation of the Madrid Plan of Action was seminal, as population ageing would be a pressing issue for countries in the twenty-first century.

TRINIDAD JIMENEZ GARCIA-HERRERA, Minister of Health and Social Policy of Spain, speaking on behalf of the European Union, said social integration and cohesion played an essential role in economic development and would continue to be a major political commitment for the sustainability, stability and prosperity of the entire European Union.  Her region, like the rest of the world, had been hit hard by the current economic and financial crisis.  Job growth had been halted and employment rates had contracted considerably.  She added that unemployment rates could increase to 11 per cent in 2010, if labour-market policy and performance throughout the European Union did not change.

Continuing, she said that many people who lost their jobs were at risk of permanent exclusion from the labour market, with catastrophic consequences for individuals, families and for entire societies.  In addition, among the long-term consequences of the crisis, experience had shown that some groups of unemployed or inactive workers tended to remain so, in spite of an economic rebound.  “It is vital, therefore, that, as our economies recover, we seek to ensure that employment growth accompanies economic growth, and to address long-term unemployment, focusing on increased labour-market participation and help for unemployed people to find work.”

To successfully overcome the myriad challenges posed by the crisis and achieve the goals of the European Union 2020 Strategy, she said the bloc’s Governments needed to develop an integration plan that more explicitly recognized the strong interdependence within the European Union, whether between its member States concerning the impact of national measures; between the different levels of authority, particularly in the Euro-zone; or between different stakeholders at the global level.  No member State was strong enough to undertake such a transformation by itself, she said, and the International Labour Organization (ILO) Global Jobs Pact provided an adequate mix of policy options that should lead response to the crisis at all levels.

She went on to say the challenge was increasing coordination, so that a more sustainable and inclusive economy that was also more environmentally friendly could be developed.  It would be necessary to integrate and strengthen political instruments by linking institutional reforms, regulation enhancement, new initiatives and public investment.  She also said that one of the key objectives of the European Union 2010 Strategy, which would succeed the Lisbon Strategy, was to raise awareness of the Union’s commitment to persons experiencing, or at risk of poverty or social exclusion.

The European Union strongly supported the Commission’s objectives and believed that the Union’s member States could play a catalytic role in helping people in need in developing countries to combat poverty.  The Union wanted to share its experiences “with our nearest and farthest neighbours” to encourage the international community to assist wherever necessary and to recognize that social inclusion, participation and protection was an overarching goal.

ENRIRIQUE DEIBE, Secretary of State for Employment of Argentina, speaking on behalf of the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR), said that every member of MERCOSUR was committed to ensuring and preserving dignity in their societies.  Indeed, the various national plans and programmes aimed at achieving that objective confirmed the sense of renewed institutional practice in the region that stressed social integration through mechanisms for public assistance and social promotion.

He said that marginalization and poverty were manifestations of social exclusion, exacerbated by the hegemonic economic policies applied throughout most of Latin America in the 1990s, the tendency to overestimate the role of the market and disregard for the active role of States in defending citizens rights in highly vulnerable societies.  For MERCOSUR, it was, therefore, imperative to ensure social integration along with economic development.  Such a path guaranteed integral human development that recognized the individual civil, political, social cultural and economic rights of all citizens.

Continuing, he said the current world financial crisis had increased the need for Governments to adopt social policies and boost investments in the social arena that not only protected the most vulnerable, but also stimulated job creation and the demand for goods and services, with positive benefits for national and regional economies alike.  Senior ministers of MERCOSUR had recently adopted the “Pillars for Development”, towards the design of a social action strategic plan for the region.  Those pillars included, among others, fighting hunger, poverty and social inequities, and bolstering participation, human rights, diversity and education.

Stressing that MERCOSUR supported decent work and employment for all as a basic human right, he said the bloc also believed that job creation must be at the centre of efforts to coordinate economic, social, labour and education policies.  MERCOSUR had also agreed to develop and implement social security systems that contributed to reducing the vulnerability of citizens to social and economic risks and persistent inequalities.

FAUSTIN DIATTA, Minister of Social Affairs of Senegal, discussed his country’s poverty reduction strategy, which emphasized the vulnerable urban and rural populations and was based on three pillars:  wealth creation and reduction of vulnerability in the areas of agriculture and water and land access; promotion of basic social programmes, with an emphasis on education for persons with disabilities; and a security net for vulnerable groups, especially children and those in high-risk categories, such as disabled women.  Much emphasis had also been focused on assisting the elderly, for whom the Government had initiated a system of solidarity affecting 650,000 people over the age of 60 years.  That had resulted in greater access to health care.  Another programme for the elderly provided social coverage and was designed to improve living conditions and social and economic integration into society.

He highlighted a third programme -- aimed at the development of the “smallest” people, or children -- and initiated under the President’s leadership.  It was structured around, among other things, training, education and hygiene, and began in infancy.  Already, some 300 national centres had been established to promote it.  Another programme was aimed at providing basic social services for persons with disabilities, especially at the grass-root level, and to enable them to take part in society.  Social demographic studies were also under way.  A sectoral rehabilitation programme for the disadvantaged allowed for the integration of a broad segment of society, including those in leper colonies, and, there was a programme for social re-adaptation, for which 400 centres had been created countrywide, including a reintegration centre for juvenile delinquents, especially drug addicts.  Last October, the Senegalese parliament had adopted a law allowing for the approval of the international conventions on the rights of the child and on persons with disabilities.  Domestic social legislation aimed at protecting the latter group would soon be sent to parliament for adoption.  Finally, there was a programme of health care involving childbirth and treatment for tuberculosis, malaria and cancer, as well as cardiovascular disease, especially in pregnant women.

CLAUDE HELLER (Mexico), speaking on behalf of the Rio Group, said the upcoming review of the Millennium Development Goals and the fifteenth anniversary of the Copenhagen Summit provided a good opportunity to evaluate progress thus far and to redouble efforts in necessary areas.   Social integration required a firm commitment on the part of Governments and societies.  The focus was to achieve a just, democratic, participatory, multiethnic and multicultural social order for all, including the right to development, in a general climate of tolerance and respect for diversity, in and among nations.  It was also based on the full recognition that there was a duty to show solidarity with the world’s neediest countries.

Latin American and Caribbean countries had successfully developed social programmes to transfer income and give children and the elderly access to basic health care and education, he said.  Investment in mothers and children was vital to break the cycle of poverty and exclusion, which disproportionately affected women.  He called for increasing women’s economic opportunities, so they could truly participate in decision-making.  Women must not feel excluded from basic services and social participation.  The rights and interests of vulnerable groups must be promoted and protected in a legal framework.

The Rio Group had reformed laws and rules that had proven to be discriminatory, he said.  But, a great deal must be done to create a culture of tolerance.  Many Rio Group countries had reviewed and revised norms on disabilities following the entry into force of the Disabilities Convention.  Participatory planning and management were essential.  Employment promotion was an effective strategy for social integration and it was important to increase investment in education and training.  It was also important to recognize the traditional knowledge and concepts of development of indigenous groups.  Policies must aim to tackle the structural causes of those groups’ exclusion and marginalization.  International cooperation, including developed countries making good on their promise to earmark 0.7 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) for official development assistance (ODA), as well as South-South cooperation, were critical for promoting social integration.

STEPHEN AMOANOR KWAO, Minister of State of Ghana, said that social integration, as a multisectoral issue, required an effective coordination mechanism to protect the vulnerable and excluded, participation of all stakeholders, and an effective and non-partisan political leadership.  Ghana was implementing programmes to promote social integration, which catered to all vulnerable social groups.  The Government’s vision of social development was aimed at creating a society in which the citizenry were duly empowered to realize their full potential, rights and responsibilities.  The strategy sought to promote human capital development and also emphasized the protection, promotion and empowerment of vulnerable and excluded persons.

As an example of its strategy, he pointed to Ghana’s social cash-transfer programme, which provided both conditional and unconditional cash transfers to targeted populations.  Its objectives were, among others, to reduce extreme poverty, hunger and starvation among the most severely disabled and persons living with HIV/AIDS, and to smooth the consumption levels of extremely poor orphans and vulnerable children, especially those affected by HIV/AIDS.  Ghana had also embarked on capacity-building interventions to strengthen key Government ministries.  Other policies to enhance social integration included development and implementation of several additional policies, including a new national employment policy, human trafficking action, youth and gender policies, an HIV policy, an ageing policy and a national health insurance policy.  Social protection interventions included a national youth employment programme, a school feeding programme, education grants for public schools, as well as integrated support for smallholder farmers.

Recalling the expert preparatory meting, held in Accra in November 2009, he said it had concluded that the concept of social inclusion must be fully understood by Government policymakers and civil society.  A more comprehensive understanding, he added, would enable policymakers to better manage the trade-offs among social, economic and environmental imperatives.  That would bring social policy issues on a par with economic and political agendas that usually dominated social policy concerns, which were perceived as a drain on scarce resources, rather than an investment for the future.  He hoped the recommendations of the Accra meeting would be embodied in the resolutions to be adopted at the end of the meeting.

BUI THE GIANG (Viet Nam) supported the conclusions and recommendations of the Secretary-General’s report on promoting social integration and the Secretariat’s note on a policy response on employment and the social consequences of the financial and economic crisis, including its gender dimension.  Viet Nam had suffered markedly from the economic and financial crisis.  Last year, its GDP growth rate had been only 5.32 per cent, the lowest in a decade.  Its exports, the main economic driver, had dropped 10 per cent from the previous year.  Recurrent budget deficits had caused a significant drop in international reserves.  Under pressure from financial market fluctuations, overspending had been 6.9 per cent last year, and it required an urgent corrective measure.  To address those issues, Viet Nam had since early last year put in place social and economic policy measures to respond to the adverse impact of the crisis and ensure healthy, sustainable development.

As a result, he said, it had maintained single-digit inflation in economic terms and the consumer price index had stayed at 6.88 per cent.  At their annual consultative group meeting in December, international donors had pledged more than $8 billion in ODA for 2010 -- a record high.  The poverty rate had been reduced to 12.3 per cent from 13.4 per cent a year earlier.  Jobs had been created for 1.6 million people.  Free health insurance and housing schemes for poor people had reached vulnerable people and those living in rural and mountain areas.  “Fundamentally speaking, hard-earned gains in our struggle for poverty reduction and hunger elimination have been protected and consolidated,” he said.  This year, building on past social integration achievements, the Government would better support farmers with technology transfer, technical training and infrastructure.  It would expedite anti-poverty programmes to prepare for a new phase of development.

NAJLA A. H. ABDELRAHMAN ( Sudan) said she wished to add her voice to the statement of the Group of 77 developing countries and China.  The fifteenth anniversary of Copenhagen was taking place in the shadow of an economic and financial crisis that threatened social development and led to increased poverty.  It was difficult to achieve the social integration envisaged by world leaders, who had agreed to reform the economic and social environment, achieve complete justice for all and eliminate poverty.  There was no doubt that climate change had a role in depleting resources and fuelling conflicts around the world.  The financial crisis also clearly complicated the international environment.  Thus, it required even greater effort to achieve social integration, in the framework of participation and accountability.  Peace was a very important element of a stable and fair society, in which basic freedoms and rights for all, and by all, were respected.

She said that, in line with the spirit of peace in her country and the social development Summit objectives, Sudan had set up a social integration plan covering 17 areas, which included the provision of work for graduates, poverty reduction, an allocation of many millions of dollars for new medical equipment, and the establishment of human settlements for weak and impoverished groups.  The Islamic taxation office was very important to achieving social justice, especially for the poor, and served as a social safety net among all population groups.  In fact, 1.5 million families had benefited.  Education, health and religious institutions had also been established.  The country’s political policy had enhanced women’s participation in society, with an emphasis on their role in cementing peace.  The policy had reduced the education gap and sought to spread information about women’s legal rights, especially in conflict areas.  Sudan had also sought to meet the needs of persons with disabilities since 2007, following enactment of a law aiming to integrate them at all levels of society.

Despite those and other efforts, sanctions should be lifted against countries, including Sudan, in order to make it possible to create a safe environment leading to social integration.  He called for debt relief for countries in need and encouraged market incentives and the opening up of the markets of developed countries.  The United Nations must be compelled to face the crisis and follow up on the decisions of past international conferences, thereby ensuring implementation of outcomes of various economic and social summits.

YURI VORONIN ( Russian Federation) said the Commission should remain the main coordinating body in the United Nations on social development concerns.  The world was gradually beginning to recover from the adverse impact of the financial and economic crisis that had exacerbated the dire consequences of the unbalanced state of the world economy.  That crisis had further aggravated, on a global scale, the challenges to reducing poverty.  It was important to present strategic plans to fight for social inclusion for all.  New challenges to social inclusion caused by the crisis made the Copenhagen Summit goals even more important.  The Russian Federation’s anti-crisis policy, started at the end of 2008, was designed to mitigate the direct impact of the crisis on the economy and prevent the irreversible loss of hard-won gains.  The Government had taken charge in the labour market to eliminate unemployment and protect society.  It worked to stabilize the situation.  Such policies had enabled the Russian Federation to prevent an economic downturn.

The Government was also focusing on long-terms plans to strengthen the economy and human capacity to ensure the participation of all in society, he said.  It would continue national programmes on education, housing, health care and social and cultural needs.  Major Government efforts were designed to ensure full payment of wages of people employed by public institutions and social allowances to compensate for inflation, particularly to help people living below the poverty line.  In 2009, the Russian Federation had seen a reduction, for the first time, in income inequality.  The task at hand now was to prevent the worsening of indicators.  To achieve that result, the Government had provided advanced professional training.  He was interested in further programmes of action to create a socially inclusive society.

FREDERICK BARTON ( United States) said his country had actively participated in Copenhagen and joined with renewed commitment the goals of a people-centred and inclusive approach to development.  The United States shared the goals of poverty eradication, full employment and social integration.  Indeed, the first congressional bill signed by President Barack Obama had been a fair pay act aimed at ensuring that all women and men, disabled or not, of all colours, races, religions and origins, received equal pay for equal work.  The so-called paralysis act was the first piece of comprehensive legislation aimed at improving the lives of United States citizens living with paralysis, joining the efforts geared to helping the 650 million people worldwide living with disabilities.

He recalled the words of United States Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, then First Lady, at Copenhagen -- that no one could be integrated into society without the means to earn a living.  Thus, the first priority of the Obama Administration was to help its citizens find employment and design the programmes to do that.  It recognized that full recovery of the economy in the United States, and globally, would take time and sustained effort.  It would not be easy.  His country remained concerned about the ongoing financial crisis and its impact on development, so it was working actively to stimulate the economy, both domestically and internationally.  As President Obama had said to the United Nations General Assembly, the country’s goal was simple -- a global economy in which growth was sustained and opportunity was available to all.  The United States would continue to engage in forums to promote global economic growth and minimize the impact on the vulnerable.

The United States had a record of fighting discrimination and social exclusion, and it would continue to do so and to provide equal opportunity for all, he said.  The world needed not only to return to the ideals and principles encapsulated at Copenhagen, but make those goals a reality.  The United States was eager to be an affirmative partner in that important work.

Panel Discussion

Opening a high-level panel discussion this afternoon to commemorate the fifteenth anniversary of the World Summit for Social Development, held in Copenhagen, was Commission Chairperson CHRISTIAN ( Ghana).  He recalled that, 15 years ago, world leaders had come together to fight poverty, create productive jobs, and strengthen the social fabric of their societies.  The outcome of their meeting had been a new approach to social development consisting of a series of commitments and a programme of action that reflected a common purpose and sense of solidarity between nations and their desire to put people at the centre of development.  Today’s panel discussion was an opportunity to review progress and renew a commitment to the inclusive social development first articulated in Copenhagen.

He said that progress towards the Summit’s goals had been mixed.  The global crises, including the food and fuel crises, followed by the financial and economic crisis, were seriously challenging social development and threatening to reverse the gains.  Initial estimates suggested that all progress in reducing global unemployment since 1995 had been lost in just two years.  As a result, progress in poverty reduction was expected to roll back -- as many as 200,000 people had been added to the ranks of those living in extreme poverty than would have, had previous trends persisted.  The impact on financing for development at both national and international levels was expected to be negative, as Government budgets shrink during economic recession.  At the same time, needs for social protection programmes increased, and thus, the costs of maintaining those programmes went up.  ODA, measured as a per cent of shrinking GDP, was also expected to decline.  Finally, climate change was now recognized as the most daunting challenge facing mankind, and its impact on social development, if unabated, could be devastating, he said.

Taking the floor next, keynote speaker JIMI ADESINA, Professor of Sociology at Rhodes University, South Africa, said that the world had perhaps never been further away from realizing the commitments made in Copenhagen.  On the other hand, it was at a historical moment for returning to a wider vision of social development.  The Copenhagen Summit had been held under conditions of widespread entitlement failure and growing inequality, even after a decade of neo-liberal orthodox economic reforms.  While the Copenhagen commitments represented the triumph of hope over adversity, it nonetheless reflected the ideational constraints of a vision of human existence that was in retreat.  In 2010, the world was confronted with two additional challenges.  The current economic crisis was generating another round of social and economic crises and acute vulnerability in the world’s poorest regions.  And more troubling were the impact of climate change and the paradox of that impact -- the most vulnerable regions and peoples were those who had contributed the least to greenhouse gas emission or the culture of conspicuous consumption that had put the planet at great risk.

Providing details of the impact of the economic crisis, he pointed out that the World Bank in 2009 had suggested that an additional 46 million people would fall into severe poverty; an additional 53 million would become poor; and between 200,000 and 400,000 more children would die annually if the crisis continued.  Flowing from that crisis, he argued that a starting point was the return to the wider vision of society and a “lifting of our collective gaze to a longer horizon”.  There was a need to move beyond the “mono-cropping” of social policy.  In that regard, he referred to the multiple functions of social policy: production; protection; reproduction; redistribution; and social cohesion and nation-building.  He argued further that the transformative social policy related not only to the economy or protection from destitution, but in the transformation of social relations, and nowhere was that more urgent than in the area of gender relations and equality.

He said that social policy regimes grounded in solidarity and norms of equality were much better in producing social cohesion and inclusivity.  Finally, social policy was not simply something “the State does”.  State-community partnership in setting a social policy agenda and delivering on it required ensuring community buy-in and ownership.  He called for a rethinking of how the social development agenda had been defined over the last three decades, with several implications.  The first was an acknowledgement of the importance of policy space and coherent national-level efforts in building institutional capacity for policy learning.  For example, there could be no effective and universal primary education system without teachers, authors of textbooks, or infrastructure for book production, and so forth.  The second implication was that successful financing mechanisms were first local; they were not simply about the State’s capacity to tax, but the collective capacity for resource-pooling and building social funds.  International development assistance worked when it complemented, rather than supplanted, local levels (national or subregional).

Before introducing the panellists, the Commission Chairperson guided the exchange by posing the following questions:  How have we done so far in meeting the 10 Copenhagen commitments?  Why had some areas of social development not seen much advancement in 15 years and what can be done to reverse that?  What has been the impact of the economic crisis and how can that be better assessed? How can adequate funding for social development be assured?  Were social development goals being given priority in Government planning strategies?  How can we ensure that past mistakes were not repeated as the way forward was mapped out?

The panellists were Rudolf Hundstorfer, Minister of Labour, Social Affairs and Consumer Protection of Austria; Enrique Deibe, Secretary of Employment, Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security of Argentina; and Chua Hoi Wai of Hong Kong, China (Special Administrative Region of China), a registered social worker and business director of the Hong Kong Council of Social Services.

Next, Mr. HUNDSTORFER said that Copenhagen’s most important achievements had been to confirm social development as an integral part of any serious sustainable development policy, and to raise awareness on the topic among policymakers and the general public.  Today, the world was facing the biggest economic challenge in decades.  It should be kept in mind, therefore, that the policies being discussed today sent a signal to the policymakers of tomorrow -- a signal about social justice and social cohesion in societies.  He reviewed Austria’s unemployment rate, which was low and had increased only moderately by international standards.  That had been due, he said, to the country’s prompt reaction with joint forces to the deteriorating economic and employment situation.  In addition to macroeconomic stimulus packages, Austria had also launched two labour-market packages.  In 2009, it had spent 44 per cent more on active labour-market measures than the year before and, with a 30 per cent rise in unemployment, it had provided more funds per unemployed person than in 2008.

He said that young people were of particular concern to him, and it was disastrous if they felt alone and unneeded at a time when they wanted to contribute to society and become part of the workforce.  He was proud to say, therefore, that Austria had a “training guarantee for school leavers”, which meant that anybody under the age of 18 who could not find an apprenticeship in a company could complete an apprenticeship in a central training institution.  Austria, through its new “means-tested minimum income”, had adopted a reform to integrate long-term unemployment assistance and social assistance for people who were able to work.  The idea was to harmonize transfer payments and to make it easier to integrate, or reintegrate, people on social assistance back into the labour market.  His guiding principle for the future was to secure employment and secure cohesion, and in that, a well-organized, well-functioning welfare State was the foundation of a country’s security and stability.  Solid social protection was a fundamental condition for a stable and democratic basic order.

He said he wished to “stand up” for: the social market economy; support to developing countries in implementing ILO standards; social partnerships at all levels; a world trade system that took social aspects and decent work into consideration; and a socially oriented financial system.

Mr. DEIBE recalled that, in 1995, the objectives had been to find the political will to commit daily to development and social justice, to peace and security, to human rights and fundamental freedoms.  Now, the “economic earthquake” that caused the deepest social crisis since 1930 must be taken into account.  The crisis had a high human cost, generating enormous unemployment; it had increased by 34 million since 2007, bringing to 212 million the total number of unemployed persons in the world today.  Strategies and models had been ineffective in preventing or foreseeing the approach of the crisis or its devastating consequences.  Over the years, Argentina had learned some lessons about the consequences of “economic orthodoxy”.  Determined to guarantee economic dignity and social development for all, his country had taken the road of economic and social recovery, based on the idea of creating a society of work. 

He said that following the economic crisis in Argentina, the Government had undergone a structural change, which sought to overcome classic economic models and promised to make the country competitive and incorporate it into the globalization process.  That new path to growth had led to a sustained increase in GDP and formal employment, as well as a considerable reduction in poverty.  The recovery of the State and political institutions were linked to reductions in internal and external debt, improved exchange rate situation, investment in public infrastructure and science and technology.  Other decisions taken were in the area of social protection -- the State would cover retirement, unemployment benefits were ensured, pensions would underpin security for older persons, and the health system would become universal.  The State’s active role guaranteed equal opportunities in labour and the promotion of free labour as a fundamental human right.  It strengthened democratic institutions with social dialogue and consensus-building, thus making political decisions efficient and valid.

His region had been promoting employment as a basis for economic and social policies for several years now, in anticipation of the international economic crisis, he said.  Today’s crisis made clear the need to find new alternatives and to build social justice into development schemes.  Now was a time to reflect and reconsider institutions, and to focus on human beings.  It was a time to learn lessons and seek a new approach.  The road would lead to social progress, equity, human dignity and social justice.  “That road requires new learning, which is why we are all here,” he said.

Mr. CHUA said that, as the only panellist from civil society, he would discuss the role of civil society in helping Governments to achieve the targets of building a society for all.  His was an umbrella organization of social service non-governmental organizations, comprising 370 groups.  Together, they made up about 90 per cent of all social services in Hong Kong.  After Copenhagen, the group embarked on long-term efforts to advocate pro-poor policies.  It conducted the first research on poverty and successfully drew public and media attention to poverty in Hong Kong.  People had previously thought poverty did not exist there.  Since then, his council had become the major source of information and analysis on poverty.  The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) indicators showed that Hong Kong had high-income development, but that its “income polarization” was the most serious among developed economies.  UN-Habitat pointed out that Hong Kong was the most divided among Asian cities.  The nature of poverty there was not extreme or absolute, but of a high disparity between the “haves and have nots”, and there was a lack of understanding in mainstream society about the disadvantaged. 

He said his council was focused on three main strategies:  knowledge-building through research; networking with both non-governmental organizations and the private sector; and agenda setting through support of the public and policy-makers.  The Government had targeted poverty as its priority in 2010.

Questions and Comments  

Spain’s representative, speaking on behalf of the European Union, said the member countries had developed their social policy frameworks based on the Copenhagen action programme and the new initiatives adopted in Geneva in 2000.  Since the Copenhagen Summit, the Union had implemented several strategies to address problems related to unemployment, poverty and social exclusion.  Some significant milestones included the 2007 Employment Strategy, aimed at promoting a high-skilled and adaptable workforce; the 2000 Lisbon strategy, aimed at making the Union the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based world economy with sustainable economic growth; and the Social Inclusion Strategy, which established six strategic priorities for addressing marginalization.  The latter strategy produced significant advances, including the creation of 6 million jobs between 1995 and 2000 and the sustainability of pension systems in several countries. 

She said that GDP growth rates had risen before the onset of the current crisis, which, among other favourable conditions, had enabled member countries to increase their budgets for social policy and thus improve the living conditions of many citizens.  However, the benefits did not always reach the most vulnerable, and relative poverty persisted.  Those experiences would inform the design of a new social agenda within the framework of the new Strategy 2020, which would mark the horizon of the Union’s economic, social and environmental policies.  Although joint action to save the financial system and mitigate the negative impact on social protection, boost demand and restore confidence had helped to prevent the collapse of the European Union economies, their capacity to meet emerging challenges “is weakened and we must redesign our strategy in very different conditions than those of 2000 or 2005”.

China’s representative said the results had been mixed in the past 15 years.  Developing countries still faced formidable challenges.  The current crisis had led to a fresh look at social development policy.  What were the most important lessons to be learned by developing country in designing their comprehensive and integrated social polices?  And, how could the United Nations assist them in attaining the social development goals?  Also, how could non-governmental organizations and the private sector be better mobilized to play a greater role in achieving them?

The representative of Mexico said progress had been made from an institutional point of view, and the belief that the State must conduct social policy and improve the living conditions of its citizens had been strengthened.  However, social policy was lagging in a “one step forward, one step backwards” scenario, in light of today’s financial crisis and climate change and natural disasters.  The current economic crisis did not emanate from countries in her region, but, at the same time, Mexico had strengthened programmes to combat poverty and had adopted a national strategy for social protection.  That strategy was focused on human development and on generating a social protection network in case of natural disaster and to cope with other phenomenons, such as population ageing.  A third pillar concerned the link between political and social aspects, and a fourth involved employment, housing, basic infrastructure, water, and urban security.  New opportunities were expected to benefit 6 million families in 2010.

Syria’s representative asked the panellists what could be done to realize the commitments undertaken at Copenhagen, specifically to provide a political and legal environment to overcome the obstacles preventing the realization of self-determination by people living under the yolk of occupation, especially under the aggressive policies of Israel, the occupying Power in her region.

Indonesia’s speaker said that significant milestones had been achieved in the 15 years since Copenhagen in poverty eradication, achieving full employment and social integration, but it must be acknowledged that social progress had been uneven within and between countries, despite great efforts.  The negative social impacts of the current economic crisis, as well as climate change, should also be recognized.  Those challenges underlined the relevance of the Summit’s three pillars, which the Government must continue to fulfil.  In Indonesia, poverty had declined rapidly in the past three decades.  The Government had set measures firmly along the paradigm of growth with equity.  Adequate funding for social development was traditionally constrained, however, which was even more pressing in the present economic circumstances.  But Indonesia was still striving to strengthen domestic, economic and institutional capacity, with the aim of improving social structures.  However, even the most forward-looking national social development programme could not thrive without the support of development partners.

A representative of the NGO Committee for Social Development and International Council on Social Welfare reviewed the 10 commitments emanating from the Copenhagen summit, which he described as “the beginning of a new era as many other plans of actions and conventions drew their inspiration” from it.  The Copenhagen vision was a very integrated approach, and there was a new wave of governments and civil society wishing to reclaim the spirit of the Copenhagen agenda.  The comprehensive vision of social development agreed at the summit was a durable base on which to shape the agendas of national governments and international organizations.  He called for a recommitment to Copenhagen’s outcomes on the part of governments and civil society.

Senegal’s representative asked about mechanisms that could help meetings like this in evolving plans to deal with vulnerable groups.  One panellist had described the role of civil society, and the Hong Kong example was pertinent.  How could civil society make a real contribution to facilitate implementation of a government’s policies, in particular, its social development programme?  Also, could a better approach be taken today that would bear in mind the need for harmonization of all people and programmes in the context of social development?

Responses

Mr. CHUA said that civil society in Hong Kong was the main force to promote social integration.  It had worked closely with the corporate sector for the past 10 years.  The business sector had changed its mind.  In the past, it had been all about making money, but now it agreed on the need to promote social development.  The business sector was very strong in Hong Kong, and elsewhere.  So, past efforts to engage the private sector had really helped to promote and achieve social development targets.  As one example, business had learned to work with persons with disabilities and keep them on the payroll.

Mr. HUNDSTORFER reiterated that a well-organized and well-functioning welfare State meant security and stability for all.  Solid social protection was essential to guaranteeing a stable and democratic basic order.  The welfare State was not only a cost factor, but also a productive force, as it advanced social inclusion.  The welfare State in Austria had helped to get people back on their feet again.  It was not only a question of solidarity, but of social justice.  It was very important in economic markets to not only satisfy the requirement of flexible labour markets, but to give high priority to minimum social and labour standards.  Greater effort should be made towards respect and enjoyment of workers’ rights globally. As for civil society’s role, non-governmental organizations were a very important part of Austria’s social systems; many programmes could not function without their help.

Mr. DEIBE said that the wealthiest countries were clearly those that could do the most to support countries with lower incomes.  But, that was not enough.  In 15 years, the situation of the most vulnerable had not only not improved, but had worsened.  That had not been the result of some invisible hand, but the result of political decisions.  For many years, many countries followed the “ Washington consensus”, hoping that growth and development would spread to the weakest countries.  But, that did not occur, maybe because the strategies were never successful, or maybe because “we drank the water before the whole glass was filled”.  So, there was a need to reflect on different policies. 

Mr. ADESINA said it was impossible to sit in Brussels or Washington or New York and prescribe the “fix” for all other areas.  If one was running an economy in Uganda and had just emerged from war and had debt to deal with and someone said money had to be spent on education, but you had to spend it on infrastructure -- that sounded like a good idea on one level, but specific country situations required specific solutions.  A policy that was good for one country was not necessarily good for another.  “Policy space” needed to be taken seriously.  “You cannot allow people to rocket in and tell you what to do.”  He offered, as an example, China’s success today, saying that China had done everything sub-Saharan Africa was told not to do.  That region was told industrial policy was no longer necessary, yet every little toy in stores today had “made in China” on it.  “You know your countries; let nobody tell you you don’t,” he concluded.

Mr. CHUA, addressing his remarks to the Minister from Senegal, said that different places had their own history and culture, but he had shared what had been done in Hong Kong.  His council had been called by the Government to “sit in” on programme planning and other activities.  That had begun as early as 1996 or so.  But the relationship between his council and the Government was “not always so good”.  If the Government treated civil society as a partner, civil society would do the same.  If the Government took an open attitude, he would do the same.  He understood the Government’s constraints and he was willing to work together to overcome the obstacles. 

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*     The 1^st Meeting was covered in Press Release SOC/4754 of 13 February 2009.

For information media • not an official record