Commission for Social Development

Forty-eighth Session

12^th Meeting (PM)

Commission for Social Development, Concluding Session, Adopts Text

 

On Social Dimensions of New Partnership for Africa’s Development

 

The Commission for Social Development concluded its forty-eighth session today by approving a draft resolution on the social dimensions of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD).

By the terms of that text, introduced as orally revised by the representative of Yemen, the Commission would have the Economic and Social Council encourage African countries to step up efforts to implement NEPAD by developing and strengthening governance institutions in order to create an environment conducive to foreign direct investment for the region’s development.

Further by the text, the Council would urge those States that had not done so to join and strengthen the African Peer Review Mechanism, as well as urge continuous support for poverty eradication and sustainable development measures in Africa, with a particular emphasis on the Millennium Development Goals.  Furthermore, the Council would ask the Secretary-General to submit a report on the social dimensions of NEPAD, to be tabled in collaboration with the Office of the Special Adviser on Africa, during the Commission’s forty-ninth session.

Also during the meeting, Sha Zukang, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, hailed the Commission on its first ever approval of a text on social integration and on showing the will and commitment to tackle daunting remaining challenges to the achievement of such broad social development goals as social integration, poverty eradication, and full employment and decent work for all, as set forth in the Copenhagen Declaration of the World Social Summit.

In other business, the Commission adopted the report of its forty-eighth session and the provisional agenda and documentation for its forty-ninth session.  It then adjourned the forty-eighth and opened the forty-ninth.

The Committee then elected by acclamation Jorge Valero (Venezuela) as its new Chairperson.  Andi Xhoi (Albania); Katja Wiesbrock Donovan (Germany), Jimmy Blas (Philippines) and Najla Abdelrahman (Sudan) were elected Vice Chairs.

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For information media • not an official record