Background Release

Commission for Social Development to Address Poverty Eradication,

 

Debate Social Protection at Headquarters, 9-18 February

 

The Commission for Social Development will review global efforts to eradicate poverty when it meets at United Nations Headquarters from 9 to 18 February.

Five years prior to the target date for halving the proportion of people living on less than $1 a day, Goal 1 of the Millennium Development Goals, the Commission’s forty-ninth session will consider a report of the Secretary-General outlining current poverty trends and presenting an overview of the main challenges to poverty eradication.

The Commission will also launch a debate on the emerging issue of social protection:  a set of measures, emphasized by the Secretariat of the Commission in its introductory notes to the debate as essential to reducing vulnerabilities, preventing the deterioration of living conditions and facilitating livelihood regeneration.

Pursuant to a General Assembly resolution on the follow-up to the Copenhagen World Summit for Social Development and the twenty-fourth special session of the General Assembly, the Commission will also review plans and programmes of action relating to social groups, including persons with disabilities, youth, older persons and families.

Members of the Commission will consider reports of the Secretary-General on ways and means to appropriately observe the twentieth anniversary of the International Year of the Family.  They will discuss the implementation of the World Programme of Action on Youth and the strategic framework for the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, 2002.  The Commission will also hear the report of its Special Rapporteur on disability.

As 2011 is a review year, Commission members are not expected to adopt any policy-shaping resolution on the priority theme of poverty eradication; however, draft resolutions are expected on issues relating to family, youth, ageing, disability and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD).

Throughout the session, Member States, including Finland and Venezuela, regional groups and United Nations agencies, as well as non-governmental organization such as AARP and HelpAge International, will organize side events at lunchtime.  Those events will address issues such as “Eradicating poverty through fair trade” and “European Union studies on social protection” (full list available at www.un.org/esa/socdev/csocd/2011/side-events.pdf).

On the eve of the opening session of the Commission, aCivil Society Forumwill be held in Conference Room 4 under the theme:  “Eradication of Poverty:  Human Dignity Demands It!”  Its outcomes will be presented to the Commission on the following day.

Established in 1946, the Commission for Social Development is a 46-member functional body of the Economic and Social Council elected for four-year terms with quotas for regional representation.  Its current members are:  Albania; Andorra; Argentina; Armenia; Benin; Brazil; Cameroon; China; Cuba; Egypt; El Salvador; Ethiopia; France; Gabon; Germany; Ghana; Guatemala; Haiti; India; Iran; Italy; Jamaica; Japan; Lesotho; Mauritius; Mexico; Namibia; Nepal; Netherlands; Nigeria; Pakistan; Philippines; Qatar; Republic of Korea; Russian Federation; Senegal; Slovakia; Spain; Sudan; Sweden; Switzerland; Turkey; United Arab Emirates; United States and Venezuela.  It has a vacancy from Eastern Europe.

The Commission has been the key United Nations body in charge of the follow-up to and implementation of the Copenhagen Declaration and Programme of Action.

For more information, contact Donald Lee, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, tel.:  +1 212 963 8762, e-mail: lee27@un.org; or Franck Kuwonu, United Nations Department of Public Information, tel.:  +1 212 963 8264.

Additional information on the session is available at www.un.org/esa/socdev/csocd/2011.html.

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For information media • not an official record