Commission for Social Development

Forty-ninth Session

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

Improving Lives of World’s Poor to Remain Elusive Unless Global Community Tackles

Youth Unemployment, Social Development Commission Told at Opening of Session

United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development Warns Fiscal

Austerity Measures, Adopted in Wake of Financial Crisis, Shrinking Vital Resources

In striving to improve the lot of the world’s poorest people and achieve sustainable development for all, the international community must recognize that its far-reaching goals would remain elusive unless it tackled unemployment among the youngest members of society, the United Nations Commission for Social Development heard today as it opened its forty-ninth session.

“Our poverty eradication efforts will not be successful unless young people have access to decent jobs and sustainable livelihoods,” warned Jomo Kwame Sundaram, Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development, speaking on behalf of Sha Zukang, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs.

Some 78 million people between the ages of 15 and 24, or 12.6 per cent of that age group worldwide, were unemployed last year, he said, imploring Governments to use the International Year of Youth (August 2010 - August 2011) as a platform to fully implement the World Programme of Action for Youth and mainstream its recommendations into national poverty eradication strategies.

Not only was high unemployment, caused by the recent economic and financial crisis, exacerbating poverty, he said, but in recent months, a growing number of countries had adopted fiscal austerity measures, shrinking vital resources for programmes aimed at giving their most impoverished citizens a better life.  That trend was worrisome, not just for youth, but also for other marginalized groups.

“The goal of eradicating poverty can only be achieved through inclusive, equitable policies that address the needs of the most vulnerable groups, including youth, older persons, indigenous peoples and persons with disabilities,” he said, stressing the importance of the upcoming second review and appraisal of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing and preparations for the 2012 high-level meeting on disability and development.

The Commission’s resolution last year on promoting social integration, the first of its kind, stressed the importance of more integrated, coherent and inclusive approaches to address the specific needs of those groups, he noted.  A growing number of countries had adopted such approaches to stem poverty and improve social conditions on a broad scale, but more must follow suit and introduce social protection systems.

Mr. Jomo also encouraged the Commission to capitalize on the 2012 International Year of Cooperatives by strengthening those member-owned businesses — a vital tool for creating jobs, raising incomes in various economic sectors and serving as catalysts for social organization and cohesion.

Economic and Social Council President Lazarus Kapambwe of Zambia said access to quality education was essential to seize opportunities to emerge from poverty, yet people living in poverty confronted persistent barriers to achieving that.  Indeed, most countries affected by poverty were not expected to meet Millennium Development Goal 2 on universal primary education.  Without urgent measures, 56 million children were expected to be out of school in 2015, and 759 million adults were now illiterate, with two thirds of them women.

Governments prioritize education in their national budgets if education goals were to be met, he said.  The Commission was poised to provide action–oriented recommendations to help them in that process, as well as build on the momentum generated by the outcome reached at the 2010 Millennium Summit by encouraging nations to implement a social protection floor to reduce poverty and enhance social development, even as their budgets faced constraints.  The United Nations Social Protection Floor Initiative had a specific education provision.

Commission Chairperson Jorge Valero of Venezuela said that, during the session the Commission must examine the shortcomings and lessons learned in recent years to implement effective poverty eradication strategies.  Social protection was vital, particularly in the context of the economic crisis, as were new forms of social organization based on social inclusion for all.  He found fault with the current economic and social model, saying it was the culprit of much of the world’s increased poverty, unemployment and instability.  What the international community needed was a new humanistic paradigm of development based on social justice and equality, and tailored to countries’ specific needs.

Delegates participating in the general discussion shed light on their respective national strategies and policies to rein in poverty, such as job creation schemes, increased pension benefits for the elderly and disabled, improved access to public utility services, particularly for the poor, and the formation of regional common markets and monetary unions.

The Commission also held a panel discussion in the afternoon, featuring a keynote address by Ana Maldonado, Venezuela’s Deputy Minister of Communal Economy and Minister of People’s Power for Communes and Social Protection.  She warned that it would take until 2215 — 200 years or more — to achieve the Millennium Development Goal of halving the number of people worldwide living on less than $1 a day.  It was not enough for just a few countries to meet that target, in an isolated manner, when some 900 million people would be living in extreme poverty in 2015, unable to meet their basic needs and develop their spirituality.

Everyone must have the opportunity to develop themselves, have their rights protected and have access to basic services, she said.  The way to achieve that was by including fair, inclusive social policies in development agendas that focused on supporting vulnerable groups.  Glorifying economic growth meant supporting an economic model that kept the world in a vicious poverty trap.  Instead, the focus should be on an economic model based on social inclusion, improved income and structural policies, as well as strong production networks for both urban and rural producers.  She agreed with the Secretary-General’s report that the cycle of poverty must be broken and that resources must be provided for all, while proper income distribution should be ensured.

Also during the meeting, Catherine Ferguson, Chairperson of the NGO Committee for Social Development, presented the outcome of the civil society forum held on Tuesday.

Donald Lee, Chief of the Social Perspective on Development Branch of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs’ Division for Social Policy and Development, introduced documents before the Commission’s current session.

In addition, the Commission elected by acclamation the following Vice- Chairs:  Eduardo Menez ( Philippines); Olisu Cifligu ( Albania); and Susanne Fries-Gaier ( Germany).  The Commission Chairperson announced that the Bureau had agreed that Ms. Fries-Gaier would also serve as Rapporteur and that the responsibilities among the Vice-Chairs for facilitating consultations for draft resolutions were as follows:  Najla Abdelrahman ( Sudan), draft resolution entitled “New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD)”; Alya Al-Thani ( Qatar), draft resolution on “family”; Susanne Vas Patto ( Portugal), draft resolution on “youth”; Mr. Menez, draft resolution on “disabilities”.  The meeting also adopted its agenda and organization of work.

Speaking during the general discussion were the State Secretary for Social Inclusion of Hungary; Secretary of State for Social Affairs of Spain; Deputy Minister of Health and Social Development for the Russian Federation; Minister for Employment and Social Welfare of Ghana; Minister of Social Affairs of Cameroon; General Coordinator of the International Affairs Unit of the Ministry of Social Development of Uruguay; Assistant Director-General, Professor National Institute for Health and Welfare of Finland; Acting Secretary for Labour and Social Services of Zimbabwe; and the Deputy Director International Affairs of the Ministry of Social Affairs of the Netherlands.

Statements were also delivered by the representatives of Argentina (on behalf of the “Group of 77” developing countries and China), Chile (on behalf of the Rio Group), Namibia (on behalf of the Southern African Development Community), Indonesia (on behalf of the Association of South-East Asian Nations), China, Japan, Italy, Sudan, Switzerland, Panama, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, Brazil and Algeria.

Also speaking in that discussion was a representative of the Company of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul.

Participating in the afternoon panel discussion were representatives of the European Union, Uruguay and Triglav Circle.

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

Background

The Commission for Social Development met this morning to begin its forty-ninth session, which runs through 18 February.  For background information, see Press Release SOC/4770 of 7 February.

Introductory Statements

JORGE VALERO, Commission Chairperson, said the global economic and financial crisis had led to increased poverty, unemployment and instability.  Despite some signs of recovery, a new humanistic paradigm of development was needed.  The current economic and social model hampered eradication of poverty, and inequality, destroyed the environment, made job creation difficult, and punished mainly the poor and vulnerable.  Either the international community promoted development based on social justice and equality or it pursued economic financial policies that only exacerbated inequality and injustice.  Achieving the goals of the 1995 World Summit on Social Development and the Millennium Development Goals remained a challenge, for which justice, equality and solidarity were needed.

He said it was important for the Commission, during the current session, to examine shortcomings and lessons learned in recent years to implement effective strategies to eradicating poverty.  The theme of social protection was of great importance in the context of the current economic crisis, which was hindering implementation.  He called for creating new forms of social organization based on solidarity and policies based on social inclusion, in order to achieve social justice and a people-centred development model.  Social protection and social security were vital to eradicate poverty, hunger, misery, discrimination and inequality.  Policies must be tailored to countries’ specific needs.

LAZARUS KAPAMBWE (Zambia), Economic and Social Council President, said the international community had gained a better understanding of the relationship between poverty eradication and education, and the new multidimensional poverty index had taken this deprivation in education, among other needs, into account.  The poverty-education nexus was clearly reflected in the United Nations work and the Secretary-General underscored that point in his report.  Access to quality education was essential to seize opportunities to emerge from poverty, yet people living in poverty confronted persistent barriers to achieving an education.  Indeed, most countries affected by poverty were not expected to meet Millennium Development Goal 2 on universal primary education.  Without urgent measures, 56 million children were expected to be out of school in 2015, and 759 million adults were now illiterate, with two thirds of them women.

He said the Commission was poised to provide action–oriented recommendations to Governments on the critical role of education in poverty eradication.  National Governments had to make education a priority in their budgets if education goals were to be met.  The Commission could help to sustain the momentum generated by the outcome reached at the 2010 Millennium Summit.  One way to do that was by letting the deliberations emphasize the importance of implementing a social protection floor to reduce poverty and enhance social development, even as national budgets faced constraints.  The United Nations Social Protection Floor Initiative contained a specific provision for education.  He commended the Commission for giving due recognition to the critical importance of social protection by selecting it as the emerging issue for special attention during its forty-ninth session.

JOMO KWAME SUNDARAM, Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development, speaking on behalf of Sha Zukang, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs and Secretary-General for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, said the Commission’s review on poverty eradication worldwide would lay the groundwork for a productive policy session next year.  The economic and financial crisis had exacerbated the challenges in addressing poverty’s multiple dimensions.  The global job crisis was unresolved and unemployment remained high.  In recent months, a growing number of countries had endorsed fiscal austerity measures, cutting resources for poverty eradication, and a new food crisis was looming.

“The goal of eradicating poverty can only be achieved through inclusive, equitable policies that address the needs of the most vulnerable groups, including youth, older persons, indigenous peoples and persons with disabilities,” he said, adding that “our poverty eradication efforts will not be successful unless young people have access to decent jobs and sustainable livelihoods”.  The 2010 unemployment rate among youth aged 15 to 24 was 12.6 per cent, or 78 million people.  Governments should use the platform of the International Year of Youth to fully implement the World Programme of Action for Youth by mainstreaming its recommendations into national poverty eradication strategies.

He said it was critically important to be mindful of the needs of the growing number of older persons.  The second review and appraisal of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing came at an important time, as there was a renewed focus among Member States on the situation of older persons.  His Department and the United Nations regional commissions were ready to support Member States with the review.  More must also be done to ensure that the needs of persons with disabilities were integral to poverty eradication efforts.  Disability must be recognized as a cross-cutting development issue.  The Commission, guided by the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and other international commitments, could significantly help preparations for the 2012 high-level meeting on disability and development.

Last year, he recalled, the Commission had adopted its first resolution on promoting social integration, which stressed the importance of a more integrated, coherent and inclusive approach to address the specific needs of vulnerable communities, social groups and individuals, including the poor.  The review of that resolution’s implementation revealed that a growing number of countries had adopted innovative approaches towards that goal, including social protection strategies.  Countries that had successfully reduced poverty and improved social conditions on a broad scale had done so through comprehensive social protection programmes.  “Governments should consider introducing a social protection system as a concrete step towards the eradication of poverty,” he said, noting that families remained the main source of social protection in many poor countries.

He urged the Commission to decide on the framework of preparations for the upcoming important twentieth anniversary of the International Year of the Family, and he welcomed Government support for the Year’s objectives.  The 2012 International Year of Cooperatives would acknowledge the important contribution of those member-owned businesses to socio-economic development.  He encouraged the Commission to strengthen cooperatives, which helped address poverty and unemployment by creating jobs, raising incomes in various economic sectors and serving as catalysts for social organization and cohesion.

DONALD LEE, Chief, Social Perspective and Development Branch, Division for Social Policy and Development, drew attention to several reports, including the Secretary-General’s report on “Social Dimensions of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD)” (document E/CN.5/2011/4).  He noted that a decade after NEPAD’s launch, the continent still faced important development challenges.  However, fragile and fundamental changes in infrastructure were under way in the social, economic, and political spheres.  The report concluded by emphasizing the need for African Governments to strengthen their efforts to mobilize domestic resources and for donor countries to meet their aid commitments, in order to help poor countries weather the shocks caused by the global economic crisis.

Referring to the Secretary-General’s report on the “Implementation of the World Programme of Action of Youth:  United Nations system coordination and collaboration related to youth” (document A/66/61-E/2011/3), he said the document highlighted examples of effective collaboration on youth at the global, regional and country levels.  It briefly discussed steps to expand coordination among relevant United Nations entities.  National efforts to carry out family-focused social policies, including cash transfers, social protection and intergenerational programmes, were the focus of the Secretary-General report, “Follow-up to the tenth anniversary of the International Year of the Family and beyond” (document A/66/62-E/2011/4).  It argues for a greater recognition of the role of families in development and the need for greater support to help families carry out their caring, education and nurturing functions, he said.

He also highlighted the Secretary-General’s reports on ageing (document E/CN.5/2011/7) and on persons with disabilities (document E/CN.5/2011/9).  A note by the Secretariat under the item “Emerging Issues” dealing with this year’s theme of social protection (document E/CN.5/2011/8) was also before the Commission.

CATHERINE FERGUSON, Chair of the NGO Committee for Social Development, reported on the outcome of yesterday’s Civil Society Forum.  She said dominant development had threatened a sustainable future by human-induced greenhouse gases and overuse of renewable resources, while favouring the wealthy.  She called for a shared ethical and social commitment to redirect the economy towards a sustainable future characterized by equity and social integration.  “We need to address the root causes of poverty and make a fundamental shift from the dominant development model,” she said, pointing to “basic deficiencies” in the current development model, which lacked a human rights framework and subordinated social and ecological needs to the demands of economic growth.  The norms and values of the Millennium Declaration and international human rights instruments must provide the foundation for poverty eradication.

She urged a basic reform of the international financial architecture, stressing that the Bretton Woods institutions were not serving the needs of the global community.  She also questioned the wisdom of maintaining a single currency as the world’s major reserve currency.  Decreased military spending was a vital part of an integrated and credible approach to poverty eradication.  She called for gender equality for all women, including by legally registering all female births and extending women’s legal rights to land ownership and inheritance; investing in small-scale agriculture; labour rights for all workers; and social inclusion for all.  The most effective poverty eradication programmes focused on multiple benefits for the whole community; community-based assessment, planning, execution and evaluation; participation by those more directly affected; and programme sustainability.

General Discussion

Speaking on behalf of the European Union, ZOLTAN BALOG, State Secretary for Social Inclusion, Hungary, said more than 80 million people in the European Union lived below the poverty line in 2008, set at 60 per cent of the median income in each country.  Women accounted for more than half of that number and children made up 20 million.  Eight per cent of Europeans lived with severe material deprivation, meaning they lacked several items considered essential to maintain a decent life in Europe.  The problems had been worsened by the economic crisis, and the most vulnerable groups had been hardest hit.

He said that the European Commission’s initiative, “The European Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion”, adopted in December 2010, set out actions to bolster work at all levels to reach the Union’s poverty reduction targets.  That included mobilization policies, such as social protection, employment and education, and reviewing Union funding, including the European Social Fund. Efforts to combat poverty were a key part of the external dimension of the Union’s policies, as enshrined in the Lisbon Treaty.  Achieving the Millennium Development Goals remained the first priority of the Union and its member States, for which all partners must demonstrate strong political commitment, implement the necessary policies and actions, building on the successful outcome of the Summit held in New York in September 2010.

DIEGO LIMERES (Argentina), speaking on behalf of the “Group of 77” developing countries and China, said the Group believed that poverty was a complex problem involving a set of economic and social development issues, which could not be solved automatically through economic growth alone.  “We must place people at the centre of development, as recognized by the principles and goals of the Copenhagen Declaration, and promote actions aimed at fostering pro-poor growth and social protection”, he said.  The twentieth anniversary of the International Year of the Family in 2014 was coming up and the Group of 77 and China would present a draft resolution on the preparation for and observance of that milestone.

He encouraged the international community to respond to the ageing of the world’s population, adding that the Group looked forward to preparations for the second review and appraisal of the implementation of the Madrid Plan of Action. As repeated over time, poverty eradication could not be achieved without the collective commitment and efforts of the international community.  That international cooperation must be based on recognition of national leadership, and ownership of development strategies should be enhanced. The contribution of South-South and triangular cooperation to the efforts of developing countries to eradicate poverty and pursue sustainable development should also be recognized.

Hunger and poverty were one of the worst forms of human rights violations, said OCTAVIO ERRÁZURIZ ( Chile), speaking on behalf of the Rio Group.  The fight to eradicate that violation was an ethical, political and economic challenge for all and required a strong commitment from Governments and all sectors of society.  The Rio Group was convinced of the need to concentrate social policy efforts on the population’s most vulnerable segments and would keep promoting social development policies to ensure an approach that prioritized poverty reduction programmes, inequity and hunger.

He said that Latin American and Caribbean countries had successfully developed social programmes for their populations.  He noted that the feminization of poverty and its disproportionate impact on women was a great challenge.  In the 2010 Brasilia Consensus, members of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) had agreed to develop active labour markets and productive employment policies to boost women’s participation in labour and formalize their occupation of positions of power and decision-making.  Believing it was imperative to strengthen efforts to close the wage gap between women and men, the Group welcomed the recent creation of the Executive Board of UN Women and supported its ability to build gender equality for women around the world.  The Group also reaffirmed the relevance of the Global Jobs Pact, as agreed at the International Labour Conference in June 2009, as a relevant framework to reflect the key role of employment in the development of social integration strategies in the region.

WILFRIED EMVULA (Namibia), speaking on behalf of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), said SADC was one of the least developed regions in the world, despite its variety of natural and human resources.  About 45 per cent of its population lived on less than $1.25 a day.  Poverty there was due mainly to low socio-economic development, exacerbated by natural disasters, diseases, and the isolating policies of colonialism and apartheid.  Regional poverty undermined traditional coping mechanisms and livelihood options for vulnerable groups, such as women, youth and the disabled.  The region had the highest number of people with HIV/AIDS, and most countries there seriously lagged behind in implementing the Millennium Development Goals.  HIV/AIDS caused high mortality rates among women and children and high health-sector expenditures, and it worsened poverty by reducing the labour force’s productive capacity, slowing economic development.

He said that malaria and tuberculosis plagued the region, impacting living standards.  Existing policies addressed the medical needs of those diseases, but not the associated social needs, such as access to clean water and subsidized quality food.  He called for a more holistic approach to HIV/AIDS and other diseases to minimize the relationship between disease and poverty.  SADC’s Regional Strategic Development Plan gave top priority to poverty eradication, sustainable economic growth and deeper economic integration.  It aimed to halve by 2015 the number of people living on less than $1 per day.  The Plan also aimed to create a SADC free trade area in 2008, a regional common market by 2015, a monetary union by 2016, and a regional currency by 2018.

WILLEM RAMPANGILEI ( Indonesia), speaking on behalf of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), said ASEAN was committed to eradicate poverty with a particular emphasis on building prosperous, self-reliant rural communities.  Those goals were set forth in the Declaration on the Road Map for the ASEAN Community (2009-2015).  ASEAN countries continued to incorporate the Millennium Development Goals into their overall planning processes and policies.  Regional partnerships and cooperation to promote pro-poor growth and employment opportunities were crucial for poverty eradication.  The Joint Declaration on the Attainment of the Millennium Development Goals in ASEAN, adopted in March 2009, outlined strategies to promote closer regional cooperation to support member nations’ quest to achieve the millennium targets, such as through knowledge and expertise sharing, and networking between the public and private sectors.

He said that the priorities of ASEAN’s 2004-2010 Framework Action Plan on Rural Development and Poverty Eradication included innovative strategies to facilitate the rural and urban poor’s access to public utilities and facilities, and to create an environment conducive to income-generation and employment for the poor, as well as to link small rural communities to markets.  To monitor poverty and the impact of trade liberalization on social well-being, ASEAN would conduct a study on the social cost of creating an ASEAN economic community.  It would also undertake policy reviews to develop fast-track approaches to fight poverty, such as social protection policies and social investment; preparation of a South- East Asia human development report; and enhancement of poverty monitoring systems and capacity-development on risk and vulnerability indicators.  He stressed the importance of promoting quality of life and care for the elderly.  To reduce their social risks, ASEAN had created social support systems and education programmes to enhance families’ ability to care for the elderly.

ISABEL MARTINEZ, Secretary of State for Social affairs in Spain, said her country supported the statement made by Hungary on behalf of the European Union.  Spain’s experience had prompted the country to focus on social policies that enveloped social inclusion to reduce poverty for all, which was a goal for the next decade.  The Spanish Government had a new plan of action of social inclusion for 2011 that aimed to boost employment, provide education and promote the inclusion of women.  The programme sought to provide employment opportunities for all, as it improved training for groups with special difficulties.  It addressed the needs of children, guaranteed minimum pensions for older people of more than 75 years of age, and included a global action strategy for people with disabilities.  It had been a difficult year as jobs had been lost.  Social policies should be developed in the face of reduced budgets, she added.

Deputy Minister of Health and Social Development for the Russian Federation, YURI VIKTOROVICH VORONIN, said his country had maintained economic gains during the recent financial crisis thanks to anti-crisis, stabilization measures aimed at maintaining jobs, providing in-house vocational training and promoting small businesses, among other measures.  The Government had fully implemented its social responsibility in 2009 and 2010.  As a result, the number of poor people had not increased, and the economy had expanded swiftly.  In January 2010, the Government had installed a system of mandatory social and medical insurance, abolished the single social tax and introduced insurance contributions to ensure that people’s welfare benefits were not cut.  Also last year, the Government had created a new type of targeted assistance in the form of a social tax to support pensioners living on low incomes.  The Government now aimed to modernize the Russian economy and improve human capital, in order to promote social integration, particularly in terms of health care, education and housing, with a special focus on war veterans and young people.  The main priority through 2012 was to introduce a social contract system between suppliers and beneficiaries of social assistance.  Government expenditures for social welfare would increase.

ENOCH TEYE MENSAH, Minister for Employment and Social Welfare, Ghana, said that greater focus on poverty reduction strategies and increased spending had helped reduce poverty in Ghana.  For example, the percentage of rural people living below the poverty line had declined from about 64 per cent in 1991-1992 to about 50 per cent in 1998-1999, and to 39 per cent in 2005-2006.  Extreme poverty had dropped from 36.5 per cent to 26.8 per cent, and to 18.2 per cent over the same time period.  Ghana had achieved Millennium Development Goal 1, on halving extreme poverty, nine years before the 2015 target date.  The new development schedule, “ Ghana – Shared Growth and Development Agenda”, focused on human development, productivity, modernized agriculture and natural resource management, macroeconomic stability, and infrastructural development.  The Government also was preparing a decent work programme as part of its strategy to reduce poverty.

WANG MIN ( China) said several factors were crucial to successfully eradicating poverty.  Those included the creation of a peaceful and stable environment; an active push towards international solidarity to achieve mutual benefits; national efforts to attain development; and the full participation of international organizations.  China was a major force in poverty eradication in the world and had reduced absolute poverty in its rural areas from 250 million in 1978 to 35.97 million in 2009.  The country actively promoted employment and scaled up its support to medium and small-scale enterprises and labour–intensive industries as a way to create more job opportunities.  It also had accelerated its institutional reform in the health sector.  China’s per capita income ranked tenth in the world, with 150 million people living below the poverty line, as defined by the United Nations.  Poverty eradication was a long and arduous task in China, and 2011 was the first year of China’s twelfth five-year plan, he added.

TETSUYA KIMURA ( Japan) said increasing employment and income opportunities were indispensable for poverty eradication.  Japan’s national employment programme aimed to match job seekers with employers, create jobs in areas where demand was potentially great, and prevent employment opportunities and qualified individuals from being lost to other countries.  However, the number of regular full-time jobs for new university graduates was decreasing in Japan.  To address that, the Government had, among other steps, doubled the number of advisers in the Public Employment Security Office.  Poverty eradication was a priority in Japan’s aid policy.  Japan supported human and social development, as well as sustainable economic growth, increased employment, and improved quality of life in developing countries.  It gave high priority to education, health care and welfare, water and sanitation, and agriculture, as well as to cooperation in promoting sustainable economic growth and employment in developing countries.  Last September, during the General Assembly’s Millennium Development Goals Summit, Japan had announced the Kan Commitment to contribute $5 billion over the next five years to achieve the health-related Millennium Development Goals and $3.5 billion to achieve the education-related Goals.

Panel Discussion

Commission Chairman JORGE VALERO of Venezuela introduced the afternoon’s keynote speaker, ANA MALDONADO, Deputy Minister of Communal Economy and Minister of People’s Power for Communes and Social Protection, also of Venezuela.  Ms. Maldonado said that poverty eradication was one of the main challenges facing the human race, and achieving the Millennium Development Goals meant halving by 2015 the number of people worldwide living on less than a dollar a day.  It would take until 2215 — 200 years or more — to reach that goal.  It was not enough for just a few countries to meet that target, in an isolated manner, when some 900 million people would be living in extreme poverty in 2015, unable to meet their basic needs and develop their spirituality.

She said that every human being had to have the opportunity to develop themselves.  People suffering from hunger, disease, exploitation and discrimination were not able to join the labour force.  The foundation should be laid for effective steps to deal with the problems that hindered poverty eradication.  The world economic crisis meant that people in both low-income and developed countries suffered from poverty.  The current multilateral trading system was based on rules that favoured the most developed countries.  At the same time, she acknowledged efforts made over the years to develop rules that would give greater access to products from developing nations, particularly agricultural products.

Fair and inclusive social policies should be part of development agendas, she said, adding that the international community must give priority to supporting vulnerable groups, such as women, children, girls, the elderly and indigenous people.  Returning to the issues emanating from the vicious cycle of poverty, she said human beings must have their rights protected and access to basic services.  The current economic model hindered basic human rights and the right to development.

She said she agreed with the Secretary-General’s report that the cycle of poverty had to be broken and that resources had to be provided to everyone, while proper income distribution should be ensured.  There should be a system for social protection, which sought to root out poverty and its underlying causes.  Economic growth should be accompanied by a move away from inequality and the promotion of social inclusion, improved income and structural policies, as well as strong production networks that encompassed urban and rural producers.  Glorifying economic growth meant supporting an economic model that had an immense destructive capacity that would keep the world in a vicious cycle of poverty, she added.

Posing questions to Ms. Maldonado, representatives of the European Union, Uruguay, and a non-governmental organization — Triglav Circle — touched on such issues as the role of economic growth in poverty eradication, breaking the vicious cycle of poverty, Latin America’s future prospects for economic integration, and the participation of local communities in local development.

In response, the keynote speaker said the first step was becoming aware of the scale of the challenges.  People needed decent, sustainable work to escape poverty, and their employers must pay them for their services.  That was not always the case in Latin America, where labour abuse remained a problem carried over from the colonial era.  Venezuela had gone through a tough period in achieving full employment.  Goods moved freely across borders, but workers and individuals were not allowed to do the same.  Venezuela had created several work programmes with neighbouring Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina, drawing on each other’s expertise and experiences in addressing social problems.  Venezuela had also adopted a policy of community-based ownership of social protection services, which was vital for eradicating poverty.

General Discussion

When the discussion resumed, CATHERINE BAKANG MBOCK, Minister of Social Affairs, Cameroon, said that five years before the 2015 Millennium Development Goals deadline, Cameroon continued to work to combat poverty in all areas of life.  In Government, for example, it was working to combat corruption.  In economic policy, it sought high-quality growth, diversification of products, wealth and job creation.  In the social arena, it was working to develop educational opportunities and vocational training.  It also sought to help vulnerable groups become more engaged in society, for which it refined its strategy for social integration.  Cameroon wanted to end the vicious cycle of poverty.  A real strategy for rural development involved new universities and faculties.  Cameroon believed the people of the diaspora could make a contribution to poverty eradication, and she asked the Commission to consider organizing a conference that would give those people an opportunity to help their countries of origin.

GUSTAVO PACHECO, General Coordinator, International Affairs Unit, Ministry of Social Development, Uruguay, said at the beginning of the twenty-first century, the poverty rate was over 30 per cent and the extreme poverty rate was at 5 per cent.  In 2005, the incoming Government had decreed a social emergency and implemented a national plan to combat poverty.  That plan was finalized in late 2007, based on equity and fairness in terms of taxes, education, social security and health care.  A social protection network had been set up, particularly to shield young people and the elderly.  The new Administration aimed to curb poverty to a single digit, as well as to improve and modernize education and housing.  Unemployment stood at 6.5 per cent and poverty at 18 per cent.  The Government was also working to improve the health-care network, ensure equal pay for equal work, reduce domestic violence, improve the penitentiary system for juvenile delinquents, ensure pension benefits for the elderly, and strengthen affordable housing for vulnerable people.  United Nations agencies and the European Union had been very active in helping to promote social protection policies in Uruguay.

Endorsing the European Union’s statement, LUCA ZELIOLI ( Italy) said that 11 million people, or 18.4 per cent of the country’s population, lived at risk of falling into poverty.  A particularly high rate of minors, 24.4 per cent, lived in poverty — one of the highest rates in the European Union.  The risk for women was generally higher, and the difference among women and men became more pronounced after the age of 65.  Fewer women worked and, therefore, fewer had adequate pension plans.  Unemployment rates for women were one third higher than that for men and the national unemployment rate for young people was 25 per cent.  It was highest in the south of the country at 36 per cent.  “This statistic is cause for alarm, since the greater the exclusion of young people from the job market, the higher the possibility of social unrest.”  The recent financial crisis had led to a nearly 1 per cent increase in the number of people in jobless households between 2008 and 2009.  Poverty was four times higher in the south than the rest of the country.

MARJA VAARAMA, Assistant Director-General, Professor National Institute for Health and Welfare, Finland, said social protection was the core of sustainable development.  During the First World Conference on the Development of Universal Social Security Systems, hosted by Brasilia in December, many representatives had emphasized their experiences on how social protection systems had helped them reduce the depth of the economic crisis and shorten its duration.  She noted that functioning social protection systems had emerged, and only after a country had become rich.  Finland, for example, had started building its universal old-age pensions, mother and child health clinics and other social security and service systems when it was a poor developing country, or “less than one lifetime ago”.

NAJLA ABDELRAHMAN ( Sudan) said Sudan had made considerable efforts to reduce poverty.  Between 2008 and 2031, Sudan aimed to invest in public services, strengthen economic development, and dedicate 9 per cent of its gross domestic product (GDP) for programmes to aid the poor.  The Sudanese Government had increased services in education, health care, water and electricity for Bedouins in an effort to reduce poverty among them.  It had a 7 per cent annual economic growth rate thanks, in large part, to oil production.  In 2009, Sudan’s GDP per capita had increased to $1,495 and the extreme poverty rate had fallen to 8 per cent.  Unemployment among youth stood at 25.4 per cent.  Despite halving the number of people living on less than $2 a day, the country still had income disparity.  Close to 12 per cent of GDP went to finance microprojects to combat poverty.  Primary and secondary education was mandatory and free.  There was a national strategy for girls’ education.  Expenditures for the national social security fund, which covered more than 80 per cent of the Sudanese population, had increased by 26 per cent in 2009.  Donors must abide by their aid commitments and should increase official development assistance (ODA) to developing countries.

ELMAR LEDERGERBER ( Switzerland) asked the Commission to focus on two areas.  One was the interaction between the fight against, and elimination of, poverty.  The second was to focus on the two pillars defined in Copenhagen:  social integration and productive employment and decent work.  Poverty existed everywhere, including in industrialized countries.  Various population groups, encompassing the working poor, large families, single-parent families and the long-term unemployed, were increasingly facing poverty and social exclusion.  To respond to that situation, Switzerland had adopted and implemented a national strategy for combating poverty at the beginning of 2010.  The strategy was original as it addressed poverty issues at all stages of an individual’s life, including in childhood, as well as the transition from education to vocational training, the prevention of long-term unemployment, and the autonomy and integration of the elderly.

MARY MORGAN-MOSS ( Panama) said the current development model was blind to the need for environment conservation and it confused economic growth with progress.  Panama’s President was creating social inclusion policies and setting up programmes coordinated by the Ministry of Social Development.  In 2008, the Census on Standards of Living showed that children and indigenous people were most affected by poverty.  In 2009, the Government had created a public-private Council for Early Childhood and an integrated plan for early childhood, to take effect in April.  Last year, the Ministry of Education had begun issuing scholarships for primary school students and free textbooks to all public primary school students.  There was a financial aid programme to help people age 70 and older who did not have pensions or who had small ones.  It had already benefited more than 70,000 people.  The Government had recently set up a National Institute for Women and a National Institute for Children, Adolescents and Families.  It had also strengthened the national cash voucher programme for more than 70,000 poor families to improve their access to education and health care, thus helping to break the cycle of poverty.  A better balance between growth and human development was needed to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.  That was why the Government was dedicating half of its budget to social investment.

Aligning himself with the statements made on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, the African Group and SADC, VUSI MADONSELA ( South Africa) said the fight against poverty was the theme that ran through the 10 priority areas identified in the Government’s Medium-Term Strategic Framework for 2009 to 2014.  The 10 priority areas included accelerating the economy’s growth and transforming it to create decent work and sustainable livelihoods, while pursuing African advancement and enhancing international cooperation.  The global economic crisis had led to the loss of more than 1 million jobs in South Africa, and the Government was expanding its social safety net to minimize the downturn’s impact on its most vulnerable.  It had released the “New Growth Path” in November 2010.  Essentially the country’s economic development strategy, the Path aimed to grow the economy in a way that dealt with the legacy of inequality and joblessness left by decades of apartheid.

SYDNEY MHISHI, Acting Secretary for Labour and Social Services, Zimbabwe, said his Government had created strong short-term recovery and medium-term anti-poverty policies, as well as cash transfers for extremely poor households, food security aid, and assistance in education, health, and community development, in order to break the poverty cycle.  While Zimbabwe was off track to achieve poverty targets related to income, it was on track to achieve targets for reducing non-income poverty.  It was investing heavily in human and social capital, and had one of the highest school enrolment rates in sub-Saharan Africa.  Its annual health-sector budget had increased to counter the impact of poor economic performance on the health delivery system.  It had successfully completed a land redistribution programme and was helping 900,000 small-scale farmers with basic inputs and agricultural services.  Zimbabwe still struggled to provide decent housing, and housing production continued to fall far below targets.  That problem was worsened by rapid urbanization.  The Government’s 2008-2012 small-, micro- and medium-enterprise policy focused on creating a legal and regulatory environment to enhance access to finance, technology and infrastructure.  It pursued the decent work agenda through employment policies aimed at creating sustainable, full and productive work.

Aligning his country with the European Union statement, WIM BEL, Deputy Director International Affairs, Ministry of Social Affairs, Netherlands, applauded the Assembly’s adoption of “full employment and decent work for all” as the theme for the Second United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty (2008–2017).  Full employment and decent work for all could combat poverty and should have the highest priority during the Commission’s session.  It was vital to implement the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) decent work agenda, and the Netherlands endorsed ILO’s declaration “social justice for a fair globalization”.  It also supported the Global Jobs Pact.  Youth employment was another important issue, and the ILO report on youth employment indicated the current financial crisis would impact that generation for decades.  Serious attention was needed to create adequate education and relevant training to smooth young people’s transition from schools to the labour market.  He said a “social protection floor” should include a basic set of essential social transfers, in cash or kind, to provide a minimum of livelihood and security for the poor and vulnerable.

ANNA AL MUHAIRY ( United Arab Emirates) said poverty was the result of global imbalances.  Poverty eradication was a collective responsibility.   The United Arab Emirates had eradicated poverty and increased GDP per capita to one of the highest in the world.  It aimed to further develop its citizens’ standard of living through a strategy based on human development, social inclusion for all, and effective socio-economic policies in line with internationally agreed development goals.  It also supported policies to liberalize the economy and stimulate the private sector by creating a climate conducive to attracting foreign investment.  The Government provided free education for all and universal health-care services.  The Constitution guaranteed gender equality in the labour force.  State programmes ensured that citizens had homes and were provided land, loans and other financial aid with which to buy and build houses.  The Government provided unemployment benefits, pensions for the elderly, and financial programmes to help the families of persons with disabilities.  The United Arab Emirates gave $2.43 billion in ODA, or more than 1.2 per cent of its GDP, of which 85 per cent was in the form of financial aid, and the rest in the form of loans.

Agreeing with the statements of the Group of 77 and China and the Rio Group, JOÃO ALBERTO DOURADO QUINTAES ( Brazil) said his country had consistently reduced its poverty levels.  Compared to 1990, extreme poverty had been reduced from more than 25 per cent to about 5 per cent of national households by 2007.  As the Brazilian population grew from 142 million in 1990 to 188 million in 2009, the ratio of extremely poor had dropped from 36 million to 8 million.  That surpassed the targets set for 2015 by the Millennium Summit.  Bolsa Familia, a cash transfer programme that provided monthly subsidies to poor families — with certain conditions such as school attendance, child vaccination and prenatal and post-natal care — was at the forefront of initiatives to curb extreme poverty.  Since its inception in 2003, the programme had benefited some 50 million people, which made it one of the most comprehensive cash transfer schemes in the world.

KAMEL CHIR ( Algeria) said the international community had to move from words to actions to combat poverty.  The Algerian Government had adopted several structural and development reform programmes over the last decade.  Savings rates had increased.  Social expenditures by the State to fight poverty were a very important part of the national budget and varied between 13 and 15 per cent of expenditures.  There was unemployment insurance and, for older persons, those with disabilities, and at-risk populations, there were special targeted programmes.  There was also special housing for certain categories of citizens.  There was a social safety net, and persons with disabilities received some assistance through monthly allowances.  There was help for children in the event of divorce or abandonment.  Those indicators showed that the Algerian Government was ready to meet its commitments.

A representative of the Company of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul said that women, particularly in rural areas, were especially vulnerable to multiple forms of inequality.  In some countries, they lacked equal legal political and economic rights.  Those in the informal sector often did not benefit from social protection and had unequal access to education, health care, public services, employment and income.  For 2 billion small-scale rural farmers, most of whom were women, agriculture provided food security and was the main source of livelihood.  But without the right to own or inherit property, women’s economic independence and security were severely limited.  Several recent studies showed that land ownership contributed to women’s economic independence and lowered the incidence of domestic violence.  “It is not enough to have good social policies.  Wherever inequality is embedded in the system, new social norms are urgently needed,” she said.  Governments must commit to addressing the root causes of inequality that exist within society.

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*     The 1^st Meeting was covered in Press Release SOC/4765 of 19 February 2010.

For information media • not an official record