Coherent Universal Policies Needed to Help People Take Charge of Future, Speakers Stress as Commission for Social Development Opens Fifty-second Session
Chairperson, Under-Secretary-General Stress Vital Importance of Empowering People
Amid weak economic recovery, rapidly ageing populations and the continuing effects of unemployment on millions of people worldwide, the United Nations and its partners must put forward coherent universal policies that would empower people to take charge of their future and develop greater resilience to external shocks, delegates said today as the Commission for Social Development opened its fifty-second regular session.
Scheduled to run until 21 February, the session is being held under the priority theme “Promoting empowerment of people in achieving poverty eradication, social integration and full employment and decent work for all”, and is expected to adopt an action-oriented resolution on that issue. The Commission will focus its 2014 efforts on the policy segment of its two-year “review and policy” cycle.
Sewa Lamsal Adhikari ( Nepal), Commission Chairperson, opened the session by emphasizing that people’s empowerment was central to achieving the goals of the 1995 World Summit for Social Development: poverty eradication, social integration as well as full and productive employment and decent work for all. While aware of the value of empowerment to the realization of human rights, development and peace and security, “our work in these areas falls short”, she said. There was a need for a determined and proactive approach by all stakeholders in tackling widening inequality, poverty and high unemployment, especially among young people and women.
For its part, the Commission would consider issues relating to social groups, she continued, citing persons with disabilities, youth and older persons among them. It would also consider draft resolutions on employment, among other issues. Accelerating the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals would also be a focus. “This is the opportunity to make our Commission’s work more relevant and visible,” she said. While the task ahead was challenging, it could be met with a collective show of political will that would translate into “real results” on the ground.
Wu Hongbo, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, broadly agreed, saying that people’s empowerment was at the core of the Commission’s work. The 46-member body had been “instrumental” in bringing people’s needs and aspirations to the forefront of development. Poverty rates had fallen dramatically, and the voices of historically excluded social groups now contributed to national and international agendas. Yet, inequality — between and within countries — was on the rise, he cautioned, pointing out that prosperity was all too often limited to the privileged few.
He went on to note that 7 out of 10 people lived in countries where inequality had increased, while emphasizing that the right mix of social policies could curb such disparities. Efforts to equalize opportunities and foster participation did indeed make a difference, and Governments could create the conditions that would allow people to empower themselves, by investing in social protection and ensuring equal access to services such as education, skill development and health care. He urged participants to discuss ways in which social policy could support “foundational” economic and environmental changes that would lead to truly sustainable development.
Carlos Enrique García González (El Salvador), Vice-President of the Economic and Social Council, spoke on behalf of the President, recalling that General Assembly resolution 68/1 (2013) had strengthened that body’s role in integrating the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development. The Council would lead an issues-based approach to the selection of an annual theme, to be addressed by each of its subsidiary bodies, he said. It had established an integration segment to consolidate inputs from various sources, including subsidiary bodies, on how to integrate the three “pillars”. That meant that the Commission’s annual report would now be considered during one of the Council’s coordination and management meetings, to be held at various points during the year.
In the afternoon, the Commission held a high-level panel discussion on the priority theme, during which experts shared national and other examples of promoting empowerment, with a particular focus on how to design and implement practical strategies. They offered Government and civil society perspectives on how to create change, offering suggestions for improving the participation of marginalized communities in decision-making, and for making State institutions more inclusive and accountable.
During the ensuing debate, delegates explored ways in which to promote strategies for empowering people in the areas of poverty eradication, social integration and promotion of decent work. Some discussed the role that empowerment should play in the post-2015 development agenda, while others asked about how to ensure a proper balance between social protection and employment policies.
Danilo Türk, former President of Slovenia, moderated the high-level panel discussion, and Margaret Mayce, Chair of the NGO Committee for Social Development, reported on the outcome of the Civil Society Forum.
The Director of the Division for Social Policy and Development in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs presented reports on “Follow-up to the World Summit for Social Development and the twenty-fourth special session of the General Assembly”.
In other business today, the Commission adopted its provisional agenda.
Participating in the general debate were Ministers from Finland, Mongolia and Chile; Deputy Ministers from Belarus and Nicaragua; and representatives of Bolivia (on behalf of the “Group of 77” developing countries and China), Indonesia (on behalf of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations), Trinidad and Tobago (on behalf of the Caribbean Community), Greece (on behalf of the European Union) and South Africa.
The Commission for Social Development will reconvene at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, 12 February, to continue its fifty-second session.
Background
The Commission for Social Development met this morning to open its regular session of 2014, due to conclude on 21 February.
Opening Remarks
SEWA LAMSAL ADHIKARI ( Nepal), Chairperson of the Commission for Social Development, opened the session by saying the Commission was among the oldest subsidiary bodies of the Economic and Social Council, focused on people‑centred development. Indeed, people’s empowerment was central to achieving the goals of the 1995 World Summit for Social Development: poverty eradication, social integration and full and productive employment and decent work for all. While aware of the value of empowerment to realizing human rights, development and peace and security, “O ur work in these areas falls short,” she said. It required a determined and proactive approach from all stakeholders to tackle widening inequality, poverty and high unemployment, especially among youth and women.
She said that while there had been signs of improvement in the global economy, high unemployment continued to impede social progress in many countries, and environmental costs were increasingly overwhelming financial and human resources. But new opportunities and tools were also available, she said, citing the outcome of the 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, The Future We Want, which laid the foundation for an “ambitious” sustainable development framework. Against that backdrop, the Commission would focus on the priority theme of “promoting empowerment of people in achieving poverty eradication, social integration and full employment and decent work for all”, with the anticipated adoption of an “action-oriented” resolution on that theme.
The Commission, she went on, would also consider issues relating to social groups: persons with disabilities, youth and older persons among them, as well as several draft resolutions on employment, the social dimensions of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and other issues. Looking ahead, she said that while shaping the post-2015 development vision, it was important to accelerate efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals and build on the lessons learned. “This is the opportunity to make our Commission’s work more relevant and visible,” she said, urging delegates to address the themes of the upcoming Economic and Social Council segments and meetings in their discussions. The task ahead was challenging, but it could be met, she said, “if we collectively demonstrate our political will and commitment” and translate the discussions into concrete actions that delivered “real results”. Governments alone could not achieve that goal; they needed to partner with academia, civil society, the private sector, United Nations agencies and the most vulnerable themselves.
CARLOS ENRIQUE GARCÍA GONZÁLEZ (El Salvador), Economic and Social Council Vice President, recalled the General Assembly’s adoption of resolution 68/1 aimed at strengthening the Council’s role, particularly with respect to the integration of sustainable development’s three dimensions.
Highlighting four aspects of the resolution, he said that the Council would lead the system though an issues-based approach to the selection of an annual theme. The Council had established an integration segment to consolidate inputs from various sources, including subsidiary bodies, on how best to ensure the balanced intermix of the three dimensions. The Council was expected to conduct action-oriented reviews of the activities, reports and recommendations of its subsidiary bodies. The Commission’s annual report would now be considered at one of the Council’s Coordination and Management Meetings, which would be held at various times in the course of the year.
The Council would also convene the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in July, he, noting that implementation of the Council reform and its impact on the work of its subsidiary bodies would be discussed early next month at the annual joint meeting of the Council Bureau with the chairpersons of the functional commissions and relevant committees of experts.
WU HONGBO, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, and Secretary-General of the International Conference on Small Island Developing States, declared: “This Commission has been instrumental in bringing peoples’ needs and aspirations to the forefront of development”. Indeed, poverty rates had fallen dramatically and the voices of historically excluded social groups were now contributing to national and international agendas. Yet, challenges remained in confronting the social impacts of the global economic crisis, amid a weak recovery and harsh fiscal austerity. Unemployment — and under employment — continued to affect millions, while the world was also experiencing the unprecedented phenomenon of population ageing. Critical issues related to the social and economic integration of older persons had not received the policy attention they deserved.
“We need to eradicate poverty while fighting against growing inequality” he stressed; create more productive and decent jobs against daunting labour markets, and address the concerns of an ageing population. The Commission had the “weighty” responsibility of advancing sustainable development’s social pillar, and he urged delegates to put forth coherent, universal policies aimed at reducing vulnerability and boosting resilience. In doing so, priority attention should be given to the issue of inequality, which, in many cases, underpinned social turbulence. Too often, prosperity within countries was limited to the privileged few: today, 7 of 10 people lived in countries where inequality had increased. He said that with growing inequalities, development could not be sustained.
However, the right mix of social policies could curb inequality, he said, stressing that efforts to equalize opportunities and foster participation did indeed make a difference. After all, it was empowered people and social groups who would achieve development that was sustainable, inclusive and equitable. Governments could create the conditions that allowed people to empower themselves by investing in social protection and ensuring equal access to education, skill development and health care. “We are embarking on a new development agenda whose goals, targets and timeframe are yet to be fully elaborated.” Development would be fully sustainable only once its economic environmental and social dimensions were integrated in a balanced way. He urged participants to discuss ways social policy could support the foundational economic and environmental changes that led to sustainable development.
Introduction of Reports
DANIELA BAS, Director, Division for Social Policy and Development, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, introduced a number of documents for the Commission’s consideration, including the Secretary-General’s reports on “promoting empowerment of people in achieving poverty eradication, social integration and full employment and decent work for all” (document E/CN.5/2014/3) and “Social dimensions of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development” (document E/CN.5/2014/2).
She also presented reports, titled “Mainstreaming disability in the development agenda towards 2015 and beyond” (document E/CN.5/2014/6); “Monitoring of the implementation of the Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities” (document E/CN.5/2014/7); “Further implementation of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, 2002” (document E/CN.5?2014/4); “Policies and programmes involving youth” (document E/CN.5/2014/5) and “Preparations for and observance of the twentieth anniversary of the International Year of the Family in 2014 (documents A/69/61-E/2014/4).
The reports addressed a range of issues, including empowerment and inclusive participation, opportunities for Africa’s development, and social drivers of sustainable development, she said. They also underscored the Commission’s important role in addressing some of the most pressing challenges of sustainable development — eradicating poverty, promoting inclusive growth and decent employment, tackling exclusion and inequality, and empowering disadvantaged groups.
Statements
MARGARET MAYCE of the Dominican Leadership Conference and Chair of the NGO Committee for Social Development reported on the outcome of the Civil Society Forum held yesterday, which outlined several recommendations for formulating a “transformative” post-2015 development agenda. In that context, she urged implementation of International Labour Organization Recommendation no. 202, on the establishment of national social protection floors and the decent work for all agenda as an effective means of enabling people to secure full employment and income security. Implementation of the Guiding Principles on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights was also important, as extreme inequality contradicted the most fundamental principles of social justice, starting from the notion that all humans were born free and equal in dignity and rights.
She called for the promotion of the legal empowerment of all people by ensuring protection of their human right to justice, property, labour protections and identity documents. Also needed were mechanisms to address unsustainable patterns of production, consumption and resource/worker exploitation; formal and informal quality education for all; and expansion of innovative sources of financing for development that prioritized public financing over public-private partnerships. In addition, the twentieth anniversary of the International Year of the Family, to be observed this year, offered an opportunity to revisit family-oriented policies as part of the post-2015 development efforts.
“As representatives of civil society worldwide, we believe these recommendations, and their appropriate means of implementation, are a step in the right direction toward securing a life of dignity for all,” she said. But everything depended on the political will to empower and invest in people. From the civil society perspective, the price of inaction would be the continued irresponsible exploitation of people and natural resources, persistent inequality, poverty, injustice and ongoing conflict. Those issues spoke to the very heart of global governance and the integrity of world leaders, and all Governments bore a measure of responsibility to consider the available options.
CLAUDIO GUILLERMO ROSSELL ARCE (Bolivia), speaking on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, said that much more needed to be done to achieve mutual social development goals. Poverty was a complex problem involving a set of economic and social development issues that could not be solved through economic growth alone. The Group was deeply concerned about how the world financial crisis, global food insecurity, the negative impacts of climate change, among other issues impacted the fight against global poverty. An enabling environment that expanded choices and encouraged participation in decision-making was crucial. Also important was a comprehensive policy framework driven by universal approaches and supportive of national institutional structures and participatory mechanisms to meet the needs of all members of society.
He stressed the need to strengthen the social capital already existing in poor communities, saying that such formal and informal networks and techniques included indigenous knowledge and practices that had served as survival strategies for many generations. At the same time, the Group emphasized that the commercialization of such indigenous knowledge and practices should be fairly and equitably compensated. The international community should be better prepared to deal with an ageing population, and the global partnership for poverty eradication based on recognition of national leadership and ownership of strategies should be scaled up. International cooperation must be enhanced, including the fulfilment of official development assistance (ODA) commitments, debt relief, market access, financial stability, capacity‑building and technical support.
DESRA PERCAYA (Indonesia), speaking on behalf of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and aligning himself with the “Group of 77” developing countries and China, said that the role of Government was essential in ensuring that national development took place comprehensively, with policies aimed at equalizing opportunities and eliminating the barriers to participation. Despite all the achievements on the Millennium Development Goals, social and economic disparities persisted. A remaining central challenge in implementing the Goals was the promotion of partnerships and mutual responsibility.
He expressed ASEAN’s firm belief that the next development goals should balance the social, economic and environmental pillars of development well, by taking into account the need for empowerment as well as the protection of marginalized social groups, such as persons with disabilities, youth, and older persons. The Association’s commitment to promote economic, social and cultural rights had been affirmed in its Human Rights Declaration, particularly articles 27 and 28, which set forth every individual’s right to work, to free choice of employment, to just, decent and favourable working conditions, and access to assistance schemes for the unemployed, as well as the right to an adequate standard of living. He highlighted many ASEAN initiatives and tools in that regard, including its Strategic Framework on Social Welfare and Development.
RODNEY CHARLES (Trinidad and Tobago), speaking on behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and aligning himself with the Group of 77 and China, said that his region continued to advance its people-centred approach to development. CARICOM was strategically focused on addressing inequalities to enhance human development and believed that strong policies and programmes in the areas of human resource development, as well as information and communications technology were of critical importance. The elimination of discrimination should be given high priority, with a view towards creating more inclusive societies and ensuring that all citizens had equal access to opportunities. The particular needs of persons with disabilities were of great importance to the CARICOM leaders, who agreed that special attention given to the vulnerability of women and girls with disabilities to violence and discrimination.
He said that the ageing of the population was another priority area on CARICOM’s agenda, with leaders working to create and maintain supportive environments for older persons, provide health-care services and develop and strengthen policies that would empower people throughout their lives. CARICOM also recognized the contribution of young people to society and had initiated programmes designed to help youth develop leadership skills. CARICOM underscored the importance of the international community’s support, particularly with respect to the development and improvement of data collection systems, through which the region could effectively identify challenges facing all dimensions of society.
NAFSIKA NANCY EVA VRAILA (Greece), speaking for the European Union, said the gains of the Millennium Development Goals had been unevenly distributed, both between and within countries. Poverty persisted, while discrimination and inequality remained a universal concern. An ambitious post-2015 framework was needed to make poverty “a thing of the past”, and the Commission had an essential role in ensuring promotion of the agenda’s social pillar. Touching on European Union initiatives to address social inclusion and youth unemployment, she said such challenges could not be overcome without empowering people to be “agents of their own positive change”. Thus, gender equality should be central to programming, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation policies. She also urged a focus on children, indigenous peoples, refugees, migrants and persons with disabilities.
She went on to say that all Governments could adopt an “empowering” approach to policymaking and implementation, ensuring that social, economic, political and legal institutions were open and inclusive. Respect for human rights was essential to empowerment, as was transparency, accountability and the impartial administration of justice. More specifically, the role of trade unions and employers’ organizations deserved more recognition. In sum, the European Union recognized that social protection was a human right essential for poverty eradication. It should be seen as “infrastructure” for human development, without which sustainable, inclusive economic growth would not be possible. She also urged intensified efforts to promote and protect economic, social and cultural rights.
SUSANNA HUOVINEN, Minister of Health and Social Services, Finland, aligning herself with the European Union, said since its independence less than a century ago, her country had supported the right to education and full electoral rights for all, including women. Finland strongly supported comprehensive and universal social policies in line with the “Social Protection Floor Initiative”, which advocated social security as an investment in people and provided access to essential health care and income security across all dimensions of the population. By securing comprehensive and universal social protection, Finland was able to benefit from the talent and contribution of the entire population. Like many other countries, hers had struggled with economic austerity, yet investments in social protection and economic prosperity had proven to be mutually supportive. Finland believed that a social protection system that helped those in need was not an obstacle to prosperity, but an essential part of it.
ERDENE SODNOMZUNDUI, Minister for Population Development and Social Protection, Mongolia, said his country had made great efforts to develop and implement policies and strategies focused on human development, while maintaining a strong commitment to the Millennium Development Goals. Economic growth combined with social protection measures had reduced Mongolia’s poverty rate from 38.7 per cent in 2010 to 27.4 per cent in 2012. With a view towards avoiding direct cash handouts or in-kind benefits, Mongolia had worked to create an environment that supported equal participation through employment opportunities, universal access to social services, quality education and health services, among other initiatives. Mongolia supported efforts to increase public participation in creating policies, while acknowledging the challenges of inclusion for the most vulnerable portions of the population.
LUZ GRANIER BULNES, Acting Minister of Social Development of Chile, aligning herself with the Group of 77 and China, said that over the past 25 years, poverty had been substantially reduced in her country. Extreme poverty had declined from 13 per 100 people in 1990 to just 2.8 in 2011. Chile’s social policy focused on creating jobs and helping households generate income for an improved quality of life. The Government’s approach also focused on women’s role in overcoming poverty. Many poor households were headed by women and their needs, therefore, should be central to social policy. The scheme should also focus on creating opportunities. Employment was a key factor in overcoming poverty; participation in the labour market was directly linked to poverty reduction. During President Sebastian Pinera’s tenure, the unemployment rate declined by 5.7 per cent. Vulnerable households led by women were entitled to a “bonus”. Aimed at those with less than $700 in monthly income, that programme had benefitted more than 250,000 women-led households.
VALENTIN RYBAKOV, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus, said people’s empowerment was essential for achieving the goals of the 1995 World Summit for Social Development. National programmes that empowered social groups, including the poor, young people, older persons and the family were important factors in ending social inequality. State policies and United Nations programmes should focus on empowering all layers of society. For its part, Belarus sought to ensure that each person could create his own welfare through labour and entrepreneurship, while those unable to work had protections. Touching on various programmes, he cited one that aimed to broaden access to education by improving school access for persons with disabilities. In the long term, investments in education and health care, and the creation of new jobs would yield significant economic and social impacts. Social support for young people was also needed.
MARIA RUBIALES DE CHAMORRO, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nicaragua, associating herself with the Group of 77 and China, stressed the need for additional measures for inclusive development to ensure equitable distribution of wealth. Issues under consideration today, such as empowerment and poverty eradication, were also the priorities of her Government and its domestic development plan. At the national level, social spending had increased by 22 per cent in 2013, demonstrating the Government’s commitment to address those problems. About 60 per cent of the general budget for 2014 went to reducing poverty and addressing its causes, such as poor health and education. Her country had sought to improve the quality of education and striven to reduce child and maternal mortality rates. In that, it had already achieved a 69 per cent reduction against the goal of 75 per cent from the 1990 level. She added that the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) had recognized Nicaragua as the only country in the region to overcome malnutrition.
COCEKO PAKADE (South Africa), associating himself with the Group of 77 and China, said his country remained committed to the protection of marginalized and vulnerable groups, such as children, women, the elderly, people with disabilities, as well as the poor. South Africa would continue to redouble its efforts to eradicate the scourge of violence against women and children. The country had waged a war on poverty, inequality and unemployment for two decades and through social safety nets, including tax-based redistribution instruments, poverty had declined from 33 per cent to 25 per cent between 1993 and 2013. The country’s social assistance programme had also expanded at an unprecedented rate, initially covering only 2.7 million people in 1994 to more than 16 million people to date. Job creation remained imperative, with the country implementing several policy initiatives, many aimed at women, youth, and other vulnerable groups. The transformation of the public health system into an integrated, comprehensive national service was also a major focus, while remarkable achievements had been made in the delivery of water and solid waste removal.
High-level Panel Discussion on Priority Theme
Reconvening this afternoon, the Commission held a high-level panel discussion on the priority theme “Promoting empowerment of people in achieving poverty eradication, social integration and full employment and decent work for all”. Moderated by Danilo Türk, former President of Slovenia, it featured presentations by: Catherine Bakang Mbock, Minister for Social Affairs, Cameroon; Susanna Huovinen, Minister for Health and Social Services; Carlos Rafael Urquilla Bonilla, Under-Secretary for Social Inclusion, Presidency of El Salvador; John Gaventa, Director, Coady International Institute and Vice-President of International Development, St. Francis Xavier University, Canada; and Fabio Palacio, Representative, NGO Committee on Social Development, representing the International Movement ATD Fourth World.
Ms. ADHIKARI ( Nepal), Commission Chair, opened the discussion by saying that people’s empowerment, poverty eradication, full and productive employment and social integration were mutually reinforcing goals. Actions seeking to give people the means to strengthen their own capacities and opportunities helped to break the cycle of poverty and exclusion. “Ultimately, it is empowered people who drive development processes through their active participation in decisions that affect them and their communities,” she said. Governments also had an important role in creating suitable conditions that would allow people to empower themselves. Investing in social protection, quality education and affordable health care, for example, helped people escape poverty, while improved access to land or credit allowed them to sustain their livelihoods.
Ms. MBOCK described her country’s national efforts, saying that the Government was working to eradicate poverty through a decentralization process that placed the citizen at the centre of State concerns. Its success was due in part to the implementation of the national programme for participatory development, which promoted the people’s ownership of development. Thanks to the programme, underway since 2010, some 360 communities had devised local development plans to guide their actions. “The human being is at the centre of all these activities,” she said, emphasizing that priority had been accorded to combating social exclusion and marginalization. The national social inclusion policy sought to meet the needs of disabled persons, marginalized children, indigenous peoples and others.
In that context, she continued, Cameroon had adopted a policy on ageing in 2013, the result of extensive countrywide consultations. One pilot project — the “House for the Aged” — provided education about aging, as well as space for intergenerational exchanges. As for young people, a national council on youth had been established in 2009, she said. In addition, a mechanism had been created to promote such “republican” values as the dignity of work and civic spirit, and all ministries took gender into account in determining their budgets. Concerning worker protection, she cited several examples, including the free association of trade unions. The Ministry of Social Affairs was “fine-tuning” a strategy for breaking the increasing demand for assistance by providing support and empowerment, she said, adding that it also sought to transform the “welfare State” mentality into one of national solidarity based on the principle of equal opportunity.
Ms. HUOVINEN described Finland as a relatively small country with 5.5 million people. Following the Second World War, it had been a lower middle-income country, in debt and needing international aid, she said, recalling that her mother had had difficulty in finding child day care. Over the course of 60 to 70 years, Finland had transformed from a developing country into a wealthy information society, she said, adding that an emphasis on equality had been the main contributor to its economic growth. The Government had focused on inclusiveness and equality, establishing education for all, health care for all and pensions for all. Those were the sources of Finland’s positive social and economic development, she said.
Emphasizing that she was forced to defend the system against cutbacks every day, she said economic reality challenged basic social protection systems, which must be designed to help people manage their own lives. Finland had established a family model, under which both parents shared responsibility for providing and caring for their children. Parents were entitled to four months of maternity leave or nine weeks of paternity leave, she said. The Government also addressed youth employment issues, since having many young men with nothing to do would create the conditions for unrest. With Finland’s population ageing rapidly, a two-track approach would be necessary to cope with that situation. While it was important to have a general policy in place, targeted measures were needed to help marginalized groups, she said, stressing that they were not alternatives.
Mr. URQUILLA, describing empowerment as a process that enabled all members of society to participate in decisions affecting their lives, which in turn promoted social development, said the question hinged on how to empower people. Empowerment must be viewed in terms of the realization of human rights. As such, it was important to recognize that there were rights holders — often those who suffered under various policies — and the holders of obligations, such as the State. While humans were equal in dignity and rights, the starting point for discussion must acknowledge that “we exist with difference, and thus, the exercise of rights is also different”. Empowerment was not a matter of empowering everyone equally, he emphasized. It must particularly acknowledge those at a disadvantage — children, women, the elderly, indigenous persons, migrants, refugees and victims of armed conflict. That called for a universal rights-based approach.
The next step was to seek the restoration of rights, including through access to justice he continued. Empowerment meant strengthening local courts to restore social, economic and cultural rights. There was an opportunity for the entry into force of the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which endorsed the protection of individual rights. However, technical assistance was needed to help national cultural institutions work towards the realization of rights. States must invest large amounts of money to achieve empowerment, and international cooperation must be more efficient. The need for collective action should transcend traditional multilateral and bilateral cooperation models to address an agenda based on the obligations outlined in the Covenant. He stressed that his central message was that empowerment meant decisive political action to resolve inequities within and among States. To eradicate poverty, it must move from a development-based approach to one allowing for the realization of human economic, social and cultural rights.
Mr. GAVENTA said his Institute conducted case studies from which it gained important insights into the positive contributions of empowered citizens participating in four broad areas. Engagement was important because it helped to form better citizens, aware of their right to participate in the first place and more confident of their ability to do so. People did not wake up in the morning and say, “aha, today I am an empowered, active citizen”, he noted. Rather, it was through citizen engagement itself that people developed greater civic and political knowledge as well as a greater awareness of their rights and their own empowerment, which served as a prerequisite for further action and participation. Having a sense of citizenship was one thing and translating it into effective and sustaining change was another, he said, emphasizing that citizen engagement built more effective and empowered participation practices.
He went on to point out that empowered citizen engagement contributed to positive development results, such improved health, water and sanitation or education, for example. Participation was also important at a higher level, not only for policy change or service delivery, but in its potential contributions to more pluralistic societies, which could bring new voices and issues into the public arena, providing a sense of recognition, social identity and dignity that was important for social integration. He said that his study affirmed the Secretary-General’s recommendations on the important role of people’s empowerment as both an engine of change and as an end in itself. It also affirmed the important role played by Governments, he said. Governments wishing to support empowerment might be well advised to figure out, in any given context, how citizens would participate in their own ways and spaces, and then to build links with and support for them, rather than simply creating new “participatory” mechanisms into which they are merely invited citizens.
Mr. PALACIO, pointing out the absence from today’s meeting of people living in poverty and needing empowerment, emphasized that participation was synonymous with empowerment. The idea that incomplete participation was better than no participation at all was not true, he said, insisting that when poor people were asked to participate in a way that was not meaningful, they lost valuable time. When poor people lost time, they could lose a meal or access to their homes. They also lost trust in institutions like the United Nations and in themselves as agents of change, in addition to living in fear that they would be used again. However, participation could not be forced, and there should be adequate time for people to participate meaningfully, he said, adding that projects promoting participation must unite people without judging them.
He went on to note that one or two people were often asked to participate on behalf of an entire community, stressing that it was therefore important that they report back to their community and solicit feedback. As for making institutions more inclusive, States could ensure equal protection under the law. In addition, they could end the selective enforcement of laws; use a legal framework for participation, such as the Guiding Principles on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights, passed by the Human Rights Council in 2012; implement International Labour Organization (ILO) Recommendation no. 202 on social protection floors; and provide safe and accountable procedures for raising complaints, especially those relating to the delivery of public services.
Ms. HUOVINEN, taking the floor a second time, stressed that “everything starts in childhood”. Finland brought youth into decision-making exercises by inviting them to visit the Parliament for discussions with Ministers on issues of concern, for example.
In the ensuing discussion, representatives of Member States and civil society asked how the cycle of equality could be broken, which targeted measures were most effective and about the role of social protection in addressing inequality. Other questions related to the quality of work in formal as well as informal economies, and to ways of dealing with traditional systems that perpetuated the disempowerment of certain groups, such as women and the elderly.
Ms. MBOCK, underscoring the fundamental rights affirmed at the Copenhagen Summit, stressed that every human being was inherently vulnerable. Each country must optimize its financial, material and human resources in its social protection responses, she said, cautioning also that financial responses were not a panacea.
Mr. URQUILLA highlighted the transformative power of education, saying it had the power to transform cultural practices that perpetuated the disempowerment of certain groups.
Mr. GAVENTA said the growing inequality in material wealth could lead to inequality in influence and voices heard. Merely handing out social protection programmes did not necessarily empower people, he said, pointing out that those with power made programmes that did not reach the most vulnerable. Social protection programmes must reach those with the least voice, he said, emphasizing that empowerment was key in that regard. Post-2015 policy should have indicators to measure the amount of funds dedicated to empowerment programmes, not just social protection services.
Mr. PALACIO, noting that Millennium Development Goal 8, on partnerships, lacked indicators for gauging progress, said it could be meaningful to measure the percentage of aid reaching the lowest quintile. Ending discrimination was of key importance in addressing inequality, and education, particularly human rights education, was the key to ending discrimination.
Participating in the discussion were delegates representing Romania, Dominican Republic, Slovenia, European Union Delegation, El Salvador, as did representatives of non-governmental organizations, including Pos Keadilan Peduli Ummat, the International Federation of Journalists and the International Federation on Ageing.
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* The 1st Meeting was covered in Press Release SOC/4806 of 15 February 2013.