Commission on Social Development Rounds Out Session’s First Week with Panels on Impact of Social Factors on Development, Critical Role of Family
The impact of social factors on sustainable development and the critical role of families were the focus of two panel discussions today in the Commission for Social Development as its first week drew to a close.
Entitled, “Emerging issues: the social drivers of sustainable development”, the first panel featured a broad conversation about the intersection between environmental, economic and social factors. During the panel and interactive discussion, participants examined ways in which the post-2015 agenda would be shaped by the confluence of social issues and sustainable development.
“We keep prioritizing — in silos — issues of policy sectors, when in fact it could be more effective to prioritize action based on the kind of integrated thinking that can foster more effective, durable, equitable and just solutions to the connected problems of sustainable development,” said Heide Hackermann, Executive Director of the International Social Science Council.
In the afternoon, a second panel discussion took place in observance of the twentieth anniversary of the International Year of the Family, 2014. During that discussion, participants focused on the important role of families in meeting sustainable development objectives.
Calling family “the first layer of a protective environment”, Valentin Rybakov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus, said that strong families had an important role to play in community development. He proposed including the issue of “family and development” in the high-level segment of the Economic and Social Council, an idea supported by some delegates during the afternoon’s interactive debate.
The Commission on Social Development will meet again on Tuesday, 19 February at 10 a.m.
Panel One
The panel discussion on “Emerging issues: the social drivers of sustainable development” was led by the Chair of the Commission for Social Development, Sewa Lamsal Adhikari (Nepal) and moderated by Sarah Cook, Director of the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development. The keynote address was given by Amina Mohammed, Special Adviser of the Secretary-General on the Post-2015 Development Planning. The panellists included Magino Corporán, Director of the National Council for Disability of the Dominican Republic; Rudi Delarue, Deputy Head of Unit for external relations and enlargement for the European Commission, DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion; and Heide Hackmann, Executive Director of the International Social Science Council.
Ms. MOHAMMED, delivering the keynote address, said that the Millennium Development Goals had been largely successful and had improved the lives of millions of people in areas such as clean drinking water, child mortality and education. However, much work remained and would require focused global development efforts across a broad spectrum of actors. Now was the time to look at the lessons learned and identify ways to address the persistent inequalities in our world. Sustainable development must become the global guiding principle, while focus remained on poverty eradication. Concrete actions should be taken, including in the areas of financial inclusion, efficient infrastructure, sustainable energy and skills training.
She said it should be borne in mind that the benefits of growth would not necessarily trickle down to those who needed it most, and therefore, a defined policy of inclusion must be pursued. Development setbacks stemming from inequality was about 23 per cent. Social polices weren’t enough; achieving true inclusion would require transformations on national, regional and international levels. The world was on the cusp of a historic opportunity and the system must be ready to support implementation of defined sustainable development goals.
The work on the post-2015 development agenda had already begun and the United Nations was reaching out to the world, not only to define the goals themselves, but to garner input on how to implement them. The international community must aspire to eradicate poverty, while protecting the environment and promoting inclusion, with people at the centre of all such efforts.
Ms. COOK led off the panel discussion by saying that the sustainable development agenda required coherence across a large number of complex issues. Plus, there needed to be a shift in thinking about development in that the primary focus should be on social objectives, with due attention paid to economic and environmental considerations. Structures of social inequality, such as gender and racial inequalities would take longer to address and likely require more than just policy decisions. The international community should take account of the complex issues at the intersection of social, economic and environmental issues.
Mr. CORPORÁN, Director of the National Council for Disability of the Dominican Republic, said that societies could not afford to continue to exclude disabled persons. The disability inclusion policies carried out in the Dominican Republic were part of the Government’s national plan and focused on multiple priority areas. Happiness was a value in his country and the National Council was working to “awaken” society and to see the inspiration people with disabilities could bring to all peoples. There were laws and conventions that had been integrated into his country’s constitution that were designed to push back on a culture of exclusion. Through various partnerships in the community, sporting, musical and other cultural events were organized, with the goal of opening up minds and touching on emotions to bring disabled people out of the shadows. Local governments were being urged to include a disabilities agenda in their overall planning to build a culture that respected those persons’ rights.
Mr. DELARUE stressed the importance of an integrated approach to development. Jobs inequality and a lack of socioeconomic inclusion were leading concerns, both for developed and developing countries. The international community had the obligation to ensure that the three pillars of sustainable development were treated equally through an integrated approach. Employment-centred policies were particularly important, as they impacted both economic and social factors. The social drivers of sustainable development were closely related to the capacity of groups and institutions to affect change. It was also important for young people to complete their degrees, and innovation should be encouraged across industrial sectors. Although policies varied from one country to the next, universal social protections were an important area of focus for the European Union. In developing countries, a large percentage of people were working in informal sectors, which was a long-term issue that must be addressed.
Ms. HACKMANN said that despite the abundance of data and knowledge about the gravity of current environmental changes, society’s response remained frustratingly slow and inadequate. Climate change issues, for example, had to fight for attention along with other pressing problems such as poverty, inequality, unemployment, social discontent and human rights violations. The problems of environmental change could not be solved without taking into account human attitudes and aspirations, institutional constraints and obstacles to political will. There needed to be concrete actions taken to move forward with transformative policy making for sustainable development. In her view, global social observation systems needed to be built and supported, there needed to be a better understanding of the growing body of evidence about basic human needs and a broader spectrum of social scientists needed to be appointed to advisory boards.
In the ensuing interactive dialogue, the representative for the European Union posed questions related to environment- and employment—centred policies, as well as universal access to social protections. Ms. HACKMANN underscored the urgency of the challenges facing the international community, especially as the policy measures being put forward would take a great deal of time to successfully implement.
The representative of Namibia asked panellists for strategies to shift from an informal to a more formalized working society. Mr. DELARUE said that the European Union was putting forward initiatives to address the challenges faced by a large informal labour sector. Those included promoting larger social security systems so that citizens could see how their individual contributions played into a society’s overall well-being.
Brazil’s delegate said that her country believed that economic development alone could not solve the challenges of inequality and, like previous speakers, stressed the need for the three pillars of sustainable development to be integrated in future developing planning.
A representative of Help Age International reported that her organization was developing recommendations on how societies could address the particular challenges faced by those who were both disabled and ageing.
The representative of the Russian Federation said that when the Millennium Development Goals were formulated, questions of inequality were not given due consideration. The socioeconomic imbalances between countries and regions should be addressed.
The representative of Kuwait said the social factors of sustainable development that directly influenced society had led to greater social integration. To achieve goals, social frameworks must be expanded to promote decent work and participation in decision-making. In that regard, Kuwait had elaborated and drafted laws, which allowed people to share their opinion, which in turn, had led to greater participation. Each person had a vote. Mr. DELARUE agreed with the delegate, stating that the landscape had changed a great deal since the inception of the Millennium Development Goals and that those shifts must be taken into account when developing the post-2015 agenda. Ms. HACKMANN also agreed that inequality was a growing concern.
The representative of Sudan said that the goal should not be to provide services to disadvantaged groups, but rather, policymakers must ensure that those groups had the opportunity to effectively participate in social change.
Ms. MOHAMMED added that it was clear that inequality in various forms would be an important part of global efforts going forward. She urged participants to consider what could be done immediately to start the transition to the sustainable development agenda, rather than waiting until 2015. Building capacity, she said, would require commitments on the national, regional and international levels, and for optimal success, strategies should be aligned across all domains.
Panel Two
In the afternoon, the Commission held a panel discussion on the topic of the family, which featured presentations by: Valentin Rybakov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus; Kathleen Otte, New York Regional Director of the Department of Health and Human Services of the United States; Katharina Spiess, Head of the Department of Education and Family at the German Institute for Economic Research, and Professor at the Freie University, Berlin; Noor Al-Malik Al-Jehani, Executive Director of the Doha International Family Institute, Qatar; and Jean Baptiste Koah, Expert Consultant on Gender and Development and Social Protection, and Former Director of Family Empowerment at the Ministry of the Empowerment of Women and the Promotion of the Family, Cameroon.
Launching the panel, Mr. RYBAKOV recalled that the family was “the first layer of a protective environment”. Yet, many viewed it as a recipient, rather than a contributor, to development. He asked how child mortality could fall, for example, or education could improve without efforts by parents. Such questions called for mainstreaming “the family issue” across the Millennium Development Goals. Social relations and institutions underpinned more equitable societies, he continued, noting that the family was among the basic institutions for reducing inequality and enhancing social well-being. The synergies of a strong family could affect community development in ways that were greater than the sum of their individual members’ effects. Thus, the family should be considered a pillar of sustainable development. He proposed including the issue of “family and development” in the high-level segment of the Economic and Social Council.
Ms. SPIESS said European countries were ageing societies, caused in part by low fertility rates, a demographic change that must be addressed. In Germany, access to high-quality day care, along with the high rates of poverty among single mothers were other important challenges. The Government tried to compensate mothers for taking maternity leave by offering benefits and providing flexible working arrangements. Germany allowed parental leave for up to three years, during which time it replaced 65 per cent of a mother’s income. She also detailed a proposal for an income-dependent wage subsidy for parents who had reduced their full-time work to care for their child. Germany had increased the funding available for employer-based day care and was looking at increasing the number and quality of day care providers. It was important to monitor and develop evidence-based family policies, she concluded.
When the floor was opened for questions and comments, Cameroon’s delegate asked Ms. Speiss about whether measures she suggested had been successful and about the risks to a society when education was left to the Government. Italy’s delegate detailed efforts by her country’s office for family policy, noting that the first national plan for the family had been developed in 2012.
Responding, Ms. SPEISS said families must be supported to “act as families”. Germany worked to make families stronger, aware that they wanted to combine work and family life, and that they needed income in order to educate their children. Parents could share care duties, and the State provided an incentive for them to take that responsibility. Early childhood education and care policies had had a positive effect on family well-being, while other measures had not been as successful.
Next, Ms. OTTE said the role of the family had adapted over time and retained its fundamental value. She detailed various programmes delivered under the Administration for Children and Families, including those for school readiness, preventing child abuse, and addressing the needs of runaway youth and domestic violence victims. Further, the Department of Health and Human Services had recently created the Administration for Community Living, which brought together programmes for people with disabilities and for older persons. It was a federal agency that encouraged an increase in community services to foster strong families. Such work towards equality and inclusion was based on strong laws and standards, legislation that had strong enforcement mechanisms. Caring for older adults was a concern in many societies, she said, stressing that elder abuse was a crime and a violation of their fundamental right to be safe.
Ms. AL-JEHANI said the Arab region had seen unprecedented conflict following the Arab Spring, making the family all the more important for social stability. The rapid mortality decline coupled with a reduction in fertility had resulted in smaller families, with intergenerational bonds growing more important. In addition, rising divorce rates and the increasing proportion of never-married women were just some of the heavy pressures that Arab families faced. Still, the two-parent family remained the norm and the vast majority of children were raised by their parents. While the family was the focus of national strategies, countries needed to localize their efforts and recognize the “realities” of families. The region lacked effective family policy development, research and statistics. The cumulative effect of family-centred policies could profoundly impact family relationships. She urged policymakers to work with families to positively change their lives, rather than trying to take over their functions. She also supported policies that offered equal rights for women.
Mr. KOAH said families in Cameroon were seen as “highly complex”, with many emotional and social implications. It was a social institution, whose members were in a socially defined place. Development policies focused on growth to ensure social well-being. Family members must provide services to each other. Hence, work had a “notional” connotation, as it meant responding to family concerns and having a place in a group. The system involved everyone in carrying out tasks seen as mandatory. Poverty, therefore, would mean a failure to provide a valuable contribution to the family or not having the opportunity to do so. More broadly, growth objectives depended on family well-being and the role of the family must be re-examined in order to function effectively. Issues of modernity, liberalism, and identity claims had threatened traditional solidarity, raising the question of how ensuring that the family remained a social institution and partner of the State.
When the floor was opened a second time, the representative for the European Union Delegation said family composition continued to change, and thus, policy must keep pace. She also asked about measures to tackle child poverty. Switzerland’s delegate asked about single-parent families and measures taken in Germany to support them.
A representative of the International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics called for policies that ensured lifelong access to education and training, which were essential for individuals and nations alike. Burkina Faso’s delegate discussed the role of protection and the need for young people to grow up free from basic concerns. He asked about actions that civil society could take to help families that faced difficulties caring for their children.
Responding, Ms. OTTE said the United States was looking at the definition of the family in the broad sense so as to be inclusive of various family types. Segregating or not including people who had different choices was very limiting. She urged addressing the issue of communication. Some programmes focused on children in same-sex parental families, to ensure they grew up “strong and with pride”.
Ms. AL-JEHANI addressed the issue of child poverty, urging a more comprehensive approach to family poverty. Educational failure and over-dependence on Government social security and unemployment were among the avenues that led to family poverty. Also, the issue of work-family balance rested with addressing gender inequalities, pointing out that men were not taking advantage of paternity leave.
Mr. KOAH responded to the question about street children, saying there were some children in the streets who had rejected their families. “Families have been left to their own devices,” he said, which had led to child exploitation. Studies should be carried out on family conditions. Rather than stigmatizing them as “street children”, children should be given an education.
Speaking in a third round of questions and comments were the representatives of the following organizations: International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse; PKPU National Humanitarian Foundation; Greek Orthodox Archdiocese and Council; Help Age International; and International Federation for Family Development.
The representative of Cameroon supported the proposal to include the issue of “family and development” in the Economic and Social Council’s high-level segment.