Mr. Nigel Tarling

International Council on Social Welfare (ICSW)

Overview of the Copenhagen Summit
and the UN Review Process

    Mr. Nigel Tarling began by stating that the World Summit for Social Development (WSSD) had been signed in Copenhagen in 1995, with 186 governmental delegations in which 117 Heads of State or Government were present. It was the first time that such a large number of governments from across the globe had gathered to agree targets for advancing social development. It came at a time when similar UN Summits were addressing other major issues such as the environment (Rio), population (Cairo) and women (Beijing). As with other Summits, the WSSD set a series of ambitious targets, and then agreed to review the implementation of the agreements after a period of five years.

     Mr. Tarling explained how the meeting in Baku would feed into the review process, first of all into the Ministerial meeting in Ashgabat in November 1999, but then also into the main UN review process which ends in June 2000 at a special session of the UN General Assembly in Geneva. The views and recommendations made at the Baku meeting were therefore important in reflecting the views of civil society in the Central Asian and Caucasus region.

     Whilst the targets set in the World Summit for Social Development were relevant to all parts of the world, there would be a number of commitments which would be specifically important to the region. Mr. Tarling explained that there were ten main commitments in the Copenhagen Declaration which were agreed at the World Summit for Social Development and that under each commitment was a programme of action which was also agreed to at the Summit (see commitments).

      Mr. Tarling believed that the four main commitments of “The Enabling Environment”, “Unemployment”, “Poverty Alleviation”, and “Social Exclusion” were of particular importance to the Central Asian and Caucasus region.

     Commitment 1 aims to create an enabling economic, political, social, cultural and legal environment that will enable people to achieve social development. Mr. Tarling believed that the great changes and difficulties faced by governments in the Central Asian and Caucasus region had led to problems achieving many of the targets mentioned in this commitment. In particular, the creation of an economic environment that promises more equitable access to income, resources and social services, and enhances financial and currency stability had been difficult to achieve. Whilst the promotion of equality and equity for all women and men were agreed goals in many countries, the financial crises of recent years had left many women, and female-headed households in severe difficulties. Commitment 1 also called for transparent and accountable government with full public participation at national and local levels. This was clearly not happening in many countries in the region.

     Commitment 2 set the ambitious goal of eradicating poverty in the world through decisive national actions and international co-operation, as an ethical, social, political and economic imperative. Mr. Tarling stated that he looked forward to discussions on this subject later on during the meeting, because poverty was not simply linked to employment, but to the ability to access services such as health care, food and education, all of which had been under severe strain in the region.

     Commitment 3 is particularly relevant to the Central Asian and Caucasus region. This is the commitment to promote the goal of full employment as a basic priority of economic and social policies, and to enable all people to attain secure and sustainable livelihoods through freely chosen productive employment and work. The issue of unemployment and under-employment was key in the region. The collapse of the Soviet Union and many of the industries and agricultural production in the newly formed independent countries had led to mass unemployment, with some regions and towns having unemployment rates as high as 90%. In addition, there was a major problem of underemployment with people continuing to be employed but neither producing anything nor receiving wages. Commitment 3 calls for putting employment generation at the centre of government policies, especially to combat long term unemployment and under-employment amongst young people, women, people with disabilities and other disadvantaged groups. It also called for improving working opportunities, including innovative options for generating income, with special attention to self-employment, small and medium sized enterprises, and the informal sector.

     Mr. Tarling went on to state that Commitment 4 was also of importance to countries in the region. This is a commitment to promote social integration by fostering societies that are stable, safe and just, and are based on the promotion and protection of all human rights, and on non-discrimination, tolerance, respect for diversity, equality of opportunity, solidarity, security and participation of all people including disadvantaged and vulnerable groups and persons. Mr. Tarling noted that action within this commitment included the strengthening of local communities and organisations in order to ensure the integration of disadvantaged and vulnerable people into the economy and society, and the respecting of cultural and ethnic diversity, the rights of indigenous peoples, migrants and migrant workers. This last point was very important due to the large number of migrant workers and displaced people because of conflict and the economic situation in many countries of the region.

Mr. Nigel Tarling is Director of Programmes, International Council on Social Welfare (ICSW)