March
1998, Vol. 2, No 1
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The
Special Session Of The General Assembly On Follow-Up To The World Summit
For Social Development And Initiatives For Further Action |
 he
holding of the World Summit for Social Development was an authoritative
global expression of the importance of eradicating poverty,
achieving full employment and strengthening
social solidarity. Since the Summit, countries and international
organisations have responded to the Commitments and Programme
of Action agreed by the national leaders at Copenhagen in many
strategic and concrete ways, and significant progress is clearly
occurring. There has been striking improvement in the attention
being given to social issues by many countries and in most international
organisations, many initiatives have been taken, policies and
attitudes have changed and concrete actions have resulted which
are contributing to movement towards the Summit goals.
However, though
there are wide differences between countries, the absolute number of people
living in poverty globally is still increasing, the number of people officially
recorded as unemployment remains shockingly high, the number of people
in extremely low productivity employment is enormous and is certainly still
growing, and evidence of social disintegration is clear in at least some
countries. There continue to be strong imperatives for seeking additional
and more effective ways of addressing these issues.
The UN General Assembly has decided to
hold a Special Session in the year 2000 to review progress and to prepare
further initiatives. This offers a welcome opportunity for strengthening
commitment, encouraging more effective action and identifying further concrete
means of addressing the central social concerns of humankind. The fact
that coincidentally the Special Session is to be held in the Millennial
year will give an additional incentive to treat the issues with a long-term
perspective, and to consciously prepare strategies which are both uniquely
appropriate for the early part of the next century and which are based
on renewed commitments and evolving priorities.
The objectives
of the Special Session on follow-up to the Social Summit include both evaluation
of the extent of implementation of the Commitments and Programme of Action
adopted at the Summit and initiatives for further steps towards achievement
of these goals. Preparatory Committee meetings will be held in May 1999
and probably April 2000, and as well the Commission for Social Development
will contribute to preparation at its sessions in February 1999 and 2000.
These meetings will all be fora for discussing initiatives.
National
Reporting and Evaluation
In relation to the
first objective of the Special Session, two types of activities involving
monitoring, evaluation and exchange of ideas are underway or planned: regional
conferences; and comprehensive and systematic national reporting.
Regional conferences were held by ECLAC in Sao Paulo in April
1997 and by ESCAP in Manila in November 1997. Another meeting
for the European region sponsored by the Austrian Government was
held in Vienna in February 1998 on the theme of innovative approaches
to increasing employment. Both the Sao Paulo and Manila conferences
were valuable opportunities for reporting by national ministers
on implementation activity since the Summit. The Vienna meeting
identified a number of additional policies and reorientations
which could contribute to further growth of employment. At all
these meetings there was particular benefit for countries in similar
circumstances informing each other of approaches they were adopting
and results they were achieving. A second round of regional conferences
is being planned by ECLAC and ESCAP in 1999. Attempts are being
made to stimulate the holding of similar meetings in Africa, Western
Asia and the economies in transition.
The second approach
to encouraging and evaluating implementation will be preparation of national
reports before the Special Session. The Organisational Session of the Preparatory
Committee, May 19-22, 1998, will discuss plans for a comprehensive and
systematic national reporting system on implementation of the Summit recommendations.
Concrete
Initiatives and Strengthening
of Summit
Commitments and Programmes
The framework
for discussion at the Special Session should be provided by the ten commitments
agreed at Copenhagen. During the next year initiatives will be sought in
relation to each of them. Countries will be encouraged at the Organising
Session in May to suggest possible subjects and concrete proposals on which
more detailed preparatory work could be undertaken. This is also a particularly
important opportunity for organisations and individuals with social concerns
to propose concrete, innovative ways of more effectively moving towards
the goals and commitments set by the Summit. The next year will be the
best time for such innovative work.
The preparation
of background papers for consideration during the preparatory process has
already begun, for the generation of additional concrete and innovative
means of strengthening and extending the implementation of the Summit commitments
and plans is an intellectually demanding task. Proposals for further initiatives
can be expected from governments, other parts of the UN system, civil society
and the private sector once they start to focus on preparations for the
Special Session. So the next year is a time of opportunity, and this opening
should be seized by everyone concerned to increase equity, employment and
social solidarity.
For example,
could the Special Session contribute to the crucial debate about the impact
of globalization on national revenue and the capacity to pay for social
services? The Commission for Social Development will be discussing this
issue in February 1999 and this is likely to lead to conclusions relevant
for the 2000 meeting. Could the Special Session aspire to develop any new
strategies or set any new targets for finance for social development? Progress
might be possible in at least one area: finally overcoming the paralysing
constraint of international debt of deeply indebted low income countries.
It is crucial
to actively include the private sector in the meeting. One approach is
to discuss the social responsibilities of business. An expert meeting on
this subject would be valuable. The Danish Ministry of Social Affairs sponsored
a European regional meeting on the subject in October 1997 as a contribution
to the follow-up to the Social Summit. There would be value in attempting
to extend and expand these to the global context.
Much work has already been undertaken
throughout the United Nations system on the subject of poverty eradication,
and much of this was briefly described in the Secretary-General’s Report
to the General Assembly on poverty eradication A/52/573. What additional
proposals could make an impact? Ambassador Somavia has suggested a convention
on poverty eradication. Can targets be strengthened, both for reduction
of poverty and growth of employment?
These few suggestions
are simply intended to indicate some of the types of initiatives which
could be considered at the Special Session. The effectiveness of the meeting
will depend on the imagination and rigour of all those who choose to be
involved in the preparation. This is a currently unique opportunity to
influence the global agenda.
John Langmore is Director
of the
Division for Social Policy
and Development, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations.
Address: Room DC2-1365,
2 UN Plaza, New York, NY 10017.
Fax: 1-212-963-3062.
Email: langmore@un.org
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