Introduction:

The International Council on Social Welfare (ICSW) welcomes this opportunity to present a statement to the SADC Council of Ministers Meeting on Social Development. ICSW is a global network of civil society organisations promoting social welfare, social development and social justice, which was founded in Paris in 1928. It's membership consists of global, regional and national organisations which work in their own countries to promote issues of social development. The bulk of ICSW's membership is from developing countries.

ICSW was very active in preparations for the Copenhagen Summit and has placed an emphasis during the last five years on pursuing implementation of the Copenhagen agreements. We are now focusing especially on preparation for the UN's review of implementation, which will be conducted by a Special Session of the General Assembly in Geneva in June 2000. ICSW has organised more than twenty global and regional forums at which several thousand NGOs and other interested people have discussed Summit implementation. Of particular relevance to Southern Africa was the civil society forum organised by ICSW in Nairobi on priority actions for implementation of the Copenhagen Summit. This forum was held prior to a sub-regional forum on the follow up to the Copenhagen summit by the Economic Commission for Africa, which was held in Nairobi in March 1999. A statement "Too Little Yet Not Too Late" was issued by representatives of civil society organizations present (see attached).

In addition, ICSW recently organised a social development forum for civil society representatives of Commonwealth countries attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Durban, South Africa. We are planning a series of other forums in the future which will collectively provide an African civil society input to the Geneva 2000 review.

ICSW urges consideration of the following priority issues in relation to social development in the Southern Africa region and the 5-year review.

1. ICSW recognises that four years after the Copenhagen summit, little has been achieved in the Southern Africa region. Poverty and unemployment levels are still unacceptably high in the sub-region with over 50% of our people still living below the poverty line and another 30% of our productive labour force not able to access gainful employment. However, a number of countries in the region have achieved impressive economic progress and many more have embarked on elaborate poverty eradication plans.

Much more need to be done and ICSW proposes that the poverty eradication plans have a specific emphasis on the rural poor, since it is clear that this is where poverty is concentrated. In addition, these plans should endeavour to afford the poor an opportunity to participate in the recovery process.

Furthermore, governments in the SADC region should press for early implementation of the International development targets agreed by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries.

2. There is still a gender bias in access to basic human development services namely education, training and health. In almost every country in the sub-region, women's access to basic services is lower than that of men despite their greater numbers.

3. HIV/AIDS remains one of the major challenges facing the African continent and a major contributing factor to poverty. Efforts to combat the negative social and economic impact of HIV/AIDS must be considered a priority by SADC countries.

4. ICSW believes that sub-regional and regional institutions such as SADC are vitally important to build partnerships and draw lessons across the region. They can share the lessons of successful socio-economic policies and more importantly can act as a unified and strong lobbying force. It is especially important that SADC seeks to obtain improvements in the economic environment including the regulation of excessive volume and volatility of speculative activity in international financial markets.

5. Progress in social development requires a peaceful environment. There is however, an increasing level of inter-state conflict and civil wars in the region. War almost invariably results in the destruction of infrastructure, internal displacement and hampers the provision of much needed social services. It discourages foreign investment and impedes effective mobilisation of resources towards development. In addition, the increasing number of refugees and internally displaced people places a barrier to development. Efforts to peacefully resolve conflict must be considered in earnest.

6. Good governance is a foundation for socio-economic and political development. While ICSW notes with appreciation the emergence of democracy in the region within the recent past, we still recognise that the lack of opportunities for people to get involved in the major decision making processes. Democracy, the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, legal reform and decentralisation, creating an enabling environment for the participation of civil society and the designing of polices to promote a favourable economic environment are all important components of good governance.

7. It is important that SADC seek regular meetings of its Ministers with responsibility for social development and that civil society organizations play an active part. Civil society actors have a crucial role to play especially in the design and development of upstream oriented policies and participatory activities and acting as social watchdogs. Co-operation between government and non-governmental representatives is urged to jointly make progress towards implementing the agreements made at Copenhagen.

Conclusion:

This ministerial meeting of Southern African countries offers a welcome opportunity to take stock of the progress we have made since the Copenhagen Summit in 1995.

ICSW hopes that an intensive and open discussion will help to pave the way to pragmatic and innovative conclusions. ICSW commends the civil society statement made by representatives of over ten thousand organisations from East and Southern Africa made in Nairobi in March 1999.