1.
The International Council on Social Welfare (ICSW) welcomes this
opportunity to suggest priorities and processes for the consideration
of the Commission for Social Development. ICSW is an international
non-governmental organisation which represent tens of thousands
of social welfare and social development civil society organisations
in more than 80 countries worldwide.
2.
After extensive consultations ICSW has developed a proposed three-point
plan for strengthening international cooperation. This three-point
plan proposes specific international cooperative action is necessary
to achieve sustainable social progress throughout the world, especially
in developing countries. The proposals involve action in; strengthening
governance, strengthening standards and strengthening targets
and resources. Further details are provided in an ICSW paper 'Globalisation
and Social Development' which is available at the rear of the
conference room or at www.icsw.org
3.
Many of the recommendations on the Secretary-General's report
on Enhancing Social Protection and Reducing Vulnerability are
relevant to the three-point plan. ICSW wishes to make some comments
here about this report and some specific recommendations for enhanced
action for the future work programme of the Commission.
4.
ICSW believes that the report should provide some further specific
recommendations which call on governments to create enabling policy
environments which target those at the margins of society, especially
those working in the informal sector.
5.
ICSW urges caution with respect to the encouragement of micro-credit
initiatives without simultaneously supporting capacity building
and technical assistance initiatives as well as developing mechanisms
to ensure greater access to more substantial amounts of credit.
(Recommendation 93).
6.
ICSW supports the recommendation that social protection strategies
should be developed in a process led by governments, but include
extensive dialogue with civil society and the private sector.
(Recommendation 95a)
7.
In order to ensure that social protection effectively reduces
poverty, a greater emphasis needs to be placed on funding social
protection through tax-funded programmes rather than insurance
funded programmes. (Recommendation 96 k)
8.
ICSW has elaborated an Anti-Poverty Pact, which was reflected
in the recommendation of the Geneva Review of the Social Summit
for ECOSOC to launch a global campaign on poverty. This campaign,
incorporating effective social protection policies, should be
launched with sufficient high-level support and resources at the
next session of ECOSOC in 2001. (Recommendation 98.a)
9.
ICSW welcomes the increased emphasis that the Secretary-General's
Report places on the elaboration of some international standards,
which build upon existing current agreements. We call for further
specific standards which provide guidelines for social security
provisions which will particularly include the informal sector
. These guidelines should take into account countries in differing
stages of development and include provision for the poorest and
most marginalised people in their communities.
(Recommendation 98. c)
10. Reciprocal agreements on social security and other
social protection systems are extremely important and we encourage
a greater emphasis on regional cooperation, especially amongst
regional intergovernmental bodies (e.g. the Southern African Development
Community (SADC), the Association of South East Asian Nations
(ASEAN) and others). (Recommendation 98 h).
11.
Governments and the ILO in conjunction with the corporate
sector, can play a greater role in ensuring that codes of conduct
are developed and enforced to require a greater social protection
for workers, especially migrant labour, casual labour, home-based
and seasonal workers. (Recommendation 98.i)
12.
During the International Year of Volunteers (IYV), increased efforts
should be made by governments to recognise volunteers as legitimate
human capital assets in social development programmes.
13.
The role of the media, in television, radio, the printed press
and the Web is of great importance in creating and maintaining
the culture of volunteerism. (paragraph 31) .
14.
ICSW welcomes the emphasis placed in the work programme for 2002
on the integration of social and economic policy. We urge that
the Commission use this opportunity for strengthening the role
of ECOSOC in these areas by establishing an ECOSOC Working Group
on Economic Cooperation and other expert panels. This group could
be made principally responsible for developing close, high-level
interaction with the Bretton Woods Institutions and key regional
groupings such as SADC, ASEAN and others.
15.
ICSW recommends that the Multi Year Programme of Work for
2002-2006 should reflect and link into the recommendations of
other UN processes such as the Millennium Summit and Declaration,
the High Level meeting on Financing for Development and the Least
Developed III Conference.
