Background
The Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) will continue its consideration of issues concerning social development, including questions relating to the world social situation and to youth, ageing, disabled persons and the family.
Before the Committee is the Report on the World Social Situation, 2003 (document A/58/153) prepared by the Division for Social Policy and Development of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat.
The report states that the causes and manifestations of vulnerability have multiplied and changed profoundly over the last decade, including civil strife and the proliferation of conflicts; growing inequalities within and among countries accentuated by globalization; mixed outcomes of poverty-reduction efforts; increased mobility of populations; and changes in family structures.
The report also stresses vulnerabilities specific to certain groups and the challenges of social inclusion –- an approach that helps to identify barriers that prevent social integration for these groups. The specific groups that were dealt with include children and youth, older persons, persons with disabilities, indigenous persons, migrants, and persons in situations of conflict, with gender issues as an overall challenge.
The poor are especially affected by an increase in vulnerability because they have greater exposure to many downward risks -- illness, death, loss of employment, famine -- and are less capable of responding to them, the report states. Poverty also increases vulnerability indirectly, by fuelling social tensions and undermining the social cohesion needed to pre-empt and respond to emerging dangers.
Stressing the need for policies that address vulnerability, the report puts forward recommendations that include removing employment barriers, promoting social integration and social protection, protecting rights of all members of society, and strengthening international cooperation. A rights-based approach is helpful at both the national and international levels. Finally, reducing social vulnerability requires a multi-pronged and internally consistent policy framework, since its causes and effects are multifaceted and interlinked.
For further information on other reports before the Committee see press release GA/SHC/3737 of 6 October.
Statements
ENRIQUE MANALO (Philippines) said there could be no genuine development without social integration. Social progress could not be achieved without economic growth, and the fruits of economic growth could not be adequately shared without social progress. He stressed that it was important to recognize the interaction of economic and social policies in order to promote comprehensive policies that targeted both economic and social objectives.
He said the Government of the Philippines had established a National Steering Committee on the Filipino Family that upheld the role of the family as the main caregiver for older persons, youth and disabled persons. The Government, through the Constitution and the Philippine Plan of Action for Older Persons, had encouraged older persons to take a greater role in nation-building, recognizing that they must be a part of the solution to their problems. Similarly, the welfare of disabled people, who had been excluded from full participation in economic, social, cultural and political life, must be recognized and protected. In conclusion, he said development strategies must involve all sectors of society. Economic growth must enhance equity through social policies that promoted education, employment, health care and social integration.
FARIDA BAKALEM (Algeria) said the international community had set itself the goal to eradicate poverty, unemployment and diseases. Every country must take responsibility for implementing policies to this effect. However, developing countries were particularly vulnerable and required the assistance and solidarity of other countries. After a decade of terrorism, which had weakened the economy of Algeria, there were beginning to be signs of improvement. Such improvements were seen in the sectors of construction, agriculture and fishing –- leading to further employment opportunities in the country. The Government had also been burdened by the consequences of the earthquake, through reconstruction programmes strengthening the infrastructure of the country. These investments had begun to bear fruit, she said. In this context, she highlighted the important role played by non-governmental organizations.
To decrease unemployment, the Government had provided grants, she continued. Micro-credit schemes had also been initiated to assist young entrepreneurs; women had been encouraged to participate in the labour market. At the beginning of the century, families had faced decreasing birth rates and an ageing population, which in turn had led to poverty and unemployment. The international community must do its part to come to the assistance of families. There had already been a cultural and traditional erosion of family values, which affected the social and economic development of the country. One must not forget the important role played by aged persons in society -- they had vital experiences to share, and in Africa the elderly were caring for the orphans created by the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
IFTEKHAR AHMED CHOWDHURY (Bangladesh) said that with regard to issues concerning youth, Bangladesh focused on education, training, participation, employment and development. Bangladesh had initiated the action plan on youth employment in 1978 with the creation of a separate Ministry of Youth and Sports and consequently a Youth Directorate in 1981. The final National Youth Policy had been approved in 2003. Bangladesh welcomed the current initiatives of the United Nations system to foster youth employment. And the Government had targeted programmes for the aged population that included social security and welfare. Some examples were old age pension, allowance for widows, distressed and deserted women, homes for the abandoned, dispossessed and elderly disabled. The Government had also introduced “old age allowances” programmes, which aimed at eradicating poverty of rural elderly people. A total of 1 million people were included as beneficiaries under this programme every year.
He said Bangladesh had adopted a national policy for persons with disabilities. The Government was working in close cooperation with civil society organizations to provide education, training, economic opportunity and rehabilitation programmes for them. A Disability Welfare Act had been enacted in 2001 and a special foundation for the welfare of the disabled had also been established. The international community must continue to strengthen the work of the United Nations on these issues. It was also necessary that the effectiveness of the Economic and Social Council and its commissions be strengthened. The United Nations must bring development to the centre stage by placing people at the centre of development. The United Nations must re-commit to strengthened and effective international and regional cooperation, partnerships and assistance.
AHMED GZLLAL (Libya) said that while the responsibility for development lay with the State, there was a need for an internationally conducive environment. There were often foreign obstacles hindering development resulting from the actions of developed countries. Those obstacles included external foreign debt, the blocking of developing countries from developed countries’ markets, the adverse effect of globalization and the imposition of sanctions. Concern was also raised about many diseases, such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, spreading across developing countries, and there was a need for increased official development assistance (ODA), without which developing countries did not stand a chance to achieve social development.
He said developing countries also had responsibilities, including forming a culture that prevented armed conflict and racial and ethnic disputes, and the responsibility to resist the impositions of globalization. To achieve social development, partnerships were required, not only between developed and developing countries, but also between developing countries themselves, such as the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD).
Libya valued its youth, and was therefore undertaking programmes for youth employment including training and skill acquisition, allowing the youth to become active members of society, he continued. Youth were responsible for shifting society into the future, as well as maintaining the efforts of their predecessors. He further raised concern that the family unit had lost its legitimate form since human values had been eroded. It was a matter of concern that marriages today looked more like a business relationship than a holy union.
MUKTA TOMAR (India) said the aims of the World Summit for Social Development were a long way from becoming a reality, as reflected in the findings of the Report on the World Situation, 2003 which noted that 1.2 billion people lived in absolute poverty. The report’s examination of social vulnerability was overly simplistic, however. The removal of barriers to vulnerable groups would not resolve the problem. It was necessary to apply a more comprehensive approach, both at the international and national levels.
She noted that since its independence, India had made significant improvements in conditions related to health, education and employment. The proportion of those living below the poverty line had declined from 55 per cent in 1973-1974 to 26 per cent in 1999-2000, and literacy had risen from 18 per cent in 1951 to 65 per cent in 2001. India recognized that policies to reduce poverty had to focus on reducing the vulnerability of the poor and providing them with capabilities to access opportunities, especially to education and health care.
India was committed to providing an environment that would secure the goals of economic and emotional security for the elderly, she said, noting that India expected to have 100 million elderly by the year 2013. Therefore, the challenges of addressing the needs of elderly persons would require special attention. India was also actively addressing issues related to its young people, whose contributions were seen as critical in shaping the future of India. Initiatives involving rural youth had been adopted over the past 30 years, and the tenth
five-year plan currently under way focused particularly on vocational training and employment promotion.
MONA RADI(
Bahrain) said her Government welcomed efforts to establish a convention on the rights of disabled persons, that would ensure their human rights and dignity. The rights of disabled persons were human rights, and the department working on this issue provided some basic services to those who had various special needs. The centres for disabled people were relatively new, the first having been inaugurated in 1971. Today, the medical care provided by those centres was of a very high level, as had been noted by international experts, and Bahrain had been commended for its initiatives. The private sector was also encouraged to invest in social service programmes for disabled persons, who were encouraged to attend schools, get vocational training and become part of the labour market.
Institutions had been established that provided legal and technical services, she continued. It was noteworthy that two thirds of national centres were linked to civil society organizations in an effort to enhance partnerships. In addition, access by disabled persons to public buildings and public transport had been guaranteed by the Government. The programmes for people with special needs also included mobile services to ensure that assistance reached rural areas. There was a need for cooperation and coordination nationally and internationally on issues concerning disabled persons.
QALIB ISRAFILOV (Azerbaijan) said his country had pursued a result-oriented policy aimed at economic growth, social stability and high standards of living. It had initiated programmes to reduce poverty and strengthen social security in accordance with the Millennium Development Goals. But there was a need to address the negative trends in living standards, unemployment as well as an insufficient minimum wage.
Azerbaijan’s youth development policies aimed to promote youth employment, as well as housing and health care support for young families. The recent conflict with Armenia had led to the emergence of new problems for youth, including a rise in the number of young people with disabilities. The Government had initiated programmes to support young families and to promote employment among recently demobilized youth.
He called on the United Nations to pay attention to the social problems of victims of armed conflict and to help them reintegrate into society. The recent conflict with Armenia had given rise to thousands of internally displaced people, which were a cause of alarming concern. He appealed to the international community to provide support to help protect and repatriate Azerbaijan’s refugees and internally displaced people.
FINN MYRSTAD, youth representative of Norway, said that a wise person once said “you have not inherited the world from your parents; you have borrowed it from your children”. Too many young people were losing hope because the making of joint decisions to reach common solutions seemed difficult and because many people were denied their basic human rights. Too many young people lived in conditions that deprived them of hope for a better future, and many of those were young people in armed conflict.
He stressed that young people must be natural partners in decision-making. Youth representatives must be part of delegations in relevant international forums –- not because the youth were future leaders of the world -– but because they were already an important part of society. Involving youth organizations in Africa had led to better and more efficient ways of increasing awareness regarding HIV/AIDS. Youth understood youth. Youth communicated with youth. This knowledge must be used when decisions were made.
According to the World Youth Report, more than 300,000 children under the age of 18 were fighting in armed conflicts worldwide, and many of them had been abducted, he said. Over 2 million children had been killed in armed conflicts during the last decade. He urged all parties that were making use of children as soldiers to try to solve conflicts peacefully. States that had not yet done so were urged to ratify and comply with the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Why was it so much easier to raise money for war and military budgets than for conflict–prevention and poverty-reduction? -- this was a disturbing paradox, he said. All delegations were urged to involve youth in decision-making and care for the youth in conflict areas. Delegations were also urged to support concrete measures both in resolutions on youth, and in every document, every national policy and every international agreement made.
DAW MAW MAW (Myanmar) said that with the rapid growth in the world’s ageing population, it was important to recognize the immense contribution of older persons to their families and communities. Older persons were critical and active partners in society through the care they provided to family members and children whose parents could not afford childcare, and through the countless other forms of work they performed in communities. Older persons also possessed a wealth of traditional knowledge and survival strategies.
In accordance with Myanmar’s cultural tradition and social code of conduct, its people had high regard for its elderly population, she said. Skilled elderly persons continued to lead active lives in society through their involvement in civil societies, voluntary groups, and trade and commerce after their retirement.
Myanmar recognized the need for mainstreaming the issue of ageing into the development agenda, she said. Population ageing posed serious challenges for developing countries that required the support of developed countries in order to implement the Madrid Plan of Action.
JONAS KLANG, youth representative of Sweden, said that close to 40 per cent of the world’s population were 24 years old or younger. As the receivers of the generational torch, youth were greatly affected by critical global challenges and could indeed be responsible agents for substantial social change. Young people were an essential part of the solution –- not the problem. As working representatives and officials of respective governments, delegations had the possibility of involving youth-led organizations that were engaged in work on similar issues, be it the fight against HIV/AIDS, the evolution of school systems, working towards the Millennium Development Gaols and a sustainable future, or strengthening of the position of women.
The objectives of the United Nations could only be realized if young people’s visions were heard, and use was made of their energy and knowledge, he said. The United Nations needed to put its trust in young people, both nationally and internationally. He challenged each and every delegate to work for the inclusion of youth and youth-led organizations, in the General Assembly in the form of youth representatives, but foremost in their own countries, as expert partners in everyday work.
RUNE SKINNEBACH, International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, said issues related to ageing, volunteerism and youth were of particular relevance to the upcoming International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, to be held in December. The Federation hoped to see stronger collaboration on those issues among the various United Nations agencies.
He said social development was a core issue underpinning the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. He highlighted the activities of Red Cross and Red Crescent youth volunteers in Afghanistan and Nepal, just two examples out of many that demonstrated what the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement could contribute towards social development.
LAMUEL A. STANISLAUS(
Grenada) responded to the youth representatives from Norway and Sweden, saying that he was the only octogenarian in the room. If only the energy and vigour of youth could be combined with the experience and wisdom of age. The youth representatives had expressed good ideas that needed the support of the delegates.
With respect to older persons, he quoted Sir Francis Bacon who said that age was good in four ways “old wood -- the best to burn, old wine -- the best to drink, old books -– the best to read and old friends -- the best to keep”. There was a lot that could be learned from the elderly. He added that families were the basis of society, and good family life could lead to good international relations. His heart went out to the old grandmothers and grandfathers who had become parents again to care for the HIV/AIDS orphans.
