M2 PRESSWIRE | October 9, 2003
AMINA C. MOHAMED (Kenya) said that in preparing the Kenyan Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper, four major principles had been recognized for its success. These were: giving a voice to the poor, participation and ownership, equitable distribution of national resources, and transparency and accountability. Those principles were dictated by the conviction that no Government could, on its own, undertake development without the support of both private and civil society sectors. In formulating the national policies and budgets, the Government worked closely with the private and civil society sectors. Many developing countries were poor, with populations living in abject poverty. Left alone, they might not be able to bring about substantial economic and social progress in their societies.
Kenya regretted the collapse of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference in Cancun in Mexico last month. The collapse was not the only possible option available to members of the WTO - it was the most unpopular option. She hoped that the impasse would not be allowed to gather dust and that talks would resume sooner rather than later. Developing countries could only achieve their full potential if there was a level playing field in international trade on which they were allowed to play to protect their interests, address their concerns and reap the attendant benefits. Trade was a tool for development - potentially the most effective one.
P. GANSUKH (Mongolia) said his Government fully supported the integration of social and economic policies recommended by the Commission for Social Development. Social progress could not be achieved under unstable economic conditions, and economic stability could not be sustained in an unstable society. His Government's development strategy therefore gave priority to the creation of an equitable social environment for human development, improvement of the quality of education, and greater access to health and other social services.
Social development was primarily the responsibility of each country but required the participation of the international community, including the support of civil society organizations, corporations, small businesses, and the United Nations system, he concluded.
AMARE TEKLE (Eritrea) said the dismal statistics associated with social development, particularly in the Third World, indicated that extreme poverty, hunger and famine, lack of adequate and clean water, environmental degradation, illiteracy, infectious diseases, drugs and crimes might, in fact, be increasing. At the heart of any social development was the concern for human beings, both as individuals and members of groups, in the State as well as in civil society.
One must also not forget that old problems and conflicts had had drastic negative impacts on development, he said. Social development, indeed any development, could take place only in a safe environment free of conflict. Conflicts had not only been a bane on development but had also destroyed what had been achieved in many countries.
Any effort to ensure global social development must benefit from a balanced blend of domestic programs emphasizing the centrality of education, especially of the marginalized members of society, and meaningfully supportive international assistance in the area of poverty eradication, he concluded.
CHEICK SIDI DIARRA (Mali) said his country relied on agriculture as the driving force for its economic and social development, with more than 70 per cent of the population living in rural areas and agriculture making up 42 per cent of its gross national product. Noting that cotton was Mali's primary agricultural product, he said the subsidies enjoyed by cotton producers in Europe and the United States continued to be of concern. It was regrettable that the trade talks in Cancun had failed to resolve that issue. Mali had great respect for the rules of international trade and hoped a fair solution could be reached for cotton producers in Africa. Greater justice and fairness in international trade was needed to promote economic and social development for all countries.
Turning to the needs of elderly people, youth and disabled persons, he said Mali had established an Institute on Geriatrics to implement a national ageing strategy and to coordinate programmes to promote the well-being of older people on both regional and national levels. The family was the framework for social harmony, and his Government had reformed family laws to provide greater protection for families and children.
Youth employment was a priority for his Government, which considered its young people a vital component in the strengthening of its democracy, he said. In Africa, where many people were incapacitated on a daily basis from disease, malnutrition, and conflicts, the rights of disabled persons were also of particular concern.
Mali fully supported the work of the ad hoc committee towards a convention to protect and promote the rights of disabled people.
ITTIPORN BOONPRACONG (Thailand) said that from Thailand's experience, the 1997 Asian financial crisis had enabled the Government to learn an important lesson - an effective development strategy must not only aim at achieving high economic growth, but at enhancing balanced and sustainable development. Thailand had therefore adopted people-centred and coherent economic and social development strategies. Thailand's economic policies to alleviate poverty and promote employment were pursued in harmony with social policies aimed at strengthening the local communities, protecting the vulnerable groups and promoting human development.
Thailand attached importance to building partnerships with all sectors of society in the country, he said. At the international level, his country sought to promote partnerships between developed and developing countries, as well as among developing countries. Capacities of developing countries needed to be further enhanced in order for them to effectively participate in international decision-making and norm setting. Thailand therefore supported partnership between developing countries and international organizations, as encouraged by the Monterrey Consensus.
ISHTIAQ ANDRABI (Pakistan), saying the "trickle-down" effects of economic growth could not be relied upon to remedy social problems, underscored the need to integrate social development into economic policies. Social development would remain elusive without the collective efforts of the international community. The link between social development and the prevention of conflict was widely acknowledged, and Pakistan fully endorsed the Secretary General's views that conflict prevention was an integral part of the quest for social progress and poverty reduction.
Turning to the role of the family in social development, he said the family was the first line of defense against social disharmony and disintegration. United Nations programmes must work toward strengthening the family unit. In accordance with Pakistan's traditions, younger family members considered it a sacred duty to care for their parents and ageing relatives. The Government had also established a national task force to formalize efforts towards promoting the well-being of elderly people and better utilizing their talents and capabilities.
IYA TIDJANI (Cameroon) said the Millennium Summit had confirmed the commitment of world leaders to fight poverty and environmental degradation. A consensus had emerged on reforming the monetary, financial and trade systems of the new international order. Poverty was the greatest obstacle to efforts to achievement development. There must be support for economic and social development on a national level, as well as support on the international level through official development assistance.
Another factor that needed to be taken into account was the need for coordinated policies, and concerted national and international action to offset the negative impact of globalization on social development. He welcomed the Global Employment Agenda set up by the International Labour Organization and the Youth Employment Network set up by the Secretary-General.
Concerning trade, developing countries had expressed their concerns time and time again, he said. Developed countries must live up to their commitments concerning trade, debt relief and official development assistance. Cameroon had chosen to pursue comprehensive sustainable development policies, with the human being at the centre. The Government had also undertaken projects to fight corruption, to improve the health and education sectors, and to increase employment opportunities.
YANKILA SHERPA (Nepal) said her country had been making consistent efforts to improve the standard of living, with a special focus on the more than 85 per cent of the population who lived in rural areas.
Nepal's development plan stressed the improvement of the quality of rural life through infrastructure improvement. Those efforts had been undermined by the destruction of properties by so-called Maoist groups, whose activities had resulted in much suffering for many people.
Nepal's current five-year plan aimed at poverty reduction through programmes targeting health care, drinking water, and education, she said. Its education policy was guided by an education-for-all approach that focused particularly on marginalized groups in rural areas. The major thrust of its health programmes was on improving maternal child health, family planning, and combating malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS.
To address social inclusion in the development process, her Government prioritized increasing youth employment and reducing the trafficking of women. The major problem facing young people in developing countries was access to education and employment. The increase in female representation in political life had allowed for significant advancement for women in society. Nepal fully supported a convention to promote the rights of disabled people, as the convention would help to mainstream their needs in development strategies. The special problems of elderly persons also needed to be considered in development policies. Lastly, international cooperation was essential to the success of all national efforts to implement social development programs.
VALERIE LALJI, Youth Representative of Suriname, said that in some of the developing countries many young persons were brought up in single parent homes. The effect this had on them was that many of the girl's became teenage mothers and raised their children without a father. Due to the deteriorating economic situation in many of those countries, the poorer families were directly affected. This could lead to other social problems such as domestic violence and alcohol and drug abuse. Many young persons, particularly in developing countries, were forced to become sex workers to cover their cost of living and, most of the time, that of their families. The consequences were that they were more than ever being exposed to the danger of sexually transmitted diseases.
A good partnership must be developed between youth and their respective governments on the one hand, and between youth and regional and international organizations on the other, she said. This would increase problem solving concerning youth related matters and stimulate active youth development. Youth were a crucial factor in the development process. They were the next leaders of the world. Involving them in processes that would affect them now and in the future was, therefore, essential.
FLORENCE CHENOWETH, Director, FAO Liaison Office with the United Nations said the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) had undertaken efforts to address the impact of population ageing on rural development. While the shift towards an older age structure could lead to less forward-looking and more subsistence-oriented livelihood strategies, rural ageing should not be viewed as an entirely negative trend. The benefits of ageing included the wealth of skills and experience that older people brought to their families and communities.
Older people were a crucial element in the intergenerational transmission of cultural identity and social cohesion.
She said development strategies should therefore account for the challenges posed by population ageing to food security and rural development. Given the expected demographic trends, rural development in poorer countries would be increasingly powered by older persons.
Recognizing older people as active participants in social change was essential for devising new strategies to ensure progress in rural development.
SYED SHAHID HUSAIN, of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, said the natural family was the basic social unit of society on which the pillars of the human society rested. It was, therefore, natural that one stood for the objective of strengthening the family so that a clean and healthy societal environment could emerge. Several delegations had drawn attention to using the tenth anniversary of the International Year of the Family in 2004 as an opportunity to develop measures for reinforcing national and international institutions aimed at identifying and addressing impediments in this direction.
The role of the United Nations Secretariat was crucial, and he called for strengthening of the family unit in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs. The family - the natural family - was the God-made vehicle through which the global village of the future could be developed into a harmonious, productive, and progressive world community. That was the kind of community that the Millennium Development Goals envisaged.
Statements in Exercise of Right of Reply
A representative of Israel, exercising her right of reply, said she regretted having to take the floor but she had been compelled to do so to respond to Syria's "preposterous statement". Syria had mentioned the respect for human rights and humanitarian law and accused Israel of violating humanitarian law.
How could Syria talk about human rights? she asked. It was well known that Syria sponsored terrorism. Terrorism violated the very essence of human rights and humanitarian law. Syria had referred to Palestinians living in a humanitarian crisis. The real humanitarian crises were the constant terror and suicide-attacks in Israel that killed the innocent indiscriminately. Every act of Israel was an act of self-defence.
Exercising the right to reply, the representative of Syria said using the term terrorism as an excuse to harm others was shameful. Everyone had the right to talk about terrorism except Israel, as that country was an occupying power and was the one that had brought terrorism to the region ever since its establishment. She reminded Israel of its massacre of thousands of Palestinians, adding that the latest attack on Syria was a violation of national air space and a clear violation of international law that was condemned by the international community.
Israel had uprooted and displaced Palestinians ever since its establishment, resulting in Palestinian refugees scattered throughout the world, she said. What was happening in the occupied territories was the result of continued oppression by Israel. Occupation alone was the reason for what was happening, and Syria demanded the return of the occupied territories to their rightful owners.
The observer of Palestine said it was important to state that Israel must not be allowed to hide the fact that it was an occupying Power.
That was the context and the framework within which all problems in the region must be viewed. This applied to the hopelessness of suicide-bombings too, since they were a result of the occupation - not the cause. Israel had tried to justify its actions as actions against terrorists; however, no argumentation could justify grave breaches in international humanitarian law. The occupation was the cause of the current terror.M2 PRESSWIRE:
