General Assembly Session 53 meeting 32

Mr. Ngo Quang Xuan (Viet Nam)

First of all, let me congratulate Mr. Opertti for being chosen to preside over this important plenary session of the General Assembly. I should also like to associate myself with the statement made yesterday by the Permanent Representative of Indonesia on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.

The Declaration on Social Development and Programme of Action adopted by the World Summit for Social Development at Copenhagen in March 1995 marked the renewed commitment of the international community to treating social development as the highest priority in the agenda of nations and of the world.

We are pleased to note that, during the three years that have passed since the Summit, this commitment has been translated into an enhanced endeavour to promote social development, in particular in the three areas of focus of the Summit: poverty eradication, productive employment and social integration. In this regard, my delegation would like to commend the Secretary-General for his report, contained in document A/53/211. The report has provided us with updated information on the implementation of the outcome of the World Summit for Social Development by principal intergovernmental bodies, such as the Preparatory Committee for the Special Session of the General Assembly on the Implementation of the Outcome of the World Summit for Social Development, the Commission for Social Development and the Economic and Social Council, and by the United Nations specialized agencies and the community of nations as a whole. A timetable has been devised for the intergovernmental process towards the year 2000, when the special session will take place to review and assess the implementation of the outcome of the Summit.

The report acknowledges that many Governments continue to make efforts to uphold the commitments made at Copenhagen in 1995. We also share the view that the political momentum provided by the Summit needs to be further maintained and strengthened. However, we share the concern, as manifested in the Secretary-General's remarks, that

"poverty, unemployment and social integration continue to be desperately serious problems which tear at the social fabric of many countries and are often the source of persistent subregional and regional tensions". (A/53/211, para. 22)

We believe that greater efforts should be further pursued to implement the goals agreed at the Summit.

With regard to the activities of the United Nations specialized agencies, my delegation commends the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for its research activities on linkages between poverty reduction and gender equality and between poverty reduction and inequality, as well as in assessing the impacts of globalization on poverty and resource distribution. We would also like to commend the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) on its contributions and achievements.

Along this line, an important international meeting on the 20/20 Initiative will be held from 27 to 29 October 1998 in Hanoi, the capital city of our country, to assess the progress made since the 1996 Oslo Conference. The Hanoi conference will focus on the significance of investing in basic social services and on how to increase the efficiency and effectiveness in resource spending on basic social services and to optimize the quality and accessibility of services. It is an honour for Viet Nam to host this conference in Hanoi and we are convinced that it will be a success. The process known as the 20/20 Initiative represents a real endeavour of the countries concerned about the implementation of the World Summit for Social Development. We take this opportunity to extend our special appreciation to the Netherlands, Norway and UNICEF for the pursuit of this initiative.

At its resumed organizational session in May, as well as its substantive session in July this year, the Economic and Social Council focused its discussions on, among other things, many social issues, such as women, children, refugees, drug and crime control. The Council adopted a number of resolutions for coordination in activities by functional commissions and specialized agencies to conduct studies on social issues, work out programmes and assist countries in dealing with them effectively. Being a new member of the Economic and Social Council, Viet Nam has actively participated in the Council's deliberations.

The Commission for Social Development met in New York from 10 to 20 February to consider the priority theme under its restructured agenda and multi-year programme of work, entitled "Promoting social integration and participation of all people, including disadvantaged and vulnerable groups and persons". It adopted recommendations for action at all levels and in the areas of promoting social integration through responsive government, full participation in society, non-discrimination, tolerance, equality and social justice. These recommendations also call for enhancing social protection, reducing vulnerability and enhancing employment opportunities for groups with specific needs; and doing away with violence, crime and the problem of illicit drugs and substance abuse. It also decided on the priority themes for the next session, to be held in February 1999, as "Social services for all" and "Initiation of the overall review of the implementation of the outcome of the Summit".

The Preparatory Committee's organizational session, held in New York from 19 to 22 May 1998, held a general debate on the preparations for the special session and two panel discussions on the appraisal of the implementation of the outcome of the Summit. My delegation takes note of the excellent work done by those bodies.

Fully aware of the urgent need for the implementation of the outcome of the World Summit for Social Development, Vietnam has continued its policy of renovation -- Doi moi -- and achieved considerable success in the socio-economic fields during the last few years. Social development constitutes a major component of our country's comprehensive long-term development strategy and plans. I would like to focus on the most outstanding areas that have attracted much attention and investment by the Government, namely, employment, gender equality and poverty eradication.

Employment has increasingly been a major issue. It is estimated that in a population of 78 million, the workforce will be over 40 million by the year 2000. The Government has made every effort to produce more job opportunities, especially for the young segment of the workforce, and to reduce the level of unemployment through an integrated policy of socio-economic development. In the context of the Asian financial crisis, the task of looking for jobs is made even more difficult due to the lack of adequate working efficiency and proper training of the general workforce. Only 12.2 per cent of workers have the technical training needed in the modern work place. At present, almost 70 per cent of the labour force are involved in agriculture, while only 10.5 per cent work in industry and construction and 19.7 per cent work in services. Along with economic development, the country is trying to increase the number of skilled workers from 22 per cent to 25 per cent of the labour force, which will require fundamental changes in the methodology and organization of vocational training. The workforce will also have to be distributed appropriately in the economic sectors and geographic regions.

In an effort to deal with this situation and to mitigate the cutbacks at State-owned enterprises, in July 1997 the Government of Viet Nam approved a national job creation programme which will last for four years, from 1997 to the year 2000. Its basic goal is twofold: to create new jobs, and to protect those who are unemployed, which also means to ensure employment for those who are capable of working and to implement measures to support jobless people. In order to achieve these goals, economic development must generate 5 million new jobs. Furthermore, the programme must train 4.5 million people and increase the skilled workforce to 25 per cent by the year 2000.

The programme also consists of three main measures for effective implementation. First, government laws and policies must strengthen national economic growth, the cornerstone of higher employment rates. For instance, industrial and economic zones should focus on small enterprise development and appropriate technology to attract the largest number of workers. Rural development should also proceed with the goal of providing an adequate number of jobs. Secondly, workers should be provided with stable jobs, not mass dismissals, and unemployment insurance should gradually be applied across the economy. Thirdly, direct assistance and job promotion for vulnerable people should be strengthened. The programme will be supported by the National Fund for Job Creation, estimated at 4.8 trillion Vietnamese dong yearly, and other investment sources which include the State budget and government sponsorship.

Advancement of women continues to be a major commitment of the Government of Viet Nam. Following the Beijing Conference, the Government has formulated a national plan of action which incorporates the objectives of the national strategies and the programmes of action from various sectors, provinces and cities. This plan of action consists of 11 concrete objectives and guidelines, some of which are to create jobs and equal opportunities for women in education and training so as to improve their educational level in various areas, to improve health care for and protection of women and children, to enhance the role and position of women in leadership and decision-making, to enhance the role of the family and to protect female children and facilitate their development in all fields. The National Committee for the Advancement of Women (CFAW) has been designated to coordinate these activities.

Recently, a survey was completed on mechanisms for the advancement of women at all levels. It has been recommended, among other things, that gender awareness and policies be disseminated to all CFAW members at all levels, that statistical indicators on gender be collected regularly, that a gender analysis framework be integrated in every organization's working plan and that the human resources and facilities of CFAW be strengthened.

The most important area of all is poverty eradication. In order to realize the national motto "Wealthy people, strong country, just and civilized society", the Government of Viet Nam, with the assistance of the World Bank, has been carrying out a national programme for development and poverty alleviation. During the last few years, priority has been given to poverty reduction and the elimination of hunger in mountainous and remote rural areas. The Government set up various funds for infrastructure construction, providing roads, communication networks, electricity and clean water systems for the most disadvantaged groups of people in those areas. Thanks to these efforts, in 1997 alone there was a 1.53 per cent decrease in the number of poor households in the country. However, with the negative impact of globalization, coupled with the Asian financial crisis, there remain many difficulties for the Government in dealing with the cause of poverty eradication. In this regard, my delegation would like to take this opportunity to express our high appreciation and gratitude to donor countries and the United Nations agencies, especially the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Children's Fund and the United Nations Population Fund for their effective cooperation and valuable assistance to Viet Nam.

Finally, as we have entered the process of preparation for the International Year of Older Persons, to be observed in 1999, my delegation would like to take this opportunity to express its high appreciation for the initiative taken by the Secretary-General of the United Nations on Thursday, 1 October, in launching the Year. This activity fully corresponds with our national tradition of the younger generation and society always respecting the wisdom of and caring for older persons. In this regard, the Government of Viet Nam is fully committed to the ultimate goal of the International Year of Older Persons, namely to build a true "Society for all ages".

In concluding, I would like to reiterate that the Government of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam is fully committed to the objectives and principles contained in the Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development and the Programme of Action adopted in 1995. We will continue our cooperation with the United Nations and its specialized agencies in our common cause for social development.

Miss Durrant (Jamaica)

My delegation wishes to associate itself with the statement made yesterday by the representative of Indonesia on behalf of the Group of 77 and China and to thank the Secretariat for providing us with the documents before this Assembly. The report of the Secretary-General contained in document A/53/211, in particular, contains useful information on follow-up activities being undertaken by Governments and by the United Nations system since the adoption of General Assembly resolution 52/25 on the implementation of the outcome of the World Summit for Social Development.

My delegation fully endorses the call made by the Administrative Committee on Coordination (ACC) for organizations of the United Nations system to "utilize fully existing national-level mechanisms and frameworks" (A/53/211, para. 34), while ensuring that support for the translation of conference outcomes into concrete national policies continues to remain a priority of the United Nations system.

In keeping with the importance my delegation attaches to field coordination, we also welcome the workshop jointly sponsored by the ACC and the United Nations Development Group, in Turin, Italy, in December 1997. This workshop developed integrated guidance for the resident coordinator system for country-level follow-up to global conferences. We ask that this kind of activity be continued and, if possible, that it become an integral part of the training for resident coordinators.

The adoption in June 1998 of the Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work by the International Labour Conference represents a further step in preserving the dignity of the worker as a human being. This is particularly important, as the human person is often ignored in favour of the powerful gods of the market, which serves only to augment social exclusion and makes the task of promoting social integration a Sisyphean one.

My delegation wishes to give special recognition to the role of the Commission for Social Development, which has primary responsibility for follow-up to the Copenhagen Summit. We fully endorsed the agreed conclusions on the priority theme for 1998 -- "Promoting social integration and participation of all people, including disadvantaged and vulnerable groups and persons" -- which was adopted by the Commission at its thirty-sixth session.

The agreed conclusions included recommendations for action in promoting social integration at all levels, through, inter alia, responsive government, enhancing social protection, creating employment opportunities for groups with specific needs and addressing violence, crime and the problem of illicit drugs and substance abuse as factors of social disintegration.

Jamaica's experience with the process of social integration is similar to that of other countries of the English-speaking Caribbean. In our societies, pluralist tendencies are quite evident, based upon the historical experience of colonialism and the plantation economy, which brought together persons of diverse social, cultural, racial and ethnic backgrounds. Jamaica has achieved a remarkable degree of social integration over the years, due largely to the breakdown of the traditional power relations which were based on a hierarchy of race and colour. The existence of a democratic political system has been a major contributor to this reduction in social divisions.

Nevertheless, we are still faced with the challenge posed by the unequal distribution of wealth, power and prestige among the various social groups.

In order to overcome this challenge, Jamaica has adopted several strategies to promote greater participation of all groups in society in the economic, social and cultural development of the nation, from the community to the national level.

Recognizing that these strategies require serious investment in social institutions, social capital and human resource capacity-building, within the framework of poverty eradication, the Government has already incorporated elements such as the following into its national programme: human resource development, emphasizing the expansion of opportunities for education and skills training, including reform of the educational system at primary and secondary levels; a community-based approach to development; the development of social skills, focusing primarily on the infusion of family life education and related subjects in school curricula in order to strengthen the family as a basic social institution; an employee share ownership programme; and the strengthening of the justice system.

In all of these and other policy initiatives, the Jamaican Government recognizes the special needs of vulnerable groups of society, as well as the special conditions of deprived urban communities and underdeveloped rural areas.

My delegation participated actively in the organizational session of the Preparatory Committee for the special session of the General Assembly on the implementation of the outcome of the World Social Summit in May this year, and we fully support the decisions made at that session. We note in particular decision III of the session, which recommends that the Commission for Social Development be entrusted with the responsibility of acting as a forum for national reporting in the lead-up to the special session. We await with interest the general guidelines, structure and common framework for national reporting to be formulated by the Secretary-General, as requested by the Preparatory Committee.

The Jamaican Government recognizes the importance of non-governmental organizations and the involvement of civil society in the implementation and follow-up to the Summit's Declaration and Programme of Action. In this regard, we wish to make special mention of the work of the International Council on Social Welfare (ICSW), which has been organizing regional and subregional non-governmental organization forums and other meetings on social implementation.

With respect to the special session itself, Jamaica anticipates a full and intensive agenda, as we will be involved in the challenging task of assessing achievement of the goals set at Copenhagen. The Jamaican Government agrees that that session must not renegotiate the commitments agreed at Copenhagen. We are fully conscious that the true measure of our commitment to the principles embodied in the Declaration must be demonstrated in concrete actions.

I therefore wish to reiterate my Government's appreciation to the relevant agencies of the United Nations system for their responsiveness to our various initiatives.

We look forward to expanding these and other partnerships as we seek effective global solutions to the serious problems of poverty, unemployment and social disintegration.

Ms. Banerjee (India)

It is my privilege to address the Assembly on the agenda item on the implementation of the outcome of the World Summit for Social Development.

Allow me, on behalf of the Indian delegation, to join all those who have spoken before me in congratulating Mr. Opertti on his well-deserved election as President of the General Assembly at its fifty-third session. Let me also express our sincere appreciation to the Secretary-General for the highly informative reports that have been prepared and issued on this item and for the efforts and initiatives of the Secretariat to advance the goals set by the World Summit at Copenhagen.

We would also like to associate ourselves fully with the statement made by Indonesia on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.

The World Summit for Social Development marked a watershed in the recognition by the international community that development could not be limited simply to economic development or economic growth, but rather that it would have to be seen in terms of the extent to which it benefited the human person in community with others and contributed to wider social progress in larger freedom. Specifically, it succeeded in arriving at a shared global commitment at the highest level to eradicating poverty, achieving full employment and strengthening social solidarity, and it increased the attention given to social issues by many countries and most international organizations. Together with the other United Nations global conferences of the 1990s, it has led to a substantially revised and more holistic agenda of development that, at least theoretically, places participatory government, sustainable development, human rights and equity at the centre of development.

The period of three years into the implementation of the outcome of the World Summit is perhaps too short to have yielded palpable or measurable progress at the field level in the lives of people all over the world. The yardstick of success must necessarily be the extent to which social goals highlighted by the Summit have been, or are being, mainstreamed or prioritized in both national development and international relations, in particular international economic relations. It can be gauged from the extent to which institutions safeguarding social development, particularly in times of crisis, have evolved. It can also be judged by the extent to which commitments made at the Summit have been, or are being, honoured. Another index could be the extent to which social considerations have become significant policy inputs in the sphere of inter-State economic relations, bilateral or multilateral.

The years of the mid-1990s, before and after the Social Summit, witnessed a period of growth and improvement in living standards many parts of the world, including a number of developing countries. It would be tempting to say that this period of growth and prosperity also led to a reinforcement of the goals of social development and their centrality in economic transactions. But the contrary is true: the suddenness and intensity of periodic crises, of which the Asian crisis is only the latest example, their ripple effects in other parts of the world and the inability of the international system to anticipate or contain them, have revealed the fragility of such progress and our incomprehension and helplessness before them.

The economic crisis has aggravated global inequalities and the marginalization of countries in relation to market-driven prosperity at the international level, as well as disparities at the national level. It has exposed a basic disjunction between social goals and unfettered markets, particularly short-term capital markets. It has underscored the obvious fact that the long-term development of a large part of the developing world has not been adequately supported by the international system. And it has demonstrated our basic unpreparedness to deal with the social consequences of economic turbulence that is not always, or entirely, of our own making. The three key objectives of the Social Summit -- the eradication of poverty, the goal of full employment and enhanced social integration -- have received serious setbacks in some parts of the world with the serious possibility of similar repercussions elsewhere.

Under the multi-year programme of work to assess progress in the implementation of the Programme of Action of the Summit, priority this year has been given to the question of social integration. Our delegation had an opportunity to present its views on some of the predicaments involved in this and related themes facing developing countries at the thirty-sixth session of the Commission for Social Development. These were the primacy of the challenge of poverty to social integration, given its magnitude, scale and global nature; the particular strains on the social fabric posed by the difficulties of addressing old and new problems of social development in the context of catching up with economic, social and living standards achieved by the advanced industrial countries in a much shorter time-frame, bearing in mind historical disadvantages; the vulnerability not just of communities, but of entire countries, to marginalization on account of such historical disadvantages compounded by market forces; the imperative of economic growth for distributive justice, even as the goals of social development -- eradication of poverty, productive employment, sustainable livelihood and social integration -- have to be provided for in the process of growth; and the issue of steady and enhanced external financial resources in the form of official development assistance, long-term non-concessional funding from multilateral institutions and private capital flows.

In the meantime, the Asian crisis has drawn attention to the devastating social implications of market behaviour accompanying globalization to date. Social development can be seen on two axes: one straddling basic human rights values and fundamental freedoms which need to be pursued independent of the economy, and the other straddling poverty eradication, employment and social integration, which are heavily dependent on the state of the economy. The onslaught of the Asian crisis, and the manner in which an essentially financial crisis has snowballed into a major economic and social crisis in some parts of the world, points out the inextricable interrelationship between social and economic development. It is also a crucial input into the initiatives that may be required for the follow-up to the social agenda beyond the special session in the year 2000.

What is clear is that for the goals of the Social Summit to be fully realized for the developing countries, three sets of initiatives are indispensable: a set of economic policies and mechanisms that can provide short-term stability and long-term growth and development; a corresponding set of social policies and institutions built, as far as possible, into such policies; and the required degree of international cooperation for development broadly defined by the recent United Nations conferences. Underpinning all three is the need for suitable institutional support.

The preparatory process for the special session of the General Assembly on the implementation of the outcome of the World Summit for Social Development and further initiatives is therefore taking place at a most opportune time. A number of new ideas were brought up at the first organizational session by members, by the Secretariat and by a number of non-governmental organizations, which we see as crucial partners in this endeavour. It would perhaps be best to reserve these items for more substantive debate at the organizational session next year.

I would like next to turn to the relationship between the United Nations and the international financial centres and institutions. Increased interaction between the Economic and Social Council and the international financial institutions at the intergovernmental level and the strengthening of the policy formulation capacity of the United Nations through the integration of the analytical, normative and operational capacities of the United Nations in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, have begun to address the distance between the normative role of the United Nations, particularly in the social sphere, and the international economic institutions that have a symbiotic relationship with the market. But the distance is still too great. Discussions and decision-making within influential economic and financial institutions and groupings, including the Group of Seven industrialized countries, could also be informed further by the goals of the Social Summit to which we are all committed.

The project of social development occupies that critical area between development, broadly defined, and human rights. The three core issues of social development, as identified by the Social Summit can, and need to be, approached from both the development and human rights perspectives, and indeed may well provide the crucial link between the two. We see a two-way relationship between human rights and development, with participatory democracy as the crucial link. The task of social development, particularly because it involves people as active agents of their destiny, therefore lies at the confluence of democracy, development and human rights, and indeed, at the confluence of the State, the market and civil society. But the most crucial variable undoubtedly remains the role of a cooperative international environment where the interests of developed and developing countries are seen as shared and complementary. A rights-based approach to development ultimately depends greatly on a social and international order in which all these rights and potentialities can be realized.

The Acting President

I now call on the representative of the Syrian Arab Republic.

Mr. Al-Hariri (Syria)

Three years have elapsed since the Copenhagen Summit and yet the international community has still much to do in the area of social development in all its aspects, particularly as regards its cornerstone, namely the human being, especially in view of the present economic changes, whose effects will be felt in all societies.

Here I wish to emphasize that my delegation supports the statement made by the representative of Indonesia speaking on behalf of the Group of 77 and China. The Copenhagen Summit was a turning point. It was there that the international community expressed its aspiration to have a better tomorrow for humanity, a future of prosperity, of freedom, free from poverty, illness, destitution, ignorance and other scourges that have beset all nations and societies.

As has clearly been shown in the last three years, social development could not merely be a set of measures. It is also the very pillar of prosperity for society. However the social objectives vary from one country to another, all cultures share in the interest in prosperity for the individual and the smooth functioning of society.

It is on the basis of this awareness that Syria started its overall development process. The aim was to develop the free person, to foster his feeling of his human identity, to enhance his enjoyment of freedom and to develop his personality, which interacts with his objectives and goals. Our policy aimed also at developing the entire potential and resources of our nation so as to increase national income and to raise the living standards of our citizens.

Thus, development plans in my country have led to an increase in the achievements and rates of social development as well as to an increase in services for health, education and social services in the towns and in the countryside. We have also augmented the levels of education, food and health, while decreasing appreciably maternal and infant mortality.

This is all part of our State policy to create an environment that is conducive to creating conditions of social development, including poverty eradication, the total participation of women in development, social integration, the provision of productive employment for people, and the elimination of unemployment. In this respect, Syria has ratified 46 labour conventions, including the convention that has a special provision on women's employment. Likewise, various sectors are being given increased and comprehensive attention. Free education is provided at all levels. It is mandatory at the primary education level and to all citizens without discrimination. The same applies to health services that are provided by the State free of charge to everyone.

The development plan adopted by my country covers all sectors and we attach the same importance to all areas covered. No segment of the population is excluded from this process.

The Copenhagen Summit adopted a number of commitments, some to be implemented by national Governments and others by the international community. However, we find that three years after that Summit, international cooperation has declined to its lowest mark.

The developed States have not met the obligations that they undertook at the Summit. Thus the developing countries have shouldered their responsibilities despite their limited resources; this did not stop the deterioration of economic and social conditions, and the present state of imbalance has persisted. Therefore, as we look forward to the year 2000, we have to reaffirm the need to follow up on the implementation of the outcome of the Copenhagen Summit and the Programme of Action. We have also to stress the importance of international cooperation aiming at national and international social development cooperation based on mutual respect and community of interest. In the context of that cooperation, the developed countries would commit themselves to meeting their obligations adopted in Copenhagen in order to assist in eliminating many of the scourges that are prevalent in all societies, and which have a great impact on them.

Foreign occupation is a great obstacle to social development and social integration. We must stress here that Israel's occupation of the Syrian Golan has led to the emigration of nearly half a million Syrian citizens from their territory. During that emigration, they suffered from poverty and various privations. Thus, many women became the breadwinners of their families after their husbands were martyred or arrested. Despite the State's efforts to ensure the minimum living requirements of these people, there is need for more resources, and more expansion of services. Every year Syria is obliged to assume greater responsibilities because of the Israeli occupation, which controls the natural resources of Golan, which it usurps and pillages. The occupation is creating and expanding settlements with the aim of changing the demographic character of the region. Thus the plans and programmes for economic and social development in my country are negatively impacted by this situation.

My delegation participated in the preparatory work for the special session to be held in the year 2000 to follow up the work done in Copenhagen, and we would stress here that we must at all costs see to it that the necessary consultations are completed in order to continue the preparations in complete transparency and with the participation of all in a constructive spirit so that the session will be a success.

This is particularly important since the session will be held at the dawn of a new millennium, which requires it to be a unique session characterized by its future impact on the lives and prosperity of peoples. We hope therefore that the commitments undertaken in Copenhagen will be met in order to ensure effective international cooperation.

We will agree that man's personality is the real wealth of any society, nation and humanity at large. Therefore, we need to take care of it, enable it to attain intellectual horizons and visions suitable for development, and to be coupled with values and ideals to protect it from degradation and delinquency. We should also bestow upon man's personality new skills which would make it capable of adapting to a changing environment and to help it interact with such changes in a positive manner.

All this means that we should act seriously to create a world where relations would be based on understanding and equality -- relations that make it possible to create conditions of prosperity and happiness for people, away from poverty and injustice. Our striving should be for a world with no hegemony, colonialism or foreign occupation, a world where man would exercise his fundamental rights as one integrated unity of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights leading to his development and his preparation to play a positive role in society.

The Acting President

I now call on the representative of Egypt.

Mr. Abdel Aziz (Egypt)

I wish at the outset to say that the delegation of Egypt endorses the statement made earlier by the representative of Indonesia on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.

The struggle to promote social development is an important objective in today's world. In addition, the support of efforts to attain social progress and justice, and to improve the standard of living of people has become an urgent issue, in the light of the rising aspirations of people the world over, and their call for giving high priority to the social aspect of development. These elements are closely interrelated, and are affected by the broader range of social and economic questions, to the point of constituting a holistic and indivisible entity that can have either a positive or a negative impact on international stability, peace and security.

On this basis, Egypt recognizes the importance of social and economic issues, and, like other States that participated in the World Summit for Social Development in Copenhagen, has committed itself to making every effort to confront problems in that sphere by creating an economic, political, social, cultural and ecological climate propitious for the attainment of social development, eradicating poverty, expanding employment, combating unemployment and fostering social integration.

Let me here stress two major points. We continue to stress the importance of being guided by them when dealing with questions relating to social development. First, we must respect different cultures and civilizations; nothing can justify imposing one's lifestyle on those who reject it or forcing one's practices on those who do not want them. Secondly, although we concede that the principal, central role in any process of social development should be played by individual Governments, it is also true that success in such governmental efforts depends on a favourable international environment, including factors such as trade, investment, the provision of financial resources, technical assistance and the transfer of technology.

In March, the Secretary-General addressed letters to heads of State or Government, in which, as quoted in paragraph 22 of document A/53/211, he stated that, despite efforts by many Governments to implement the decisions of the Summit, "poverty, unemployment and social disintegration continue to be desperately serious problems which tear at the social fabric of many countries and are often the source of persistent subregional and regional tensions".

On that basis, and at a time when we demand of ourselves and of other States to redouble our efforts in the economic and social sphere, we welcome the reference in the report of the Secretary-General to the continued strong commitment of many Governments to implementing the outcome of the Copenhagen Summit and to strengthening the political momentum achieved by that Summit in 1995, by moving forward in formulating national programmes, plans and strategies to promote social development through the elimination of poverty, the creation of jobs, fostering the development of human resources, creating social investment funds and devoting a larger portion of their budgets to the social sector.

In that connection, Egypt submitted a report on its national follow-up of the Copenhagen Summit to the Commission for Social Development at its thirty-sixth session. Here, Egypt joined the rest of the international community in exchanging experiences and drawing lessons from one another in this area. Egypt reported that the main elements of its strategy are, first, to ensure as constant as possible an increase in development rates, and consistent support for our efforts in that regard, always mindful of the need to control and slow demographic growth. Secondly, we must make optimal use of all human potential without marginalizing any sector or group, stress human development and promote social consciousness. Thirdly, we must further strengthen democratic practices and maintain the continuity and stability of our constitutional institutions. In this context, we must be committed to legitimacy and the supremacy of law, and must endeavour to protect human rights and public and private freedoms in order to ensure that all citizens effectively participate in running their country's affairs and in decision-making, with a view to achieving social integration.

Let me make special reference to the problem of poverty, which poses one of the main challenges facing contemporary society. All Governments, and the international community as a whole, must redouble their efforts to address this challenge, especially as we are all committed to attaining the goal of eradicating poverty, as a moral, social, political, economic and human obligation incumbent upon us all. Egypt has begun to implement a whole series of integrated policy measures aimed at reducing poverty, promoting human development and achieving a 6 per cent a year increase in our gross national product by the year 2000.

Egypt has seen to it that those with limited incomes increase their participation in work and production through easy credit, professional training, fostering the role of volunteerism and civic society, and strengthening social safety-net -- specifically our Social Development Fund. This Fund is no longer confined to minimizing the negative fallout from the economic and social reform process but now aims to support development in the areas of education, literacy, basic social and health services, family planning, raising living standards and fighting unemployment.

As we begin preparing for a year 2000 special session of the General Assembly on the implementation of the outcome of the World Summit for Social Development, which Switzerland has made the generous offer to host, Egypt expresses the hope that the special session will be the focus of serious attention preparation and consensus-building by all to ensure its success. In that connection, we stress that the overriding objective of the session will not be to renegotiate the Copenhagen Declaration and Programme of Action, but to reaffirm them and to evaluate how far we have come in the process of implementing them. The main objective also includes the formulation of recommendations and concrete initiatives to bolster efforts aimed at the full implementation of the results of the Copenhagen Summit.

That will undoubtedly require joint efforts by all parties involved in the preparatory work for the session, at the national, the regional and the international levels. Here I must mention the critical role of all the bodies, programmes and specialized agencies of the United Nations system in the preparations for the year 2000 special session. Nor should I omit mention of the important role of non-governmental organizations and civil society in general in following up and implementing the Copenhagen Programme of Action at the national and regional levels.

I wish in conclusion to reaffirm the importance of and interdependence of national, regional and international efforts aiming at bolstering social development in all forms and in all areas. We appeal to all States and Governments to fulfil their commitments in this regard, especially in the areas of mobilizing resources and providing technical assistance to developing countries. Social development is a collective international responsibility that has an impact on our lives and on the future of our world.

Mr. Kolby (Norway)

The 1995 World Summit for Social Development showed that there was a global consensus that people must be at the centre of our development efforts and an acknowledgement of the close interlinkage between the social and the economic dimensions of development. A central aspect of that consensus is the importance of investing in people's health and education, not only for their own benefit but for the benefit of society at large. Norway is fully committed to the implementation of the outcome of the Summit through action at the local, national and international levels.

The goal of universal access to basic social services cuts across all three key objectives of the Social Summit. Healthy, educated people have a better chance for productive employment and sustainable livelihoods. Only by giving people an opportunity to lead healthy and productive lives can we help break the vicious circle of poverty. Providing access for all to basic education -- not least of all for girls -- is an effective way to promote social integration.

The Social Summit identified an instrument to facilitate joint action by developed and developing countries towards this goal: the 20/20 Initiative. Norway has taken a special interest in translating it into action. In April 1996, representatives of 38 Governments and 10 multilateral organizations met in Oslo to review strategies and modalities to implement this initiative. A comprehensive analysis of the 20/20 Initiative and its potential was undertaken, and the outcome of the meeting is reflected in the Oslo Consensus on 20/20.

Later this month, as mentioned by the representative of Viet Nam, government representatives and other key actors will again gather, in Hanoi, to take stock of the progress made since the Oslo meeting and to discuss ways and means of bringing the Initiative further ahead. Together with the Government of the Netherlands, we are pleased to sponsor the Hanoi meeting, and we hope that it will bring us closer to the goal of universal access to basic social services.

In addition to our mutual commitment along the lines of the 20/20 Initiative, another long-standing target needs a reaffirmed commitment by developed countries: the agreed target of 0.7 per cent of gross national product for official development assistance. It is regrettable that industrialized countries are increasingly distancing themselves from this target. Norway, which has been well above this target for decades, is actively seeking to counter the growing donor fatigue and intends to further increase its own official development assistance in the years ahead.

For the poorest and most heavily indebted developing countries the debt problem represents one of the main obstacles to development. Urgent action is needed to end the unsustainable debt burden of these countries. The Norwegian Government has launched a comprehensive national debt relief strategy as a contribution towards this end. Its objective is to enable these countries to enter the next millennium with a debt situation that is not an impediment to economic and social development. The strategy includes concrete proposals on how Norway can support and strengthen multilateral mechanisms already in place. As part of the strategy, Norway will grant unilateral debt reductions on a case-by-case basis on top of the reductions made under multilateral operations.

The number of children being exploited through child labour seems to be on the increase. The girl child is particularly vulnerable, although her labour is often less visible. The financial crisis currently affecting many countries is magnifying the problem. The AIDS epidemic adds to this burden by leaving many children with an uncertain future as orphans needing to fend for themselves. These challenges need to be met by action. The Norwegian Government gives high priority to this work, which we see as both a human rights issue and a development issue.

Almost a year has passed since the International Conference on Child Labour in Oslo, where 40 countries agreed on an Agenda for Action on Child Labour. This Agenda points out a number of factors that can help eliminate child labour over time. Access to education, appropriate legislation and mobilization of civil society are all keys to bringing about change, as is support for community action designed to reduce the burdens of working children. We should now focus on how to promote and support the development of national plans of action in countries that experience child labour problems and that are committed to this process.

Enabling people with disabilities to participate fully and actively in society is an important part of our efforts to create a society for all. The United Nations Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities is a key tool towards this end. Priority areas for action should be to ensure accessibility, equality and full participation in society for people with disabilities and to facilitate their participation in planning and policy-making.

The decision to designate 1999 as the International Year of Older Persons has been warmly welcomed in Norway, both by the Government and by the numerous Norwegian non-governmental organizations working in the field of older people. A national committee has been established. Some key topics for our celebration of the Year will be the rights of older people, appropriate care, lifelong learning and solidarity between generations.

Norway will take an active part in the preparatory process leading up to the special session of the General Assembly in the year 2000. The purpose of the special session must be to review the implementation of the results of the Summit, but also to consider further actions and initiatives. In this process we must encourage contributions from all relevant actors, not least from the community of non-governmental organizations and other parts of civil society.

In his recent address to the General Assembly, our Secretary-General expressed his happiness about the fruitful cooperation over the past year between the United Nations and non-State actors, in particular in the processes leading up to the Convention on anti-personnel landmines and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. These positive experiences should be built upon in our preparations for the special session.

Mr. Bamba (Cote d'Ivoire)

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