International Agreements on Resources (Commitment 9) Contents Commitment 9 from the Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development (Resources) p9 World Summit on Social Development, Copenhagen 1995 Declaration B. Principles and Goals p4 C: Commitments p6 (esp 4(n), 7(b)) Programme of Action of the World Summit for Social Development Chapter I: Enabling Environment p8 Actions A: A favourable national and international economic environment Chapter V: Implementation and Follow-up; especially C: Mobilisation of financial resources p13 Commission on Social Development (CsocDev) p21 1996 Main Issue: Poverty Chapter III: Substantive theme. Strategies and action for eradication of poverty 1997: p35 Chapter II Paragraph 62,63: Resource mobilisation, indicators Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, Earth Summit 1992: p42 Principle 12: Cooperation between states to promote economic growth Agenda 21: Section IV, Ch 33: Financial Resources and Mechanisms p42 The Forest Principles: p45 Par7(b) Financial Resources Par 10 Financial Resources to developing countries Human Rights Review: p46 Chapter IV, Par 29: Right to economic growth and development International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), Cairo 1994: Chapter 1: Preamble: establishes interrelationship between economic growth, development and poverty Chapter 3B, 3.22: Financial resources for economic growth Chapter 13: National Action A. National policies and plans of action B. Programme management and human resource development C. Resource mobilization and allocation Chapter 14: International Co-operation Responsibilities of partners in development Towards a new commitment to funding population and development 4th World Conference on Women, Beijing 1995: Chapter VI: Financial Arrangements C: International level Beijing Declaration Financial resources for economic growth Paragraph 36,37,38 Habitat II Conference, Istanbul 1996 Habitat Agenda Istanbul Declaration on Human Settlements Chapter II: Goals and Principles Paragraph 35 Chapter III: Commitments E: Financing shelter and human settlements F: International Cooperation Chapter IV: Global Plan of Action C: Sustainable human settlements development in an urbanizing world 9: Improving Urban Economics D. Capacity-building and institutional development 6. Domestic financial resources and economic instruments E. International cooperation and coordination 2. An enabling international context 3. Financial resources and economic instruments UN Commissions Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) 1993 Chapter I F: Initial financial commitments, financial flows and arrangements to give effect to the decisions of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development from all available funding sources and mechanisms Chapter VIII: Initial financial commitments 1994 Main Issue: Implementation of Agenda 21 Chapter I B: Financial resources and mechanisms Chapter I F: Other matters: 217 (a), 219 1995: Main Issue: Implementation of Agenda 21, focusing on cross-sectoral components Chapter I B: Financial resources and mechanisms 1996 Main Issue: Global Programme of Action for Protection of Marine Environment from Land based activities Chapter I 5(a)(b)(c) Chapter I C, Decision 4/14: Financial resources and mechanisms 1998 Chapter I B, Decision 6/2: Industry and sustainable development (esp A: Industry and economic development) Commisssion on the Status of Women (CSW) 1992 Resolution 36/6: Women and the Environment Paragraph 4 (additional financial resources) Chapter III Paragraph 119 (4): Monitoring the Implementation of the Nairobi Forward-Looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women 1997 Agreed conclusion 1997/3 Women and the economy Paragraph 3: Mainstreaming a gender perspective in policies and programmes Commission on Population and Development 1994 Chapter IV A: Activities of UN Population Fund Chapter IV B: Monitoring of multilateral population assistance 1998 Report of Secretary General: Flows of financial resources for population activities (pdf format) 1999 Report of Secretary General: The flow of financial resources for assisting in the implementation of the Programme for Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (pdf format) Conventions CEDAW - Convention on the Elimination of all forms of discrimination against women The Convention Document (Article 11,13,14: Women + economy) Documents Commitment 9 from the Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development (Resources) We commit ourselves to increasing significantly and/or utilizing more efficiently the resources allocated to social development in order to achieve the goals of the Summit through national action and regional and international cooperation. To this end, at the national level, we will: (a) Develop economic policies to promote and mobilize domestic savings and attract external resources for productive investment, and seek innovative sources of funding, both public and private, for social programmes, while ensuring their effective utilization; (b) Implement macroeconomic and micro-economic policies to ensure sustained economic growth and sustainable development to support social development; (c) Promote increased access to credit for small and micro-enterprises, including those in the informal sector, with particular emphasis on the disadvantaged sectors of society; (d) Ensure that reliable statistics and statistical indicators are used to develop and assess social policies and programmes so that economic and social resources are used efficiently and effectively; (e) Ensure that, in accordance with national priorities and policies, taxation systems are fair, progressive and economically efficient, cognizant of sustainable development concerns, and ensure effective collection of tax liabilities; (f) In the budgetary process, ensure transparency and accountability in the use of public resources, and give priority to providing and improving basic social services; (g) Undertake to explore new ways of generating new public and private financial resources, inter alia, through the appropriate reduction of excessive military expenditures, including global military expenditures and the arms trade, and investments for arms production and acquisition, taking into consideration national security requirements, so as to allow possible allocation of additional funds for social and economic development; (h) Utilize and develop fully the potential and contribution of cooperatives for the attainment of social development goals, in particular the eradication of poverty, the generation of full and productive employment, and the enhancement of social integration. At the international level, we will: (i) Seek to mobilize new and additional financial resources that are both adequate and predictable and are mobilized in a way that maximizes the availability of such resources and uses all available funding sources and mechanisms, inter alia, multilateral, bilateral and private sources, including on concessional and grant terms; (j) Facilitate the flow to developing countries of international finance, technology and human skill in order to realize the objective of providing new and additional resources that are both adequate and predictable; (k) Facilitate the flow of international finance, technology and human skill towards the countries with economies in transition; (l) Strive for the fulfillment of the agreed target of 0.7 per cent of gross national product for overall official development assistance as soon as possible, and increase the share of funding for social development programmes, commensurate with the scope and scale of activities required to achieve the objectives and goals of the present Declaration and the Programme of Action of the Summit; (m) Increase the flow of international resources to meet the needs of countries facing problems relating to refugees and displaced persons; (n) Support South-South cooperation, which can take advantage of the experience of developing countries that have overcome similar difficulties; (o) Ensure the urgent implementation of existing debt-relief agreements and negotiate further initiatives, in addition to existing ones, to alleviate the debts of the poorest and heavily indebted low-income countries at an early date, especially through more favourable terms of debt forgiveness, including application of the terms of debt forgiveness agreed upon in the Paris Club in December 1994, which encompass debt reduction, including cancellation or other debt-relief measures; where appropriate, these countries should be given a reduction of their bilateral official debt sufficient to enable them to exit from the rescheduling process and resume growth and development; invite the international financial institutions to examine innovative approaches to assist low-income countries with a high proportion of multilateral debt, with a view to alleviating their debt burdens; develop techniques of debt conversion applied to social development programmes and projects in conformity with Summit priorities; (p) Fully implement the Final Act of the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations 20/ as scheduled, including the complementary provisions specified in the Marrakesh Agreement establishing the World Trade Organization, 20/ in recognition of the fact that broadly based growth in incomes, employment and trade are mutually reinforcing, taking into account the need to assist African countries and the least developed countries in evaluating the impact of the implementation of the Final Act so that they can benefit fully; (q) Monitor the impact of trade liberalization on the progress made in developing countries to meet basic human needs, giving particular attention to new initiatives to expand their access to international markets; (r) Give attention to the needs of countries with economies in transition with respect to international cooperation and financial and technical assistance, stressing the need for the full integration of economies in transition into the world economy, in particular to improve market access for exports in accordance with multilateral trade rules, taking into account the needs of developing countries; (s) Support United Nations development efforts by a substantial increase in resources for operational activities on a predictable, continuous and assured basis, commensurate with the increasing needs of developing countries, as stated in General Assembly resolution 47/199, and strengthen the capacity of the United Nations and the specialized agencies to fulfill their responsibilities in the implementation of the outcome of the World Summit for Social Development. SOCIAL SUMMIT DECLARATION The Social Summit Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development Chapeau A. Current social situation and reasons for convening the Summit B. Principles and goals C. Commitments 1 - 10 B. Principles and goals 25. We heads of State and Government are committed to a political, economic, ethical and spiritual vision for social development that is based on human dignity, human rights, equality, respect, peace, democracy, mutual responsibility and cooperation, and full respect for the various religious and ethical values and cultural backgrounds of people. Accordingly, we will give the highest priority in national, regional and international policies and actions to the promotion of social progress, justice and the betterment of the human condition, based on full participation by all. 26. To this end, we will create a framework for action to: (a) Place people at the centre of development and direct our economies to meet human needs more effectively; (b) Fulfil our responsibility for present and future generations by ensuring equity among generations and protecting the integrity and sustainable use of our environment; (c) Recognize that, while social development is a national responsibility, it cannot be successfully achieved without the collective commitment and efforts of the international community; (d) Integrate economic, cultural and social policies so that they become mutually supportive, and acknowledge the interdependence of public and private spheres of activity; (e) Recognize that the achievement of sustained social development requires sound, broadly based economic policies; (f) Promote democracy, human dignity, social justice and solidarity at the national, regional and international levels; ensure tolerance, non-violence, pluralism and non-discrimination, with full respect for diversity within and among societies; (g) Promote the equitable distribution of income and greater access to resources through equity and equality of opportunity for all; (h) Recognize the family as the basic unit of society, and acknowledge that it plays a key role in social development and as such should be strengthened, with attention to the rights, capabilities and responsibilities of its members. In different cultural, political and social systems various forms of family exist. It is entitled to receive comprehensive protection and support; (i) Ensure that disadvantaged and vulnerable persons and groups are included in social development, and that society acknowledges and responds to the consequences of disability by securing the legal rights of the individual and by making the physical and social environment accessible; (j) Promote universal respect for, and observance and protection of, all human rights and fundamental freedoms for all, including the right to development; promote the effective exercise of rights and the discharge of responsibilities at all levels of society; promote equality and equity between women and men; protect the rights of children and youth; and promote the strengthening of social integration and civil society; (k) Reaffirm the right of self-determination of all peoples, in particular of peoples under colonial or other forms of alien domination or foreign occupation, and the importance of the effective realization of this right, as enunciated, inter alia, in the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action 3/ adopted at the World Conference on Human Rights; (l) Support progress and security for people and communities whereby every member of society is enabled to satisfy his or her basic human needs and to realize his or her personal dignity, safety and creativity; (m) Recognize and support indigenous people in their pursuit of economic and social development, with full respect for their identity, traditions, forms of social organization and cultural values; (n) Underline the importance of transparent and accountable governance and administration in all public and private national and international institutions; (o) Recognize that empowering people, particularly women, to strengthen their own capacities is a main objective of development and its principal resource. Empowerment requires the full participation of people in the formulation, implementation and evaluation of decisions determining the functioning and well-being of our societies; (p) Assert the universality of social development and outline a new and strengthened approach to social development, with a renewed impetus for international cooperation and partnership; (q) Improve the possibility of older persons achieving a better life; (r) Recognize that the new information technologies and new approaches to access to and use of technologies by people living in poverty can help in fulfilling social development goals; and therefore recognize the need to facilitate access to such technologies; (s) Strengthen policies and programmes that improve, ensure and broaden the participation of women in all spheres of political, economic, social and cultural life, as equal partners, and improve their access to all resources needed for the full exercise of their fundamental rights; (t) Create the political, legal, material and social conditions that allow for the voluntary repatriation of refugees in safety and dignity to their countries of origin, and the voluntary and safe return of internally displaced persons to their places of origin and their smooth reintegration into their societies; (u) Emphasize the importance of the return of all prisoners of war, persons missing in action and hostages to their families, in accordance with international conventions, in order to reach full social development. 27. We acknowledge that it is the primary responsibility of States to attain these goals. We also acknowledge that these goals cannot be achieved by States alone. The international community, the United Nations, the multilateral financial institutions, all regional organizations and local authorities, and all actors of civil society need to positively contribute their own share of efforts and resources in order to reduce inequalities among people and narrow the gap between developed and developing countries in a global effort to reduce social tensions, and to create greater social and economic stability and security. Radical political, social and economic changes in the countries with economies in transition have been accompanied by a deterioration in their economic and social situation. We invite all people to express their personal commitment to enhancing the human condition through concrete actions in their own fields of activities and through assuming specific civic responsibilities. C. Commitments Commitment 4 ------------ We commit ourselves to promoting social integration by fostering societies that are stable, safe and just and that are based on the promotion and protection of all human rights, as well as on non-discrimination, tolerance, respect for diversity, equality of opportunity, solidarity, security, and participation of all people, including disadvantaged and vulnerable groups and persons. To this end, at the national level, we will: (a) Promote respect for democracy, the rule of law, pluralism and diversity, tolerance and responsibility, non-violence and solidarity by encouraging educational systems, communication media and local communities and organizations to raise people's understanding and awareness of all aspects of social integration; (b) Formulate or strengthen policies and strategies geared to the elimination of discrimination in all its forms and the achievement of social integration based on equality and respect for human dignity; (c) Promote access for all to education, information, technology and know-how as essential means for enhancing communication and participation in civil, political, economic, social and cultural life, and ensure respect for civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights; (d) Ensure the protection and full integration into the economy and society of disadvantaged and vulnerable groups and persons; (e) Formulate or strengthen measures to ensure respect for and protection of the human rights of migrants, migrant workers and their families, to eliminate the increasing acts of racism and xenophobia in sectors of many societies, and to promote greater harmony and tolerance in all societies; (f) Recognize and respect the right of indigenous people to maintain and develop their identity, culture and interests, support their aspirations for social justice and provide an environment that enables them to participate in the social, economic and political life of their country; (g) Foster the social protection and full integration into the economy and society of veterans, including veterans and victims of the Second World War and other wars; (h) Acknowledge and encourage the contribution of people of all age groups as equally and vitally important for the building of a harmonious society, and foster dialogue between generations in all parts of society; (i) Recognize and respect cultural, ethnic and religious diversity, promote and protect the rights of persons belonging to national, ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities, and take measures to facilitate their full participation in all aspects of the political, economic, social, religious and cultural life of their societies and in the economic progress and social development of their countries; (j) Strengthen the ability of local communities and groups with common concerns to develop their own organizations and resources and to propose policies relating to social development, including through the activities of non-governmental organizations; (k) Strengthen institutions that enhance social integration, recognizing the central role of the family and providing it with an environment that assures its protection and support. In different cultural, political and social systems, various forms of the family exist; (l) Address the problems of crime, violence and illicit drugs as factors of social disintegration. At the international level, we will: (m) Encourage the ratification of, the avoidance as far as possible of the resort to reservations to, and the implementation of international instruments and adherence to internationally recognized declarations relevant to the elimination of discrimination and the promotion and protection of all human rights; (n) Further enhance international mechanisms for the provision of humanitarian and financial assistance to refugees and host countries and promote appropriate shared responsibility; (o) Promote international cooperation and partnership on the basis of equality, mutual respect and mutual benefit. Commitment 7 ------------ We commit ourselves to accelerating the economic, social and human resource development of Africa and the least developed countries. To this end, we will: (a) Implement, at the national level, structural adjustment policies, which should include social development goals, as well as effective development strategies that establish a more favourable climate for trade and investment, give priority to human resource development and further promote the development of democratic institutions; (b) Support the domestic efforts of Africa and the least developed countries to implement economic reforms, programmes to increase food security, and commodity diversification efforts through international cooperation, including South-South cooperation and technical and financial assistance, as well as trade and partnership; (c) Find effective, development-oriented and durable solutions to external debt problems, through the immediate implementation of the terms of debt forgiveness agreed upon in the Paris Club in December 1994, which encompass debt reduction, including cancellation or other debt-relief measures; invite the international financial institutions to examine innovative approaches to assist low-income countries with a high proportion of multilateral debt, with a view to alleviating their debt burdens; and develop techniques of debt conversion applied to social development programmes and projects in conformity with Summit priorities. These actions should take into account the mid-term review of the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s 17/ and the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the 1990s, 18/ and should be implemented as soon as possible; (d) Ensure the implementation of the strategies and measures for the development of Africa decided by the international community, and support the reform efforts, development strategies and programmes decided by the African countries and the least developed countries; (e) Increase official development assistance, both overall and for social programmes, and improve its impact, consistent with countries' economic circumstances and capacities to assist, and consistent with commitments in international agreements; (f) Consider ratifying the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa, 19/ and support African countries in the implementation of urgent action to combat desertification and mitigate the effects of drought; (g) Take all necessary measures to ensure that communicable diseases, particularly HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis, do not restrict or reverse the progress made in economic and social development. Programme of Action of the World Summit for Social Development Chapter I : An Enabling Environment for Social Development Basis for action and objectives I. An Enabling Environment for Social Development Basis for action and objectives 4. Social development is inseparable from the cultural, ecological, economic, political and spiritual environment in which it takes place. It cannot be pursued as a sectoral initiative. Social development is also clearly linked to the development of peace, freedom, stability and security, both nationally and internationally. To promote social development requires an orientation of values, objectives and priorities towards the well-being of all and the strengthening and promotion of conducive institutions and policies. Human dignity, all human rights and fundamental freedoms, equality, equity and social justice constitute the fundamental values of all societies. The pursuit, promotion and protection of these values, among others, provides the basic legitimacy of all institutions and all exercise of authority and promotes an environment in which human beings are at the centre of concern for sustainable development. They are entitled to a healthy and productive life in harmony with nature. 5. The economies and societies of the world are becoming increasingly interdependent. Trade and capital flows, migrations, scientific and technological innovations, communications and cultural exchanges are shaping the global community. The same global community is threatened by environmental degradation, severe food crises, epidemics, all forms of racial discrimination, xenophobia, various forms of intolerance, violence and criminality and the risk of losing the richness of cultural diversity. Governments increasingly recognize that their responses to changing circumstances and their desires to achieve sustainable development and social progress will require increased solidarity, expressed through appropriate multilateral programmes and strengthened international cooperation. Such cooperation is particularly crucial to ensure that countries in need of assistance, such as those in Africa and the least developed countries, can benefit from the process of globalization. 6. Economic activities, through which individuals express their initiative and creativity and which enhance the wealth of communities, are a fundamental basis for social progress. But social progress will not be realized simply through the free interaction of market forces. Public policies are necessary to correct market failures, to complement market mechanisms, to maintain social stability and to create a national and international economic environment that promotes sustainable growth on a global scale. Such growth should promote equity and social justice, tolerance, responsibility and involvement. 7. The ultimate goal of social development is to improve and enhance the quality of life of all people. It requires democratic institutions, respect for all human rights and fundamental freedoms, increased and equal economic opportunities, the rule of law, the promotion of respect for cultural diversity and the rights of persons belonging to minorities, and an active involvement of civil society. Empowerment and participation are essential for democracy, harmony and social development. All members of society should have the opportunity and be able to exercise the right and responsibility to take an active part in the affairs of the community in which they live. Gender equality and equity and the full participation of women in all economic, social and political activities are essential. The obstacles that have limited the access of women to decision-making, education, health-care services and productive employment must be eliminated and an equitable partnership between men and women established, involving men's full responsibility in family life. It is necessary to change the prevailing social paradigm of gender to usher in a new generation of women and men working together to create a more humane world order. 8. Against this background, we will promote an enabling environment based on a people-centred approach to sustainable development, with the following features: ~ Broad-based participation and involvement of civil society in the formulation and implementation of decisions determining the functioning and well-being of our societies; ~ Broad-based patterns of sustained economic growth and sustainable development and the integration of population issues into economic and development strategies, which will speed up the pace of sustainable development and poverty eradication and contribute to the achievement of population objectives and an improved quality of life of the population; ~ Equitable and non-discriminatory distribution of the benefits of growth among social groups and countries and expanded access to productive resources for people living in poverty; ~ An interaction of market forces conducive to efficiency and social development; ~ Public policies that seek to overcome socially divisive disparities and that respect pluralism and diversity; ~ A supportive and stable political and legal framework that promotes the mutually reinforcing relationship between democracy, development and all human rights and fundamental freedoms; ~ Political and social processes that avoid exclusion while respecting pluralism and diversity, including religious and cultural diversity; ~ A strengthened role for the family in accordance with the principles, goals and commitments of the Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development and those of the International Conference on Population and Development, as well as for community and civil society; ~ Expanded access to knowledge, technology, education, health-care services and information; ~ Increased solidarity, partnership and cooperation at all levels; ~ Public policies that empower people to enjoy good health and productivity throughout their lives; ~ Protection and conservation of the natural environment in the context of people-centred sustainable development. Actions A. A favourable national and international economic environment 9. The promotion of mutually reinforcing, broad-based, sustained economic growth and sustainable development on a global scale, as well as growth in production, a non-discriminatory and multilateral rule-based international trading system, employment and incomes, as a basis for social development, requires the following actions: (a) Promoting the establishment of an open, equitable, cooperative and mutually beneficial international economic environment; (b) Implementing sound and stable macroeconomic and sectoral policies that encourage broad-based, sustained economic growth and development that is sustainable and equitable, that generate jobs, and that are geared towards eradicating poverty and reducing social and economic inequalities and exclusion; (c) Promoting enterprise, productive investment and expanded access to open and dynamic markets in the context of an open, equitable, secure, non-discriminatory, predictable, transparent and multilateral rule-based international trading system, and to technologies for all people, particularly those living in poverty and the disadvantaged, as well as for the least developed countries; (d) Implementing fully and as scheduled the Final Act of the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations; 1/ (e) Refraining from any unilateral measure not in accordance with international law and the Charter of the United Nations that creates obstacles to trade relations among States, impedes the full realization of social and economic development and hinders the well-being of the population in the affected countries; (f) Increasing food production, through the sustainable development of the agricultural sector and improvement of market opportunities, and improving access to food by low-income people in developing countries, as a means of alleviating poverty, eliminating malnutrition and raising their standards of living; (g) Promoting the coordination of macroeconomic policies at the national, subregional, regional and international levels in order to promote an international financial system that is more conducive to stable and sustained economic growth and sustainable development through, inter alia, a higher degree of stability in financial markets, reducing the risk of financial crisis, improving the stability of exchange rates, stabilizing and striving for low real interest rates in the long run and reducing the uncertainties of financial flows; (h) Establishing, strengthening or rehabilitating, inter alia, through capacity-building where necessary, national and international structures, processes and resources available, to ensure appropriate consideration and coordination of economic policy, with special emphasis on social development; (i) Promoting or strengthening capacity-building in developing countries, particularly in Africa and the least developed countries, to develop social activities; (j) Ensuring that, in accordance with Agenda 21 2/ and the various consensus agreements, conventions and programmes of action adopted within the framework of the follow-up to the outcome of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, broad-based, sustained economic growth and sustainable development respects the need to protect the environment and the interests of future generations; (k) Ensuring that the special needs and vulnerabilities of small island developing States are adequately addressed in order to enable them to achieve sustained economic growth and sustainable development with equity by implementing the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States. 3/ 10. To ensure that the benefits of global economic growth are equitably distributed among countries, the following actions are essential: (a) Continuing efforts to alleviate the onerous debt and debt-service burdens connected with the various types of debt of many developing countries, on the basis of an equitable and durable approach and, where appropriate, addressing the full stock of debt of the poorest and most indebted developing countries as a matter of priority, reducing trade barriers and promoting expanded access by all countries to markets, in the context of an open, equitable, secure, non-discriminatory, predictable, transparent and multilateral rule-based international trading system, as well as to productive investment, technologies and know-how; (b) Strengthening and improving technical and financial assistance to developing countries to promote sustainable development and overcome hindrances to their full and effective participation in the world economy; (c) Changing unsustainable consumption and production patterns, taking into account that the major cause of the continued deterioration of the global environment is the unsustainable pattern of consumption and production, particularly in industrialized countries, which is a matter of grave concern, aggravating poverty and imbalances; (d) Elaborating policies to enable developing countries to take advantage of expanded international trading opportunities in the context of the full implementation of the Final Act of the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations; and assisting countries, particularly in Africa, that are not currently in a position to benefit fully from the liberalization of the world economy; (e) Supporting the efforts of developing countries, particularly those heavily dependent on commodity exports, to diversify their economies. 11. Within the framework of support to developing countries, giving priority to the needs of Africa and the least developed countries, the following actions are necessary at the national and international levels, as appropriate: (a) Implementing effective policies and development strategies that establish a more favourable climate for social development, trade and investments, giving priority to human resource development and promoting the further development of democratic institutions; (b) Supporting African countries and least developed countries in their efforts to create an enabling environment that attracts foreign and domestic direct investment, encourages savings, induces the return of flight capital and promotes the full participation of the private sector, including non-governmental organizations, in the growth and development process; (c) Supporting economic reforms to improve the functioning of commodity markets and commodity diversification efforts through appropriate mechanisms, bilateral and multilateral financing and technical cooperation, including South-South cooperation, as well as through trade and partnership; (d) Continuing to support the commodity diversification efforts of Africa and the least developed countries, inter alia, by providing technical and financial assistance for the preparatory phase of their commodity diversification projects and programmes; (e) Finding effective, development-oriented and durable solutions to external debt problems, through the immediate implementation of the terms of debt forgiveness agreed upon in the Paris Club in December 1994, which encompass debt reduction, including cancellation or other debt relief measures; inviting the international financial institutions to examine innovative approaches to assist low-income countries with a high proportion of multilateral debt with a view to alleviating their debt burden; developing techniques of debt conversion applied to social development programmes and projects in conformity with Summit priorities. These actions should take into account the mid-term review of the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s 4/ and the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the 1990s 5/ and should be implemented as soon as possible; (f) Supporting the development of strategies adopted by these countries and working in partnership to ensure the implementation of measures for their development; (g) Taking appropriate actions, consistent with the Final Act of the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations, 1/ in particular the decision on measures in favour of the least developed countries and the decision on measures concerning the possible negative effects of the reform programme on the least developed countries and the net food importing developing countries, in order to give these countries special attention, with a view to enhancing their participation in the multilateral trading system and to mitigating any adverse effects of the implementation of the Uruguay Round, while stressing the need to support the African countries so that they can benefit fully from the results of the Uruguay Round; (h) Increasing official development assistance, both in total and for social programmes, and improving its impact, consistent with countries' economic circumstances and capabilities to assist, and consistent with commitments in international agreements, and striving to attain the agreed upon target of 0.7 per cent of gross national product for official development assistance and 0.15 per cent to the least developed countries, as soon as possible. 12. Making economic growth and the interaction of market forces more conducive to social development requires the following actions: (a) Implementing measures to open market opportunities for all, especially people living in poverty and the disadvantaged, and to encourage individuals and communities to take economic initiatives, innovate and invest in activities that contribute to social development while promoting broad-based sustained economic growth and sustainable development; (b) Improving, broadening and regulating, to the extent necessary, the functioning of markets to promote sustained economic growth and sustainable development, stability and long-term investment, fair competition and ethical conduct; adopting and implementing policies to promote equitable distribution of the benefits of growth and protect crucial social services, inter alia, through complementing market mechanisms and mitigating any negative impacts posed by market forces; and implementing complementary policies to foster social development, while dismantling, consistent with the provisions of the Final Act of the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations, protectionist measures, and to integrate social and economic development; (c) Establishing an open market policy that reduces barriers to entry, promotes transparency of markets through, inter alia, better access to information and widens the choices available to consumers; (d) Promoting greater access to technology and technical assistance, as well as corresponding know-how, especially for micro-enterprises and small and medium-sized enterprises in all countries, particularly in developing countries; (e) Encouraging transnational and national corporations to operate in a framework of respect for the environment while complying with national laws and legislation, and in accordance with international agreements and conventions, and with proper consideration for the social and cultural impact of their activities; (f) Adopting and implementing long-term strategies to ensure substantial, well-directed public and private investment in the construction and renewal of basic infrastructure, which will benefit people living in poverty and generate employment; (g) Ensuring substantial public and private investment in human resource development and in capacity-building in health and education, as well as in empowerment and participation, especially for people living in poverty or suffering from social exclusion; (h) Supporting and paying special attention to the development of small-scale and micro-enterprises, particularly in rural areas, as well as subsistence economies, to secure their safe interaction with larger economies; (i) Supporting the economic activities of indigenous people, improving their conditions and development, and securing their safe interaction with larger economies; (j) Supporting institutions, programmes and systems to disseminate practical information to promote social progress. 13. Ensuring that fiscal systems and other public policies are geared towards poverty eradication and that they do not generate socially divisive disparities calls for: (a) Enacting rules and regulations and creating a moral and ethical climate that prevents all forms of corruption and exploitation of individuals, families and groups; (b) Promoting fair competition and ethical responsibility in business activities, and enhancing cooperation and interaction among Governments, the private sector and civil society; (c) Ensuring that fiscal and monetary policies promote savings and long-term investment in productive activities in accordance with national priorities and policies; (d) Considering measures to address inequities arising from accumulation of wealth through, inter alia, the use of appropriate taxation at the national level, and to reduce inefficiencies and improve stability in financial markets in accordance with national priorities and policies; (e) Re-examining the distribution of subsidies, inter alia, between industry and agriculture, urban and rural areas, and private and public consumption, to ensure that subsidy systems benefit people living in poverty, especially the vulnerable, and reduce disparities; (f) Promoting international agreements that address effectively issues of double taxation, as well as cross-border tax evasion, in accordance with the priorities and policies of the States concerned, while improving the efficiency and fairness of tax collection; (g) Assisting developing countries, upon their request, to establish efficient and fair tax systems by strengthening the administrative capacity for tax assessment and collection and tax evader prosecution, and to support a more progressive tax system; (h) Assisting countries with economies in transition to establish fair and effective systems of taxation on a solid legal basis, contributing to the socio-economic reforms under way in those countries. V. Implementation and Follow-Up 82. Nothing short of a renewed and massive political will at the national and international levels to invest in people and their well-being will achieve the objectives of social development. Social development and the implementation of the Programme of Action of the Summit are primarily the responsibility of Governments, although international cooperation and assistance are essential for their full implementation. At all levels of implementation, the crucial and essential requirements are: þ The promotion and protection of all human rights and fundamental freedoms, the support for democratic institutions and the empowerment of women; þ The integration of goals, programmes and review mechanisms that have developed separately in response to specific problems; þ Partnership involving States, local authorities, non-governmental organizations, especially voluntary organizations, other major groups as defined in Agenda 21, the media, families and individuals; þ The recognition of the diversity in the world and the need to take measures geared to achieve the Summit's goals; þ The empowerment of people, who are to be assisted so that they fully participate in setting goals, designing programmes, implementing activities and evaluating performance; þ Efforts to mobilize new and additional financial resources that are both adequate and predictable, and are mobilized in a way that maximizes the availability of such resources, and uses all available funding sources and mechanisms, inter alia, multilateral, bilateral and private sources, including on concessional and grant terms; þ Solidarity, extending the concept of partnership and a moral imperative of mutual respect and concern among individuals, communities and nations. Actions A. National strategies, evaluations and reviews 83. The promotion of an integrated approach to the implementation of the Programme of Action at the national level, in accordance with national specificities, requires: (a) Analysing and reviewing macroeconomic, micro-economic and sectoral policies and their impact on poverty, employment, social integration and social development; (b) Enhancing government policies and programmes to promote social development by strengthening the coordination of all efforts by national and international actors, strengthening the efficiency and operational capacity of public management structures, and facilitating the effective and transparent use of resources, taking due account of the recommendations and follow-up to Agenda 21; (c) Assessing the extent, distribution and characteristics of poverty, unemployment, social tensions, and social exclusion, taking measures aiming at eradicating poverty, increasing productive employment and enhancing social integration; (d) Formulating or strengthening, by 1996, comprehensive cross-sectoral strategies for implementing the Summit outcome and national strategies for social development, including government action, actions by States in cooperation with other Governments, international, regional and subregional organizations, and actions taken in partnership and cooperation with actors of civil society, the private sector and cooperatives, with specific responsibilities to be undertaken by each actor and with agreed priorities and time-frames; (e) Integrating social development goals into national development plans, policies and budgets, cutting across traditional sectoral boundaries, with transparency and accountability, and formulated and implemented with the participation of the groups directly affected; (f) Defining time-bound goals and targets for reducing overall poverty and eradicating absolute poverty, expanding employment and reducing unemployment, and enhancing social integration, within each national context; (g) Promoting and strengthening institutional capacity-building for inter-ministerial coordination, intersectoral collaboration, the coordinated allocation of resources and vertical integration from national capitals to local districts; (h) Developing quantitative and qualitative indicators of social development, including, where possible, disaggregation by gender, to assess poverty, employment, social integration and other social factors, to monitor the impact of social policies and programmes, and to find ways to improve the effectiveness of policies and programmes and introduce new programmes; (i) Strengthening implementation and monitoring mechanisms, including arrangements for the participation of civil society in policy-making and implementation and collaboration with international organizations; (j) Regularly assessing national progress towards implementing the outcome of the Summit, possibly in the form of periodic national reports, outlining successes, problems and obstacles. Such reports could be considered within the framework of an appropriate consolidated reporting system, taking into account the different reporting procedures in the economic, social and environmental fields. 84. International support for the formulation of national strategies for social development will require actions by bilateral and multilateral agencies for: (a) Assisting countries to strengthen or rebuild their capacities for formulating, coordinating, implementing and monitoring integrated strategies for social development; (b) Coordinating the assistance provided by different agencies for similar planning processes under other international action plans; (c) Developing improved concepts and programmes for the collection and dissemination of statistics and indicators for social development to facilitate review and policy analysis and provide expertise, advice and support to countries at their request. B. Involvement of civil society [ Up ] 85. Effective implementation of the Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development and the Programme of Action of the Summit requires strengthening community organizations and non-profit non-governmental organizations in the spheres of education, health, poverty, social integration, human rights, improvement of the quality of life, and relief and rehabilitation, enabling them to participate constructively in policy-making and implementation. This will require: (a) Encouraging and supporting the creation and development of such organizations, particularly among the disadvantaged and vulnerable people; (b) Establishing legislative and regulatory frameworks, institutional arrangements and consultative mechanisms for involving such organizations in the design, implementation and evaluation of social development strategies and programmes; (c) Supporting capacity-building programmes for such organizations in critical areas, such as participatory planning, programme design, implementation and evaluation, economic and financial analysis, credit management, research, information and advocacy; (d) Providing resources through such measures as small grant programmes, and technical and other administrative support for initiatives taken and managed at the community level; (e) Strengthening networking and exchange of expertise and experience among such organizations. 86. The contribution of civil society, including the private sector, to social development can be enhanced by: (a) Developing planning and policy-making procedures that facilitate partnership and cooperation between Governments and civil society in social development; (b) Encouraging business enterprises to pursue investment and other policies, including non-commercial activities, that will contribute to social development, especially in relation to the generation of work opportunities, social support services at the workplace, access to productive resources and construction of infrastructure; (c) Enabling and encouraging trade unions to participate in the planning and implementation of social development programmes, especially in relation to the generation of work opportunities under fair conditions, the provision of training, health care and other basic services, and the development of an economic environment that facilitates sustained economic growth and sustainable development; (d) Enabling and encouraging farmers' representative organizations and cooperatives to participate in the formulation and implementation of sustainable agricultural and rural development policies and programmes; (e) Encouraging and facilitating the development of cooperatives, including among people living in poverty or belonging to vulnerable groups; (f) Supporting academic and research institutions, particularly in the developing countries, in their contribution to social development programmes, and facilitating mechanisms for independent, detached, impartial and objective monitoring of social progress, especially through collecting, analysing and disseminating information and ideas about economic and social development; (g) Encouraging educational institutions, the media and other sources of public information and opinion to give special prominence to the challenges of social development and to facilitate widespread and well-informed debate about social policies throughout the community. C. Mobilization of financial resources 87. The implementation of the Copenhagen Declaration and the Programme of Action of the Summit at the national level may require substantial new and additional resources, in both the public and the private sectors. Augmenting the availability of public resources for social development requires at the national level: (a) Implementing macroeconomic and micro-economic policies in accordance with national priorities and policies, aimed at encouraging greater domestic savings and investment required for public spending, through progressive, fair and economically efficient taxes that are cognizant of sustainable development concerns, and through cutting back on subsidies that do not benefit the poor; (b) Reducing, as appropriate, excessive military expenditures and investments for arms production and acquisition, consistent with national security requirements, in order to increase resources for social and economic development; (c) Giving high priority to social development in the allocation of public spending and ensuring predictable funding for the relevant programmes; (d) Ensuring that the resources for social development are available at the level of administration that is responsible for formulating and implementing the relevant programmes; (e) Increasing the effective and transparent utilization of public resources, reducing waste and combating corruption, and concentrating on the areas of greatest social need; (f) Developing innovative sources of funding, both public and private, for social programmes, and creating a supportive environment for the mobilization of resources by civil society for social development, including beneficiary contributions and individual voluntary contributions. 88. Implementation of the Declaration and the Programme of Action in developing countries, in particular in Africa and the least developed countries, will need additional financial resources and more effective development cooperation and assistance. This will require: (a) Translating the commitments of the Summit into financial implications for social development programmes in developing countries, particularly Africa and the least developed countries; (b) Striving for the fulfilment of the agreed target of 0.7 per cent of gross national product for overall official development assistance (ODA) as soon as possible, and increasing the share of funding for social development programmes, commensurate with the scope and scale of activities required to achieve the objectives and goals of the Declaration and Programme of Action; (c) Agreeing on a mutual commitment between interested developed and developing country partners to allocate, on average, 20 per cent of ODA and 20 per cent of the national budget, respectively, to basic social programmes; (d) Giving high priority in ODA to the eradication of poverty in developing countries, in particular in Africa, low-income countries in Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the least developed countries; (e) Providing assistance for social-sector activities, such as the rehabilitation and development of social infrastructure, including in the form of grants or soft loans; (f) Implementing the commitments of the international community to the special needs and vulnerabilities of the small island developing States, in particular by providing effective means, including adequate, predictable, new and additional resources for social development programmes, in accordance with the Declaration of Barbados 3/ and on the basis of the relevant provisions of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States; (g) Providing international support and assistance to the land-locked developing countries in their efforts to implement the outcome of the Summit, taking into account the challenges and problems characteristic to those countries; (h) Giving preference, wherever possible, to the utilization of competent national experts or, where necessary, of competent experts from within the subregion or region or from other developing countries, in project and programme design, preparation and implementation, and to the building of local expertise where it does not exist; (i) Exploring ways and means to strengthen support and expand South-South cooperation based on partnership between developing and developed countries, as well as enhanced cooperation among developing countries; (j) Maximizing project and programme efficiency by keeping overhead costs to a minimum; (k) Developing economic policies to promote and mobilize domestic savings and attract external resources for productive investment, and seeking innovative sources of funding, both public and private, for social programmes, while ensuring their effective utilization; (l) Monitoring the impact of trade liberalization on progress made in developing countries to meet basic human needs, giving particular attention to new initiatives to expand the access of developing countries to international markets; (m) Encouraging direct cooperation to promote joint ventures, including in the sector of social programmes and infrastructure; (n) Encouraging recipient Governments to strengthen their national coordination mechanisms for international cooperation in social development and to ensure the effective use of international assistance so as to assist donors to secure commitment to further resources for national action plans; (o) Inviting multilateral and bilateral donors to consult with a view to coordinating their financing policies and planning procedures in order to improve the impact, complementarity and cost-effectiveness of their contributions to the achievement of the objectives of social development programmes of developing countries. 89. Implementation of the Copenhagen Declaration and the Programme of Action of the Summit in countries with economies in transition will require continued international cooperation and assistance. To this end, there is a need to: (a) Assess the financial implications of the commitments of the Summit for social development programmes in countries with economies in transition; (b) Enhance technical and financial assistance for the implementation of programmes of macroeconomic stabilization in order to ensure sustained economic growth and sustainable development; (c) Support and encourage transformations in the field of human resources development; (d) Invite multilateral and bilateral donors to consult with a view to coordinating their financing policies and planning procedures in order to improve the impact of their contribution to the achievement of the objectives of social development programmes of countries with economies in transition. 90. Substantial debt reduction is needed to enable developing countries to implement the Declaration and Programme of Action. Building on, inter alia, the momentum from the July 1994 meeting of the seven major industrialized countries in Naples and the October 1994 meeting of the governors of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, further progress can be made by: (a) Inviting the international community, including the international financial institutions, to continue to explore ways of implementing additional and innovative measures to alleviate substantially the debt burdens of developing countries, in particular of the highly indebted low-income countries, in order to help them to achieve sustained economic growth and sustainable development without falling into a new debt crisis; (b) Adopting measures to substantially reduce the bilateral debts of the least developed countries, in particular the countries of Africa, as soon as possible, and exploring other innovative approaches to managing and alleviating the onerous debts and debt service burdens of other developing countries as soon as possible; (c) Giving special consideration to those developing countries in which multilateral debt constitutes an important part of their total debt in order to seek a durable solution to this increasing problem; (d) Encouraging the possibilities of debt swaps for social development, with the resources released by debt cancellation or reduction to be invested in social development programmes, without prejudice to more durable solutions, such as debt reduction and/or cancellation; (e) Mobilizing the resources of the Debt Reduction Facility of the International Development Association in order to help eligible developing countries to reduce their commercial debt; considering alternative mechanisms to complement that Facility; (f) Inviting creditor countries, private banks and multilateral financial institutions, within their prerogatives, to consider continuing the initiatives and efforts to address the commercial debt problems of the least developed countries and of low and middle-income developing countries; to consider the extension of appropriate new financial support to the low-income countries with substantial debt burdens that continue, at great cost, to service debt and meet their international obligations; to continue to explore ways of implementing additional and innovative measures to substantially alleviate the debt burdens of developing countries, in particular of the highly indebted low-income countries, in order to help them achieve sustained economic growth and sustainable development without falling into a new debt crisis. 91. In order to ensure that structural adjustment programmes include social development goals, in particular the eradication of poverty, the generation of productive employment and the enhancement of social integration, Governments, in cooperation with the international financial institutions and other international organizations, should: (a) Protect basic social programmes and expenditures, in particular those affecting the poor and vulnerable segments of society, from budget reductions; (b) Review the impact of structural adjustment programmes on social development by means of gender-sensitive social-impact assessments and other relevant methods, and develop policies to reduce their negative effects and improve their positive impact; (c) Further promote policies enabling small enterprises, cooperatives and other forms of micro-enterprises to develop their capacities for income generation and employment creation. 92. International financial institutions should contribute to the mobilization of resources for the implementation of the Declaration and Programme of Action. To this end, the relevant institutions are urged to take the following measures: (a) The World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the regional and subregional development banks and funds, and all other international finance organizations should further integrate social development goals in their policies, programmes and operations, including by giving higher priority to social-sector lending, where applicable, in their lending programmes; (b) The Bretton Woods institutions and other organizations and bodies of the United Nations system should work together with concerned countries to improve policy dialogues and develop new initiatives to ensure that structural adjustment programmes promote sustained economic and social development, with particular attention to their impact on people living in poverty and vulnerable groups; (c) The United Nations, in cooperation with the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and other multilateral development institutions, should study the impact of structural adjustment programmes on economic and social development and assist adjusting countries in creating conditions for economic growth, job creation, poverty eradication and social development. 93. In addition to augmenting the flow of resources through established channels, relevant United Nations bodies, in particular the Economic and Social Council, should be requested to consider new and innovative ideas for generating funds and, for this purpose, to offer any useful suggestions. D. The role of the United Nations system [ Up ] 94. A framework for international cooperation must be developed in the context of the agenda for development 28/ in order to ensure the integrated and comprehensive implementation, follow-up and assessment of the outcome of the Summit, together with the results of other recent and planned United Nations conferences related to social development, in particular the World Summit for Children, the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, the World Conference on Human Rights, the Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States, the International Conference on Population and Development, the Fourth World Conference on Women, and the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II). At the international level, as at the national, the financial and organizational implications of the commitments, goals and targets should be assessed, priorities established, and budgets and work programmes planned. 95. With regard to the consideration of social development at the intergovernmental level, special consideration should be given to the roles of the General Assembly and of the Economic and Social Council. To this end: (a) The General Assembly, as the highest intergovernmental mechanism, is the principal policy-making and appraisal organ on matters relating to the follow-up to the Summit. The Assembly should include the follow-up to the Summit in its agenda as an item entitled "Implementation of the outcome of the World Summit for Social Development". In 1996, it should review the effectiveness of the steps taken to implement the outcome of the Summit with regard to poverty eradication, as part of the activities relating to the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty; (b) The General Assembly should hold a special session in the year 2000 for an overall review and appraisal of the implementation of the outcome of the Summit, and should consider further action and initiatives; (c) The General Assembly, at its fiftieth session, should declare the first United Nations decade for the eradication of poverty, following the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty (1996), with a view to its considering further initiatives on the eradication of poverty; (d) The General Assembly, as well as the Economic and Social Council, could convene meetings of high-level representatives to promote international dialogue on critical social issues and on policies for addressing them through international cooperation; (e) The General Assembly should draw upon the initial work of the agenda for development working group on a common framework for the implementation of the outcome of conferences; (f) The Economic and Social Council, in the context of its role under the Charter of the United Nations vis-a`-vis the General Assembly and in accordance with Assembly resolutions 45/264, 46/235 and 48/162, would oversee system-wide coordination in the implementation of the Summit outcome and make recommendations in this regard. It should look at ways to strengthen, consistent with the mandates of the Charter of the United Nations, the role and authority, structures, resources and processes of the Council, bringing specialized agencies into a closer working relationship with the Council so that it can review progress made towards implementing the outcome of the Summit as well as improving the Council's effectiveness. The Council, at its substantive session of 1995, should be invited to review the mandate, agenda and composition of the Commission for Social Development, including considerations of the strengthening of the Commission, taking into account the need for synergy with other related commissions and conference follow-up. The Council should also draw upon any initial work completed by that time on a common framework for the implementation of conference outcomes (see paras. 94 and 95 (e) above). The Council should also be invited to review the reporting system in the area of social development with a view to establishing a coherent system that would result in clear policy recommendations for Governments and international actors; (g) Within the framework of the discussions on an agenda for development and the discussions of the Economic and Social Council at its coordination segment of 1995 on a common framework for the implementation of the outcome of United Nations conferences in the economic and social fields, consideration should be given to the possibility of holding joint meetings of the Council and the Development Committee of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. The Secretary-General and the heads of IMF, the World Bank, ILO, the United Nations funds and programmes, and other relevant agencies should consider the possibility of holding joint meetings for the purpose of considering the implementation of the Declaration and the Programme of Action prior to the Development Committee sessions; (h) To promote implementation of the outcomes at the regional and subregional levels, the regional commissions, in cooperation with the regional intergovernmental organizations and banks, could convene, on a biennial basis, a meeting at a high political level to review progress made towards implementing the outcome of the Summit, exchange views on their respective experiences and adopt the appropriate measures. The regional commissions should report to the Council on the outcome of such meetings through the appropriate mechanisms; (i) The important role of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in monitoring those aspects of the Declaration and Programme of Action that relate to compliance, by States Parties, with the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights should be emphasized. 96. The United Nations system should provide technical cooperation and other forms of assistance to the developing countries, in particular in Africa and the least developed countries, in implementing the Declaration and Programme of Action. To this end: (a) The United Nations system, including the technical and sectoral agencies and the Bretton Woods institutions, should expand and improve their cooperation in the field of social development to ensure that their efforts are complementary and, where possible, should combine resources in joint initiatives for social development built around common objectives of the Summit; (b) In order to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of United Nations organizations in providing support for social development efforts at the national level, and to enhance their capacity to serve the objectives of the Summit, there is a need to renew, reform and revitalize the various parts of the United Nations system, in particular its operational activities. All specialized agencies and related organizations of the United Nations system are invited to strengthen and adjust their activities, programmes and medium-term strategies, as appropriate, to take into account the follow-up to the Summit. Relevant governing bodies should review their policies, programmes, budgets and activities in this regard; (c) The Administrative Committee on Coordination should consider how its participating entities might best coordinate their activities to implement the objectives of the Summit; (d) Regular reports on their plans and programmes related to implementation should be provided to the appropriate forums by United Nations funds and programmes and the specialized agencies. 97. The United Nations system should consider and provide appropriate technical cooperation and other forms of assistance to the countries with economies in transition. To this end: (a) The respective United Nations bodies should assist the efforts of those countries in designing and implementing social development programmes; (b) The United Nations Development Programme should continue to undertake efforts to support the implementation of the social development programmes, taking into account the specific needs of the countries with economies in transition; (c) The organizations and bodies of the United Nations system, including the technical and sectoral agencies, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, should continue their cooperation in the field of social development of countries with economies in transition. 98. The implementation of the Copenhagen Declaration and the Programme of Action of the Summit will involve many entities of the United Nations system. In order to ensure coherence in this effort, the General Assembly should give consideration to: (a) Promoting and strengthening the coordination of United Nations system activities, the Bretton Woods institutions and the World Trade Organization at the global, regional and national levels in the area of economic and social development programmes, including, inter alia, through reports to and meetings in coordination with the Economic and Social Council; (b) Inviting the World Trade Organization to consider how it might contribute to the implementation of the Programme of Action, including activities in cooperation with the United Nations system; (c) Requesting the International Labour Organization, which because of its mandate, tripartite structures and expertise has a special role to play in the field of employment and social development, to contribute to the implementation of the Programme of Action; (d) Requesting the Secretary-General to ensure effective coordination of the implementation of the Declaration and Programme of Action. 99. United Nations operational activities for development should be strengthened in order to implement the Summit outcome, in accordance with relevant resolutions, particularly General Assembly resolution 47/199, and to this end: (a) The United Nations Development Programme should organize United Nations system efforts towards capacity-building at the local, national and regional levels, and should support the coordinated implementation of social development programmes through its network of field offices; (b) Coordination at the country level should be improved through the resident coordinator system to take full account of the Copenhagen Declaration and the Programme of Action of the Summit and related international agreements; (c) The United Nations system should encourage and assist South-South cooperation and technical cooperation among developing countries, at all levels, as an important instrument for social development and the implementation of the Programme of Action; (d) United Nations development efforts should be supported by a substantial increase in resources for operational activities for development on a predictable, continuous and assured basis, commensurate with the increasing needs of developing countries, as stated in resolution 47/199; (e) The United Nations system's capacity for gathering and analysing information and developing indicators of social development should be strengthened, taking into account the work carried out by different countries, in particular by developing countries. The capacity of the United Nations system for providing policy and technical support and advice, upon request, to improve national capacities in this regard should also be strengthened. 100. The support and participation of major groups as defined in Agenda 21 are essential to the success of the implementation of the Programme of Action. To ensure the commitment of these groups, they must be involved in planning, elaboration, implementation and evaluation at both the national and the international levels. To this end, mechanisms are needed to support, promote and allow their effective participation in all relevant United Nations bodies, including the mechanisms responsible for reviewing the implementation of the Programme of Action. Notes [ Up ] 1/ See The Results of the Uruguay Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations: The Legal Texts (Geneva, GATT secretariat, 1994). 2/ Report of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, Rio de Janeiro, 3-14 June 1992, vol. I, Resolutions Adopted by the Conference (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.93.I.8), resolution 1, annex II. 3/ Report of the Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States, Bridgetown, Barbados, 25 April-6 May 1994 (United Nations publication, Sales No. 94.I.18), resolution 1, annex II. 4/ General Assembly resolution 46/151, annex, sect. III. 5/ Report of the Second United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries, Paris, 3-14 September 1990 (A/CONF.147/18), part one. 6/ General Assembly resolution 217 A (III). 7/ See First Call for Children (New York, United Nations Children's Fund, 1990). 8/ General Assembly resolution 2625 (XXV), annex. 9/ General Assembly resolution 41/128, annex. 10/ Report of the World Conference on Human Rights, Vienna, 14-25 June 1993 (A/CONF.157/24 (Part I)), chap. III. 11/ Report of the International Conference on Population and Development, Cairo, 5-13 September 1994 (A/CONF.171/13 and Add.1), chap. I, resolution 1, annex. 12/ See General Assembly resolution 48/183. 13/ General Assembly resolution 2200 A (XXI), annex. 14/ General Assembly resolution 43/181. 15/ General Assembly resolution 45/158, annex. 16/ General Assembly resolution 48/104. 17/ General Assembly resolution 2106 A (XX), annex. 18/ General Assembly resolution 34/180, annex. 19/ Report of the World Conference to Review and Appraise the Achievements of the United Nations Decade for Women: Equality, Development and Peace, Nairobi, 15-26 July 1985 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.85.IV.10), chap. I, sect. A. 20/ General Assembly resolution 48/96, annex. 21/ General Assembly resolution 46/91, annex. 22/ See A/47/339, sect. III. 23/ See Report of the World Assembly on Ageing, Vienna, 26 July- 6 August 1992 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.82.I.16), chap. VI. 24/ See General Assembly resolution 40/14 and A/40/256, annex. 25/ United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 189 (1954), No. 2545. 26/ Ibid., vol. 606 (1970), No. 8791. 27/ See General Assembly resolution 44/25, annex. 28/ See A/48/935 and An Agenda for Development (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.95.I.16). Commission on Social Development (CsocDev) 1996 Chapter III. Substantive theme: Strategies and actions for the eradication of poverty 1. The Commission for Social Development considered item 4 of its agenda at its 3rd to 8th, 10th to 13th and 15th meetings, on 22 to 24, 29 to 31 May 1996. 2. For its consideration of the item, the Commission had before it the following documents: (a) Report of the Secretary-General on policy and programme considerations in the formulation of integrated strategies for poverty eradication, meeting the basic human needs of all and promotion of self-reliance and community-based initiatives (E/CN.5/1996/3); (b) Statement by non-governmental organizations in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council (E/CN.5/1996/NGO/1). 3. At the 3rd meeting, on 22 May, the Officer-in-Charge for the Division for Social Policy and Development of the Department for Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development made an introductory statement. 4. At the same meeting, statements were made by the representatives of Egypt, Norway, China, Austria, Peru, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ukraine, the Republic of Korea, Belarus, the Philippines and the United States of America. 5. At the same meeting, the observers for Italy (on behalf of the States Members of the United Nations that are members of the European Union, as well as the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Romania and Slovakia), Haiti, Jamaica and Cuba made statements. 6. At the 4th meeting, on 22 May, the Commission began the first of a series of panel discussions. The following experts addressed the Commission: Gerry Rodgers (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland), Roberto Bissio (Uruguay), Valimohamed Jamal (Kenya), Louis Emmerij (Netherlands) and Pasuk Phongpaichit (Thailand). 7. At the same meeting, the observer for the Organization of the Islamic Conference made a statement. 8. At the 5th meeting, on 23 May, the Commission held its second panel discussion. The following experts addressed the Commission: Jan Vandemoortele (United Nations Children's Fund), Leonor Briones (Philippines), Kerstin Trone (United Nations Population Fund) and Yao Graham (Ghana). 9. At the same meeting, statements were made by the representative of Argentina and the observer for India. 10. At the 6th meeting, on 23 May, the Commission held its third panel discussion. The following experts addressed the Commission: Huguette Redegeld (France), Kasa Pangu (United Nations Children's Fund), Caroline Pezzullo (United States of America), Atila Roque (Brazil) and Else Oyen (Norway). 11. At the same meeting, the representative of the Dominican Republic made a statement. 12. Also at the same meeting, the observers for the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions and the International Council on Social Welfare, non-governmental organizations in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council, category I, and the International Catholic Child Bureau, category II, made statements. 13. At the 7th meeting, on 24 May, statements were made by the representatives of Chile, the Philippines, Venezuela, the Russian Federation, Ethiopia, Belarus, Gabon, Co^te d'Ivoire, Mongolia and the Sudan and the observers for Kazakstan, Algeria, South Africa, Indonesia and Pakistan. 14. At the same meeting, the representatives of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the United Nations Development Programme made statements. 15. Also at the same meeting, the observers for the American Association of Retired Persons and Franciscans International, non-governmental organizations in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council, category I, and the Ambekdar Centre for Justice and Peace, a non-governmental organization accredited to the World Summit for Social Development, made statements. 16. At the 8th meeting, on 24 May, the representatives of Bolivia and Ukraine made statements. 17. At the same meeting, the representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights made a statement. 18. At the 10th meeting, on 29 May, the Chairperson of the Working Group on Poverty Eradication made a statement. 19. At the 11th meeting, on 29 May, the Under-Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development made a statement. 20. At the same meeting, the chairpersons of the inter-agency task forces on follow-up to international conferences addressed the Commission: Katherine Hagen (Chairperson of the Task Force on Employment and Sustainable Livelihoods), Mark Malloch Brown (Chairperson of the Task Force on the Enabling Environment for Social and Economic Development), Colin Power (Chairperson of the Task Force on Basic Social Services for All), and Rosario Green (Chairperson of the Inter-Agency Committee on Women and Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Gender Issues). The Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme acted as Moderator. 21. At the same meeting, statements were made by the representatives of the Sudan, Chile, Argentina, the Netherlands, Ukraine and Benin and the observers for the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Mexico, Jamaica and Canada. 22. At the 12th meeting, on 30 May, the Chairperson of the Working Group on Poverty Eradication made a statement. Action taken by the Commission Strategies and actions for the eradication of poverty 23. At the 13th meeting, on 30 May, Mr. Sten Arne Rosnes (Norway), in his capacity as Chairperson of the Working Group on Poverty Eradication introduced a draft resolution (E/CN.5/1996/L.4) entitled "Strategies and actions for the eradication of poverty", which read as follows: "The Commission for Social Development, "Recalling General Assembly resolution 50/161 of 22 December 1995 on the implementation of the outcome of the World Summit for Social Development, "Recalling also General Assembly resolution 49/110 of 19 December 1994 and other relevant resolutions of the Assembly related to international cooperation for the eradication of poverty in developing countries as well as Assembly resolution 50/107 of 20 December 1995 on the observance of the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty and proclamation of the first United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty, "Recalling further Economic and Social Council resolution 1995/60 of 28 July 1995 and Council decision 1995/324 of 12 December 1995, both related to the special session of the Commission for Social Development in 1996, "Recognizing that broad-based and sustained economic growth in the context of sustainable development is necessary to sustain social development and social justice, particularly as regards efforts to eradicate poverty, "Alt. 1: Recognizing also that poverty is a global problem affecting all countries, in particular developing countries, and that the complexity of poverty requires the implementation and integration of policies and strategies as well as a wide range of measures and actions at the local, national, regional and international levels, "Alt. 2: Recognizing also that poverty is a global problem affecting all countries and that the multidimensional nature of poverty requires a comprehensive and integrated approach to poverty eradication (in the national and international domains), "Recalling that (, while) the main responsibility for the formulation and implementation of the strategies, policies, programmes and actions required to (combat/eradicate) poverty rests primarily at the national level (, there is also an urgent need for stronger international cooperation and the support of international institutions to assist countries in their efforts to eradicate poverty and to provide basic social protection and services) (, they cannot be successfully achieved without the collective commitment and efforts of the international community), "Reaffirming that the role of the State and the commitment of Governments are of fundamental importance in combating poverty and in improving living conditions, and that Governments should focus their efforts and policies on addressing the root causes of poverty and providing for the basic needs of all, "Recognizing that over one billion people in the world today live under unacceptable conditions of poverty, mostly in developing countries, and particularly in rural areas of low-income Asia and the Pacific, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the least developed countries, (and recognizing also that people living in absolute poverty, particularly women, are on the increase,) resulting in limited access, inter alia, to income, resources, education, health care, nutrition, shelter, sanitation and safe water (, and that in all developing countries, particularly in Africa and in the least developed countries, the same trends are observed in other regions), "Alt. 1: Recognizing also that mainstreaming a gender perspective into all policies and programmes aimed at combating poverty and that empowerment of women will be critical factors in the eradication of poverty, since women constitute the majority of people living in poverty, "Alt. 2: Recognizing also that mainstreaming a gender perspective into all policies and programmes aimed at eradicating poverty and that empowerment of women, who constitute the majority of people living in poverty, is crucial in the eradication of poverty, "Recognizing further that the eradication of illiteracy, the universalization of basic education and the access to education for all are essential in the eradication of poverty, "Alt. 1: Reaffirming that the strengthening of the family is essential to the eradication of poverty, "Alt. 2: Recognizing further that the (economic and political) empowerment of families and their individual members is an indispensable strategy in combating poverty, "Recognizing further that the media have an important role to play in promoting awareness of the complex issues surrounding poverty, "Stressing the necessity for promoting and implementing policies and strategies to create a supportive external economic environment, through, inter alia, cooperation in the formulation and implementation of macroeconomic policies, trade liberalization, mobilization and/or provision of new and additional financial resources that are both adequate and predictable and mobilized in such a way as to maximize the availability of such resources for sustainable development, using all available funding sources and mechanisms, enhanced financial stability and ensuring of increased access of developing countries to global markets, productive investment and technologies, and appropriate knowledge, "Considering that the international community at the highest political level has already reached a consensus and committed itself to the eradication of poverty in the major United Nations conferences and summits organized since 1990, "Having considered the report of the Secretary-General on policy and programme considerations in the formulation of integrated strategies for poverty eradication, meeting the basic human needs of all and promotion of self-reliance and community-based initiatives (E/CN.5/1996/3), "Noting the discussions that took place on this issue during the panel discussions and the discussion with representatives of inter- agency task forces on the follow-up to international conferences and summits, "Recalling that the commitment to the goal of eradicating poverty in the world, through decisive national actions and international cooperation, is an ethical, social, political and economic imperative of humankind, "1. Reaffirms that all States and all people shall cooperate in the essential task of eradicating poverty as an indispensable requirement for sustainable development, in order to decrease the disparities in standards of living and better meet the needs of the majority of people of the world; "2. Stresses that stronger political will, at the national and international levels, is a prerequisite of the eradication of poverty; "3. Recognizes that it is helpful to set achievable output-oriented targets for efforts to eradicate poverty in order to provide a common vision for all countries; "4. Stresses that (reducing/eradicating) poverty can be achieved (in each country only) on the basis of a (clear and lasting/strong) political will (of the State based on national consensus/at the national and international levels) and directed in particular towards promoting more equitable distribution of the benefits of growth and equal access to productive resources and social services; "5. Recognizes that the eradication of poverty is both a complex and a multidimensional issue, fundamental to promoting equality between men and women as well as to reinforcing peace and achieving social and economic development; "6. Alt. 1: Urges Governments to integrate goals and targets for combating poverty into overall economic and social policies and planning at the local, national and, where appropriate, subregional and regional levels; "6. Alt. 2: Urges Governments to integrate poverty eradication strategies into overall development policies within the context of a people-centred and equitable process in which the ultimate goal of economic and social policies must be to better the human condition, through responding to the needs and maximizing the potential of all members of society; "7. Reaffirms that democracy, transparent and accountable (Government/governance) and administration (in all sectors of society/at all levels), as well as non-discrimination, tolerance and mutual respect for and valuing of diversity, and (respect for and promotion of/promotion of and respect for) human rights and fundamental freedoms, are also imperative for poverty eradication strategies; "8. Emphasizes the crucial importance of reinforcing the means and capacities for people to participate in the formulation and implementation of social and economic policies and programmes through decentralization and open management of public institutions; [ Up ] "9. Recognizes the central role that women play in the eradication of poverty, and stresses the need for their full and equal participation in the formulation and implementation of policies that take fully into account the gender perspective and that empower women to be full partners in development; "10. Alt. 1: Emphasizes that strategies for poverty eradication shall consist, inter alia, of a combination of efforts to enhance human resources development, with a special focus on girls and women, and to create economic opportunities by appropriate macroeconomic and micro-economic policies, including facilitating of the access of people living in poverty to resources; "10. Alt. 2: Reaffirms that human resources development is an essential part of poverty reduction strategies, which should also be based on the strengthening of the productive capacities of the poor, inter alia, through the promotion of (demand-driven training for) job-creating activities and wider access to productive resources, as well as through the stimulation of productive employment, labour- intensive (programmes or policies) development and improvements in productivity; "11. Stresses the need to periodically monitor, assess and share information on the performance of poverty eradication plans, evaluate policies to combat poverty, and promote an understanding and awareness of poverty and its causes and consequences; "12. Recognizes that the role of the State in poverty eradication strategies is fundamental, in particular through applying active social policies and creating an enabling environment, inter alia, for the development of the private sector, including small and medium-sized enterprises; "13. Alt. 1: Stresses that Governments, in partnership with all other development actors, including people living in poverty and their organizations, should cooperate to meet the basic human needs of all, comprising, inter alia, income, resources, education, health care, nutrition, shelter, sanitation and safe water, in particular of people living in poverty and vulnerable and disadvantaged groups; "13. Alt. 2: Stresses that Government, in partnership with civil society, including non-governmental organizations, and with people living in poverty and their organizations, should cooperate to meet the basic needs of all, inter alia, and in particular, people living in poverty and vulnerable and disadvantaged groups; "14. Also stresses the need for strategies to address not only inadequate income, but also other factors, such as lack of access to resources and basic social services, and social exclusion; "15. Reaffirms that the satisfaction of basic human needs is an essential element of poverty reduction, these needs being closely interrelated and comprising nutrition, health, water and sanitation, education, employment, housing, and participation in cultural and social life; "16. Emphasizes that strategies for the eradication of poverty at the national and international levels and the provision of basic human needs should be formulated and implemented with the human being at their core, regardless of any political, economic, social or cultural considerations; "17. Recommends that the relationship between meeting the basic needs of all and creating a stable legal framework, on the one hand, and that between, inter alia, globalization and trade liberalization, on the other hand, be examined; "18. Stresses the long-term nature of poverty eradication strategies and the need for their continuous application; "19. Recommends that States consider more operational ways of integrating a social exclusion concept into the design of global strategies for eradicating poverty, notably through human rights, democracy, good governance and administration, a stable legal framework, participation in decision-making, non-discrimination, tolerance and mutual respect for and valuing of diversity, universal access to basic social services and adequate social protection; "20. Urges Governments to formulate and strengthen national strategies for the eradication of illiteracy and the universalization of basic education, and encourages international organizations, in particular the international financial institutions, to support these objectives in integrating them into policy programmes and operations as appropriate; "21. Emphasizes that Governments might consider introducing, within a comprehensive framework geared to national needs and capacities, various ad hoc measures initiated at different times to deal with specific forms of poverty, progressively implemented and aimed at enhancing the capacity of people living in poverty to become economically and socially productive members of society; "22. Stresses the need for a partnership between donor and recipient countries in which they commit themselves to addressing the issue of poverty eradication in a more cooperative manner; "23. Emphasizes the fundamental importance of strengthening the abilities and opportunities of civil society and local communities to develop their own organizations, resources and activities, as well as ensuring an open dialogue between Governments and citizens or community groups; "24. Also emphasizes the importance of (institutional) capacity- building in poverty eradication strategies; "25. Further emphasizes that the adoption and implementation of measures to substantially alleviate the external debt of developing countries, in particular African countries and the least developed countries, should contribute to the eradication of poverty; "26. Alt. 1: Calls upon the international community to fulfil the agreed target of 0.7 per cent of gross national product for overall official development assistance as soon as possible, and increase the share of funding for social development programmes, as commensurate with the scope and scale of activities required to achieve the objectives and goals of the Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development and Programme of Action of the World Summit for Social Development to eradicate poverty; "26. Alt. 2: Calls upon the international community to strive for the fulfilment of the agreed target of 0.7 per cent of gross national product for overall official development assistance as soon as possible, and increase the share of funding for social development programmes, as commensurate with the scope and scale of activities required to achieve the objectives and goals of the Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development and Programme of Action of the World Summit for Social Development; "27. Also calls upon the international community to mobilize new and additional financial resources that are both adequate and predictable and mobilized in such a way as to maximize the availability of such resources and use all available funding sources and mechanisms, inter alia, multilateral, bilateral and private sources, including (, as mutually agreed,) on concessional and grant terms; "28. Reaffirms the agreement on a mutual commitment between interested developed and developing country partners to allocate, on average, 20 per cent of official development assistance and 20 per cent of the national budget, respectively, to basic social programmes; "29. Calls upon all States and the international community to encourage and support local community development projects that foster the skill, self-reliance and self-confidence of people living in poverty and that facilitate their active participation in efforts to eradicate poverty; "30. Stresses that international cooperation and assistance are essential for the full implementation of the Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development and Programme of Action of the World Summit for Social Development; "31. Also stresses that the reduction of poverty in countries with economies in transition requires the assistance of members of the international community in developing their social protection systems and social policies; "32. Recalls that the United Nations system shall strengthen existing structures for coordination of actions relating to poverty eradication, including the establishment of a focal point for information exchange and the formulation and implementation of replicable pilot projects to eradicate poverty; "33. Alt. 1: Invites all relevant specialized agencies, funds, programmes and related organizations of the United Nations system, including the Bretton Woods institutions, to strengthen and adjust their activities, programmes and strategies, as appropriate, with a view to achieving the overall goal of eradicating poverty, meeting the basic human needs of all and promoting self-reliance and community-based initiatives, through, inter alia, financial and technical support to developing countries in their efforts to translate all measures, recommendations and commitment into operational and concrete programmes, projects and activities; "33. Alt. 2: Stresses that the international community, and the United Nations system, including the Bretton Woods institutions, should fulfil the commitments they have made pursuant to chapter V of the Programme of Action of the World Summit for Social Development, in support of national efforts of developing countries towards the eradication of poverty; "34. Reaffirms that the international financial institutions should contribute to the mobilization of resources for the implementation of the Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development and Programme of Action of the World Summit for Social Development by further integrating social development goals into their policies, programmes and operations (in support of national efforts of developing countries); "35. Invites the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme to consider so extending the duration of the eradication of poverty fund as to cover the period of the first United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty (1997-2006), in order to help developing countries, in particular African countries and the least developed countries, in the elaboration of national plans or programmes to eradicate poverty as well as in the formulation and implementation of replicable projects to combat poverty; "36. Calls upon all States (, in particular donor countries,) to contribute substantially to the Trust Fund for the Follow-up to the World Summit for Social Development, which includes in its activities those related to the first United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty; "37. Requests the Secretary-General, in elaborating the report on action envisaged to be taken by the United Nations system in preparation for the first United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty, to be submitted to the General Assembly at its fifty-first session, to propose specific activities for each year of the Decade in order to facilitate the follow-up to and evaluation of such activities; "38. Also requests the Secretary-General to report on the implementation of the present resolution within the framework of his report on action envisaged to be taken in preparation for the first United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty, to be submitted to the General Assembly at its fifty-first session, and to report thereon also to the Commission at its next session." In introducing the draft resolution, the Chairperson of the Working Group orally revised it. 24. At the 15th meeting, on 31 May, the Chairperson of the Working Group further orally revised the draft resolution. 25. The meeting was suspended. When the meeting resumed, the Chairperson of the Working Group informed the Commission of the revisions to the draft resolution agreed upon during informal consultations. 26. The Commission then adopted the draft resolution, as further orally revised (see chap. I, sect. C, Commission resolution S-1996/1). Chairman's summary of the panel discussions and the dialogue with chairpersons of inter-agency task forces on follow-up to international conferences 27. At the 15th meeting, on 31 May, statements were made by the representatives of the Sudan, Egypt, the Islamic Republic of Iran and China and the observer for Jamaica. 28. At the same meeting, the Commission agreed that the following text would be included in the report of the Commission: "The Commission held three panel meetings with invited experts (22 and 23 May 1996) and a dialogue with the chairpersons of the ACC inter-agency task forces on follow-up to international conferences (29 May 1996), on issues related to agenda item 4 (Strategies and actions for the eradication of poverty). "The principal elements emerging from the discussions were summarized by the Chairman of the Commission. This text was presented to the members of the Commission and the Chairman received comments from various delegations that were accommodated in the summary. However, the text was not negotiated nor was it adopted by the Commission." 29. At the same meeting, the Commission decided to include the Chairperson's summary of the panel discussions and the dialogue with the chairpersons of inter-agency task forces in the report of the Commission (see chap. I, sect. C, Commission decision S-1996/102). The summary reads as follows: "STRATEGIES AND ACTIONS FOR THE ERADICATION OF POVERTY: CHAIRMAN'S SUMMARY OF THE PANEL DISCUSSIONS AND THE DIALOGUE WITH CHAIRPERSONS OF INTER-AGENCY TASK FORCES ON FOLLOW-UP TO INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES "A. Summary of the panel discussions "1. An essential characteristic of the Copenhagen Declaration and Programme of Action adopted by the World Summit for Social Development is its recognition of the interrelated nature of three core issues of social development: eradication of poverty, enhancement of productive employment and promotion of social integration. The historic commitment to eradicate poverty represents a moral, political and economic imperative for the international community to act, at all levels, to strengthen policies, programmes and institutions to fight poverty. "1. The international enabling environment "(a) Macro strategies "2. There may be any number of micro-level strategies to fight poverty, but in the absence of effective macroeconomic policies they are unlikely to be effective. Sectoral policies and programmes aiming to eradicate poverty may be offset or undermined by fiscal or monetary policies which can lead to greater poverty. Increasingly, the arena for implementing effective macroeconomic policy is global, requiring attention and action by major global organizations such as the World Bank, the World Trade Organization and multinational corporations. "(b) Relieving the burden of debt and structural adjustment "3. These fundamental questions of policy remain to be resolved satisfactorily. Debt-servicing continues to require enormous resources in many developing countries, resources which could be utilized for the implementation and operationalization of social programmes (the choice of directing resources remains a governmental prerogative). "4. Structural adjustment policies, particularly in Africa, have often been based on false assumptions about the nature of the problems many countries face. The cause of African economic stagnation was thought to be 'urban bias' in the labour market and in the provision of social services, at the expense of farmers and exporters of commodities. Structural adjustment policies aiming at devaluation and promotion of commodity exports was expected to unleash the potential of these countries for economic growth. However, faced with declining commodity prices, as well as increased competition from other countries all following the same export-oriented strategies, many countries have found that liberalized trade regimes have not led to increased growth but to deindustrialization and an impoverished urban working class. "5. Structural adjustment policies have generally ignored the distinct differences among countries and sought to impose standard solutions to diverse problems. A lack of sensitivity to the particular needs and circumstances of individual countries may threaten their future development potential. "(c) Provision of resources "6. Increased resources are essential for the full and effective implementation in many countries of strategies to eradicate poverty. Even with the best intentions, without sufficient resources it is often difficult for many Governments to implement the strategies and proposals which already exist. "7. Resources are both financial and in-kind. Additional financial resources obtained through established means - including increased and dependable official development assistance (ODA), better mobilization of domestic resources and greater foreign direct investment - are called for. Efforts should be made to reduce or delink conditionalities. Further discussion and consideration should also be given to raising resources from untried means, including international taxation. In-kind resources are the non-financial contributions of communities to their own development. Particularly where financial resources are scarce, they will remain an essential element of poverty eradication strategies. "(d) Globalization and trade liberalization "8. Rapid globalization of the world economy and increased liberalization of trade have affected the abilities of many Governments to design and implement effective strategies for national development and poverty eradication. Greater attention should be given in international institutions and intergovernmental forums to the potentially serious consequences of these developments. "9. To ensure that the wider opening of national economies through globalization does not lead to greater inequality, it is essential that Governments guarantee the rights of all sectors of societies and promote equal access to resources. "2. The relationship between economic growth and social development "10. Economic growth is essential for social development, particularly when social development is defined mainly in physical terms - such as provision of basic social services. Yet even when economic growth is strong, social development does not automatically follow. It is also not necessary for Governments to wait for economic growth to improve conditions for people living in poverty. Nevertheless, it is evident that many policies and programmes for social development remain based on the concept that the benefits of growth will 'trickle down' to the poor. More active intervention by a partnership of Government, civil society, multilateral institutions and donors is required. "11. To ensure that growth is translated into development is not easy; there is no single policy prescription. The complexity and magnitude of the issues involved and the need to shape responses to the needs of individuals and countries rules out the possibility of a standard blueprint. Yet experience from countries which have made advances in reducing poverty indicates that strong and sustained political commitment to policies which promote distribution and investment in human resources through the provision of basic social services, combined with effective service delivery mechanisms and mobilization of all the actors involved are fundamental to eradicating poverty. "3. The question of growth and distribution "12. While economic growth is essential to promote employment and eradicate poverty, it is not, in itself, a guarantee of better standards of living. Experience indicates that increased economic growth can lead to greater income inequality, resulting in large numbers of people remaining in poverty even as average per capita GDP figures soar. The persistence of poverty in spite of economic growth raises significant questions as to why particular groups fail to benefit from development. "13. An increasing income gap also has potentially severe social and political implications. It is essential to ensure that the distribution of the benefits of high economic growth is equitable. "14. To a certain extent, the fact that much recent economic growth has led to rising inequalities in some countries can be attributed to the speed with which that growth has taken place. Opening economies to globalization may enhance inequality, as many people are incapable of adjusting quickly to new and changing conditions. It is to be hoped that with prolonged economic growth inequalities will diminish, but Governments may also need to intervene to encourage some degree of redistribution. "4. The creation of productive employment "(a) Employment-intensive development "15. Continued and enhanced economic growth remains a priority for all countries, but current patterns of development should be revised to encourage growth which is more labour-intensive and job-creating. Labour markets have changed markedly in many countries. Governments cannot leave the responsibility for job creation to the private sector alone, but have a function to stimulate appropriate labour-intensive growth through effective policies. "(b) Improving the productivity of labour "16. There remains a massive problem for workers whose employment is not productive enough to lift them out of poverty: the persistence of the 'working poor', in spite of their best efforts and the long hours they put in, is a major component of poverty in nearly all countries. Policies and programmes should be implemented to enable workers to become more efficient, thus raising their productivity and, eventually, their incomes. "17. The provision of education and training, designed to impart practical skills and knowledge and revised regularly to take into account changing labour markets and national development needs, is essential and should be a prime concern of Governments. "18. While employment is considered essential to poverty eradication, recognition also must be given to situations in which people cannot find employment, are physically or emotionally incapable of maintaining employment, or are unable to earn sufficient income to sustain themselves. In such instances it is important for Government to maintain a basic minimum standard of living. "5. The potential of the informal sector "19. The informal sector and small and medium-sized enterprises have the potential to provide jobs and income for people living in poverty; often these jobs, precarious though they may be, are the only means available to the poor to earn some income. Yet because of their low productivity, jobs in the informal sector rarely provide workers with sufficient income or protection to enable them to lift themselves out of poverty. Some people view the informal sector as a trap for poor workers, consigning them to jobs with low productivity, unsafe conditions and little protection. "20. This raises the question of whether government policy should seek to encourage the informal sector and small and medium-sized enterprises to grow, thus promoting their integration into the formal economy, or whether it should encourage them to remain small and informal. In general, Governments are encouraged to support the further development of the informal sector, through such means as improving access to credit, while also adopting measures designed to raise productivity levels, thus leading to increased incomes and greater stability and protection for workers. "21. In rural areas emphasis should be given to the non-farm sector as a means to absorb surplus labour. "6. Who are the poor? The problem of perception and presentation "22. Policies aiming to eradicate poverty must take into consideration the various aspects of the problem, and must recognize and overcome the stereotypes and prejudices which often accompany public discussion of the issue. They must consider the perception that people living in poverty have of themselves. The media have an important role in creating and maintaining images of the poor and the causes of their condition, and they should be encouraged to provide balanced and thoughtful analyses of the complex issues surrounding poverty. Yet the media often merely reflect the sentiments of society at large, and cannot be expected to take the place of sensible and sensitive policy-making for poverty eradication. "23. Reference was made to the need for a better understanding of the causes of poverty - political, economic, social and personal. Various explanations currently being advanced were mentioned during the discussion, particularly the following: structural and institutional factors rooted in societies; specific barriers that groups have to confront and overcome, such as lack of access to education or resources; for individuals, lack of community or family support and a host of personal problems that lead to social dependence. None of these were considered as adequate explanations of poverty, taken singly. All of them had to be addressed together with the creation of a national and international enabling environment if strategies to eradicate poverty were to be successful. "24. Strategies for poverty eradication should recognize the varied experiences of different countries and their identification of the poor. Several aspects can be determined which identify or refer to people living in poverty: although much attention is given to the problems of the urban poor, in many countries the poor most often live in rural or isolated areas; they often have large families and low life expectancy; they survive without benefit of many basic services; they evidence a low level of participation in economic and political life; they often lack the basic means for productive employment; and they generally lack a sense of security in their lives. Policies to eradicate poverty must address these aspects of poverty, must seek to strengthen the determination of people living in poverty to improve their conditions and must assist them with planning and advice. "7. Basic human needs and basic social services "25. The Social Summit did not distinguish between the concepts of basic human needs and basic social services. For practical purposes, basic social services are often defined to include basic education, primary health care, nutrition, family planning and low-cost access to clean water and sanitation. The definition of basic human needs is broader in scope and extends to essential aspects of life, including employment, shelter and personal freedom. Discussion focused on the provision of basic social services as an effective and cost-efficient way to reduce poverty and a fundamental contribution to the satisfaction of basic human needs. Quality basic education for all was singled out as being of critical importance to economic and social progress and the eradication of poverty. Experience has shown the vital role of basic education in the transformation of societies and the expansion of opportunities for the disadvantaged and those living in poverty. "26. The provision of basic social services is a complicated undertaking, particularly across widespread territory and in isolated areas. It requires a dedicated and long-term commitment from Governments to identify and reach the people most in need and to overcome the tendency for programmes to be usurped by those with more power, connections or information. In many places it also requires a sustained commitment from non-governmental organizations, networks, communities and families, all of which are often called upon to provide resources, labour, management skills, time and enthusiasm. "27. Although the importance of providing basic social services is widely recognized, assurance of their financing has not been achieved. Sources of increased resources include increased government allocations, greater mobilization of community resources, debt relief or debt swaps, additional bilateral and multilateral aid, foreign borrowing, private investment and privatization of services, special taxes and greater use of cost-recovery. "28. The 'Oslo Consensus on 20/20', developed at a recent meeting in that city, calls on developing countries to initiate dialogues with their development partners aimed at identifying methods to expand and fund access to basic social services. In the future, consultative group and round-table meetings will include a session on the implementation of 20/20 and the financing of basic social services. Recently, at the high-level meeting of the OECD Development Assistance Committee in Paris, a series of time-bound commitments was approved aiming to reduce poverty and meet targets for the provision of basic social services. The report of that meeting, entitled 'Shaping the 21st Century', was made available to the Commission for Social Development. "29. Each of the sources of resources listed provides opportunities and each has drawbacks, and the provision of basic social services under actual conditions will likely continue to rely on various combinations of all of them. No single option or combination of options can be predetermined. Governments have the responsibility to determine their own particular needs and develop their own solutions in partnership with the organizations of civil society, donors and multilateral institutions. "8. The role of civil society "30. As expressed in the Copenhagen Declaration and Programme of Action, Governments have recognized the potential of non-governmental organizations and other actors of civil society to reach people living in poverty, and they are increasingly willing to enter into partnerships to promote policies and programmes for poverty eradication, including employment creation and provision of basic social services. These partnerships should be supported and encouraged. "31. Organizations of civil society have been praised for being flexible, responsive, representative and open to wide participation; many function at the grass-roots level and provide vital opportunities for two-way communication with local communities. Many also provide the best, if not the only, means for people living in poverty to express their needs and concerns. It is, however, important to avoid making general assumptions about the nature of these organizations. Given the wide array of organizations and the diversity of their goals, operating methods and accomplishments, it would be an oversimplification to make all-inclusive conclusions about the role of the organizations of civil society. Nevertheless, the importance of involving a variety of organizations of civil society in efforts to eradicate poverty and the beneficial results of many of their efforts is frequently demonstrated and has been reflected throughout this summary. "9. The need for institution-building at all levels "32. At the international level, the United Nations and particularly the Economic and Social Council and its functional commissions, are clearly primary forums for discussion of the issues surrounding poverty and strategies for its eradication. Whether existing institutions can and should be revitalized and reshaped to enable them to promote and support new approaches to economic and social development is an issue which is currently being addressed, both in the Commission for Social Development and throughout the system. The question of whether new institutions should be developed has not been addressed. "33. Nationally, the design of policies for economic and social inclusion which will promote new approaches to development and to poverty eradication will also require a degree of rethinking about the institutions currently charged with these responsibilities. Questions were raised about the ability of existing ministries and national bureaucracies to implement the emerging international consensus on new approaches to development. New partnerships of Government and civil society will clearly be required, and this should be seen as a positive development. A part of the effort to eradicate poverty must include an analysis of the institutions which will be charged with the implementation of strategies. "34. Local communities must be able to help themselves; the vulnerable groups need to be defended against the process of exclusion, which may gain strength as economic growth accelerates. Therefore, it is essential that local networks, organizations and community groups be strengthened - with funding, with training and with increased self-confidence - to enable them to defend and support their members. "10. The need to guarantee rights and protections "35. A major factor influencing the ability of individuals and groups to raise themselves from poverty is their enjoyment of rights to resources - land, forests, fisheries - which they can utilize and manage to ensure sufficient incomes. Sometimes, social groups which have contributed significantly to national economic development are not able to enjoy the benefits of that development because they are excluded from ownership of or access to resources. "11. The need for continuous information and monitoring "36. Policies to eradicate poverty should strive to be comprehensive but focus on key issues. As economic growth continues social conditions change rapidly. For policies to be effective, it is essential that they be continuously reviewed and revised as necessary to address changing situations and needs. This will require that policy makers have access to continuous and up-to-date information about conditions and about the impact of current policies. "37. Information gathering and policy monitoring are, however, not ends in themselves: it is necessary that information be properly and sufficiently acted upon so that effective policies remain so and ineffective policies are changed. The organizations of civil society will also be instrumental in providing information and in monitoring policy performance. "12. The issue of social change and its impact on economic growth "38. Many societies have witnessed profound social change, most noticeably in terms of gender relations and in family structures, which are both cause and effect of economic growth and developments. "39. Social change, in particular with regard to women or to vulnerable social groups, actually refers to changes in attitudes about their roles in and their contributions to the societies in which they live. These changes in attitudes should lead to their empowerment and greater participation in economic and social life, which should improve their positions enormously. It can be expected that such change would lead to greater and faster economic growth, by freeing pent-up potential and skills which now go unutilized. It also requires change based on the political will to promote inclusion and the rights of all members of society. "40. The particular role of the family as a source of support should be recognized and supported by policies and programmes, while taking into account the evolution which traditional notions of the family have undergone in most places. "13. Obstacles to eradicating poverty "41. Many of the traditional theories and concepts of development, and the policies they have engendered, have been based on an ethic of materialism, exclusion and domination, rather than a sense of solidarity among all people, and have resulted in situations whereby participation by the poor is not facilitated and their views, experiences and contributions are not valued. It was perceived that, within many societies, a certain level of poverty may be considered desirable, as a source of cheap labour and to maintain a passive political constituency. Any strategy to eradicate poverty must first make a careful and honest assessment of which groups or institutions within society may actually benefit from poverty and how, so that likely resistance to anti-poverty efforts may be taken into account. "42. Many previous anti-poverty strategies have been organized in a paternalistic, top-down fashion which failed to take into account the needs, concerns and considerations of people living in poverty. Tremendous resources have been squandered in such efforts. Experience indicates that government interventions which fail to devolve decision- making to the local community tend to be far less successful than those which promote decentralization of responsibility. "43. There has also been a failure on the part of some Governments and donors to recognize the complexity of the condition of poverty. Often, poverty has been considered to be a single phenomenon with similar causes and effects everywhere, and assumptions have been made that all people living in poverty have essentially identical needs and aspirations. These false assumptions lead to simplistic, universal solutions which fail completely to take individual considerations into account and which are therefore often inappropriate, leading to failure, wasted resources and frustration. "44. It is important to recognize the tendency for the non-poor to usurp control over anti-poverty projects and to hijack their benefits, as well as the counter-strategies developed by the non-poor to perpetuate their economic and social advantages. Further research should be undertaken on the strategies of the non-poor and their impact on the ability of people living in poverty to improve their condition. "14. Establishing partnerships with people living in poverty "45. The eradication of poverty will require the establishment of partnerships between people living in poverty and the rest of society. Partnerships must be based on respect and solidarity, as well as on a recognition of the rights and responsibilities of both the poor and the non-poor. "46. Partnership must also be built on a new way of thinking about the poor: they may be 'cash poor' but rich in vision, tradition and initiative. Strategies to eradicate poverty must be imbued with an awareness of the skills, expertise and knowledge of people living in poverty, must acknowledge and respect diversity, must provide the information and access to services and resources that will enable people living in poverty to raise their standard of living, and must base their prescriptions on the solutions that the poor themselves develop. "47. Successful partnerships rest on ensuring access to fundamental services; protecting and empowering families; investing in human resources; allowing time for trusting relationships to develop; sharing knowledge between the poor and the non-poor; training individuals and institutions working with the poor; assessing progress, with the participation of the poor. "48. Particularly in cities and other areas of steady in-migration, where traditional patterns of solidarity have often broken down, it is important to support emerging forms of solidarity, including religious, women's or youth groups. "49. To encourage self-reliance requires a long-term effort to reach out to communities of people living in poverty. It requires efforts to encourage them to develop their own organizations based on common needs, interests or goals and should take into account a series of different phases of enablement, including consciousness-raising, mobilization, participation, organization, capacity-building and allowing local control of space and resources. "B. Summary of the dialogue with the chairpersons of inter-agency task forces on follow-up to international conferences * (* Task Force on Basic Social Services for All, chaired by the United Nations Population Fund and represented by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization; Task Force on Employment and Sustainable Livelihoods, chaired by the International Labour Organization; Task Force on the Enabling Environment for Social and Economic Development, chaired by the World Bank; and Inter-Agency Committee on Women, chaired by the Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Gender Issues. The dialogue was moderated by the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme.) "50. The dialogue focused on the link between intergovernmental policy processes and actions taken to implement in an integrated and coordinated fashion commitments adopted at recent United Nations conferences in the social and economic sectors. "51. The dialogue can be summarized in terms of five issue clusters. "15. Development - as an inclusive process "52. A major focus in the work of the various inter-agency mechanisms is how to ensure that development is a process which is inclusive of all, sustainable and equitable. At present many countries, groups and individuals have been left behind in the emerging global economy. While the market-oriented approach was generally recognized as being capable of bringing greater dynamism and efficiency, it did not ensure broad-based development and fulfilment of basic human needs for all. Positive policies of the State at different levels were therefore essential. Special attention is being directed to effective incorporation of gender concerns in implementation of recent conference goals and commitments. Measures are also being tested and evaluated to ensure that relief and rehabilitation efforts in post-conflict situations can progress smoothly, are mutually reinforcing and ensure a smooth transition to renewed development and social progress. "16. More effective and efficient system-wide follow-up "53. It was noted that the inter-agency mechanisms have yielded a number of improvements in terms of specific time-bound and demand-driven responses to country-level needs that further the implementation of recent conference goals and commitments. This has served (a) as a driving force for a better division of system-wide efforts, as evidenced by the subject-matter focus of the three task forces; (b) as an enabling mechanism for integrated country-level action; and (c) as a vehicle for critical new input on complex development issues, as evidenced by the Secretary-General's Africa regional-level initiative on agreed development objectives and the United Nations system-wide approach to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. "54. Reform efforts were bringing about changes in organization of work and outreach among specialized constituencies both among the United Nations system and the Bretton Woods institutions. Both had instituted measures to consult with civil society on issues and trends and had established new public-private sector partnerships to promote sustained and equitable development. "55. Among obstacles in the way of a satisfactory system-wide response to conference follow-up, a lack of financial resources for the necessary level of development cooperation was cited. Resource shortfalls had affected progress in implementing the 'Education for All' commitments adopted at the Jomtien Conference. Second, was a need for a United Nations system organizational framework at all levels as well as an appropriate institutional framework for cooperation with the bilateral donor community. Third, was a need to strengthen the process of genuine country 'ownership' of development cooperation activities among programme countries. "17. Initiatives in system-wide coordination "56. The decision of ACC to establish the three task forces and the Inter-Agency Committee on Women was based on a concern to reduce duplication of efforts and to focus on priority objectives of recent conferences. The task force experience is to be appropriately incorporated in the programmes of work of participating United Nations organizations, including specialized agencies. "57. Lessons emerging from the coordination initiatives to date include the importance of an agreed division of labour among concerned members of the system to achieve efficiencies in the design and delivery of development cooperation, of promoting cooperation with all concerned development partners, including civil society, to further demand-driven development cooperation, and of formulating country-level frameworks, such as the country strategy note, to further country ownership of development cooperation activities. "58. System-wide coordination initiatives have resulted in the identification of gender and of the family as important cross-cutting concerns in poverty eradication measures. In addition, the view was expressed that the exploitation of children and child labour represented another issue for system-wide action since it involved basic education, health, labour standards and rights, and the promotion of sustainable livelihoods among men and women. "18. Initiatives in institutional development "59. Effective poverty eradication will require strengthened institutional arrangements. These include both the market as a mechanism to mobilize and allocate resources and the involvement of representative and participatory organizations of civil society. "60. Recent experience also suggests the importance of effective and transparent governance in sustained and equitable development and an effective public service. Greater importance needed to be given to restoring the role and effectiveness of public services at all levels. Governance was considered at the resumed fiftieth session of the General Assembly in the context of public administration and development as well; and the role of the State in development will be the subject of the World Development Report, 1997. "19. Resources management initiatives "61. Conference follow-up involved issues of new and improved output measures as well as improved data and information for development reporting, of new and alternative resources for social investments, particularly in the light of debt-service levels in many countries, and of building national capacities for sustained development. "62. Improved data for evaluating progress is being considered by the three task forces with a view to greater consistency in the respective indicators of progress achieved. In terms of output indicators, income inequality and gender-based distributional and demographic measures were stressed, and also infant mortality. "63. The need to identify new and additional resources for social investments had led to a number of initiatives in mobilizing private sector flows as well as community-based resources among selected programme countries. Specific reference was made to recent relief and rehabilitation activities in post-conflict countries. The World Bank also cited its current study in cooperation with the non-governmental community on structural adjustment measures and the social objectives. "64. National capacities and institutional capabilities represent a third development resource dimension. National capacities will necessarily influence the nature and pace of country 'ownership' of development cooperation activities. Effective and participatory institutions will influence the nature and role of civil society in development decision-making as well as in the sharing of the benefits of development." Commission on Social Development 1997 Chapter II. Follow-up to the World Summit for Social Development 62. The summary of the dialogue with the chairpersons* of the inter-agency task forces on follow-up to international conferences is set out below. (* Katherine Hagen, Deputy Director-General of the International Labour Office, Chairperson of the Task Force on Employment and Sustainable Livelihoods; Nafis Sadik, Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund, Chairperson of the Task Force on Basic Social Services; John Page, Chief Economist, Middle East and North Africa Region of the World Bank, Chairperson of the Subgroup on the Economic and Social Environment of the Task Force on the Enabling Environment for Economic and Social Development; Kristen Timothy, Deputy Director of the Division for the Advancement of Women of the United Nations Secretariat and Secretary of the Steering Committee for the Advancement of Women. The dialogue was moderated by James Gustave Speth, Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme.) Introduction At the special session of the Commission in 1996, the dialogue, the first of its kind, concentrated on actions being initiated, in an integrated and coordinated fashion, to implement commitments made at major United Nations conferences in the social, economic and related sectors. At the present session of the Commission, the discussion focused on lessons learnt in the course of the ongoing exercise and on the substantive conclusions emerging from it that could guide practical follow-up activities, particularly at the country or field level, involving the United Nations system in a coherent manner in support of national plans and programmes. Translating intergovernmental decisions into country- and field-level activities On the basis of a common understanding of the goals and commitments agreed at major United Nations conferences and developed during consultations at the headquarters level, the Task Forces have embarked on a series of country review exercises and the exploration of specific methodological issues in the setting of small groups of interested entities of the United Nations system in order to define key elements of strategies for country application and prepare syntheses of best practices. Among the factors that were kept in mind in the country reviews was the diversity of situations, with countries differing in circumstances, objectives and priorities. The Task Force on Employment and Sustainable Livelihoods conducted one review in a country where poverty eradication was the primary focus in a setting of low economic growth and rapid labour force expansion; in another country, the main concern was how to move from structural adjustment to growth with equity; in another, the review focused on the employment aspects associated with a shift from a planned to a market-oriented economy. Strategies to be applied might need to focus on growth or equity, or target particular groups. An important lesson emerging from the different reviews was the crucial role played by efforts to build national consensus through extensive consultations typically involving representatives of social partners. The Task Force on the Enabling Environment for Economic and Social Development is also completing a number of country studies as part of the effort to clarify the key elements of the macroeconomic and social framework for policy dialogue. Specific recommendations are being developed in four areas: information sharing, coordination, collaboration among United Nations entities and methods of collaboration between Governments and civil society. Through its subgroup on governance, the Task Force is also preparing a series of studies in order to draw up best practices in supporting national capacity development in the area of governance. The Task Force on Basic Social Services for All is continuing its work on preparing guidelines for the use of resident coordinators as well as a compendium of relevant international commitments. It has issued information cards for advocacy and a wall chart of indicators on basic social needs and services. Detailed activities are conducted in the framework of working groups on primary health care, reproductive health, basic education, international migration and national capacity in monitoring child and maternal mortality. The Inter-Agency Committee on Women and Gender Equality has among its concerns the objective of ensuring the mainstreaming of gender and has established links for this purpose with the Task Forces. The Committee has also elaborated indicators for monitoring the gender issue. Cooperation in the United Nations system The task force activities revealed a high level of cooperation among entities of the United Nations system, which was noted by both task force members and delegations participating in the dialogue. It was also noted that the activities of the Task Forces themselves were highly decentralized. Agencies participated in country reviews or subject area working groups according to the degree of their involvement in the countries concerned or interest in particular issues. The practice of assigning different lead agencies to different country reviews and subject areas was working satisfactorily and ensured a desirable matching of available expertise and priority concerns. The development of a common framework for the United Nations system for the follow-up of conferences was welcomed, but the question was raised as to whether the common framework applied only to specific issues. There was still a lack of real integration, common definitions and databases. There was also a proliferation of targets, which imposed a heavy burden on monitoring and reporting. The implications of pending reform of the United Nations at both the Secretariat and intergovernmental levels for operational activities and system collaboration were noted. In response to a question on what guidelines from Governments would be useful, the moderator stressed the importance of strong governmental support for United Nations system collaborative efforts and for the system to come together in an integrated way. Regarding targets, it was noted that as part of the collaborative efforts, the quantitative targets from the various conferences had been synthesized and that a comparison had also been made with the relevant targets adopted by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). It was also suggested that the elaboration of an integrated approach could be facilitated by Economic and Social Council reviews of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) country programmes based on presentations of the resident representative or coordinator. The experience of the Task Force on the Enabling Environment for Economic and Social Development was that there was a far greater convergence of views in the system on major strategic issues at the country-level than might have been expected. In this context the cooperation between the United Nations and the Bretton Woods institutions was welcomed and further encouraged. Information, indicators and evaluation The lack of common definitions, indicators and databases continued to impede efforts. The lack of a common United Nations system database was considered particularly serious, although it was noted that in the development of policy at the national level this did not necessarily present a major hindrance. The work of the task forces, nevertheless, revealed rich experience of collaboration in the areas of statistics, development of indicators, exchange of information and efforts at standardization of definitions. The quantitative targets referred to were one reflection of this. Gender indicators provided another example. But it was also noted that there were many formidable problems, conceptual and practical, in arriving at greater overall coherence. Also, the traditional indicators sometimes provided an inadequate picture of reality; a case in point being unemployment, where it was possible for low levels of unemployment to coexist with mass poverty. Input and output targets: resource mobilization The use of quantitative targets has spread partly as a result of the effort to assess more accurately the progress being made in key areas. There has also been a shift from input to output targets. The Task Forces are continuing to give attention to the delineation and monitoring of targets and their adaptation to specific circumstances. The question of the value of targets for the purpose of resource mobilization was raised. It was pointed out that one of the oldest and best known input targets, the 0.7 per cent target for official development assistance, was not being met; indeed the flow of such resources was diminishing. Various suggestions were made on how to ensure a greater flow of resources for promoting social development in the context of the work of the Task Forces. In this connection, reference was made to the newer 20/20 concept. Another suggestion was to link resources with specific end-use by mobilizing funds to support specific activities, as was done for specific goals agreed at the International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo. Efficient use of resources was stressed, both as important in itself and as a way of demonstrating to voters that their money was being well spent, thus retaining their support. Regarding the broader issue of the damaging and disillusioning effect when resources fall short of goals and targets, it was noted that it was important to explore all possible means to avoid this situation. At the same time, not all initiatives required substantial resources, for example work on policy development and exchange of experience and technical expertise. The networks of civil society also represented a valuable, if intangible, resource in the social area. 63. The summary of the panel discussions on productive employment and sustainable livelihoods is set out below. Introduction The Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development and the Programme of Action of the World Summit for Social Development recognize the interrelated nature of three core issues of social development: eradication of poverty, expansion of productive employment and promotion of social integration. Growth of opportunities for freely chosen, productive work is perhaps the most direct and constructive way to reduce poverty, inequality and social marginalization. The commitment to full employment adopted by heads of State and Government at Copenhagen expresses a renewed determination to focus on employment generation as a fundamental aspect of national economic policy. The importance of employment Productive employment is the primary means by which individuals ensure economic security for themselves and their families. Employment generates the income necessary to meet daily subsistence requirements, fulfil economic and social obligations and plan and invest for the future. In a larger sense, employment serves to define and regulate social relations, as people's identity and personal esteem are often intimately linked to their occupation. Unemployment, particularly when extended over long periods of time, can lead to isolation and alienation for the individual and reduced social cohesion for society. The fundamental importance of employment is further revealed by the fact that for many people, especially in developing countries, a good job is unattainable. Since they cannot afford to be unemployed, they resort to various means of informal activity to obtain even the most meagre income necessary for basic survival. Some prerequisites for generating employment To generate employment over a period of time, it is clear that sustained economic growth is necessary. It is equally clear, however, that economic growth will not automatically result in increased employment or reduced levels of poverty. It may be said that growth is necessary but not sufficient for expanding employment. A more sophisticated analysis is required in order to examine the type and appropriateness of the economic growth to be promoted in any particular country. Furthermore, the predominant view of the past decade or so has been that economic growth requires a framework of macroeconomic policies that promote financial stability, including low inflation and reduced fiscal deficits. While growth with low inflation is the best and most sustainable growth, low inflation achieved with little or no growth does little for levels of employment. The need is to create a situation of positive, dynamic growth with due emphasis on sectors with the potential to create employment. Export-driven growth needs to be supplemented by increases in domestic demand and international coordination of policies to promote increased, balanced trade and financial liberalization. Analysing the current situation Rising levels of unemployment Over time in most countries, the number of people who are unemployed or underemployed has increased, both in absolute numbers and as a proportion of the labour force. Workers in some countries have witnessed an increase in insecurity: overall job security, hourly wages and employee benefits have been reduced. Some workers have been encouraged to take part-time situations or early retirement so as to reduce the size of the labour force. In other instances, workers may have to hold more than one job in order to meet their subsistence needs. In many countries, workers have become unemployed or have suffered increased insecurity of employment as a result of policies designed to achieve the transition to market economies or to implement structural adjustment measures. Many concerns have arisen over the nature of these programmes and the speed with which they are undertaken. Globalization Blame has often been placed on distant and intangible forces of globalization and technological innovation. It can be argued that globalization and technological progress, while neutral in themselves, can have a profound effect on economic growth and on levels and types of employment. They can open opportunities in new fields. Widespread restructuring of economies, including substantial cuts in protective tariffs, need not be damaging to employment growth in the economy as a whole, although they may cause problems for some industries or sectors and create considerable concern in the workforce regarding job security and job satisfaction and may require workers to display increased flexibility. A paradox arises in that, while globalization may be considered desirable because of the potential beneficial effects on national economic growth, at the same time, current levels of growth and dynamism in a particular economy may determine whether the effects of globalization are positive or negative. Fighting inflation In recent years, most countries have given emphasis to restraining inflation and budget deficits. Achieving the goal of full employment has generally not received a high priority. Central banks commonly set inflation targets but not employment targets. Thus, employment has usually become the "swing item" in policy-making, a secondary residual that is expected to occur only if other prime targets are met, and thus readily sacrificed to the goal of achieving low rates of inflation. Promoting the appropriate role of the market Great emphasis is given in current economic and financial policy to the role of the market. But markets cannot build social cohesion, which is a product of public and private institutions and the relations that constitute civil society. At the national level, institutions for resolving competing demands and potential social conflicts must be strengthened and the innovation and dynamism of markets need to be balanced with policies that demonstrate a renewed concern for people. Individual self-interest and the common good Attention was drawn to a phenomenon labelled "the prisoner's dilemma", which describes a case in which a prisoner who accuses his accomplice may be acquitted, as long as the accomplice does not, in turn, accuse him. If each accuses the other, however, they may both be convicted. In other words, an action which makes sense or provides benefits for an individual, when multiplied across a number of individuals, no longer makes sense and is often counter-productive. This is a fundamental concept essential for achieving sustainable development, for what makes sense for an individual can be disastrous for a society. Thus, a country may decide, or be encouraged, to adopt policies to restrain domestic demand while encouraging production for export - policies that should result in higher levels of economic growth and employment as other countries meet their increasing demand by importing the first country's goods. Such a policy may work for an individual country, as long as other countries do not follow suit. But if many countries begin to adopt a similar strategy to restrain domestic demand, the result will be stagnation or a general decrease in demand. In another example, policies to increase exports of tropical commodities may make sense for an individual developing country, but, when pursued by a large number of developing countries, they are likely to result in a decrease in commodity prices and a decline in earnings for all the countries concerned. This was a lesson of the structural adjustment experience. Small-scale, informal and rural enterprises In developing countries, the vast majority of people living in poverty will continue to rely on agriculture for their livelihoods for many years to come. Policies to reduce poverty and increase employment in rural areas will need to emphasize growth and productivity in agriculture. At the same time, small manufacturing enterprises, rural agro-processing and other non-farm activities, as well as the urban informal sector, are likely to produce increased opportunities for employment. In most developing countries, the formal sector is incapable of providing a sufficient number of jobs to meet existing and future projected requirements. The very existence of the informal sector confirms this situation, as people seek any possibility of earning some income. Small-scale enterprises in the urban informal sector sometimes grow into highly productive enterprises, but in general they are precarious and do not achieve sufficient levels of productivity to provide adequate levels of income. There are often close linkages between formal and informal sector activities. The informal sector provides evidence of the strategies which people develop in order to manage, in terms of both achieving basic survival and attempting to raise themselves out of poverty. Increased participation of women in the labour force In many countries, increasing numbers of women participate in the labour force, either by choice or by necessity. In many instances, women must work as primary or secondary wage-earners. Survival strategies are primarily the concern of poor women who struggle to fulfil gender-ascribed roles to meet the daily needs of their families. The scope for female employment has been rapidly expanded by technological change, increasing concentration of employment in service industries, increased flexibility of work times and availability of part-time work, changing social attitudes towards female employment, and improved provision of childcare. Marginalized and vulnerable groups Large numbers of people, including people with disabilities, the long-term unemployed, older workers, young people and school leavers, in all countries find it difficult to compete in the labour market. In times of high unemployment, these groups are at a further disadvantage. Their tenuous situation has frequently been exacerbated as special programmes to promote their participation in the labour force and as basic services and social safety nets have been weakened or dismantled in order to meet strict budgetary requirements. The way ahead for policy-making There is need for a combination of policies at the national and international levels. Because of the changing circumstances brought on by increasing globalization, it is essential for Governments to develop a framework for cooperation, both within and among countries. National level Strengthening mechanisms for cooperation Within countries, national Governments should seek to develop partnerships with the private sector, with trade unions and with the organizations of civil society to promote employment generation. New, stronger international pressures require that national institutions that enable various actors to join together in collaborative relationships, inter alia for the purpose of identifying and resolving conflicts, become stronger and more effective. Establishing trust among the various actors is essential and it can be enhanced through mechanisms to improve communication and understanding among all concerned. Otherwise, rather than being seen as a potential source of growth and prosperity, globalization will appear to many people as a threat, leading to increased isolationism, xenophobia and calls for protectionist policies. Improving policies for national economic and social development Concerning fiscal and monetary policy, a more sophisticated balance is required between achieving low inflation and encouraging growth of employment, between efficiency and equity and between economic development and environmental sustainability. Country examples were cited where broad-based agreement was achieved between government and trade unions to adopt policies aimed at simultaneously maximizing economic and employment growth. To do this, moderate wage increases were required and agreed to, in return for significant improvements in social security and non-cash benefits. The goal was to lower inflationary pressures, thereby reducing the burden of tackling inflation, to some degree at least, resulting from monetary and fiscal policy and allowing those policies to be more growth-oriented than would otherwise have been the case. It is essential to make employment growth a primary target of national economic and social policies. Making inflation the primary target relegates employment to a less important status. There should be a joint objective: low inflation and substantial employment growth. There is also need for national policies to achieve much greater integration of micro and macro considerations. It is now widely recognized that the attainment of full employment requires the implementation of mutually supportive macroeconomic policies on the one hand and labour and social policies on the other. More flexible macroeconomic policies to achieve higher levels of growth must be complemented by micro policies to promote employment generation. Perhaps the most fundamental requirement for achieving full employment is the genuine political commitment of Governments to that goal, backed up by the broad support of social partners and civil society. National policies must stimulate flexibility and emphasize education and training. Policies should aim at increasing the speed of adaptation to change. Resistance to change stems from fear and insecurity. Flexibility and security in employment are not contradictory. Policies should also take into consideration whether there is any inconsistency in the distribution of work between some people who are overworked and others who remain unemployed or underemployed. Adherence to core international labour standards should also be assured. Governments may, for example, be tempted to increase their share of world markets by reducing wages and working conditions for their workers, thus improving the competitiveness of their products. In addition to causing deteriorating conditions for their own workers, such policies may only encourage others to adopt similar measures and lead to growing social and economic costs in a downward spiral of reduced consumer confidence, reduced demand, lower consumption and fewer jobs. Seeking trade advantages for themselves, countries may, perhaps unwittingly, begin to undermine the global good. Treating people decently is not a cost but an investment. Education and training The most commonly expressed goal was for countries to develop policies and programmes that emphasize improved education and training. This was considered absolutely essential for all countries. People are a country's greatest natural resource. Developing countries, in particular, should embark on extensive campaigns to widen access to education and improve its quality and relevance, particularly for women and girls, if the gap in international competitiveness is not to widen. Support for the rural and informal sector The majority of the workforce in many developing countries continues to be engaged in agricultural activities in rural areas. Because of the size of this labour force and the often already large migration to urban areas, it makes sense to promote policies to increase investment both in the agricultural sector and in rural, non-farm activities. Promoting agro-business activities and small-scale manufacturing can help to increase rural incomes, improve rural living conditions and discourage urban migration. Additional support should be provided for activities involving agricultural extension, irrigation, fertilizers and pesticides, storage and marketing facilities, and education and training. Because of its importance as a generator of employment, additional assistance to the micro-enterprise and urban informal sector is also called for. Governments should seek to reduce regulations that are unnecessary or cumbersome, as well as harassment of small-scale enterprises. Increased assistance should be provided to support and encourage the growth of these enterprises and to improve their effectiveness and efficiency. In the short term, assistance should take the form of training to improve knowledge and expertise, improved machinery and technology to increase productivity and expanded access to credit, finance and markets. Micro-enterprises can often find a niche for their products in domestic markets, but may require assistance to exploit it. In the longer term, attention must be given to education so as to improve the qualifications of young people entering the labour market. The education of women is of particular importance. It is also important to ensure that increased labour force participation of women does not result in declining wages and conditions of work. Support for the disadvantaged and groups with specific needs It is essential to improve the capacities of people living in poverty and disadvantaged groups to participate more fully in the labour market and to benefit from economic growth. Active labour market policies should be established and programmes implemented to strengthen and support the efforts of young people, people with disabilities, older persons and the long-term unemployed to take advantage of new opportunities for employment. International level Internationally, Governments should accept the reality of their interdependence in a global market economy. There is an important role for cooperative international policies in promoting a more open, stable and socially just international economic system. The "prisoner's dilemma" has to be overcome through strengthened international cooperation and coordination of macroeconomic policies and mutual guarantees to promote growth in domestic demand along with an opening of markets. Governments, working together through the United Nations and other international and regional organizations, can strengthen the enabling environment necessary for equitable economic and social development. International cooperation should also entail assistance provided by the agencies and programmes of the United Nations system. Work has been done by the ACC Task Force on Productive Employment and Sustainable Livelihoods to develop a framework for collaborative country-level assistance. The International Labour Organization and the United Nations Development Programme have taken the lead in cooperative efforts with Governments, social partners and civil society on employment generation and training projects. International cooperation also involves enhancing collaboration between international agencies with economic mandates and those with social mandates. There is a continuing need for international transfers of resources, in terms of official development assistance, debt relief and increased private foreign investment. To achieve this, donors and investors will need more confidence in the openness and overall stability of recipient economies and in the process of foreign assistance. International assistance can also take the form of knowledge, information and expertise shared or transferred from country to country. Examples of positive experience with policies and programmes can be exchanged at both the regional and international levels. Documents considered in connection with the follow-up to the World Summit for Social Development Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, Earth Summit 1992: Principle 12 States should cooperate to promote a supportive and open international economic system that would lead to economic growth and sustainable development in all countries, to better address the problems of environmental degradation. Trade policy measures for environmental purposes should not constitute a means of arbitrary or unjustifiable discrimination or a disguised restriction on international trade. Unilateral actions to deal with environmental challenges outside the jurisdiction of the importing country should be avoided. Environmental measures addressing transboundary or global environmental problems should, as far as possible, be based on an international consensus. Agenda 21: Section IV. Means of Implementation Chapter 33. Financial Resources and Mechanisms INTRODUCTION 33.1. The General Assembly, in resolution 44/228 of 22 December 1989, inter alia, decided that the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development should: Identify ways and means of providing new and additional financial resources, particularly to developing countries, for environmentally sound development programmes and projects in accordance with national development objectives, priorities and plans and to consider ways of effectively monitoring the provision of such new and additional financial resources, particularly to developing countries, so as to enable the international community to take further appropriate action on the basis of accurate and reliable data; Identify ways and means of providing additional financial resources for measures directed towards solving major environmental problems of global concern and especially of supporting those countries, in particular developing countries, for which the implementation of such measures would entail a special or abnormal burden, owing, in particular, to their lack of financial resources, expertise or technical capacity; Consider various funding mechanisms, including voluntary ones, and examine the possibility of a special international fund and other innovative approaches, with a view to ensuring, on a favourable basis, the most effective and expeditious transfer of environmentally sound technologies to developing countries; Quantify the financial requirements for the successful implementation of Conference decisions and recommendations and identify possible sources, including innovative ones, of additional resources. 33.2. This chapter deals with the financing of the implementation of Agenda 21, which reflects a global consensus integrating environmental considerations into an accelerated development process. For each of the other chapters, the secretariat of the Conference has provided indicative estimates of the total costs of implementation for developing countries and the requirements for grant or other concessional financing needed from the international community. These reflect the need for a substantially increased effort, both by countries themselves and by the international community. BASIS FOR ACTION 33.3. Economic growth, social development and poverty eradication are the first and overriding priorities in developing countries and are themselves essential to meeting national and global sustainability objectives. In the light of the benefits to be realized by the implementation of Agenda 21 as a whole, the provision to developing countries of effective means, inter alia, financial resources and technology, without which it will be difficult for them to fully implement their commitments, will serve the common interests of developed and developing countries and of humankind in general, including future generations. 33.4. The cost of inaction could outweigh the financial costs of implementing Agenda 21. Inaction will narrow the choices of future generations. 33.5. For dealing with environmental issues, special efforts will be required. Global and local environmental issues are interrelated. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Convention on Biological Diversity address two of the most important global issues. 33.6. Economic conditions, both domestic and international, that encourage free trade and access to markets will help make economic growth and environmental protection mutually supportive for all countries, particularly for developing countries and countries undergoing the process of transition to a market economy (see chapter 2 for a fuller discussion of these issues). 33.7. International cooperation for sustainable development should also be strengthened in order to support and complement the efforts of developing countries, particularly the least developed countries. 33.8. All countries should assess how to translate Agenda 21 into national policies and programmes through a process that will integrate environment and development considerations. National and local priorities should be established by means that include public participation and community involvement, promoting equal opportunity for men and women. 33.9. For an evolving partnership among all countries of the world, including, in particular, between developed and developing countries, sustainable development strategies and enhanced and predictable levels of funding in support of longer term objectives are required. For that purpose, developing countries should articulate their own priority actions and needs for support and developed countries should commit themselves to addressing these priorities. In this respect, consultative groups and round tables and other nationally based mechanisms can play a facilitative role. 33.10. The implementation of the huge sustainable development programmes of Agenda 21 will require the provision to developing countries of substantial new and additional financial resources. Grant or concessional financing should be provided according to sound and equitable criteria and indicators. The progressive implementation of Agenda 21 should be matched by the provision of such necessary financial resources. The initial phase will be accelerated by substantial early commitments of concessional funding. OBJECTIVES 33.11. The objectives are as follows: (a) To establish measures concerning financial resources and mechanisms for the implementation of Agenda 21; (b) To provide new and additional financial resources that are both adequate and predictable; (c) To seek full use and continuing qualitative improvement of funding mechanisms to be utilized for the implementation of Agenda 21. ACTIVITIES 33.12. Fundamentally, the activities of this chapter are related to the implementation of all the other chapters of Agenda 21. MEANS OF IMPLEMENTATION 33.13. In general, the financing for the implementation of Agenda 21 will come from a country's own public and private sectors. For developing countries, particularly the least developed countries, ODA is a main source of external funding, and substantial new and additional funding for sustainable development and implementation of Agenda 21 will be required. Developed countries reaffirm their commitments to reach the accepted United Nations target of 0.7 per cent of GNP for ODA and, to the extent that they have not yet achieved that target, agree to augment their aid programmes in order to reach that target as soon as possible and to ensure prompt and effective implementation of Agenda 21. Some countries have agreed to reach the target by the year 2000. It was decided that the Commission on Sustainable Development would regularly review and monitor progress towards this target. This review process should systematically combine the monitoring of the implementation of Agenda 21 with a review of the financial resources available. Those countries that have already reached the target are to be commended and encouraged to continue to contribute to the common effort to make available the substantial additional resources that have to be mobilized. Other developed countries, in line with their support for reform efforts in developing countries, agree to make their best efforts to increase their level of ODA. In this context, the importance of equitable burden-sharing among developed countries is recognized. Other countries, including those undergoing the process of transition to a market economy, may voluntarily augment the contributions of the developed countries. 33.14. Funding for Agenda 21 and other outcomes of the Conference should be provided in a way that maximizes the availability of new and additional resources and uses all available funding sources and mechanisms. These include, among others: (a) The multilateral development banks and funds: (i) The International Development Association (IDA). Among the various issues and options that IDA deputies will examine in connection with the forthcoming tenth replenishment of IDA, the statement made by the President of the World Bank at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development should be given special consideration in order to help the poorest countries meet their sustainable development objectives as contained in Agenda 21; (ii) Regional and subregional development banks. The regional and subregional development banks and funds should play an increased and more effective role in providing resources on concessional or other favourable terms needed to implement Agenda 21; (iii) The Global Environment Facility, managed jointly by the World Bank, UNDP and UNEP, whose additional grant and concessional funding is designed to achieve global environmental benefits, should cover the agreed incremental costs of relevant activities under Agenda 21, in particular for developing countries. Therefore, it should be restructured so as to, inter alia: Encourage universal participation; Have sufficient flexibility to expand its scope and coverage to relevant programme areas of Agenda 21, with global environmental benefits, as agreed; Ensure a governance that is transparent and democratic in nature, including in terms of decision-making and operations, by guaranteeing a balanced and equitable representation of the interests of developing countries and giving due weight to the funding efforts of donor countries; Ensure new and additional financial resources on grant and concessional terms, in particular to developing countries; Ensure predictability in the flow of funds by contributions from developed countries, taking into account the importance of equitable burden-sharing; Ensure access to and disbursement of the funds under mutually agreed criteria without introducing new forms of conditionality; (b) The relevant specialized agencies, other United Nations bodies and other international organizations, which have designated roles to play in supporting national Governments in implementing Agenda 21; (c) Multilateral institutions for capacity-building and technical cooperation. Necessary financial resources should be provided to UNDP to use its network of field offices and its broad mandate and experience in the field of technical cooperation for facilitating capacity-building at the country level, making full use of the expertise of the specialized agencies and other United Nations bodies within their respective areas of competence, in particular UNEP and including the multilateral and regional development banks; (d) Bilateral assistance programmes. These programmes will need to be strengthened in order to promote sustainable development; (e) Debt relief. It is important to achieve durable solutions to the debt problems of low- and middle-income developing countries in order to provide them with the needed means for sustainable development. Measures to address the continuing debt problems of low- and middle-income countries should be kept under review. All creditors in the Paris Club should promptly implement the agreement of December 1991 to provide debt relief for the poorest heavily indebted countries pursuing structural adjustment; debt relief measures should be kept under review so as to address the continuing difficulties of those countries; (f) Private funding. Voluntary contributions through non-governmental channels, which have been running at about 10 per cent of ODA, might be increased. 33.15. Investment. Mobilization of higher levels of foreign direct investment and technology transfers should be encouraged through national policies that promote investment and through joint ventures and other modalities. 33.16. Innovative financing. New ways of generating new public and private financial resources should be explored, in particular: (a) Various forms of debt relief, apart from official or Paris Club debt, including greater use of debt swaps; (b) The use of economic and fiscal incentives and mechanisms; (c) The feasibility of tradeable permits; (d) New schemes for fund-raising and voluntary contributions through private channels, including non-governmental organizations; (e) The reallocation of resources at present committed to military purposes. 33.17. A supportive international and domestic economic climate conducive to sustained economic growth and development is important, particularly for developing countries, in order to achieve sustainability. 33.18. The secretariat of the Conference has estimated the average annual costs (1993-2000) of implementing in developing countries the activities in Agenda 21 to be over $600 billion, including about $125 billion on grant or concessional terms from the international community. These are indicative and order-of-magnitude estimates only, and have not been reviewed by Governments. Actual costs will depend upon, inter alia, the specific strategies and programmes Governments decide upon for implementation. 33.19. Developed countries and others in a position to do so should make initial financial commitments to give effect to the decisions of the Conference. They should report on such plans and commitments to the United Nations General Assembly at its forty-seventh session, in 1992. 33.20. Developing countries should also begin to draw up national plans for sustainable development to give effect to the decisions of the Conference. 33.21. Review and monitoring of the financing of Agenda 21 is essential. Questions related to the effective follow-up of the Conference are discussed in chapter 38 (International institutional arrangements). It will be important to review on a regular basis the adequacy of funding and mechanisms, including efforts to reach agreed objectives of the present chapter, including targets where applicable. The Forests Principles 7. (a) Efforts should be made to promote a supportive international economic climate conducive to sustained and environmentally sound development of forests in all countries, which include, inter alia, the promotion of sustainable patterns of production and consumption, the eradication of poverty and the promotion of food security. (b) Specific financial resources should be provided to developing countries with significant forest areas which establish programmes for the conservation of forests including protected natural forest areas. These resources should be notably to economic sectors which would stimulate economic and social substitution activities. 10. New and additional financial resources should be provided to developing countries to enable them to sustainably manage, conserve and develop their forest resources, including through afforestation, reforestation and combating deforestation and forest and land degradation. Human Rights Review 29. The Commission on Human Rights, in its resolution 1998/72 adopted at its fifty-fourth session, affirmed that although a number of developing countries have experienced rapid economic growth in the recent past and have become dynamic partners in the international economy, the gap between developed and developing countries remains unacceptably wide and developing countries continue to face difficulties participating in the globalization process, so that many risk being marginalized and effectively excluded from its benefits. The Commission also affirmed that democracy had raised development expectations everywhere, the non-fulfilment of which risks the rekindling of non-democratic forces, and emphasized that structural reforms that do not take social realities into account could destabilize democratization processes. It also emphasized that democracy, respect for all human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the right to development, transparent and accountable governance and administration in all sectors of society, as well as effective participation by civil society, are essential parts of the necessary foundations for the realization of social- and people-centred sustainable development. The Commission further emphasized that the participation of developing countries in the international economic decision-making process needs to be broadened and strengthened. Arriving at similar conclusions, the Working Group on the Right to Development established by the Commission on Human Rights in 1995 noted that despite overall global economic growth, 89 countries were at that time in a worse position economically than they were 10 or more years before (E/CN.4/1997/22). An economic growth-centred approach to development is not sufficient to meet the challenge of severe poverty in the world, which affects an estimated 1.3 billion people. The United Nations organs and bodies have emphasized on various occasions that both national-level policies and a conducive international environment are necessary prerequisites for assisting those segments of the population that have been marginalized by the negative impact of globalization and economic adjustment. They have repeatedly addressed the Bretton Woods and other financial institutions involved in developmental projects, in particular in the context of economic adjustment programmes, to recommend that their activities promote the protection of the economically vulnerable. Population Summit (ICPD), Cairo 1994 Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development Chapter 1 : Preamble 1.1. The 1994 International Conference on Population and Development occurs at a defining moment in the history of international cooperation. With the growing recognition of global population, development and environmental interdependence, the opportunity to adopt suitable macro- and socio-economic policies to promote sustained economic growth in the context of sustainable development in all countries and to mobilize human and financial resources for global problem- solving has never been greater. Never before has the world community had so many resources, so much knowledge and such powerful technologies at its disposal which, if suitably redirected, could foster sustained economic growth and sustainable development. None the less, the effective use of resources, knowledge and technologies is conditioned by political and economic obstacles at the national and international levels. Therefore, although ample resources have been available for some time, their use for socially equitable and environmentally sound development has been seriously limited. 1.2. The world has undergone far-reaching changes in the past two decades. Significant progress in many fields important for human welfare has been made through national and international efforts. However, the developing countries are still facing serious economic difficulties and an unfavourable international economic environment, and the number of people living in absolute poverty has increased in many countries. Around the world many of the basic resources on which future generations will depend for their survival and well-being are being depleted and environmental degradation is intensifying, driven by unsustainable patterns of production and consumption, unprecedented growth in population, widespread and persistent poverty, and social and economic inequality. Ecological problems, such as global climate change, largely driven by unsustainable patterns of production and consumption, are adding to the threats to the well-being of future generations. There is an emerging global consensus on the need for increased international cooperation in regard to population in the context of sustainable development, for which Agenda 21 1/ provides a framework. Much has been achieved in this respect, but more needs to be done. 1.3. The world population is currently estimated at 5.6 billion. While the rate of growth is on the decline, absolute increments have been increasing, currently exceeding 86 million persons per annum. Annual population increments are likely to remain above 86 million until the year 2015. 2/ 1.4. During the remaining six years of this critical decade, the world's nations by their actions or inactions will choose from among a range of alternative demographic futures. The low, medium and high variants of the United Nations population projections for the coming 20 years range from a low of 7.1 billion people to the medium variant of 7.5 billion and a high of 7.8 billion. The difference of 720 million people in the short span of 20 years exceeds the current population of the African continent. Further into the future, the projections diverge even more significantly. By the year 2050, the United Nations projections range from 7.9 billion to the medium variant of 9.8 billion and a high of 11.9 billion. Implementation of the goals and objectives contained in the present 20-year Programme of Action, which address many of the fundamental population, health, education and development challenges facing the entire human community, would result in world population growth during this period and beyond at levels below the United Nations medium projection. 1.5. The International Conference on Population and Development is not an isolated event. Its Programme of Action builds on the considerable international consensus that has developed since the World Population Conference at Bucharest in 1974 3/ and the International Conference on Population at Mexico City in 1984, 4/ to consider the broad issues of and interrelationships between population, sustained economic growth and sustainable development, and advances in the education, economic status and empowerment of women. The 1994 Conference was explicitly given a broader mandate on development issues than previous population conferences, reflecting the growing awareness that population, poverty, patterns of production and consumption and the environment are so closely interconnected that none of them can be considered in isolation. 1.6. The International Conference on Population and Development follows and builds on other important recent international activities, and its recommendations should be supportive of, consistent with and based on the agreements reached at the following: (a) The World Conference to Review and Appraise the Achievements of the United Nations Decade for Women: Equality, Development and Peace, held in Nairobi in 1985; 5/ (b) The World Summit for Children, held in New York in 1990; 6/ (c) The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992; 7/ (d) The International Conference on Nutrition, held in Rome in 1992; 8/ (e) The World Conference on Human Rights, held in Vienna in 1993; 9/ (f) The International Year of the World's Indigenous People, 1993, 10/ which would lead to the International Decade of the World's Indigenous People; 11/ (g) The Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States, held in Barbados in 1994; 12/ (h) The International Year of the Family, 1994. 13/ 1.7. The Conference outcomes are closely related to and will make significant contributions to other major conferences in 1995 and 1996, such as the World Summit for Social Development, 14/ the Fourth World Conference on Women: Action for Equality, Development and Peace, 15/ the Second United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II), the elaboration of the Agenda for Development, as well as the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations. These events are expected to highlight further the call of the 1994 Conference for greater investment in people, and for a new action agenda for the empowerment of women to ensure their full participation at all levels in the social, economic and political lives of their communities. 1.8. Over the past 20 years, many parts of the world have undergone remarkable demographic, social, economic, environmental and political change. Many countries have made substantial progress in expanding access to reproductive health care and lowering birth rates, as well as in lowering death rates and raising education and income levels, including the educational and economic status of women. While the advances of the past two decades in areas such as increased use of contraception, decreased maternal mortality, implemented sustainable development plans and projects and enhanced educational programmes provide a basis for optimism about successful implementation of the present Programme of Action, much remains to be accomplished. The world as a whole has changed in ways that create important new opportunities for addressing population and development issues. Among the most significant are the major shifts in attitude among the world's people and their leaders in regard to reproductive health, family planning and population growth, resulting, inter alia, in the new comprehensive concept of reproductive health, including family planning and sexual health, as defined in the present Programme of Action. A particularly encouraging trend has been the strengthening of political commitment to population-related policies and family-planning programmes by many Governments. In this regard, sustained economic growth in the context of sustainable development will enhance the ability of countries to meet the pressures of expected population growth; will facilitate the demographic transition in countries where there is an imbalance between demographic rates and social, economic and environmental goals; and will permit the balance and integration of the population dimension into other development- related policies. 1.9. The population and development objectives and actions of the present Programme of Action will collectively address the critical challenges and interrelationships between population and sustained economic growth in the context of sustainable development. In order to do so, adequate mobilization of resources at the national and international levels will be required as well as new and additional resources to the developing countries from all available funding mechanisms, including multilateral, bilateral and private sources. Financial resources are also required to strengthen the capacity of national, regional, subregional and international institutions to implement this Programme of Action. 1.10. The two decades ahead are likely to produce a further shift of rural populations to urban areas as well as continued high levels of migration between countries. These migrations are an important part of the economic transformations occurring around the world, and they present serious new challenges. Therefore, these issues must be addressed with more emphasis within population and development policies. By the year 2015, nearly 56 per cent of the global population is expected to live in urban areas, compared to under 45 per cent in 1994. The most rapid rates of urbanization will occur in the developing countries. The urban population of the developing regions was just 26 per cent in 1975, but is projected to rise to 50 per cent by 2015. This change will place enormous strain on existing social services and infrastructure, much of which will not be able to expand at the same rate as that of urbanization. 1.11. Intensified efforts are needed in the coming 5, 10 and 20 years, in a range of population and development activities, bearing in mind the crucial contribution that early stabilization of the world population would make towards the achievement of sustainable development. The present Programme of Action addresses all those issues, and more, in a comprehensive and integrated framework designed to improve the quality of life of the current world population and its future generations. The recommendations for action are made in a spirit of consensus and international cooperation, recognizing that the formulation and implementation of population-related policies is the responsibility of each country and should take into account the economic, social and environmental diversity of conditions in each country, with full respect for the various religious and ethical values, cultural backgrounds and philosophical convictions of its people, as well as the shared but differentiated responsibilities of all the world's people for a common future. 1.12. The present Programme of Action recommends to the international community a set of important population and development objectives, as well as qualitative and quantitative goals that are mutually supportive and of critical importance to these objectives. Among these objectives and goals are: sustained economic growth in the context of sustainable development; education, especially for girls; gender equity and equality; infant, child and maternal mortality reduction; and the provision of universal access to reproductive health services, including family planning and sexual health. 1.13. Many of the quantitative and qualitative goals of the present Programme of Action clearly require additional resources, some of which could become available from a reordering of priorities at the individual, national and international levels. However, none of the actions required - nor all of them combined - is expensive in the context of either current global development or military expenditures. A few would require little or no additional financial resources, in that they involve changes in lifestyles, social norms or government policies that can be largely brought about and sustained through greater citizen action and political leadership. But to meet the resource needs of those actions that do require increased expenditures over the next two decades, additional commitments will be required on the part of both developing and developed countries. This will be particularly difficult in the case of some developing countries and some countries with economies in transition that are experiencing extreme resource constraints. 1.14. The present Programme of Action recognizes that over the next 20 years Governments are not expected to meet the goals and objectives of the International Conference on Population and Development single-handedly. All members of and groups in society have the right, and indeed the responsibility, to play an active part in efforts to reach those goals. The increased level of interest manifested by non-governmental organizations, first in the context of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development and the World Conference on Human Rights, and now in these deliberations, reflects an important and in many places rapid change in the relationship between Governments and a variety of non-governmental institutions. In nearly all countries new partnerships are emerging between government, business, non-governmental organizations and community groups, which will have a direct and positive bearing on the implementation of the present Programme of Action. 1.15. While the International Conference on Population and Development does not create any new international human rights, it affirms the application of universally recognized human rights standards to all aspects of population programmes. It also represents the last opportunity in the twentieth century for the international community to collectively address the critical challenges and interrelationships between population and development. The Programme of Action will require the establishment of common ground, with full respect for various religious and ethical values and cultural backgrounds. The impact of this Conference will be measured by the strength of the specific commitments made here and the consequent actions to fulfil them, as part of a new global partnership among all the world's countries and peoples, based on a sense of shared but differentiated responsibility for each other and for our planetary home. CH 3 B 3.22 3.22. The international community should continue to promote a supportive economic environment, particularly for developing countries and countries with economies in transition in their attempt to eradicate poverty and achieve sustained economic growth in the context of sustainable development. In the context of the relevant international agreements and commitments, efforts should be made to support those countries, in particular the developing countries, by promoting an open, equitable, secure, non-discriminatory and predictable international trading system; by promoting foreign direct investment; by reducing the debt burden; by providing new and additional financial resources from all available funding sources and mechanisms, including multilateral, bilateral and private sources, including on concessional and grant terms according to sound and equitable criteria and indicators; by providing access to technologies; and by ensuring that structural adjustment programmes are so designed and implemented as to be responsive to social and environmental concerns. Chapter 13 : National Action A. National policies and plans of action B. Programme management and human resource development C. Resource mobilization and allocation A. National policies and plans of action Basis for action 13.1. During the past few decades, considerable experience has been gained around the world on how government policies and programmes can be designed and implemented to address population and development concerns, enhance the choices of people and contribute to broad social progress. As is the case with other social development programmes, experience has also shown, in instances where the leadership is strongly committed to economic growth, human resource development, gender equality and equity and meeting the health needs of the population, in particular the reproductive health needs, including family planning and sexual health, countries have been able to mobilize sustained commitment at all levels to make population and development programmes and projects successful. 13.2. While such success can be facilitated by developments in the overall social and economic context, and by success in other development efforts, population and development are intrinsically interrelated and progress in any component can catalyse improvement in others. The many facets of population relate to many facets of development. There is increased recognition of the need for countries to consider migration impacts, internal and international, in developing their relevant policies and programmes. There is also growing recognition that population-related policies, plans, programmes and projects, to be sustainable, need to engage their intended beneficiaries fully in their design and subsequent implementation. 13.3. The role of non-governmental organizations as partners in national policies and programmes is increasingly recognized, as is the important role of the private sector. Members of national legislatures can have a major role to play, especially in enacting appropriate domestic legislation for implementing the present Programme of Action, allocating appropriate financial resources, ensuring accountability of expenditure and raising public awareness of population issues. Objectives 13.4. The objectives are: (a) To incorporate population concerns in all relevant national development strategies, plans, policies and programmes; (b) To foster active involvement of elected representatives of people, particularly parliamentarians, concerned groups, especially at the grass-roots level, andindividuals, in formulating, implementing, monitoring and evaluating strategies, policies, plans and programmes in the field of population and development. Actions 13.5. Governments, with the active involvement of parliamentarians, locally elected bodies, communities, the private sector, non-governmental organizations and women's groups, should work to increase awareness of population and development issues and formulate, implement and evaluate national strategies, policies, plans, programmes and projects that address population and development issues, including migration, as integral parts of their sectoral, intersectoral and overall development planning and implementation process. They should also promote and work to ensure adequate human resources andinstitutions to coordinate and carry out the planning, implementation, monitoringand evaluation of population and development activities. 13.6. Governments and parliamentarians, in collaboration with the international community and non-governmental organizations, should make the necessary plans in accordance with national concerns and priorities and take the actions required to measure, assess, monitor and evaluate progress towards meeting the goals of the present Programme of Action. In this connection, the active participation of the private sector and the research community is to be encouraged. B. Programme management and human resource development Basis for action 13.7. Building the capacity and self-reliance of countries to undertake concerted national action to promote sustained economic growth, to further national development and to improve the quality of life for the people is a fundamental goal. This requires the retention, motivation and participation of appropriately trained personnel working within effective institutional arrangements, as well as relevant involvement by the private sector and non-governmental organizations. The lack of adequate management skills, particularly in the least developed countries, critically reduces the ability for strategic planning, weakens programme execution, lessens the quality of services and thus diminishes the usefulness of programmes to their beneficiaries. The recent trend decentralization of authority in national population and development programmes, particularly in government programmes, significantly increases the requirement for trained staff to meet new or expanded responsibilities at the lower levels. It also modifies the "skill mix" required in central institutions, with policy analysis, evaluation and strategic planning having higher priority than previously. Objectives 13.8. The objectives are: (a) To improve national capacities and the cost-effectiveness, quality and impact of national population and development strategies, plans, policies and programmes, while ensuring their accountability to all persons served, in particular the most vulnerable and disadvantaged groups in society, including the rural population and adolescents; (b) To facilitate and accelerate the collection, analysis and flow of data and information between actors in national population and development programmes in order to enhance the formulation of strategies, policies, plans and programmes and monitor and evaluate their implementation and impact; (c) To increase the skill level and accountability of managers and others involved in the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of national population and development strategies, policies, plans and programmes; (d) To incorporate user and gender perspectives in training programmes and ensure the availability, motivation and retention of appropriately trained personnel, including women, for the formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of national population and development strategies, policies, plans and programmes. Actions 13.9. Countries should: (a) Formulate and implement human resource development programmes in a manner that explicitly addresses the needs of population and development strategies, policies, plans and programmes, giving special consideration to the basic education, training and employment of women at all levels, especially at decision-making and managerial levels, and to the incorporation of user and gender perspectives throughout the training programmes; (b) Ensure the nationwide and efficient placement of trained personnel managing population and development strategies, policies, plans and programmes; (c) Continuously upgrade the management skills of service delivery personnel to enhance the cost-effectiveness, efficiency and impact of the social services sector; (d) Rationalize remuneration and related matters, terms and conditions of service to ensure equal pay for equal work by women and men and the retention and advancement of managerial and technical personnel involved in population and development programmes, and thereby improve national execution of these programmes; (e) Establish innovative mechanisms to promote experience-sharing in population and development programme management within and among countries at subregional, regional, interregional and international levels in order to foster relevant national expertise; (f) Develop and maintain databases of national experts and institutions of excellence in order to foster the use of national competence, giving special consideration to the inclusion of women and youth; (g) Ensure effective communication with, and the involvement of, programme beneficiaries at all levels, in particular at rural levels, in order to ensure better overall programme management. 13.10. Governments should give special attention to the development and implementation of client-centred management information systems for population and development, and particularly for reproductive health, including family-planning and sexual health programmes, covering both governmental and non-governmental activities and containing regularly updated data on clientele, expenditures, infrastructure, service accessibility, output and quality of services. C. Resource mobilization and allocation Basis for action 13.11. Allocation of resources for sustained human development at the national level generally falls into various sectoral categories. How countries can most beneficially allocate resources among various sectors depends largely on each country's social, economic, cultural and political realities as well as its policy and programme priorities. In general, the quality and success of programmes benefit from a balanced allocation of resources. In particular, population-related programmes play an important role in enabling, facilitating and accelerating progress in sustainable human development programmes, especially by contributing to the empowerment of women, improving the health of the people (particularly of women and children, and especially in the rural areas), slowing the growth rate of demand for social services, mobilizing community action and stressing the long-term importance of social-sector investments. 13.12. Domestic resources provide the largest portion of funds for attaining development objectives. Domestic resource mobilization is, thus, one of the highest priority areas for focused attention to ensure the timely actions required to meet the objectives of the present Programme of Action. Both the public and the private sectors can potentially contribute to the resources required. Many of the countries seeking to pursue the additional goals and objectives of the Programme of Action, especially the least developed countries and other poor countries that are undergoing painful structural adjustments, are continuing to experience recessionary trends in their economies. Their domestic resource mobilization efforts to expand and improve their population and development programmes will need to be complemented by a significantly greater provision of financial and technical resources by the international community, as indicated in chapter XIV. In the mobilization of new and additional domestic resources and resources from donors, special attention needs to be given to adequate measures to address the basic needs of the most vulnerable groups of the population, particularly in the rural areas, and to ensure their access to social services. 13.13. Based on the current large unmet demands for reproductive health services, including family planning, and the expected growth in numbers of women and men of reproductive age, demand for services will continue to grow very rapidly over the next two decades. This demand will be accelerated by growing interest in delayed child-bearing, better spacing of births and earlier completion of desired family size, and by easier access to services. Efforts to generate and make available higher levels of domestic resources, and to ensure their effective utilization, in support of service-delivery programmes and of associated information, education and communication activities, thus, need to be intensified. 13.14. Basic reproductive health, including family-planning services, involving support for necessary training, supplies, infrastructure and management systems, especially at the primary health-care level, would include the following major components, which should be integrated into basic national programmes for population and reproductive health: (a) In the family-planning services component - contraceptive commodities and service delivery; capacity-building for information, education and communication regarding family planning and population and development issues; national capacity-building through support for training; infrastructure development and upgrading of facilities; policy development and programme evaluation; management information systems; basic service statistics; and focused efforts to ensure good quality care; (b) In the basic reproductive health services component - information and routine services for prenatal, normal and safe delivery and post-natal care; abortion (as specified in paragraph 8.25); information, education and communication about reproductive health, including sexually transmitted diseases, human sexuality and responsible parenthood, and against harmful practices; adequate counselling; diagnosis and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases and other reproductive tract infections, as feasible; prevention of infertility and appropriate treatment, where feasible; and referrals, education and counselling services for sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS, and for pregnancy and delivery complications; (c) In the sexually transmitted diseases/HIV/AIDS prevention programme component - mass media and in-school education programmes, promotion of voluntary abstinence and responsible sexual behaviour and expanded distribution of condoms; (d) In the basic research, data and population and development policy analysis component - national capacity-building through support for demographic as well as programme-related data collection and analysis, research, policy development and training. 13.15. It has been estimated that, in the developing countries and countries with economies in transition, the implementation of programmes in the area of reproductive health, including those related to family planning, maternal health and the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases, as well as other basic actions for collecting and analysing population data, will cost: $17.0 billion in 2000, $18.5 billion in 2005, $20.5 billion in 2010 and $21.7 billion in 2015; these are cost-estimates prepared by experts, based on experience to date, of the four components referred to above. These estimates should be reviewed and updated on the basis of the comprehensive approach reflected in paragraph 13.14 of the present Programme of Action, particularly with respect to the costs of implementing reproductive health service delivery. Of this, approximately 65 per cent is for the delivery system. Programme costs in the closely related components which should be integrated into basic national programmes for population and reproductive health are estimated as follows: (a) The family-planning component is estimated to cost: $10.2 billion in 2000, $11.5 billion in 2005, $12.6 billion in 2010 and $13.8 billion in 2015. This estimate is based on census and survey data which help to project the number of couples and individuals who are likely to be using family-planning information and services. Projections of future costs allow for improvements in quality of care. While improved quality of care will increase costs per user to some degree, these increases are likely to be offset by declining costs per user as both prevalence and programme efficiency increase; (b) The reproductive health component (not including the delivery-system costs summarized under the family-planning component) is estimated to add: $5.0 billion in 2000, $5.4 billion in 2005, $5.7 billion in 2010 and $6.1 billion in 2015. The estimate for reproductive health is a global total, based on experience with maternal health programmes in countries at different levels of development, selectively including other reproductive health services. The full maternal and child health impact of these interventions will depend on the provision of tertiary and emergency care, the costs of which should be met by overall health-sector budgets; (c) The sexually transmitted diseases/HIV/AIDS prevention programme is estimated by the WHO Global Programme on AIDS to cost: $1.3 billion in 2000, $1.4 billion in 2005 and approximately $1.5 billion in 2010 and $1.5 billion in 2015; (d) The basic research, data and population and development policy analysis programme is estimated to cost: $500 million in 2000, $200 million in 2005, $700 million in 2010 and $300 million in 2015. 13.16. It is tentatively estimated that up to two thirds of the costs will continue to be met by the countries themselves and in the order of one third from external sources. However, the least developed countries and other low-income developing countries will require a greater share of external resources on a concessional and grant basis. Thus, there will be considerable variation in needs for external resources for population programmes, between and within regions. The estimated global requirements for international assistance are outlined in paragraph 14.11. 13.17. Additional resources will be needed to support programmes addressing population and development goals, particularly programmes seeking to attain the specific social- and economic-sector goals contained in the present Programme of Action. The health sector will require additional resources to strengthen the primary health-care delivery system, child survival programmes, emergency obstetrical care and broad-based programmes for the control of sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS, as well as the humane treatment and care of those infected with sexually transmitted diseases/HIV/AIDS, among others. The education sector will also require substantial and additional investments in order to provide universal basic education and to eliminate disparities in educational access owing to gender, geographical location, social or economic status etc. 13.18. Additional resources will be needed for action programmes directed to improving the status and empowerment of women and their full participation in the development process (beyond ensuring their basic education). The full involvement of women in the design, implementation, management and monitoring of all development programmes will be an important component of such activities. 13.19. Additional resources will be needed for action programmes to accelerate development programmes; generate employment; address environmental concerns, including unsustainable patterns of production and consumption; provide social services; achieve balanced distributions of population; and address poverty eradication through sustained economic growth in the context of sustainable development. Important relevant programmes include those addressed in Agenda 21. 13.20. The resources needed to implement the present Programme of Action require substantially increased investments in the near term. The benefits of these investments can be measured in future savings in sectoral requirements; sustainable patterns of production and consumption and sustained economic growth in the context of sustainable development; and overall improvements in the quality of life. Objective 13.21. The objective is to achieve an adequate level of resource mobilization and allocation, at the community, national and international levels, for population programmes and for other related programmes, all of which seek to promote and accelerate social and economic development, improve the quality of life for all, foster equity and full respect for individual rights and, by so doing, contribute to sustainable development. Actions 13.22. Governments, non-governmental organizations, the private sector and local communities, assisted upon request by the international community, should strive to mobilize and effectively utilize the resources for population and development programmes that expand and improve the quality of reproductive health care, including family-planning and sexually transmitted diseases/HIV/AIDS prevention efforts. In line with the goal of the present Programme of Action to ensure universal availability of and access to high- quality reproductive health and family-planning services, particular emphasis must be put on meeting the needs of underserved population groups, including adolescents, taking into account therights and responsibilities of parents and the needs of adolescents and the rural and the urban poor, and on ensuring the safety of services and their responsiveness to women, men and adolescents. In mobilizing resources for these purposes, countries should examine new modalities such as increased involvement of the private sector, the selective use of user fees, social marketing, cost-sharing and other forms of cost recovery. However, these modalities must not impede access to services and should be accompanied with adequate "safety net" measures. 13.23. Governments, non-governmental organizations, the private sector and local communities, assisted upon request by the international community, should strive to mobilize the resources needed to reinforce social development goals, and in particular to satisfy the commitments Governments have undertaken previously with regard to Education for All (the Jomtien Declaration), the multisectoral goals of the World Summit for Children, Agenda 21 and other relevant international agreements, and to further mobilize the resources needed to meet the goals in the present Programme of Action. In this regard, Governments are urged to devote an increased proportion of public-sector expenditures to the social sectors, as well as an increased proportion of official development assistance, stressing, in particular, poverty eradication within the context of sustainable development. 13.24. Governments, international organizations and non-governmental organizations should collaborate on an ongoing basis in the development of precise and reliable cost estimates, where appropriate, for each category of investment. Chapter 14 : International Cooperation A. Responsibilities of partners in development B. Towards a new commitment to funding population and development A. Responsibilities of partners in development Basis for action 14.1. International cooperation has been proved to be essential for the implementation of population and development programmes during the past two decades. The number of financial donors has steadily increased and the profile of the donor community has increasingly been shaped by the growing presence of non-governmental and private-sector organizations. Numerous experiences of successful cooperation between developing countries have dispelled the stereotyped view of donors being exclusively developed countries. Donor partnerships have become more prevalent in a variety of configurations, so that it is no longer unusual to find Governments and multilateral organizations working closely together with national and international non-governmental organizations and segments of the private sector. This evolution of international cooperation in population and development activities reflects the considerable changes that have taken place during the past two decades, particularly with the greater awareness of the magnitude, diversity and urgency of unmet needs. Countries that formerly attached minimal importance to population issues now recognize them at the core of their development challenge. International migration and AIDS, for instance, formerly matters of marginal concern to a few countries, are currently high-priority issues in a large number of countries. 14.2. The maturing process undergone by international cooperation in the field of population and development has accentuated a number of difficulties and shortcomings that need to be addressed. For instance, the expanding number and configuration of development partners subjects both recipients and donors to increasing pressures to decide among a multitude of competing development priorities, a task which recipient Governments in particular may find exceedingly difficult to carry out. Lack of adequate financial resources and effective coordination mechanisms have been found to result in unnecessary duplication of efforts and lack of programme congruency. Sudden shifts in the development policies of donors may cause disruptions of programme activities across the world. Re-establishing and adhering to national priorities requires a new clarification of, and commitment to, reciprocal responsibilities among development partners. Objectives 14.3. The objectives are: (a) To ensure that international cooperation in the area of population and development is consistent with national population and development priorities centred on the well-being of intended beneficiaries and serves to promote national capacity-building and self-reliance; (b) To urge that the international community adopt favourable macroeconomic policies for promoting sustained economic growth and sustainable development in developing countries; (c) To clarify the reciprocal responsibilities of development partners and improve coordination of their efforts; (d) To develop long-term joint programmes between recipient countries and between recipient and donor countries; (e) To improve and strengthen policy dialogue and coordination of population and development programmes and activities at the international level, including bilateral and multilateral agencies; (f) To urge that all population and development programmes, with full respect for the various religious and ethical values and cultural backgrounds of each country's people, adhere to basic human rights recognized by the international community and recalled in the present Programme of Action. Actions 14.4. At the programme level, national capacity-building for population and development and transfer of appropriate technology and know-how to developing countries, including countries with economies in transition, must be core objectives and central activities for international cooperation. In this respect, important elements are to find accessible ways to meet the large commodity needs, of family-planning programmes, through the local production of contraceptives of assured quality and affordability, for which technology cooperation, joint ventures and other forms of technical assistance should be encouraged. 14.5. The international community should promote a supportive economic environment by adopting favourable macroeconomic policies for promoting sustained economic growth and development. 14.6. Governments should ensure that national development plans take note of anticipated international funding and cooperation in their population and development programmes, including loans from international financial institutions, particularly with respect to national capacity-building, technology cooperation and transfer of appropriate technology, which should be provided on favourable terms, including on concessional and preferential terms, as mutually agreed, taking into account the need to protect international property rights, as well as the special needs of developing countries. 14.7. Recipient Governments should strengthen their national coordination mechanisms for international cooperation in population and development, and in consultations with donors clarify the responsibilities assigned to various types of development partners, including intergovernmental and international non-governmental organizations, based on careful consideration of their comparative advantages in the context of national development priorities and of their ability to interact with national development partners. The international community should assist recipient Governments to undertake these coordinating efforts. B. Towards a new commitment to funding population and development Basis for action 14.8. There is a strong consensus on the need to mobilize significant additional financial resources from both the international community and within developing countries and countries with economies in transition for national population programmes in support of sustainable development. The Amsterdam Declaration on a Better Life for Future Generations, adopted at the International Forum on Population in the Twenty-first Century, held at Amsterdam in 1989, called on Governments to double the total global expenditures in population programmes and on donors to increase substantially their contribution, in order to meet the needs of millions of people in developing countries in the fields of family planning and other population activities by the year 2000. However, since then, international resources for population activities have come under severe pressure, owing to the prolonged economic recession in traditional donor countries. Also, developing countries face increasing difficulties in allocating sufficient funds for their population and related programmes. Additional resources are urgently required to better identify and satisfy unmet needs in issues related to population and development, such as reproductive health care, including family-planning and sexual health information and services, as well as to respond to future increases in demand, to keep pace with the growing demands that need to be served, and to improve the scope and quality of programmes 14.9. To assist the implementation of population and reproductive health care, including family-planning and sexual health programmes, financial and technical assistance from bilateral and multilateral agencies have been provided to the national and subnational agencies involved. As some of these began to be successful, it became desirable for countries to learn from one another's experiences, through a number of different modalities (e.g., long- and short- term training programmes, observation study tours and consultant services). Objectives 14.10.The objectives are: (a) To increase substantially the availability of international financial assistance in the field of population and development in order to enable developing countries and countries with economies in transition to achieve the goals of the present Programme of Action as they pursue their self-reliant and capacity-building efforts; (b) To increase the commitment to, and the stability of, international financial assistance in the field of population and development by diversifying the sources of contributions, while striving to avoid as far as possible a reduction in the resources for other development areas. Additional resources should be made available for short-term assistance to the countries with economies in transition; (c) To increase international financial assistance to direct South-South cooperation and to facilitate financing procedures for direct South-South cooperation. Actions 14.11. The international community should strive for the fulfilment of the agreed target of 0.7 per cent of the gross national product for overall official development assistance and endeavour to increase the share of funding for population and development programmes commensurate with the scope and scale of activities required to achieve the objectives and goals of the present Programme of Action. A crucially urgent challenge to the international donor community is therefore the translation of their commitment to the objectives and quantitative goals of the present Programme of Action into commensurate financial contributions to population programmes in developing countries and countries with economies in transition. Given the magnitude of the financial resource needs for national population and development programmes (as identified in chapter XIII), and assuming that recipient countries will be able to generate sufficient increases in domestically generated resources, the need for complementary resource flows from donor countries would be in the order of (in 1993 US dollars): $5.7 billion in 2000; $6.1 billion in 2005; $6.8 billion in 2010; and $7.2 billion in 2015. The international community takes note of the initiative to mobilize resources to give all people access to basic social services, known as the 20/20 initiative, which will be studied further in the context of the World Summit for Social Development. 14.12. Recipient countries should ensure that international assistance for population and development activities is used effectively to meet national population and development objectives so as to assist donors to secure commitment to further resources for programmes. 14.13. The United Nations Population Fund, other United Nations organizations, multilateral financial institutions, regional banks and bilateral financial sources are invited to consult, with a view to coordinating their financing policies and planning procedures to improve the impact, complementarity and cost-effectiveness of their contributions to the achievement of the population programmes of the developing countries and countries with economies in transition. 14.14. Criteria for allocation of external financial resources for population activities in developing countries should include: (a) Coherent national programmes, plans and strategies on population and development; (b) The recognized priority to the least developed countries; (c) The need to complement national financial efforts on population; (d) The need to avoid obstacles to, or reversal of, progress achieved thus far; (e) Problems of significant social sectors and areas that are not reflected in national average indicators. 14.15. Countries with economies in transition should receive temporary assistance for population and development activities in the light of the difficult economic and social problems these countries face at present. 14.16. In devising the appropriate balance between funding sources, more attention should be given to South-South cooperation as well as to new ways of mobilizing private contributions, particularly in partnership with non-governmental organizations. The international community should urge donor agencies to improveand modify their funding procedures in order to facilitate and give higher priority to supporting direct South-South collaborative arrangements. 14.17. Innovative financing, including new ways of generating public and private financing resources and various forms of debt relief should be explored. 14.18. International financial institutions are encouraged to increase their financialassistance, particularly in population and reproductive health, including family planning and sexual health care. 4th World Conference on Women Resolution 1. Annex II - The Beijing Platform for Action VI. Financial Arrangements A. National level B. Regional level C. International level 345. Financial and human resources have generally been insufficient for the advancement of women. This has contributed to the slow progress to date in implementing the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women. Full and effective implementation of the Platform for Action, including the relevant commitments made at previous United Nations summits and conferences, will require a political commitment to make available human and financial resources for the empowerment of women. This will require the integration of a gender perspective in budgetary decisions on policies and programmes, as well as the adequate financing of specific programmes for securing equality between women and men. To implement the Platform for Action, funding will need to be identified and mobilized from all sources and across all sectors. The reformulation of policies and reallocation of resources may be needed within and among programmes, but some policy changes may not necessarily have financial implications. Mobilization of additional resources, both public and private, including resources from innovative sources of funding, may also be necessary. A. National level 346. The primary responsibility for implementing the strategic objectives of the Platform for Action rests with Governments. To achieve these objectives, Governments should make efforts to systematically review how women benefit from public sector expenditures; adjust budgets to ensure equality of access to public sector expenditures, both for enhancing productive capacity and for meeting social needs; and achieve the gender-related commitments made in other United Nations summits and conferences. To develop successful national implementation strategies for the Platform for Action, Governments should allocate sufficient resources, including resources for undertaking gender-impact analysis. Governments should also encourage non-governmental organizations and private-sector and other institutions to mobilize additional resources. 347. Sufficient resources should be allocated to national machineries for the advancement of women as well as to all institutions, as appropriate, that can contribute to the implementation and monitoring of the Platform for Action. 348. Where national machineries for the advancement of women do not yet exist or where they have not yet been established on a permanent basis, Governments should strive to make available sufficient and continuing resources for such machineries. 349. To facilitate the implementation of the Platform for Action, Governments should reduce, as appropriate, excessive military expenditures and investments for arms production and acquisition, consistent with national security requirements. 350. Non-governmental organizations, the private sector and other actors of civil society should be encouraged to consider allocating the resources necessary for the implementation of the Platform for Action. Governments should create a supportive environment for the mobilization of resources by non-governmental organizations, particularly women's organizations and networks, feminist groups, the private sector and other actors of civil society, to enable them to contribute towards this end. The capacity of non-governmental organizations in this regard should be strengthened and enhanced. B. Regional level 351. Regional development banks, regional business associations and other regional institutions should be invited to contribute to and help mobilize resources in their lending and other activities for the implementation of the Platform for Action. They should also be encouraged to take account of the Platform for Action in their policies and funding modalities. 352. The subregional and regional organizations and the United Nations regional commissions should, where appropriate and within their existing mandates, assist in the mobilization of funds for the implementation of the Platform for Action. C. International level 353. Adequate financial resources should be committed at the international level for the implementation of the Platform for Action in the developing countries, particularly in Africa and the least developed countries. Strengthening national capacities in developing countries to implement the Platform for Action will require striving for the fulfilment of the agreed target of 0.7 per cent of the gross national product of developed countries for overall official development assistance as soon as possible, as well as increasing the share of funding for activities designed to implement the Platform for Action. Furthermore, countries involved in development cooperation should conduct a critical analysis of their assistance programmes so as to improve the quality and effectiveness of aid through the integration of a gender approach. 354. International financial institutions, including the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the International Fund for Agricultural Development and the regional development banks, should be invited to examine their grants and lending and to allocate loans and grants to programmes for implementing the Platform for Action in developing countries, especially in Africa and the least developedcountries. 355. The United Nations system should provide technical cooperation and other forms of assistance to the developing countries, in particular in Africa and the least developed countries, in implementing the Platform for Action. 356. Implementation of the Platform for Action in the countries with economies in transition will require continued international cooperation and assistance. The organizations and bodies of the United Nations system, including the technical and sectoral agencies, should facilitate the efforts of those countries in designing and implementing policies and programmes for the advancement of women. To this end, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank should be invited to assist those efforts. 357. The outcome of the World Summit for Social Development regarding debt management and reduction as well as other United Nations world summits and conferences should be implemented in order to facilitate the realization of the objectives of the Platform for Action. 358. To facilitate implementation of the Platform for Action, interested developed and developing country partners, agreeing on a mutual commitment to allocate, on average, 20 per cent of official development assistance and 20 per cent of the national budget to basic social programmes should take into account a gender perspective. 359. Development funds and programmes of the United Nations system should undertake an immediate analysis of the extent to which their programmes and projects are directed to implementing the Platform for Action and, for the next programming cycle, should ensure the adequacy of resources targeted towards eliminating disparities between women and men in their technical assistance and funding activities. 360. Recognizing the roles of United Nations funds, programmes and specialized agencies, in particular the special roles of UNIFEM and INSTRAW, in the promotion of the empowerment of women, and therefore in the implementation of the Platform for Action within their respective mandates, inter alia, in research, training and information activities for the advancement of women as well as technical and financial assistance to incorporate a gender perspective in development efforts, the resources provided by the international community need to be sufficient and should be maintained at an adequate level. 361. To improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the United Nations system in its efforts to promote the advancement of women and to enhance its capacity to further the objectives of the Platform for Action, there is a need to renew, reform and revitalize various parts of the United Nations system, especially the Division for the Advancement of Women of the United Nations Secretariat, as well as other units and subsidiary bodies that have a specific mandate to promote the advancement of women. In this regard, relevant governing bodies within the United Nations system are encouraged to give special consideration to the effective implementation of the Platform for Action and to review their policies, programmes, budgets and activities in order to achieve the most effective and efficient use of funds to this end. Allocation of additional resources from within theUnited Nations regular budget in order to implement the Platform for Action will also be necessary. BEIJING DECLARATION 36. 37. Ensure also the success of the Platform for Action in countries with economies in transition, which will require continued international cooperation andassistance; 38. We hereby adopt and commit ourselves as Governments to implement the following Platform for Action, ensuring that a gender perspective is reflected in all our policies and programmes. We urge the United Nations system, regional and international financial institutions, other relevant regional and internationalinstitutions and all women and men, as well as non-governmental organizations, with full respect for their autonomy, and all sectors of civil society, in cooperation with Governments, to fully commit themselves and contribute to the implementation of this Platform for Action. Habitat II III Commitments E. Financing shelter and human settlements 47. While recognizing that the housing and shelter sector is a productive sector and should be eligible, inter alia, for commercial financing, we commit ourselves to strengthening existing financial mechanisms and, where appropriate, developing innovative approaches for financing the implementation of the Habitat Agenda, which will mobilize additional resources from various sources of finance - public, private, multilateral and bilateral - at the international, regional, national and locallevels, and which will promote the efficient, effective and accountable allocationand management of resources, recognizing that local institutions involved inmicro-credit may hold the most potential for housing the poor. 48. We further commit ourselves to the objectives of: (a) Stimulating national and local economies through promoting economic development, social development and environmental protection that will attract domestic and international financial resources and private investment, generate employment and increase revenues, providing a stronger financial base to support adequate shelter and sustainable human settlements development; (b) Strengthening fiscal and financial management capacity at all levels, so as to fully develop the sources of revenue; (c) Enhancing public revenue through the use, as appropriate, of fiscal instruments that are conducive to environmentally sound practices in order to promote direct support for sustainable human settlements development; (d) Strengthening regulatory and legal frameworks to enable markets to work, overcome market failure and facilitate independent initiative and creativity, as well as to promote socially and environmentally responsible corporate investment and reinvestment in, and in partnership with, local communities and to encourage a wide range of other partnerships to finance shelter and human settlements development; (e) Promoting equal access to credit for all people; (f) Adopting, where appropriate, transparent, timely, predictable and performance-based mechanisms for the allocation of resources among different levels of government and various actors; (g) Fostering the accessibility of the market for those who are less organized and informed or otherwise excluded from participation by providing subsidies, where appropriate, and promoting appropriate credit mechanisms and other instruments to address their needs. III Commitments F. International cooperation 49. We commit ourselves - in the interests of international peace, security, justice and stability - to enhancing international cooperation and partnerships that will assist in the implementation of national plans of action and the global plan of action and in the attainment of the goals of the Habitat Agenda by contributing to and participating in multilateral, regional and bilateral cooperation programmes and institutional arrangements and technical and financial assistance programmes; by promoting the exchange of appropriate technology; by collecting, analysing and disseminating information about shelter and human settlements; and by international networking. 50. We further commit ourselves to the objectives of: (a) Striving to fulfil the agreed target of 0.7 per cent of the gross national product of the developed countries for official development assistance as soon as possible and to increase, as necessary, the share of funding for adequate shelter and human settlements development programmes, commensurate with the scope and scale of activities required to achieve the objectives and goals of the Habitat Agenda; (b) Using resources and economic instruments in an effective, efficient, equitable and non-discriminatory manner at the local, national, regional and international levels; (c) Promoting responsive international cooperation between public, private, non-profit, non-governmental and community organizations. IV Global Plan of Action C. Sustainable human settlements development in an urbanizing world 9. Improving urban economies 155. Urban economies are integral to the process of economic transformation and development. They are a prerequisite for the creation of a diversified economic base capable of generating employment opportunities. Many new jobs will need to be created in urban areas. Cities currently generate more than half of national economic activities worldwide. If other factors, such as growth of the population of cities and migration to cities, are addressed effectively through, inter alia, urban planning and control of the negative impacts of urbanization, cities could develop the capacity to maintain their productivity, to improve the living conditions of their residents and to manage natural resources in an ecologically sustainable way. Industry, together with trade and services, provides the main impetus to this process. 156. Cities have traditionally served as economic centres and have become the primary providers of services. As engines of economic growth and development they function within a network of supporting economic activities located in their peri-urban and surrounding rural areas. For this reason, specific actions also need to be taken to develop and maintain efficient and affordable transport, information and communications systems and linkages with other urban centres and with rural areas and to seek reasonably balanced patterns of development, both geographically and economically. Rapid changes in production technologies and in trade and consumption patterns will lead to changes in urban spatial structures that, notwithstanding their nature, need to be addressed. 157. Economic development and the provision of services can be enhanced through improved human settlements activities, such as urban revitalization, construction, upgrading and maintenance of infrastructural facilities, and building and civil works. These activities are also important growth factors in the generation of employment, income and efficiency in other sectors of the economy.In turn, in combination with appropriate environmental protection policies, they result in the sustainable improvement of the living conditions of city residents as well as of the efficiency and productivity of countries. Actions 158. To establish an effective financial base for urban development, Governments at the appropriate levels, including local authorities, in cooperation with trade unions, consumer organizations, business, industry, trade organizations and the financial sector, including the cooperatively organized business sector and non-governmental organizations, as appropriate, should: (a) Formulate and implement financial policies that stimulate a broad range of urban employment opportunities; (b) Encourage the formation of new public-private sector partnerships for institutions that are privately owned and managed but public in their function and purpose, and promote transparency and accountability of their operations. 159. To provide opportunities for productive employment and private investment, Governments at the appropriate levels, including local authorities, in consultation with workers' and employers' organizations, chambers of commerce, industry, trade and consumer organizations, professional associations and the financial sector, including the cooperative sector, and in the context of comprehensive urban planning, should: (a) Implement sustainable urban development policies that take account of and respond effectively to the needs of locally owned enterprises, and are not detrimental to the natural and human environment; (b) Facilitate access to all levels of education and training; (c) Promote an adequate supply and the environmentally sound allocation of sufficiently serviced land for the needs of the business community, with due regard to the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises; (d) Offer opportunities for urban economic activities by facilitating the access of new and emerging businesses, and small and medium-sized enterprises, including the informal sector, to credit and finance, and by streamlining legal and administrative procedures; (e) Facilitate, where appropriate, the opportunity for urban horticulture; (f) Assist informal sector enterprises to become more productive and progressively integrated into the formal economy; (g) Consider designating select areas for redevelopment within urban centres by providing packages of fiscal and financial incentives along with appropriate regulatory arrangements and the development of partnerships. 160. To provide opportunities for small businesses and for the micro-enterprise and cooperative sectors, Governments at the appropriate levels, including local authorities, in consultation with non-governmental organizations, community-based organizations, and financial and vocational training institutions, should, as appropriate: (a) Facilitate the extension to the informal sector of the protection of human rights in the field of labour, and promote respect for the relevant conventions of the International Labour Organization, including those on the prohibition of forced and child labour, freedom of association, the right to organize and bargain collectively, and the principle of non-discrimination; (b) Promote and strengthen, as appropriate, programmes that integrate credit, finance, vocational training and technological transfer programmes in support of small and micro-enterprises and enterprises in the cooperative sector, particularly those developed and utilized by women; (c) Encourage fair treatment of the informal sector, promote the use of environmentally sound practices and encourage links between financial institutions and non-governmental organizations that support the informal sector, where it exists; (d) Integrate, where appropriate, the needs of the growing informal sector within planning, design and management systems by, inter alia, promoting its participation in the planning and decision-making process and by strengthening its linkages with the formal economy; (e) Promote training for small and micro-enterprises and enterprises in the cooperative sector and support them in their efforts to improve their products, services, technology and distribution networks and to identify new market opportunities. 161. To strengthen urban economies so that they may be competitive in a globalizing economy, Governments at the appropriate levels, including local authorities, in consultation with all interested parties, should, inter alia: (a) Improve education and enhance job training in order to improve the quality of the local workforce; (b) Support the restructuring of local industries, where appropriate, develop urban infrastructure and services, promote a reliable, efficient and environmentally sound supply of energy and enhance telecommunication networks; (c) Review and revise, as appropriate, the regulatory framework in order to attract private investment; (d) Prevent crime and enhance public safety in order to make urban areas more attractive for economic, social and cultural activities; (e) Encourage sound financial practices at all levels of government; (f) Promote legislative action that may be necessary to implement the above. 162. To alleviate the adverse impacts of measures for structural and economic transition, Governments at the appropriate levels, including, where appropriate, local authorities, should: (a) Promote an integrated approach by addressing the social, economic and environmental consequences of reforms on the development needs of human settlements; (b) Promote the integrated functioning of housing markets so as to avoid segregation of the social housing sector; (c) Implement appropriate basic social programmes and adequate resource allocation, in particular those measures affecting people living in poverty, people with disabilities, other vulnerable segments of society, micro-enterprises and other small businesses; (d) Review the impact of structural adjustment on social development by paying particular attention to gender-sensitive assessments; (e) Design policies to promote more equitable and enhanced access to income and resources; (f) Support, as appropriate, public and private enterprises in their efforts to adapt to the changing requirements of technological and human resources development. IV Global Plan of Action D. Capacity-building and institutional development 6. Domestic financial resources and economic instruments 187. Funds to finance shelter and settlements development mainly come from domestic sources. Significant additional finance is also available from international sources, increasingly from investment funding. The largest impact on the financial base will derive, therefore, from improvements in economic development, sound financial practice and the capacity to mobilize domestic resources, control expenditures and manage budgets efficiently. 188. Financing the future of urban development and sustaining the economic viability of cities represents a particular challenge, which will require innovative systems of finance at the national and local levels. Effective partnerships between the public and private sectors should be promoted, combining local taxes onproduction and consumption with fiscal incentives for investment by industry, commerce, trade and other private sector services. New forms of municipal finance are needed to meet the future needs of urban economic development and the costs of supporting infrastructure and services. 189. To strengthen national and local economies and their financial and economic base with a view to addressing the needs of sustainable human settlements, Governments at the appropriate levels, including local authorities, should seek to provide an enabling framework which aims to: (a) Strengthen, as appropriate, the capacity of local authorities to attract investments; (b) Adopt macroeconomic policies and frameworks that encourage increased domestic savings and facilitate their use in housing, basic infrastructure and other aspects of the social and economic development of human settlements; (c) Develop efficient, fair, equitable and buoyant sources of national and local revenue, including taxation, user charges, tariffs and betterment levies, to promote national and local capacity for capital investment in housing, infrastructure and basic services, and devise, as appropriate, new fiscal instruments that penalize environmental damage from both production and consumption activities; (d) Enhance national and local tax collection capabilities and expenditure control to contain costs and enhance revenues; (e) Strive for full-cost recovery for urban services, with the exception of public safety services, through user charges, while at the same time addressing the needs of the poor, inter alia, through pricing policies and, where appropriate, transparent subsidies; (f) Support local efforts to encourage voluntary private and community sector partnerships and participation in the building, operating and maintaining of open green spaces and basic infrastructure and of services that, inter alia, are gender-sensitive, empower women and address the needs of marginalized groups; (g) Facilitate and rationalize, where appropriate, local authoritiesþ access to national, regional and international capital markets and specialized lending institutions, including, inter alia, through measures to establish independent municipal credit rating and credit systems, bearing in mind the borrowers' capacity to repay the debt in accordance with relevant domestic laws and regulations; (h) Facilitate the role of local authorities in forming partnerships with the private, voluntary, community and cooperative sectors and institutions for local enterprise development; (i) Institutionalize budget mechanisms, where appropriate, and accounting to enable local authorities to engage in medium- and long-term investment programmes; (j) Establish transparent systems and procedures to ensure financial accountability; (k) Institutionalize, where appropriate, transparent intergovernmental transfer mechanisms that are timely, predictable and performance- and need-based; (l) Attract private and community investment to urban development. IV Global Plan of Action E. International cooperation and coordination 2. An enabling international context 200. The provision of adequate shelter for all and sustainable human settlements development are increasingly influenced by the global economy. The process of urbanization is linked to economic development, social development and environmental protection, which are interdependent and mutually reinforcing components of sustainable development. In this context, it is imperative to enable all countries, especially developing countries, to improve living and working conditions in human settlements. This calls for an enabling international environment and for integrated approaches at the national and international levels that take account of the efforts of countries to implement programmes of economic reform or economic transition. Furthermore, technological developments are leading to major changes in the structure of employment. It should be recognized that in social and economic terms housing is a productive sector. Achievement of the goals of adequate shelter for all and sustainable human settlements development at the global level would be facilitated by, inter alia, positive actions on the issues of finance, external debt, international trade and transfer of technology. 201. The international community should support Governments in their efforts to cope with the impact of these changes on human settlements within a framework of enabling strategies. The international community should promote: (a) The establishment of an open, equitable, cooperative and mutually beneficial international economic environment; (b) The coordination of macroeconomic policies at all levels to achieve an international financial system that is conducive to economic development, social development and environmental protection, as components of sustainable development; (c) An international financial system that is more conducive to stable and sustainable human settlements development through, inter alia, a higher degree of stability in financial markets, a reduction of the risk of financial crises, and lower real interest rates; (d) An environment in all countries that attracts foreign direct investment and encourages savings and domestic investment; (e) Enterprise development, productive investment and expanded access to open and dynamic markets in the context of an open, equitable, secure, non-discriminatory, predictable, transparent and multilateral rule-based international trading system and access to appropriate technologies and know-how for all people, especially those living in poverty and the disadvantaged, as well as for the least developed countries; (f) Capacity-building in all developing countries, particularly African countries and the least developed countries, and in countries with economies in transition; (g) The strengthening and improvement of technical and financial assistance to developing countries to promote sustainable development and to facilitate their full and effective participation in the world economy. 202. With specific reference to sustainable human settlements development and the provision of shelter, the international community should: (a) Ensure that the benefits of global economic growth improve people's quality oflife in all countries, whether they live in urban or rural areas; (b) Mobilize national and international financial resources from all sources for shelter provision and sustainable human settlements development; (c) Facilitate increased access by all levels of government and the private sector in developing countries and in countries with economies in transition to international financial resources so as to enable them to attract investment in shelter and infrastructure for sustainable human settlements development; (d) In a manner consistent with national legislation, strive to promote the ability of local authorities, the private sector and relevant organizations to link with global capital markets and to have access to financial markets, in accordance with prudent safeguards in those markets as well as national monetary policies, in order to finance shelter and infrastructure programmes, mechanisms and instruments to facilitate risk-sharing and credit enhancement; (e) Encourage the adoption of policies for the creation and development of the private sector and promote strategies for substantial and well-directed public and private investment in the construction and development of shelter, infrastructure, health, education and other basic services through, inter alia, the provision of appropriate technical and financial assistance; in addition, encourage Governments to promote strategies to ensure that the private sector, including transnational corporations, complies with national laws and codes, social security regulations, applicable international agreements, instruments and conventions, including those related to the environment, and other relevant laws, and to adopt policies and establish mechanisms to grant contracts on a non-discriminatory basis; recruit women for leadership, decision-making and management and provide training programmes, all on an equal basis with men; and observe national labour, environment, consumer, health and safety laws, particularly those that affect women and children; (f) Encourage international cooperation in order to address relevant impacts of international migration through, inter alia, technical assistance, management know-how and exchange of information; (g) In consultation with Governments, continue to provide support to displaced persons, including refugees, other displaced persons in need of international protection and internally displaced persons, in order to meet their needs, bearing in mind the recommendations emanating from regional meetings on international migration, internally displaced persons and returning refugees, and assist in assuring them a just, durable solution in accordance with relevant United Nations resolutions and international law, noting, with due regard to the principle of voluntary repatriation, that sustainable human settlements should preferably be established for them in their land of origin; (h) Facilitate access to international financial resources for all developing countries, particularly those in Africa and the least developed countries, so that they may benefit from the growing international financial markets in order to promote investments in shelter, including social housing, and infrastructure for sustainable human settlements; (i) Facilitate access to growing international financial markets for countries with economies in transition in order to promote investments and to support the implementation of housing reforms as part of the realization of the goals of adequate shelter for all and sustainable human settlements development in those countries. IV Global Plan of Action E. International cooperation and coordination 3. Financial resources and economic instruments 203. The demand for shelter and infrastructural services in human settlements is continuously increasing. Communities and countries, especially developing countries, have difficulty in mobilizing adequate financial resources to meet the rapidly rising costs of shelter, services and physical infrastructure. New and additional financial resources from various sources are necessary to achieve the goals of adequate shelter for all and sustainable human settlements development in an urbanizing world. The existing resources available to developing countries -public, private, multilateral, bilateral, domestic and external - need to be enhanced through appropriate and flexible mechanisms and economic instruments to support adequate shelter and sustainable human settlements development. 204. The full and effective implementation of the Habitat Agenda, in particular in all developing countries, especially those in Africa and the least developed countries, will require the mobilization of additional financial resources from various sources at the national and international levels and more effective development cooperation in order to promote assistance for shelter and human settlements activities. This will require, inter alia: (a) Raising the priority of adequate shelter for all and sustainable human settlements development among multilateral and bilateral donors and mobilizing their support for the national, subregional and regional plans of action of developing countries; (b) Striving to fulfil the agreed target of 0.7 per cent of the gross national product of the developed countries for official development assistance as soon as possible and to increase, as necessary, the share of funding for adequate shelter and human settlements development programmes commensurate with the scope and scale of activities required to achieve the objectives and goals of the Habitat Agenda; (c) Striving to fulfil, consistent with commitments in international agreements, such as and in particular the Paris Declaration and Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries in the 1990s (para. 23), the target, where agreed, of 0.15 per cent of the gross national product of the developed countries for assistance to the least developed countries as soon as possible and to increase, as necessary, the share of funding for adequate shelter and sustainable human settlements development programmes commensurate with the scope and scale of activities required to achieve the objectives and goals of the Habitat Agenda; (d) Striving to ensure that structural adjustment programmes are consistent with the economic and social conditions, concerns, objectives and needs of each country, including the need for adequate shelter for all and sustainable human settlements development, and protect basic social programmes and expenditures, in particular those benefiting people living in poverty, women and vulnerable groups, from budget reductions; and also striving to ensure that corresponding investment programmes take account of human settlements development priorities, including local, urban and rural priorities; (e) Inviting the international financial institutions to examine innovative approaches to assisting low-income countries with a high proportion of multilateral debt, with a view to alleviating their debt burden; (f) Inviting multilateral development institutions and bilateral donors to support countries, particularly developing countries, in their efforts to pursue enabling strategies through which national Governments, local authorities, non-governmental organizations, communities and the private and cooperative sectors can form partnerships to participate in the provision of adequate shelter and the development of sustainable human settlements; (g) Exploring ways and means to strengthen, support and expand South-South cooperation, including through triangular cooperation, and partnership between developing and developed countries; (h) Consolidating the solidarity of the international community and its organizations to provide adequate shelter for all and sustainable human settlements development for people living under foreign occupation; (i) Promoting, in a manner consistent with the legal framework of each country, the decentralized development assistance programmes of local authorities and their associations which transfer financial and other resources directly from a donor local authority to their partner local authority in a developing country; (j) Enhancing the effectiveness of official development assistance and other external financial flows through improving coordination between and among donors and United Nations operational activities, and through better integration of those flows into national sustainable human settlements development strategies; (k) Supporting programmes that increase the effectiveness and transparent utilization of public and private resources, reduce wasteful and untargeted expenditure and increase access to housing and services for all people, particularly those living in poverty; (l) Recognizing the negative effect of excessive military expenditures and trade in arms, especially of arms that are particularly injurious or have indiscriminate effects, and excessive investment for arms production and acquisition, while acknowledging legitimate national defence needs; (m) Giving preference, wherever possible, to the utilization of competent national experts in developing countries or, where necessary, of competent experts from within the subregion or region or from other developing countries in project and programme design, preparation and implementation, and to the building of local expertise where it does not exist; (n) Maximizing the efficiency of projects and programmes by keeping overhead costs to a minimum; (o) Integrating practical measures for reducing disaster vulnerability in development programmes and projects, in particular in the construction of buildings, infrastructure and communication systems accessible to persons with disabilities, including those financed by the international community, and ensuring that such measures become an integral part of feasibility studies and project identification; (p) Developing and devising appropriate measures to implement economic policies to promote and mobilize domestic savings and attract external resources for productive investments, and seeking innovative sources of funding, both public and private, for adequate shelter and sustainable human settlements development programmes, while ensuring effective utilization of those resources; (q) Strengthening financial and technical assistance for community-based development and self-help programmes, and strengthening cooperation among Governments at all levels, community organizations, cooperatives, formal and informal banking institutions, private enterprises and international institutions, with the aim of mobilizing local savings, promoting the creation of local financial networks, promoting socially responsible corporate investment and reinvestment in local communities, and increasing the availability of credit and market information to low-income individuals, women, and vulnerable and disadvantaged groups for shelter and human settlements development; (r) Facilitating access to global finances for those Governments and local authorities that are initiating or are involved in public-private partnership programmes; (s) Establishing and supporting linkages of informal credit mechanisms to the global pool of resources and increasing the access of the majority of the population to housing finance through participatory processes involving communities, non-governmental organizations, credit unions, international financial institutions and other relevant actors; (t) Attracting international flows of public and private finances for shelter provision and settlements development through appropriate economic instruments; (u) Considering means of facilitating foreign private sector investment insustainable human settlements projects, including public-private joint ventures or partnerships, particularly in the areas of infrastructure and transportation; (v) Implementing effective and equitable pricing mechanisms for adequate shelter and sustainable human settlements, infrastructure and services and assisting countries, in particular developing countries, for that purpose in order to induce greater flows of private, domestic and global funds, while ensuring transparent and targeted subsidies for people living in poverty; (w) Examining appropriate debt-equity swapping measures in favour of shelter and infrastructure development in human settlements; (x) Developing innovative sources of funding, both public and private, for human settlements development and creating a supportive environment for the mobilization of resources by civil society, including beneficiary and individual voluntary contributions; (y) Promoting assistance for activities in the field of shelter and human settlements development in favour of people living in poverty, particularly women, and vulnerable groups, such as refugees, internally displaced persons, people with disabilities, street children, migrants and the homeless, through specific targeted grants; (z) Recognizing the need for adequate shelter for all and human settlements development in order to address the special conditions of some countries experiencing natural and human-made disasters and the urgent need to reconstruct their economies and human settlements; (aa) Giving high priority to the critical situation and needs of African countries and the least developed countries in implementing the objectives of the provision of adequate shelter for all and sustainable human settlements development; (bb) Implementing the commitments of the international community to the special needs and vulnerabilities of human settlements in small island development States, in particular by providing effective means, including adequate, predictable, new and additional resources, for human settlements programmes, in accordance with the Declaration of Barbados and on the basis of the relevant provisions of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Development States; (cc) Providing international support and assistance to the land-locked developing countries and supporting these countries and their neighbour transit developing countries in their efforts to implement the outcome of Habitat II, taking into account, as appropriate, the challenges and problems characteristic of those countries; (dd) Agreeing on a mutual commitment between interested developed and developing country partners to allocate, on average, 20 per cent of official development assistance and 20 per cent of the national budget, respectively, to basic social programmes. Chapter 4. International Institutional Arrangement A. Greater coherence in various intergovernmental organizations and processes B. Role of relevant organizations and institutions of the United Nations system C. Future role and programme of work of the Commission on Sustainable Development D. Methods of work of the Commission on Sustainable Development IV. International Institutional Arrangements 116. The achievement of sustainable development requires continued support from international institutions. The institutional framework outlined in chapter 38 of Agenda 21 and determined by the General Assembly in its resolution 47/191 of 22 December 1992 and other relevant resolutions, including the specific functions and roles of various organs, organizations and programmes within and outside the United Nations system, will continue to be fully relevant in the period after the nineteenth special session of the General Assembly. In the light of the ongoing discussions on reform within the United Nations, international institutional arrangements in the area of sustainable development are intended to contribute to the goal of strengthening the entire United Nations system. In this context, the strengthening of the institutions for sustainable development, as well as the achievement of the goals and objectives set out below are particularly important. A. Greater coherence in various intergovernmental organizations and processes 117. Given the increasing number of decision-making bodies concerned with various aspects of sustainable development, including international conventions, there is an ever greater need for better policy coordination at the intergovernmental level, as well as for continued and more concerted efforts to enhance collaboration among the secretariats of those decision-making bodies. Under the guidance of the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council should play a strengthened role in coordinating the activities of the United Nations system in the economic, social and related fields. 118. The conferences of the parties to conventions signed at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development or as a result of it, as well as other conventions related to sustainable development, should cooperate in exploring ways and means of collaborating in their work to advance the effective implementation of the conventions. There is also a need for environmental conventions to continue to pursue sustainable development objectives consistent with their provisions and be fully responsive to Agenda 21. To this end, inter alia, the conferences of the parties to or governing bodies of the conventions signed at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, or as a result of it, and of other relevant conventions and agreements should, if appropriate, give consideration to the co-location of secretariats, to improving the scheduling of meetings, to integrating national reporting requirements, to improving the balance between sessions of the conferences of the parties and sessions of their subsidiary bodies, and to encouraging and facilitating the participation of Governments in those sessions, at an appropriate level. 119. Institutional arrangements for the convention secretariats should provide effective support and efficient services, while ensuring the appropriate autonomy necessary for them to be efficient at their respective locations. At the international and national levels there is a need for, inter alia, better scientific assessment ofecological linkages between the conventions; identification of programmes that have multiple benefits; and enhanced public awareness-raising with respect to the conventions. Such tasks should be undertaken by the United NationsEnvironment Programme in accordance with the relevant decisions of its Governing Council and in full cooperation with the conferences of the parties to and governing bodies of relevant conventions. Efforts of convention secretariats,in response to requests from the respective conferences of the parties, to explore, where appropriate, modalities for suitable liaison arrangements in Geneva and/or New York for the purpose of enhancing linkages with delegations andorganizations at those United Nations centres are welcomed and fully supported. 120. It is necessary to strengthen the Inter-Agency Committee on SustainableDevelopment of the Administrative Committee on Coordination and its system of task managers, with a view to further enhancing system-wide intersectoral cooperation and coordination for the implementation of Agenda 21 and for the promotion of coordinated follow-up to the major United Nations conferences inthe area of sustainable development. 121. The Commission on Sustainable Development should promote increased regional implementation of Agenda 21 in cooperation with relevant regional and subregional organizations and the United Nations regional commissions, in accordance with the results of their priority-setting efforts, with a view to enhancing the role such bodies play in the achievement of sustainable development objectives agreed at the international level. The regional commissions could provide appropriate support, consistent with their work programmes, to regional meetings of experts related to the implementation of Agenda 21. B. Role of relevant organizations and institutions of the United Nations system 122. In order to facilitate the national implementation of Agenda 21, all organizations and programmes of the United Nations system, within their respective areas of expertise and mandates, should strengthen, individually and jointly, the support for national efforts to implement Agenda 21 and make their efforts and actions consistent with national plans, policies and priorities of member States. Coordination of United Nations activities at the field level should be further enhanced through the resident coordinator system in full consultation with national Governments. 123. The role of United Nations Environment Programme, as the principal United Nations body in the field of the environment, should be further enhanced. Taking into account its catalytic role, and in conformity with Agenda 21 and the Nairobi Declaration on the Role and Mandate of the United Nations Environment Programme, adopted on 7 February 1997, 40/ the Programme is to be the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system, and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment. In this context, decision 19/32 of 4 April 1997 of the United Nations Environment Programme Governing Council on governance of the Programme 41/ and other related Governing Council decisions 41/ are relevant. The role of the United Nations Environment Programme in the further development of international environmental law should be strengthened, including the development of coherent interlinkages among relevant environmental conventions in cooperation with their respective conferences of the parties or governing bodies. In performing its functions related to the conventions signed at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development or as a result of it, and other relevant conventions, the United Nations Environment Programme should strive to promote the effective implementation of those conventions in a manner consistent with the provisions of the conventions and the decisions of the conferences of the parties. 124. The United Nations Environment Programme, in the performance of its role, should focus on environmental issues, taking into account the development perspective. A revitalized Programme should be supported by adequate, stableand predictable funding. The Programme should continue providing effective support to the Commission on Sustainable Development, inter alia, in the form of scientific, technical and policy information and analysis of and advice on global environmental issues. 125. The United Nations Development Programme should continue to strengthen its contribution to and programmes in sustainable development and the implementation of Agenda 21 at all levels, particularly in the area of promoting capacity-building (including through its Capacity 21 programme) in cooperation with other organizations, as well as in the field of poverty eradication. 126. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, in accordance with General Assembly resolution 51/167 of 16 December 1996 and relevant decisions of the Trade and Development Board on the work programme, shouldcontinue to play a key role in the implementation of Agenda 21 through the integrated examination of linkages among trade, investment, technology, finance and sustainable development. 127. The Committee on Trade and Environment of the World Trade Organization, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and the United Nations Environment Programme should advance their coordinated work on trade and environment, involving other appropriate international and regional organizations in their cooperation and coordination. In coordination with the World Trade Organization, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and the United Nations Environment Programme should continue to support efforts to promote the integration of trade, environment and development. The Commission on Sustainable Development should continue to play its important role in the deliberations on trade and environment so as to facilitate the integrated consideration of all factors relevant for achieving sustainable development. 128. Implementation of the commitment of the international financial institutions to sustainable development should continue to be strengthened. The World Bank has a significant role to play, bearing in mind its expertise and the overall volume of resources that it commands. 129. Operationalization of the global mechanism of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, particularly in Africa is also essential. C. Future role and programme of work of the Commission on Sustainable Development 130. The Commission on Sustainable Development, within its mandate as specified in General Assembly resolution 47/191, will continue to provide a central forum for reviewing progress and for urging further implementation of Agenda 21 and other commitments made at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development or as a result of it; for conducting a high-level policy debate aimed at consensus-building on sustainable development; and for catalysing action and long-term commitment to sustainable development at all levels. It should continue to undertake these tasks in complementing and providing interlinkages to the work of other United Nations organs, organizations and bodies acting in the field of sustainable development. The Commission has a role to play in assessing the challenges of globalization as they relate to sustainable development. The Commission should perform its functions in coordination with other subsidiary bodies of the Economic and Social Council and with related organizations and institutions, including making recommendations, within its mandate, to the Economic and Social Council, bearing in mind the interrelated outcomes of recent United Nations conferences. 131. The Commission should focus on issues that are crucial to achieving the goals of sustainable development. It should promote policies that integrate economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainability and should provide for integrated consideration of linkages, both among sectors and between sectoral and cross-sectoral aspects of Agenda 21. In this connection, the Commission should carry out its work in such a manner as to avoid unnecessary duplication and repetition of work undertaken by other relevant forums. 132. In the light of the above, it is recommended that the Commission on Sustainable Development adopt the multi-year programme of work for the period 1998-2002 contained in the appendix below. D. Methods of work of the Commission on Sustainable Development 133. Based on the experience gained during the period 1993-1997, the Commission, under the guidance of the Economic and Social Council, should: (a) Make concerted efforts to attract the greater involvement in its work of ministers and high-level national policy makers responsible for specific economic and social sectors, who, in particular, are encouraged to participate in the annual high-level segment of the Commission, together with the ministers and policy makers responsible for environment and development. The high-level segments of the Commission should become more interactive, and should focus on the priority issues being considered at a particular session. The Bureau of the Commission should conduct timely and open-ended consultations with the view to improving the organization of the work of the high-level segment; (b) Continue to provide a forum for the exchange of national experience and best practices in the area of sustainable development, including through voluntary national communications or reports. Consideration should be given to the results of ongoing work aimed at streamlining requests for national information and reporting and to the results of the "pilot phase" relating to indicators of sustainable development. In this context, the Commission should consider more effective modalities for the further implementation of the commitments made in Agenda 21, with appropriate emphasis on the means of implementation. Countries may wish to submit to the Commission, on a voluntary basis, information regarding their efforts to incorporate the relevant recommendations of other United Nations conferences in national sustainable development strategies; (c) Take into account regional developments related to the implementation of the outcomes of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development. It should provide a forum for the exchange of experience on regional and subregional initiatives and regional collaboration for sustainable development. This could include the promotion of the voluntary regional exchange of national experience in the implementation of Agenda 21 and, inter alia, the possible development of modalities for reviews within regions by and among those countries that voluntarily agree to do so. In this context, the Commission should encourage the availability of funding for the implementation of initiatives related to such reviews; (d) Establish closer interaction with international financial, development and trade institutions, as well as with other relevant bodies within and outside the United Nations system, including the World Bank, the Global Environment Facility, the United Nations Development Programme, the World Trade Organization, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and the United Nations Environment Programme, which, in turn, are invited to take full account of the results of policy deliberations in the Commission and to integrate them in their own work programmes and activities; (e) Strengthen its interaction with representatives of major groups, including trough greater and better use of focused dialogue sessions and round tables. These groups are important resources in operationalizing, managing and promoting sustainable development and contribute to the implementation of Agenda 21. The major groups are encouraged to adopt arrangements for coordination and interaction in providing inputs to the Commission. Taking into account the Commission's programme of work, this could include inputs from: (i) The scientific community and research institutions, relating to the greater understanding of the interactions between human activity and natural ecosystems and on how to manage global systems sustainably; (ii) Women, children and youth, indigenous people and their communities, non-governmental organizations, local authorities, workers and their trade unions and farmers on the elaboration, promotion and sharing of effective strategies, policies, practices and processes to promote sustainable development; (iii) Business and industry groups on the elaboration, promotion and sharing of sustainable development practices and the promotion of corporate responsibility and accountability; (f) Organize the implementation of its next multi-year programme of work in the most effective and productive way, including through shortening its annual meeting to two weeks. The inter-sessional ad hoc working groups should help to focus the Commission's sessions by identifying key elements to be discussed and important problems to be addressed within specific items of the Commission's programme of work. Government hosted and funded expert meetings will continue to provide inputs to the work of the Commission. 134. The Secretary-General is invited to review the functioning of the High-level Advisory Board on Sustainable Development and present proposals on ways to promote more direct interaction between the Board and the Commission, with a view to ensuring that the Board contributes to the deliberations on specific themes considered by the Commission in accordance with its programme of work. 135. The work of the Committee on New and Renewable Sources of Energy and on Energy for Development and the Committee on Natural Resources should be more compatible with and supportive of the programme of work of the Commission. The Economic and Social Council, in carrying out its functions related to the implementation of General Assembly resolution 50/227 of 24 May 1996, should consider, at its substantive session of 1997, the most effective means of bringing this about. 136. The arrangements for the election of the Bureau should be changed in order to allow the same Bureau to provide guidance in the preparations for and to lead the work during the annual sessions of the Commission. The Commission would benefit from such a change. The Economic and Social Council should take the necessary action at its substantive session of 1997 to ensure that these new arrangements take effect. 137. The next comprehensive review of progress achieved in the implementation of Agenda 21 by the General Assembly will take place in the year 2002. The modalities of this review should be determined at a later stage. Notes: 40/ Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifty-second Session, Supplement No. 25 (A/52/25), annex, decision 19/1, annex. 41/ Ibid., Supplement No. 25 (A/52/25), annex.