WSSD+5 World Summit for Social Development and Beyond: Achieving Social Development for All in a Globalizing World, Geneva 2000 Introduction Schedule UN Process UN Documents NGO Participation Geneva 2000 Forum Introduction The World Summit for Social Development was held in Copenhagen in March 1995. It was part of a cycle of global conferences convened by the United Nations. This cycle started with the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development - the Earth Summit - in Rio in 1992. The goal of the cycle of UN Conferences was to enrich the international agenda and to raise awareness on the major issues and concerns of the time, through cooperation of Member States and participation of other actors in the development process. Three core issues were addressed in Copenhagen: eradication of poverty; promotion of full employment; fostering of social integration. 117 Heads of State and government supported by ministers representing another 69 countries adopted the Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development and the Programme of Action. The Copenhagen Declaration contains 10 commitments. They indicate a collective determination to treat social development as one of the highest priorities of national and international policies, and to place the human person at the centre of development. The Social Summit also agreed a follow-up process; including the Commission for Social Development monitoring the implementation of the Copenhagen agreements, and a 5 year review in the year 2000. Like with other UN Summits and Conferences, this is held as a Special Session of the UN General Assembly. The purpose of the Special Session (WSSD+5 or Copenhagen+5) is to to review implementation efforts and to suggest new initiatives for further action. It will be held at the United Nations Office in Geneva from 26-30 June 2000. To document the review of implementation and to outline agreements on new (= emerging) issues, several reports have been prepared and are being worked on at the moment - go to WSSD+5 UN Documents Also check Emerging Issues for further information about ongoing discussions on issues and questions beyond WSSD+5. Schedule 7 February 2000 Getting Ready for Geneva 2000 In conjunction with the 38th session of the Commission for Social Development and the follow-up to the World Summit for Social Development, an NGO Forum on Social Development on the theme "Getting Ready for Geneva 2000", sponsored by the Division for Social Policy and Development and organized by the International Council on Social Welfare (ICSW) and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES), will take place from 9.30 am to 1 pm (registration is at 9 am) at UNICEF House (Labouisse Hall) (3 United Nations Plaza). The Forum will include two panels on the following themes: "Getting ready for Geneva 2000: The state of affairs" and "NGO: Views and Expectations". All members of permanent missions, Secretariat staff, representatives of non-governmental organizations and the media are invited to attend. More information here 8-17 February 2000 38th regular session of the Commission for Social Development, New York, which will undertake an overall review of the implementation of the outcome of the Summit. Click here to view agenda 22-25 February 2000 Inter-sessional, open-ended, informal consultations of the Preparatory Committee for the Special Session, New York in order to consider further the new, integrated Chairman's Working Draft text and the compilation of the summaries and proposals taken from the documentation provided by the UN system, with a view to the preparation of a further, revised Chairman's Working Draft text 13 March 2000 International Conference on preparation for the Special Session, Berlin. For info: kan@un.org March 2000 Presentation by the Chairman, on the basis of the outcome of the Commission for Social Development and the inter-sessional, open-ended, informal consultations, of a further, revised Working Draft text to be submitted to the Preparatory Committee at its second substantive session March 2000 Parliamentary meeting of CIS countries in preparation for the Special Session, St Petersburg. For info: kan@un.org 31 March 2000 Seminar organized by the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD), New York. See also www.unrisd.org April 2000 Regional meeting on follow-up to the Social Summit, Mexico, organized by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Latin America and the Carribbean (ECLAC). For info: www.eclac.cl 2 April 2000 NGO Forum on Social Development - Seminar on what to expect from the second session of the Preparatory Committee. Organized by ICSW, UN NGO Liaison Service and Friedrich Ebert Stiftung. Click here for details. 3-14 April 2000 2nd PrepComm: Second substantive session of the Preparatory Committee for the Special Session, New York; 26-28 April 2000 World Education Forum, Dakar, Senegal. For info: www.unesco.org 11-13 May 2000 World Health Forum, Interlaken, Switzerland. For info: www.who.org 26-30 June 2000 WSSD+5: Special Session of the General Assembly, Geneva on the Implementation of the Outcome of the World Summit for Social Development and Further Initiatives, Geneva. Click here for more information. UN Process * Current State Objectives of WSSD+5 Intergovernmental Process Arrangements by the Government of Switzerland Copenhagen +5 Official Web-Site Current State UN and Governments are preparing a document which assesses the progress since 1995 outlines new strategies to achieve the goals set at WSSD addresses new & emerging issues. This document is being negotiated in the Preparatory Committee and will become the outcome of the Special Session. At the moment, it contains three parts: Political declaration reaffirming the Copenhagen agreements Review and assessment of implementation Further initiatives Objectives of WSSD+5 The objectives of the Special Session will be to reaffirm the Copenhagen Declaration and Programme of Action; to identify progress made and constraints encountered; to recommend concrete actions and initiatives to further efforts towards full and effective implementation of the agreements reached at the Summit. In assessing what has taken place since Copenhagen, the Special Session will attempt to clarify current trends in poverty and inequity, including the apparent growing gap between rich and poor, both within and among nations; to understand the relationship between changes in living conditions and the process of globalization. The Special Session will also examine current forms of international cooperation and the role of international institutions in promoting social progress. This diagnosis should lead to new initiatives for developing concrete measures and policies to further implement the commitments made in Copenhagen in 1995. The Intergovernmental Process 1. The Commission for Social Development The Commission for Social Development is a functional commission of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). The Commission has the primary responsibility for the follow-up to the Social Summit - monitoring and reviewing the implementation of the Copenhagen Declaration and Programme of Action. The Commission used to have 32 members (member states of the UN) Now it has 46 members. It meets annually and its multi-year programme of work for the period 1996-2000 included priority themes addressed by the Summit: eradication of poverty, promotion of full employment; social integration; and social services for all. For its 2000 session (8-17 February 2000), the Commission will focus on the review of implementation since 1995; will look at national implementation of the Copenhagen Declaration; attempt to identify obstacles. For the Commission meeting, there will be a report from the UN Secretary-General which based on national reports submitted to the UN since mid 1999. These national reports are important, comprehensive reviews of progress made by countries in implementing the Copenhagen commitments. 2. The Preparatory Committee for the Special Session The UN General Assembly established a Preparatory Committee (PrepComm) open to the participation of all States Members of the United Nations and members of the specialized agencies in 1997. The Committee held its first meeting, discussing organisational matters, in May 1998, and the first substantive session in May 1999. The PrepComm initiated discussions on preliminary assessment of the implementation of the ten commitments and on further initiatives. It invited all relevant organs and specialized agencies of the UN system and other stakeholders to submit review reports and proposals for further action and initiatives. These have been submitted to the Secretariat by end December 1999 and are being publicly distributed. The Committee also decided on other further procedural matters such as further consultations and modalities for accreditation of non-governmental organizations at the Special Session. The Committee recommended to the General Assembly that the full title of WSSD+5 should be "World Summit for Social Development and beyond: achieving social development for all in a globalizing world" which was agreed. The Preparatory Committee will hold its second and last substantive session from 3-14 April 2000. It will then continue the work on the draft outcome of the Special Session, and decide on organisational matters for the Special Session. 3. The General Assembly (GA) Since the Social Summit, the GA annually reviews the progress made on the implementation of the Copenhagen commitments. This brings together government representatives for an exchange of views on the various aspects of social development and and trends in social development. Many interesting reports on national policies and constraints have been presented. Arrangements by the Government of Switzerland The Government of Switzerland has been working closely with the United Nations Secretariat to ensure that facilities and arrangements for the Special Session at the Palais des Nations are well in place by June 2000. In parallel to the intergovernmental event, the Swiss Government is also organizing the Geneva 2000 Forum: "Geneva 2000: The next step in social development", which will provide a platform for exchange and sharing of experiences through special events such as panel discussions, exhibitions, workshops etc. organized by non-governmental organizations, and other interested actors in the development process. The Forum is expected to attract not only representatives from NGOs, but also parliamentarians, industry and business groups, trade unions, academics, citizen interest groups and professional organizations, as well as governments and intergovernmental organizations. One of the key events of the Forum will be the Geneva Symposium which will bring together the main actors of the development process. Copenhagen +5 Official Web-Site All the new developments and information about the United Nations General Assembly Special Session to follow-up the 1995 Social Summit, which will be held in Geneva, Switzerland, from 26-30 June, 2000, are available on the Internet at http://www.un.org/esa/socdev Intended as a site for news and information concerning the special session, from the impact of the World Trade Organization to the social crisis in Central Asia, the new Web site provides delegates, non-governmental organizations, media, and the public with up-to-date coverage of the events leading up to the Geneva meeting. The site also contains the latest official documentation for the session, as well as the latest negotiated texts. The Web site is maintained by the United Nations Department for Economic and Social Affairs, Division for Social Policy and Development and by the United Nations Department of Public Information. Relevant UN Documents At a briefing by the Secretariat on 22 March, the Chair of the Preparatory Committee, Mr Cristian Maquiera of Chile, lead presentations by UN staff on some of the new issues for discussion in Geneva. These included recently-completed papers on social responsibilities of the private sector new resources for social development acceleration of development in Africa and the least developed countries promoting social integration in post-conflict situations. Draft resolution on the agreed conclusions of the Commission, on the basis of informal consultations, 2 March 2000 Overall review and appraisal of the outcome of the World Summit for Social Development: draft agreed conclusions of the Commission for Social Development, 8 March 2000 - Draft agreed conclusions (PDF format) Compilation of the summaries and proposals for further action provided by the United Nations system PDF | WordPerfect | MS Word The Chairman's working draft text (L.5/Rev.2) of 6 February 2000 on Review and Appraisal of the Implementation of the Outcome of the World Summit for Social Development (English only): PDF | WordPerfect | MS Word This is the document under discussion at the moment. Stakeholders should study it closely and relate their input to it - by way of comments, suggestions, amendments to this document. Non-paper dated 15 February 2000, titled Overall review and appraisal of the implementation of the outcome of the World Summit for Social Development: Elements for agreed conclusions (English only): PDF | WordPerfect | MS Word Comprehensive Report by the Secretary-General on the Implementation of the Outcome of the World Summit for Social Development Preparatory Committee for the Special Session of the General Assembly on the Implementation of the Outcome of the World Summit for Social Development, SOC/4513, 15 July 1999 UN General Assembly Resolution on the Preparatory Committee for the Special Session of the General Assembly on the Implementation of the Outcome of the World Summit for Social Development and Further Initiatives, First session, A/AC.253/L.7/Rev.1, 6 July 1999 Find the following news documents on the official web-site for Copenhagen +5 http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/geneva2000/news/index.html: 17/3/00 Commission Adopts Conclusion on Social Summit Commitments The Commission for Social Development adopted a set of agreed conclusions on progress and obstacles in implementing the commitments made at the World Summit for Social Development, a month past schedule. 13/3/00 A Chance to Inject Fairness into Global Finance One doesn't hear many references to social justice these days, and it is not fashionable to describe societies bluntly in terms of haves and have-nots. But the polarizing distribution of wealth is more glaring each year, both among and within many nations. Read the article by John Langmore. 7/3/00 Commission Continues Debate on Conclusions The lack of consensus on four paragraphs in its key set of conclusions continues to prevent the Commission for Social Development from concluding its thirty-eighth session. 9/2/00 World Bank Flagship Publication Shows New Social Emphasis The World Development Report, the flagship publication of the World Bank, is undergoing a radical change that includes, for the first time, addressing the problems of poverty from the perspective of poor people, according to World Bank officials. 8/2/00 Social Summit had anticipated concerns now on top of the agenda The World Social Summit back in 1995 had anticipated concerns that were today at the top of the global agenda, USG Nitin Desai told the Commission for Social Development, as it began its thirty-eighth session. 17/01/00 Special Session Must Focus on Social Justice, says UN Under-Secretary General USG Desai tells a European conference on social development in Dublin that there is a "crisis of legitimacy about globalization." 19/12/99 Interactive Discussions Planned on the Special Session Cristián Maquieira, Chairman of the Preparatory Committee for the special session, says some new ideas are being considered for preparing for the Session in June. 16/12/99 New Report Finds Countries Struggling to Meet Needs Most countries are struggling to deal with the three core social issues, yet they remain committed to pursuing the objectives agreed to at the 1995 Social Summit. 13/12/99 NGOs can Register for Geneva Online NGOs can now apply for registration for both the United Nations Special Session and the Geneva 2000 Forum in one easy form. 2/12/99 Disabled People Demand Full Accessibility This year's International Day of Disabled Persons focused on removing physical barriers.1/12/99 Social Summit Review Can Provide Alternatives to New Forms of Protectionism Talks to promote implementation of the goals of the Social Summit could provide important alternatives to the proposals advanced in Seattle. 12/11/99 New Measures Needed to Reverse Social Decline in Transition Economies High unemployment, declining income and wages, and a growing income gap are just a few indicators of the decline of the social sector, according to a UN meeting in Ashgabad, Turkmenistan. 9/11/99 ILO Calls for Job Strategy to Boost Goals of 1995 World Social Summit The International Labour Organization has proposed a number of measures aimed at generating new, quality jobs that will help people work their way out of poverty 26/10/99 Debt Relief to Help Poverty Eradication At a UN briefing on the debt issue, a World Bank official said the Bank had broadened its programme to bring more relief. 20/10/99 Treating the Root Cause of Disease Countries that stress health services at the expense of public health risk missing out on major opportunities, says a WHO expert. 18/10/99 Social Security Should Be a Central Concern for Special Session Ensuring universal protection against poverty in old age should be one of the central issues in Geneva next year, according to an ILO official speaking at the UN. Information for NGOs * NGOs will be able to make statements in the Ad Hoc Committee of the Whole of the Special Session. Given the availability of time, a limited number of NGOs in consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) may also make statements in the debate in the Plenary of the Special Session. The President of the Assembly is requested to present the list of selected non-governmental organizations to the Member States in a timely manner for approval, and to ensure that such selection is made on an equal and transparent basis, taking into account the geographical representation and diversity of non-governmental organizations. NGOs can now apply for registration for both the United Nations Special Session of the General Assembly, and the Geneva 2000 Forum, in one easy form. Visit http://www.geneva2000.org/un/form.asp You can contact the following persons for further questions or queries on the Special Session of the General Assembly and the Geneva 2000 Forum: For all queries regarding the Special Session: Ms Gloria Kan, Chief, Intergovernmental Policy Branch, Division for Social Policy and Development, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations, Room DC2-1362, New York, NY 10017, USA. Tel. +1 212 963 5873, fax +1 212 963 3062. e-mail: kan@un.org For questions regarding NGO accreditation and participation to the Special Session: please contact Mr Yao Ngoran, Division for Social Policy and Development, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations, Room DC2-1360, New York, NY 10017, USA. Tel. +1 212 963 3175, fax +1 212 963 3062. e-mail: ngoran@un.org. For all host country arrangements: Ambassador Daniel Stauffacher, Delegate of the Swiss Government for the Follow-up Conference of the World Summit for Social Development, Rue de Varembé 9-11, P.O. Box 125, CH-1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland. Tel. +41 22 749 25 70, Fax.+41 22 749 25 89, email: info2000@geneva2000.org For the Geneva 2000 Forum: Geneva 2000 Secretariat, Rue de Varembé 9-11, P.O. Box 125, CH-1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland. Tel. +41 22 749 25 70, Fax.+41 22 749 25 89, email: info2000@geneva2000.org For accommodation in Geneva: Geneva 2000 c/o MCI Congress, 75, rue de Lyon, CH-1211 Geneva 13, Tel. +41 22 33 99 584, Fax +41 22 33 99 621, e-mail: geneva2000@mci-group.com GENEVA 2000 Forum The Geneva 2000 Forum will be a complementary activity to the Special Session, which will open the debate to a much wider range of actors. Together the Special Session of the General Assembly and the Forum will work under the banner GENEVA 2000 : THE NEXT STEP IN SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT. The Forum will be a platform for sharing experiences through panels, discussions, exhibitions, video, etc., with new and innovative approaches in social and economic development policies and activities, and provide a fertile ground for new ideas. This event is expected to attract not only representatives from NGOs, but also other interested parties including citizen interest groups, professional organizations, industry and business groupings, trade unions, employee organizations, academics and parliamentarians, as well as intergovernmental organizations and governmental delegations. The Forum will be a unique opportunity for all stakeholders to join in the debate on social development. NGOs can now apply for registration for both the United Nations Special Session of the General Assembly, and the Geneva 2000 Forum, in one easy form. The Swiss Government will be hosting the Geneva 2000 Forum. At www.geneva2000.org you can also find general information about the conference facilities, Geneva, meeting locations, et cetera. The exact form that the Geneva 2000 Forum will take will depend on the input of the participants themselves. All eligible organizations are invited to propose events or exhibits to be held in the main venue (the International Conference Centre of Geneva - the ICCG) or in one of the many space reserves in building in the vicinity of the ICCG and the Palais des Nations. On 26 and 27 June 2000, as part of the Geneva 2000 Forum, Switzerland will organize an international Symposium. This contribution to the debate on social development will bring together many of the most important commentators and thinkers in the fields of social and economic development, labour, human rights and allied areas. Through keynote addresses, panel discussions and audience participation sessions, they will be asked to plant the seeds of new ideas that will complement the debate at the United Nations General Assembly and ensure that the oft-cited need for cooperation and collaboration is operationally feasible. Participation in the Symposium will be open to all those attending the Geneva 2000 Forum and a number of processes will also be put in place to allow those who cannot contribute actively to the discussion to record their views.