EU Statement - United Nations Commission for Social Development: 15th Anniversary of the World Summit for Social Development

Summary: 3 February 2010, New York - Statement on behalf of the European Union by Ms. Trinidad Jiménez García-Herrera, Minister of Health and Social Policy, Spain, at the 48th Session of the Commission for Social Development, Item 3: High Level Panel discussion to Commemorate the 15th Anniversary of the World Summit for Social Development

Mr. Chairman,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.

At the outset, the EU would like to thank you and the Secretariat for this opportunity to gather here today and commemorate the 15th Anniversary of the World Summit for Social Development, held in Copenhagen in 1995.

We believe that the dialogue among Member States in this Commission is essential for the advancement and implementation of the three basic objectives identified in its Plan of Action: poverty reduction, promotion of employment and social integration that are more than ever relevant today. Even though policies adopted to achieve these objectives may not be the same in all countries, they are crucial and must be implemented in both developing and developed countries.

Accordingly, the European Union countries have developed their social policies framework based on this Programme of Action as well as the new initiatives adopted in Geneva in 2000, during the Special Session of the General Assembly on World Summit for Social Development and Beyond: Achieving Social Development for All in a Globalizing World especially those focused on combating poverty and social exclusion, job creation and decent work, social integration, non-discrimination and gender equality.

The commemoration of the 15th anniversary of the Summit enables us, on the one hand, to take stock of what has been done so far and evaluate what lies ahead. On the other hand, it allows us to renew our commitment to the implementation of its objectives, as an essential part of the shared values underpinning the European Union, enshrined in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and in the new Lisbon Treaty, which reaffirm the values of human dignity, freedom, equality and solidarity.

Since the Copenhagen Summit, the EU has implemented several strategies to address problems related to unemployment, poverty and social exclusion. Some of the most significant milestones of these strategies have been the following:

• The Employment Strategy, launched in 1997, and aimed at promoting highly-skilled and adaptable workforce, as well as labour markets better adapted to economic changes resulting from globalisation.

• The Lisbon Strategy adopted in 2000 had a more ambitious goal - to make the EU the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based world economy with sustainable economic growth, together with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion and respect for the environment.

• The Social Inclusion Strategy, which established six strategic priorities for the purpose of addressing the marginalisation of the most vulnerable. They centered on labour market access, adequate and sustainable social protection, access to decent housing, quality health care and learning opportunities, preventing early school drop-out, focusing on the situation of the most vulnerable groups, including immigrants and minorities.

Significant advances were made with the implementation of this Strategy, including the creation of more than 6 million jobs between 1999 and 2005, the sustainability of pension systems in several countries to take into account population ageing and other factors, the establishment of common objectives to combat poverty and social exclusion, which have been materialised in the different National Action Plans for Social Inclusion as part of the Social Agenda 2000-2005.

Before the beginning of the current economic crisis, the EU reached year on year Gross Domestic Product growth rates close to 3% (2.8% in 2007) and a significant increase in its employment rates (66.3% of the population aged under 65 years in 2008). These favourable conditions have enabled Member States to increase their budget for social policy and, as a result, improve the living conditions of many citizens. However, the benefits did not always reach the most vulnerable and often did not lead to improved social cohesion overall; relative poverty persisted at roughly the same rate at the end of the period as in 2000, too many EU citizens (8% in 2007) did not escape poverty in spite of having a job, and, the share of households where no-one works had decreased only marginally.

These experiences will inform the design of a New Social Agenda within the framework of the new Strategy 2020, which will mark the horizon of the EU's economic, social and environmental policies.

Without losing sight of such long-term structural challenges the impact of economic and financial crisis in recent years raises the need to adapt policies to the new situation of economic contraction, where unemployment rate will rise above double-digit figures, which are levels unseen since the last decade.

Although the joint action through public intervention to save the financial system and to mitigate the negative impact on social protection, boost demand and restore confidence has helped to prevent the collapse of our economies, our capacity to meet the challenges ahead is weakened and we must redesign our strategy in very different conditions than those of 2000 or 2005.

Mr. Chairman,

Finally, the EU would like to reiterate its commitment to help developing countries achieve the Millennium Development Goals.

The EU as a whole is the world's largest aid donor and a major trading partner. Based on its experience of economic integration, the EU can play a specific role in helping poor countries, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa, to reduce internal barriers to trade, correct market failures and increase regional ownership of reforms through peer review.

Within the framework of the Millennium Development Goals, our major aim in development cooperation is poverty reduction; actually most of the countries reaching the objective of 0.7% of GDP allocation to official development aid belong to the EU. However, we must ensure that in the future we continue to deliver on the promise of aid volumes and improved aid efficiency. This is especially crucial in the context of the current economic crisis.

When the global economy is hit by major shocks, the poorest -men, women and children- need to be protected from the consequences whether these are fluctuations in income, high food and oil prices or the emerging effects of climate change. Social protection, and more generally, protection of progress achieved in the MDGs in the face of risk and uncertainty should be on every country's agenda. That was in our mind when last May the EU adopted Council Conclusions on EU support to developing countries in coping with the global economic and financial crisis.

Mr. Chairman,

We would finally like to raise some questions for the Panel:

1. In view of the implementation and follow up to the commitments agreed in Copenhagen 15 years ago, and the need to achieve the MDGs by 2015, how can we create a new sustainable social market economy, where the inter-linkage of social, economic and environment policies is ensured?

2. Also, in view of the UN Review on the MDGs this coming September, and specifically in areas directly related to social development, what are the priorities? Which concrete measures can be taken, in your view, to accelerate the implementation of the MDGs, especially those that relate to gender equality and that are lagging behind such as maternal and child health?

3. Which lessons can be learned from the crisis? How can we use these experiences to enhance our capacity of prevention especially for the vulnerable? Which specific measures can be taken to implement a social protection floor for all?

4. And finally, what mechanisms could we adopt to make sure that social groups considered in this 48th Session - Persons with disabilities, young and older persons - are included in the world agenda to achieve the Copenhagen goals?

I thank you, Mr Chairman.

Ref: EUUN10-007EN
EU source: EU Presidency
UN forum: ECOSOC (Economic and Social Council), (including functional Commissions)
Date: 3/2/2010

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