Commission for Social Development adopts 16 texts; homeless, family, youth among its concerns.

Commission for Social Development adopts 16 texts; homeless, family, youth among its concerns

THE Commission for Social Developmentat its thirtieth session (Vienna, 23 February--4 March) recommended that Governments and concerned institutions--both national and international--be called upon to adopt decisive steps to achieve the objectives and goals of the International Year of Shelter for the Homeless (1987).

The 32-member Commission, whichmeets every two years, adopted 16 draft resolutions on subjects ranging from the critical social situation in Africa to youth, the family, co-operatives and the social aspects of rural development. Fourteen of the texts called for action by the Economic and Social Council at its first regular 1987 session, to be held from 4 May to 20 June in New York.

In the text on the Homeless Year,the Economic and Social Council would also express its deep concern that millions of people did not have adequate shelter, that their basic human rights have been violated, that human lives have been wrecked and that other social problems, such as increasing crime rate, drug abuse and broken families have been aggravated. The Secretary-General would be asked to report on the social aspects of the results of the Year, and to sumbmit it to the Commission in 1989.

The text on the critical social situationin Africa would have the Council appeal to the international community, specialized agencies and non-governmental organizations to increase their co-operation and assistance to establish or improve the infrastructure necessary for sustained social development in Africa.

The Secretary-General, in reportingon the subject in 1989, would pay particular attention to obstacles to attaining the objectives contained in the 1969 Declaration on Social Progress and Development. He would also bring into focus implementation of the social aspects of the 1986 United Nations Programme of Action for African Economic Recovery and Development (1986-1990).

In another draft, Governmentswould be called upon to give special attention to social aspects in their rural development policies and programmes, and regional commissions would be invited to give particular attention to the same topic. The impact of structural adjustment, including debt, on the social development of developing countries would also be analysed in the next report on the world social situation.

Margaret J. Anstee, Director-Generalof the United Nations Office at Vienna and Head of the Centre for Social Development and Humanitarian Affairs, told the Commission that the United Nations should concentrate on those social issues with which it was best equipped to deal. Priority issues to be examined at the policy level included: social effects of economic adjustment and policies needed to deal with them; social consequences of new technologies; and a social policy for the aging.

Family protection

In a text on protection of and assistanceto the family, proposed by Poland, the Economic and Social Council would recommend that the General Assembly invite States to express their views on the possible proclamation of an International Year of the Family.

The Secretary-General, by anotherdraft, would undertake discussions on the family-related activities of other United Nations organizations, within available resources.

Regional commissions and specializedagencies concerned, under another text, would be asked to make further efforts to promote the co-operative movement as an effective instrument for improving the well-being of all peoples. The Secretary-General would report on national experience in promoting the co-operative movement, paying special attention, among other things, to participation of peasants, including landless peasants and nomadic populations, in co-operatives; the role of co-operatives and organizations similar to co-operatives in promoting development in urban areas; and the participation of all people, including women, yourth, disabled persons and the aging, in co-operatives.

Two texts relating to youth were approved.By one, the Council would call on States, governmental and non-governmental organizations, interested United Nations bodies and specialized agencies, to continue to give priority to formulating and implementing effective measures to secure the exercise by youth of the right to life, to education and to work, in conditions of peace, with a view to resolving the problem of unemployment among youth. National organs of co-ordination or organs implementing policies and programmes in the field of youth would be invited to give appropriate priority in activities to be undertaken to the enjoyment by youth of human rights, particularly the right to life, to education and to work.

Under the second, the Councilwould consider it appropriate for the Centre for Social Development and Humanitarian Affairs to review continuously the situation of youth; provide an overall assessment of ongoing activities on the basis of results from national committees; and evaluate the implementation of the guidelines for further planning and suitable followup in the field of youth.

Two text were also adopted on thequestion of aging. The first concerned the establishment in Malta of an institute on aging, indicating that the proposed institute was essentially a training institute to fulfil training needs in implementing the 1982 Vienna Plan of Action, adopted at the World Assembly on Aging, with regard to developing countries. The Council would also note that the proposed institute would be financed only by voluntary contributions and by Malta, and would not preclude the establishment of other institutes.

Under the second, the Commissionrecommended that the Secretary-General, in preparing the medium-term plan for 1990-1995, should give priority to careful elaboration of practical strategies to implement the 1982 Plan of Action and the need to ensure fuller co-ordination of aging activities in the United Nations system as well as to ensure that programme budget allocations were maintained as far as possible so as to provide adequate services to Governments. Governments and the United Nations were urged to involve NGOs to a greater extent in the implementation of the Plan.

In the text on the United NationsDecade of Disabled Persons (1983-1992), the Council would call upon Member States, United Nations bodies, and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations to exert all possible efforts for implementing the World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons and to stimulate efforts at all levels in the context of the Decade. The Programme was adopted by the General Assembly in 1982 in its resolution 37/52.

By another draft, the Council woulddecide to observe in 1989 the twentieth anniversary of the Declaration on Social Progress and Development.

The text on the use of science andtechnology in the interest of social and economic development would have the Council call on States to promote unhindered co-operation to ensure scientific and technological progress for the welfare of their proples, as well as of all humankind, and their social and economic development, and to contribute towards eliminating economic backwardness and grave social problems, such as hunger, illiteracy, homelessness, unemployment and inadequate health protection.

States would be urged to make everyeffot to utilize scientific and technological achievements for the promotion of peaceful scial and economic development, and to prevent their misuse to the detriment of peoples.

Other drafts dealt with national experiencein achieving far-reaching social and economic changes for the purpose of social progress; improvement of the Commission's work; and the Interregional Consultation on Developmental Social Welfare Policies and Programmes--the first major meeting on social policy to be held since the 1968 International Conference of Ministers Responsible for Social Welfare. The Consultation is scheduled to be held at Vienna from 7 to 16 September 1987. In calling for the Consultation, the Economic and Social Council sought to "bring together appropriate policy-making level representatives from all over the world to set specific goals in the social field for the year 2000' (resolution 1985/26).

Photo: The role of the family in society was one concern of the Commission on Social Development in 1987. Shown here a three generation family in front of their village home.

Photo: Miss Anstee