Wide range of social concerns - crime, the aging, disabled - acted on by Third Committee.

Wide range of social concerns--crime, the aging, disabled--acted on by Third Committee

Thirteen drafts covering such topics as the world social situation, crime prevention, aging, the disabled, and national experience in achieving social and economic change were approved by the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) in November.

The Committee, after reviewing the 1985 report on the World Social Situation, asked the General Assembly to call on Member States to implement within their national plans "an interrelated set of policy measures" in the fields of employment, education, health, nutrition, housing facilities, crime prevention, the well-being of children, equal opportunities for the disabled and the aging, and the participation of youth and women in development.

By a vote--120-1-23--taken on 27 November, the Assembly was also asked to note with "deep concern the continuing deterioration of the economic and social situation of the world", particularly in the developing countries and in Africa, where the situation is "critical".

Also by that draft--one of three approved by the Committee on the subject of the world social situation--the Secretary-General would be requested to continue monitoring the world social situation "in depth" on a regular basis and to submit the next full report on that question to the General Assembly in 1989, through the Economic and Social Council.

The Assembly also would reaffirm the "urgent need" to implement the objectives contained in the 1969 Declaration on Social Progress and Development, the International Development Strategy for the Third United Nations Development Decade, and the Substantial New Programme of Action for the 1980s for the Least Developed Countries. It would also call for implementation of General Assembly resolution 39/29 which contains the Declaration on the Critical Economic Situation in Africa.

The Committee reviewed the 1985 Report of the World Social Situation (E/CN.5/1985/2/Rev. 1), prepared by the Office for Development Research and Policy Analysis, Department of International Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations. The report, a major document before the Committee, discusses obstacles to social progress, analyses "pervasive forces" of social change, and details certain social challenges and conditions (see UN Chronicle 1985, No. 5).

"Social conditions have been changed profoundly since 1945, by technology and by decolonization, to take two prominent influences," stated the report. "But that they stubbornly resist change in other areas is testified to by the persistence of violent conflict and mass poverty. Current social trends remain, as ever, ambivalent and blurred."

The eleventh in a series of reports issued beginning in 1952, the report also provides an analysis of the implementation of the Declaration on Social Progress and Development in light of the International Development Strategy.

Another major social issue considered by the Third Committee in November was that of crime prevention and criminal justice, with emphasis on recommendations of the Seventh United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders, held in Milan, Italy, (26 August-6 September 1985). Six decisions were taken, all without a vote, on that issue.

In addition, the Committee approved texts on the implementation of the World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons and on the United Nations Decade of Disabled Persons (1983-1992); implementation of the International Plan of Action on Aging; and on national experience in achieving far-reaching social and economic changes for the purpose of social progress. All those texts were adopted without a vote on 19 November, with the exception of the draft on national experience which was approved by a vote of 120-1 (United States)-15.

Shuaib Uthman Yolah, Under-Secretary-General for International Economic and Social Affairs, in describing world socio-economic trends, before the Third Committee, said that the economic situation of developing countries in 1985 was not improving, that, in fact, the year might be the start of a protracted period of "very low growth" in those countries.

Domestic efforts must be mobilized and strategies reoriented towards indigenous growth sources, he said. The international community must reverse the present adverse trends in the global environment. Otherwise, the 1980s might well result in a "decade of frustrated expectations", and worsening living standards and social conditions for the majority of the populations in the developing world, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.

Other texts: In addition to the major draft on the world social situation, the Committee approved two other texts on that subject. By one, on the role of the United Nations in the field of social development, the Assembly would reaffirm the "urgency of taking effective measures aimed at further promoting social progress and development", and would emphasize the importance of making analyses of and exchanging information on fundamental problems of socio-economic development. That draft was approved without a vote.

By the other, which stated that popular participation in all sectors of public life constituted an important factor in socio-economic development and in the full realization of all human rights, the Assembly would note a study by the Secretary-General on that question (E/CN.4/1985/10 and Add. 1,2) and invite Governments, United Nations organizations and non-governmental organizations to transmit to the Secretary-General their comments on that study. The draft was approved without a vote.

A study by the Secretary-General on popular participation as an important factor in development and the realization of human rights (E/CN.4/1985/10 and Add. 1,2) was submitted to the 1985 Commission on Human Rights session. It cited the difficulty of arriving at a universal definition of popular participation, because of the great diversity of experiences, conditions, requirements and aspirations prevailing in various countries. Popular participation is cited as an important factor in rural development. Only recently, the study notes, has there been any recognition of the fact that the difficulties faced by the developing countries were in part due to the fact that vast sectors of rural populations have often been left on the sidelines of the development process or have benefited from it only because of a "trickle-down" effect. Further efforts were needed to encourage the participation of the rural masses.

The study also discusses popular participation in the contexts of urban development and the participation of vulnerable or disadvantaged groups such as women, youth, the aged, and the disabled.

Crime prevention and criminal justice: Six draft resolutions recommended by the Seventh Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders, were approved by the Third Committee without a vote.

By the first, the Assembly would approve the Milan Plan of Action adopted by consensus by the Crime Congress as a "useful and effective means of strengthening international co-operation in the field of crime prevention and criminal justice". It would also recommend the Guiding Principles for Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in the Context of Development and a New International Economic Order for national, regional and international action.

Governments would be invited to be guided by the Milan Plan in formulating appropriate legislation and policy directives, and Member States would be asked to monitor systematically the steps being taken to ensure coordination of efforts in the planning and execution of effective and humane measures to reduce the social costs of crime and the negative effects on the development process.

The Secretary-General would be asked to translate into action the recommendations stemming from the Milan Plan and the Guiding Principles, and would also be requested, in his report to the Committee on Crime Prevention and Control, to initiate a review of the functioning and programme of work of the United Nations in the field of crime prevention and criminal justice.

By adopting that text, the Assembly also endorsed the adoption by the Congress of the Basic Principles on the Independence of the Judiciary, and the Model Agreement on the Transfer of Foreign Prisoners and Recommendations on the Treatment of Foreign Prisoners.

By another draft, the Assembly would adopt the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Administration of Juvenile Justice, also known as "The Beijing Rules". Member States would be invited to adapt national legislation, policies and practices to the Beijing Rules, would call on the Committee on Crime Prevention and Control to formulate measures to implement the Rules, and to inform the Secretary-General on their implementation.

The Assembly would ask the Secretary-General and invite Member States to ensure "the widest possible dissemination" of the text of the Beijing Rules in all official languages of the United Nations, and would ask them to provide the necessary resources to ensure successful implementation of the Rules.

The draft Declaration of Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power, designed to assist Governments and the international community in their efforts to secure justice and assistance for victims of crime, would be adopted by the Assembly under another draft approved by the Committee.

The Assembly would call on Member States to implement the Declaration and crime prevention policies to reduce victimization, to promote community efforts in crime prevention, to strengthen the means of detecting, prosecuting and sentencing those guilty of crimes, and to prohibit practices conducive to abuse, such as secret places of detention and incommunicado detention.

The Secretary-General would be asked to invite Member States to report periodically to the Assembly on implementation of the Declaration, and would request the Secretary-General to promote the objectives of the Declaration, in particular by ensuring "its widest possible dissemination".

The Assembly was also asked to request the Secretary-General and Member States to take steps to establish joint programmes in the field of juvenile justice and the prevention of juvenile delinquency with the United Nations Social Defence Research Institute, the United Nations regional institutes for the prevention of crime and the treatment of disorders, and the Arab Security Studies and Training Centre at Riyadh.

The Economic and Social Council would request the Committee on Crime Prevention and Control to develop standards for the prevention of juvenile delinquency to assist Member States in implementing specialized programmes, and to report to the Eighth Crime Congress on the progress achieved in the development of proposed standards, for review and final action.

Also, Member States would be invited to take "specific action urgently" to prevent domestic violence and to render assistance to the victims. In particular, they would be invited to adopt specific measures to make the criminal and civil justice system "more sensitive" in its response to domestic violence, by: enforcing laws to protect battered family members and punishing the offender; initiating preventive measures such as providing support and counselling to families; creating public awareness of serious acts of violence perpetrated against children; and providing, as a temporary solution, shelters for the safety of victims of domestic violence.

In a sixth text, the Assembly would express its appreciation to Italy for hosting the Seventh Crime Congress. (For details of the Crime Congress, see UN Chronicle 1985, No. 8.)

Crime Report: The Secretary General reported on implementation of the recommendations of the Seyenth Crime Congress (A/40/751), noting that, since 1955, the United Nations has organized congresses every five years on the prevention of crime and the treatment of offenders. The recommendations adopted by the Seventh Congress had "significantly enlarged" the scope of United Nations activities in crime prevention and criminal justice by adding new mandates and amplifying the modalities of ongoing work. The Milan Plan of Action, the new Guiding Principles and other Congress recommendations offered a "blueprint for the future", charting the course for a comprehensive, integrated programme, he said.

The rapid and far-reaching social and economic transformations that had been taking place in many countries required systematic responses, incorporating crime prevention policy in overall planning. Priority attention must be given to the improvement of criminal justice systems in order to enhance their responsiveness to changing socio-economic and technological conditions, the diversity of systems, and the new dimensions of criminality.

Congress recommendations stressed the need for action-oriented research as a basis for policy-making in crime prevention, along with improved data bases and means of data collection, analysis and dissemination.

The report concluded "The perpetrators of crime have far outpaced society's response to it. They have learned to rely on new organizational forms and collaboration across national frontiers and on sophisticated strategies which many States cannot counteract alone. If action against crime is to become truly effective, improved methods of international cooperation must be devised." There was "a need for a greater response to meet the challenge" and the way in which that could be accomplished was "a major question facing the Organization on its fortieth anniversary, as part of its efforts to promote peace, stability and development."

Disabled: To implement the World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons and the United Nations Decade of Disabled Persons, the Assembly was asked to invite Member States to reinforce national committees as focal points for the Decade, to stimulate activities at the national level, to mobilize public opinion on behalf of the Decade, to participate in implementation of disability projects with regard to the 1981 International Year of Disabled Persons, and to assist in monitoring and evaluating implementation of the World Programme of Action approved by the Assembly in 1982.

It was also asked to reiterate the need to give greater publicity to the Decade and to call upon Member States, national committees and non-governmental organizations to assist in publicizing the Decade.

The text, approved without a vote, would have the Assembly endorse the terms of reference proposed in the report of the Secretary-General for the United Nations Trust Fund for the International Year of Disabled Persons, which would henceforth be called the "Voluntary Fund for the United Nations Decade of Disabled Persons". It would reaffirm that the resources of the Trust Fund be used to support "catalytic and innovative" activities in order to implement further the objectives of the Programme of Action within the framework of the Decade.

The Secretary-General reported on implementation of the Programme of Action and the United Nations Decade of Disabled Persons (A/40/728), noting that in order to evaluate implementation of the Programme by 1987, the Secretary-General was preparing a questionnaire which would be forwarded to Member States before the end of 1985. Information had been received from various organizations within the United Nations system on measures those organizations had taken to promote employment of disabled persons. Replies had also been received from non-governmental organizations.

The report notes achievements and prospects of the United Nations Trust Fund for the International Year of Disabled Persons, and terms of reference for the continuation of the Fund.

Activities undertaken to implement the Programme of Action focused on prevention, rehabilitation and equalization of opportunities for disabled persons. Many Governments had established co-ordinating committees to promote and co-ordinate activities in the disability field and many Governments had bodies within their existing governmental machinery to deal with disability matters.

Various United Nations bodies had continued to undertake activities to implement the Programme by providing advisory and technical services to Governments upon request. Non-governmental organizations had played "a major role" in assisting disabled people to achieve better socio-economic conditions in their communities and in publicizing the objectives of the Programme.

"Much has been accomplished but much more needs to be done to ensure the implementation of the Programme of Action," the report concluded. To determine precisely what would be needed, the General Assembly, at its forty-second session in 1987--the midpoint of the Decade--will evaluate implementation of the Programme.

Aging: The Committee approved two drafts on the question of aging, without a vote. By the first, the Assembly would call upon Governments to ensure that issues relating to the question of aging were incorporated into their national development plans "in accordance with their culture and traditions".

The Secretary-General would be asked to continue to promote the exchange of information and experience so as to stimulate progress on that question, to encourage adoption of measures to respond to economic and social implications of aging, and to meet the needs of older persons. In implementing his programme on aging, the Secretary-General would be requested "to pay special attention" to the question of elderly women. The Secretary-General would be asked to take "immediate and urgent steps" to promote the United Nations Trust Fund for Aging so that it might effectively continue to provide assistance to developing countries.

In another text, the Assembly would request the Secretary-General to invite Member States and United Nations bodies to comment on ways to implement the International Plan of Action on Aging, and on the viability of elaborating a United Nations programme for implementing that Plan. The Plan was adopted by consensus by the World Assembly on Aging, held in Vienna from 26 July to 6 August 1982, and endorsed by the General Assembly in December of that year.

The Secretary-General reported (A/40/714) on implementation of the Plan of Action on Aging as assessed in the first review and appraisal, which began in 1985 and is to be conducted every four years. It considers implementation of the Plan at the national, regional and international levels and deals with the question of aging in the context of population, women and youth.

National experience: Under a text approved by the Committee by a vote of 120-1 (United States)-15, the Assembly would call upon States to give "special attention" in their national development plans to the social aspects of development "with a view to increasing the well-being of the population on the basis of its full participation in the process of development and a fair distribution of the benefits therefrom".

The Assembly would further request the Secretary-General to make arrangements for holding in 1986 an interregional seminar to study the national experience of both developed and developing countries in carrying out far-reaching social and economic changes for the purpose of social progress. The seminar would be held within the resources allotted to the programme for sectoral and regional advisory services.