Recalling the commitments made at the Asian and Pacific Ministerial Conference in Preparation for the World Summit for Social Development, convened at Manila in October 1994,

Further recalling the continuing relevance of global and regional mandates such as the Plan of Action for Implementing the World Declaration on the Survival, Protection and Development of Children in the 1990s, Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development, Bali Declaration on Population and Sustainable Development, Jakarta Plan of Action on Human Resources Development, Agenda for Action for the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons, Jakarta Declaration for the Advancement of Women in Asia and the Pacific, and Proclamation on Ageing,

Recognizing that, since October 1994, the world community has adopted the Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development and Programme of Action of the World Summit for Social Development, Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action of the Fourth World Conference for Women, World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and Beyond, Platform for Action of the Paris AIDS Summit, Rome Declaration on World Food Security and the World Food Summit Plan of Action, Istanbul Declaration on Human Settlements and Habitat Agenda, and Microcredit Summit Plan of Action,

Acknowledging the progress and continuing efforts made by many countries in the region concerning poverty alleviation, generation of productive employment and enhancement of social integration,

Taking into account the decision of the General Assembly to hold a special session in the year 2000 for an overall review and appraisal of the implementation of the outcome of the World Summit for Social Development,

Noting with concern the vulnerability of many economies in the region to widening trade deficits, mounting foreign debt repayments, currency crises and economic slowdown, which have serious implications for social progress and cohesion,

Also noting with concern the social challenges that remain to be addressed, arising from economic transition, inter-country labour mobility, demographic processes, urbanization, changing family relations, changing gender relations, changing consumption patterns, advances in technology, environmental change and HIV/AIDS,

Taking note of the Message to Manila issued by the NGO Forum on Social Development in Asia and the Pacific held in Kuala Lumpur in September 1997,

Decide to:

(a) Intensify efforts to fulfil the goals and targets contained in the regional Social Development Agenda (see Annex II), within the context of national situations;

(b) Foster an enabling environment of peace and good governance;

(c) Ensure that the region’s rural and urban poor, who constitute two-thirds of the world’s poor, can enter the new millennium free from hunger, ill health, illiteracy, unemployment, discrimination and exclusion;

(d) Increase the level of resources for social development aimed at improving the quality of life of all the people, by (i) ensuring that higher priority is given to basic social programmes in the national budget, (ii) ensuring effective resource utilization and minimizing resource leakages, (iii) encouraging voluntary contributions, and (iv) promoting domestic savings;

(e) Strengthen social protection programmes for all disadvantaged groups, especially the “hard-core” poor, providing for income security, good health including reproductive health, decent living conditions, education and involvement in community life;

(f) Augment investment in human resources development for all, to improve access to education, training, employment, health care, support services and assets, with particular attention to disadvantaged and vulnerable groups;

(g) Strengthen multi-sectoral collaboration among public institutions, development agencies and civil society, including NGOs and the private sector;

(h) Ensure efficient coordination and transparency with and among development partners on technical and funding assistance, to enhance the positive impact of such assistance on social development;

(i) Encourage, among public, private and NGO sector decision-makers and managers, a strong sense of public service, as well as high standards of integrity, commitment to equality of opportunity, openness, accountability and transparency in decision-making and resource allocation at all levels;

(j) Expand opportunities for social and economic mobility to empower people to determine their own future, with due regard for the rights of disadvantaged groups to self-representation, organization, productive participation in the decision-making process of government and an equitable share in national wealth;

(k) Revise, as appropriate, legislation to increase local autonomy and citizens’ participation in all matters affecting local communities, and, where introduced, support such decentralization measures with training to strengthen community participation and the functioning of local authorities;

(l) Urge all members of the United Nations system, as well as all other multilateral agencies and bilateral donors, including the Asian Development Bank and other concerned regional and subregional entities, to: (i) review critically the impact of their technical assistance programmes on fulfilment of the regional Social Development Agenda goals and targets, and make the requisite adjustments, (ii) provide support for the social development initiatives taken by the countries of Asia and the Pacific in implementation of the regional Social Development Agenda, (iii) strengthen national capacity for the effective integration of social concerns in the development process, and (iv) mobilize additional resources, both human and financial, to implement the regional Social Development Agenda; and

(m) Request the Executive Secretary to take immediate action to harness the multi-disciplinary potential of the secretariat to ensure full support for the effective implementation of the regional Social Development Agenda.

We, the Governments of Asia and the Pacific, hereby reaffirm our commitment to fulfilling the goals and targets of the Agenda for Action on Social Development in the ESCAP Region and adopt the recommendations for further implementation contained in Annex I.

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