AS WRITTEN                                                                  
                                                                            

Statement by the Development Caucus.
World Summit for Social Development, Copenhagen, 6-12 March 1995
by Roberto Bissio


                Did we achieve the Quality Benchmark?
               An NGO assessment of the Social Summit
                Declaration and Programme of Action.

The Quality Benchmark for the Social Summit was conceived during
the Second Session of the Preparatory Committee in August 1994.
It grew from the fear of NGOs in the Women's and Development
Caucuses that the Social Summit would not be addressing the
economic and political environment necessary to allow social
development, nor the ways in which the implementation of the
Declaration and Programme of Action could be ensured.

Following the appeal by the NGOs the Draft Declaration was
expanded to include an enabling economic and political
environment, structural adjustment programmes, and implementation
with specific attention given to women and Africa.

The Quality Benchmark has served since that time as an instrument
for measuring progress made in the Summit's preparations.  It was
also used as a tool for generating debate at the national level,
engaging domestic groups in the substance of the Summit.

More than 1,000 organisations have endorsed the document and used
it in their national campaigns for the Social Summit.

Now is the time to measure to what extent the Heads of State will
sign a document that meets the standards set by the Quality
Benchmark.  This is, therefore, the assessment of the Declaration
and Programme of Action against the criteria developed by non
governmental organisations that have been engaged in the Summit's
preparations.

1.    The Declaration and Programme of Action encourages the
      ratification and avoidance of reservations and acknowledges
      the importance of the Declaration of the Right to
      Development, although interpreted as for individual and not
      collective rights; the Convention on Economic, Social and
      Cultural Rights; the Convention on the Elimination of the
      Discrimination of Women; the Rights of the Child; the
      relevant international instruments on migrant workers; the
      Convention to Combat Desertification; the Declaration on
      Friendly Relations between States and the ILO Conventions. 
      No actions are included to further strengthen the Human
      Rights framework in relation to social development beyond
      the Vienna Declaration on Human Rights.

2.    The Declaration and Programme of Action states that
      Structural adjustment programmes agreed should include
      social development goals and protect people living in
      poverty and vulnerable segments of society from budget
      reductions on social programmes and expenditure, while
      increasing the quality and effectiveness of those
      expenditures. it is also agreed that the impact of
      structural adjustment programmes on social development must
      be reviewed, including by means of gender sensitive
      assessments.  

      A very first step is taken to create closer connections
      between the International Financial Institutions and the
      Economic and Social Council of the United Nations with the
      request for consideration of joint meetings of ECOSOC, the
      Development Committee of the World Bank and the IMF.  In
      order to increase coordination of the implementation of the
      Summit's programme joint meetings are proposed between the
      Secretary General and the Heads of the IMF, the World Bank,
      ILO, and other UN agencies.

3.    While the role of the WTO and its activities is not
      considered, the document recognises the required support
      and cooperation of regional and international
      organisations, the United Nations system - which includes
      the Bretton Woods institutions - in the implementation of
      the Social Summit programme.  The creation of instruments
      to make the International Financial Institutions
      accountable is optional to interested countries.
      
4.    The Summit's final documents re-affirm that poverty is
      aggravated by unsustainable patterns of consumption and
      production causing a continued deterioration of the global
      environment.  It should be ensured that in accordance with
      Agenda 21 and other agreements sustained economic growth
      and sustainable development respects the need to protect
      the environment and the interests of future generations.

      In the document the full implementation of the Final Act of
      the Uruguay Round is emphasised.  It is agreed that
      assistance, and not compensation, should be given to low
      income countries, particularly in Africa, which are not
      currently in a position to benefit from the implementation
      of the Final Act. It is recognized that small and micro
      enterprises must be supported, particularly in rural areas,
      as well as subsistence economies, to secure their safe
      interaction with larger economies. 

5.    No mechanisms have been established to examine the
      implications of the new trade regime or the operations of
      the World Trade Organisation through UN expert bodies or
      independent reviews.  The impact of the patenting of life
      forms on social development is not mentioned.  However
      coordination between the United Nations, the Bretton Woods
      Institutions and the World Trade Organisation is promoted
      through reports to and meetings in coordination with
      ECOSOC.

      The right to food is recognised as well as the need to
      support the domestic efforts of Africa and the least
      developed countries to increase food security.  However, if
      protectionism is to be avoided as the document outlines it
      remains unclear as to how these sectors can be protected.

6.    The Declaration and Programme of Action promotes dynamic,
      open, free markets, wile recognising the importance to
      intervene in markets to the extent necessary in order to
      harmonize economic and social development.  It also
      recognized that public polices are necessary to correct
      market failures and promote social progress and stability.

      The call for the code of conduct for Transnational
      corporations is not included; they are requested to apply
      policies conducive to social policies.
      
7.    No new initiatives are proposed on debt.  However, it
      appears as an important element of the Social Summit
      agreements.  These do not go beyond previous agreements
      reached in the Paris Club, G7 and the General Assembly of
      the UN.  The need to find solutions to multilateral debts
      is explicitly recognised.  The focus is on low income
      highly indebted countries whereas the problems of middle
      income countries are not properly addressed.  It is agreed
      to develop techniques of debt conversion applied to social
      development programmes in conformity with Summit
      priorities.

8.    The target date of 2000 for achieving 0.7% of GDP for
      development assistance is not included and no specific time
      frame has been presented in the documents for reaching this
      internationally agreed standard.  However, the Summit does
      call for new and additional resources with reservations of
      the United States.

      The inclusion of the 20:20 compact is the only qualitative
      criterion in the documents. However, it is optional to
      interested countries, the priority social areas are not
      defined and the measurement is to be done on the basis of
      an average of total ODA expenditure.

9.    The documents states that the negative effects of excessive
      military expenditures, trade in arms, especially those that
      are particularly injurious or have discriminatroy effects,
      and an excessive investment for arms production and
      aquisition should be recognised and addressed.

10.   Throughout the document the involvement of civil society is
      encouraged.  The Summit encourages the creation and
      development of community organisations and no profit, non
      governmental organisations and the establishment of
      legislative frameworks, institutional arrangements and
      consultative mechanisms for involving these organizations
      in the design, implementation and evaluation of social
      development strategies and programmes. Other sectors such
      as business enterprises, trade unions, farmers
      representative organisations and academic and educational
      institutions are encouraged to contribute to the
      implementation of the Programme of Action.

11.   The importance of women in social development and the need
      for gender specific approaches are recognised throughout
      the document, both in legal and policy terms.  The
      inequality of power relations between men and women and the
      unequal access to resources and employment is addressed.
      First steps are taken to initiate the measurements of un-
      remunerative labour in economic indicators.  The importance
      of cultural diversity is acknowledged as are the
      traditional rights to land - but not territories - and
      other resources of indigenous people.  The documents call
      for the formulation and strengthening of the protection of
      the human rights of migrants.  It also calls of the
      creation of the appropriate legal and political environment
      to address the root causes of movements of refugees, to
      allow their voluntary return in safety and dignity, also of
      internally displaced persons and enhance humanitarian and
      financial assistance to refugees.  The documents also
      recognise the need to avoid the displacement of people in
      development programmes.

12.   The Declaration and Programme of Action encompas a
      comprehensive set of parameters to define poverty which can
      be used as a basis for the development of inidactors to
      measure the eradication of poverty.  The Summit agrees to
      strengthen the United Nations system's capacity for
      gathering and analyzing information and developing
      indicators for social development taking into account the
      work carried out by different countries, in particular
      developing countries.  The document includes that within
      the ECOSOC Coordination Segment of 1995 a common framework
      should be developed for the implementation of the outcome
      of UN conferences in the economic and social fields with
      consideration to the role of Bretton Woods Institutions, as
      well as the regional Comissions and Banks.  The document
      calls for an integrated implementation, follow up and
      assessment of the outcome of the Summit together with the
      results of other conferences.  The General Assembly should
      review the effectiveness of the steps taken to implement
      the outcome of the Summit with regard to poverty
      eradication in the International Year for the Eradication
      of Poverty in 1996 and should hold a special session in the
      year 200 for an overall review.  ECOSOC has been given the
      task to oversee system-wide coordination in the
      implementation and monitoring of the Summit outcome.

Assessment and Follow Up

The areas proposed by the Quality Benchmark for inclusion in the
Social Summit Declaration and Programme of Action are integrated
in the final document.  They have been given high profile in the
structure of the declaration.  However, even though the
agreements reached are comprehensive, new and innovative steps
for solving the problems described have been avoided.  The Summit
re-affirms agreements reached earlier at a high political level
and therefore it creates an even larger obligation to implement
the Declaration and Programme of Action.

The contribution of NGOs has been recognised through the access
created in the preparatory process.  The recognition now needs
to be translated in the follow up process at the national level. 
The Quality Benchmark for the Social Summit continues to be an
important instrument for NGOs to measure the implementation of
the Declaration and Programme of Action both at a national and
at international level.