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The Branch is part of the Division for Social Policy and Development (DSPD), United Nations Department of economic and social affairs (UNDESA). It undertakes activities that assist and facilitate governments
in more effective implementation of the commitments and policies adopted
in the Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development and the further initiatives
on Social Development adopted at the 24th Special session of the General
Assembly. |
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What is a social perspective on development?
Parts of the text of the Social Summit suggest a very broad and comprehensive
meaning to the concept, identifying it with the whole complexity of social
dynamics. However, in other parts
of the text, social development is treated in a more traditional manner
as a mere addition of social sectors and social concerns. In any case,
social development goes way beyond the realm of the "social sectors"
and is different from the notion of human development. The latter focuses
on the various elements of the well being of individuals.
Operationalizing such a conception of social development entails considerable
difficulties, as most, if not all, social issues are value-related. This
may explain why social development is most often defined by reference
to specific social problems.
Social development and the global policy agenda:
In the United Nations, social development is considered as one of the
three components that define development, together with economic growth
and environmental protection. While public and policy concerns have given
rise to a growing framework for economic and environmental governance,
no such framework has been developed to address social issues. The global
social development agenda essentially focuses on poverty eradication.
Social policy issues are approached from a micro-perspective within the
context of technical cooperation, or on a purely sectoral basis.
The first step towards providing a social perspective on development should
therefore consist of making the point for such an approach: (i) producing
the facts and contributing the analyses in support of a broader and comprehensive
approach to social development; (ii) encouraging a large, three-track
debate (policy makers, civil society, including the business sector and
the academia) on the social dimension of development.
