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27 JUNE 2000

Immediately following the briefing in this room, there will be a presentation to launch a new CD-Rom.  The disk which contains all the documents, statements and achievements of the Copenhagen Social Summit and beyond.   Taking part in the presentation will be Ms. Maija Perho, Minister of Social Affairs and Health of Finland; Ms. Maria Ducci, Chief, External Relations Office of the International Labour Organization; and Mr. John Langmore, Director of the Division for Social Policy and Development of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

The twenty-fourth Special Session of the General Assembly on Social Development is continuing, with 35 delegations scheduled to speak in the debate today.  The list includes the King of Swaziland, the President of Tajikistan, the Vice-President of Burundi and the Prime Ministers of Andorra, Mozambique and Norway.

In their statements, Member States are assessing the progress made, since 1995, towards implementing the Declaration and Programme of Action adopted at the World Summit for Social Development, and are expected to adopt an outcome document containing further actions and initiatives to implement the commitments made at that Summit.  That text is being hammered out in the Special Session’s Ad Hoc Committee of the Whole.

This morning, the Committee is continuing its general discussion, with statements by representatives of UN programmes and other entities in the UN system, as well as NGOs.  Yesterday, Working Groups I and II began their deliberations on the 10 commitments made at the Summit.  John Langmore will give you the specifics of what happened.

Commenting on the work thus far, the Chairman, Cristian Maquieira (Chile) said the pace of the negotiations was beginning to accelerate.
 
Before presiding over this morning’s session, the Assembly President, Dr. Theo-Ben Gurirab, met, at 9 a.m., with Mr. Chedly Neffati, Minister of Social Affairs of Tunisia, and at 9:30 a.m., he received a courtesy call from Mr. Eduardo Ferro Rodrigues, Minister for Works and Solidarity of Portugal.  He will attend the luncheon hosted by the Swiss Confederation in honour of Heads of State and Government at the Hotel Inter-Continental.  And at 6:30 p.m., the President will host a reception in honour of delegates to the Special Session, here at the Palais.

Let me update the figures I gave you yesterday on the number of participants.  Protocol informs us that it has issued 1,532 delegates badges, but estimates that there are a total of 4,596 delegates present.  In addition, there are 762 representatives of NGOs (689 badges issued plus those permanently accredited); and 597 representatives of media organizations (346 badges issued plus the 251 permanent journalists).  The figures I gave yesterday did not include those who had pre-registered in New York and elsewhere.  My apologies for that oversight.

Also, yesterday, we were asked why the General Assembly holds a minute of silent prayer or meditation.  The answer is that it is called for in the Rules of Procedure of the General Assembly.  Rule 62 states: “Immediately after the opening of the first plenary meeting and immediately preceding the closing of the final plenary meeting of each session of the General Assembly, the President shall invite the representatives to observe one minute of silence dedicated to prayer or meditation.”  I’ve made copies for those who are interested.