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Statement by

Mr. Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, Prime Minister of Denmark

Geneva, 26 June 2000

We can do better

Mr President, Mr Secretary-General, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen.

Today we meet again - 5 years after the United Nations Social Summit in Copenhagen. We gathered in 1995 to promote social development and social justice placing the needs, rights and aspirations of people at the centre of our decisions and joint actions. The core issues then were poverty - employment and social integration. We gathered for a Summit of hope, commitment and action. We met because we wanted to transform hopes into action.

Denmark hosted the Summit in 1995 because we were - and are - deeply committed to the fight against poverty and social injustice - and to the UN Charter and the role of UN to fight injustice.
We did succeed in Copenhagen. We did commit ourselves to take a giant step forward towards the eradication of poverty.

But did we really pave the way for a new and better future for the many? Have we been able to live up to our commitments from 1995?

Today we take stock of the progress made. We will have to admit that some progress, but far too little progress has been made. Our commitments have not been fulfilled and certainly not with the agreed speed. That is a sad fact. We could have done better. Much better.

Billions of poor, disadvantaged men, women, and children around the globe rightfully - expected us to do better. They expect us to show global leadership. Social leadership.

Within this week many reasons will be given for the slow progress: Globalisation, terms of trade, natural disasters, political turmoil, failure of international organisations.

And `yes', it is true that we are faced with enormous challenges here at the dawn of the 21 St Century. But these challenges were to be expected. We saw them coming 5 years ago. We do have the preconditions for facing and tackling them - if we are willing to commit ourselves.

In the midst of these challenges we have the ultimate goal - to create a better, more peaceful, more prosperous daily life for people all over the world.

Have we ensured that this goal was never lost? I am afraid the answer is `No'. I am afraid that we - as governments - did not achieve what we set out to achieve. We did not fully live up to our commitment - neither individually or collectively.

Mr. President,

We - governments and citizens of the world - have the responsibility of making the right choices. We have to ensure a better future for this generation and future generations. It is vital that all parties concerned stand by their commitments from 1995. Vital that appropriate actions be taken to reverse the continued marginalization of major parts of the world's population. Vital to eradicate poverty. It can not be said too often - it can not be said too loud.

It is a fact that peace, stability, the rule of law and social solidarity are fundamental conditions for sustainable economic growth and social development. There are choices to be made. Difficult, painful choices.

If our promises to combat poverty were sincere, we have to ask ourselves:

- Why conflicts in Africa are not solved in a peaceful manner?

- Why scarce resources are spent on military forces rather than on national development?

- Why countries in Asia spark off an arms race instead of joining the Non Proliferation Treaty and the nuclear test ban?

- Why macro-economic stability in Latin America cannot be reconciled with combating the most unequal income distribution in the world?

- And why the rich part of the world has not yet lived up to their total commitments for development assistance?

These are fundamental questions.

The answer lies in taking the full consequences of the knowledge we have, in democracy, the rule of law, the freedom of expression, and Good Governance. They are all necessary preconditions for sustainable social development. There is no trade off between Good Governance and development. Many choices in development pose difficult dilemmas. Whether to pursue good or bad governance ought to be easy.

S years ago I stated that real lasting security is based upon the security of people. Social security. That is still true today.

Mr. President,

We need a new sense of confidence and responsibility. And we certainly also need a new sense of nuanced, realistic descriptions and information about what is really going on. Let me point to Africa. 52 independent states - and they are not all at war! It is not a continent in total negative development all over the place. In the greater part of Africa that new sense of confidence and responsibility is emerging. We see a vast economic potential. Whilst Africa further advances towards democracy and economic stability, the continent's challenges call for extraordinary, sustained intervention and co-operation - not only among Africans themselves - but in partnership with the international community.

Recently in Denmark, the five Prime Ministers of the Nordic Countries together with the President of the Republic of South Africa expressed their support for a comprehensive strategy for rapid economic growth and sustainable development of the African continent - as stated in The Skagen Declaration in Denmark on 8d' June, 2000.

A few weeks later, in Feira, Portugal, on the 19`h - 20th June, Heads of State and Government of the European Union confirmed our commitments and cooperation with Africa as expressed at the African-European Summit in Cairo, on the 3rd - 4d' April, 2000.

We know that sustainable development and social progress can only be achieved by countries themselves. But we also know that countries need assistance in their fight for development. That assistance we - the rich part of the World - have an obligation to submit.

Mr. President,

In Copenhagen we promised to do more. And we could have done so. All the more since the developed world has experienced an unprecedented economic boom during those 5 years. Let me mention the impressive effect we have seen of the increased welfare in parts of Asia.

We - the rich part of the world - have to take our part of the common global responsibility. We have to take our part of the responsibility for the shared vision, which we formulated in Copenhagen in 1995.

We have to work towards a favourable integration of the developing countries into the world trading system. We have to ease the debt burdens of poor countries more than we already have done. We have to live up to our commitments for providing official development assistance. We need to ensure access to affordable health care and education for all. And we need to ensure that developing countries get their share of the Information Technology in order to avoid a further widening of the digital divide.

We do not want a world divided into A and B teams - into first and second division.
Mr. President,

I have been quite explicit for the sake of clarity. You may ask: What about Denmark? Well - we have made our choices. We do stand by our commitment to a fair international trading system. We also stand by our continued commitment to maintain a level of I per cent of GNP in official development assistance. We have chosen social security - human security. But also my country - like all countries - can do better. And we all need better global and regional co-operation.

Globalisation presents us with enormous challenges and opportunities. The intensity of international co-operation requires solidarity and a strong, well functioning multilateral system where the United Nations holds a prominent role.

The struggle for a safer and better world is taking place in the midst of a technological revolution of enormous magnitude. As proclaimed by the Social Summit, to eliminate poverty on earth and to let everybody enjoy social development appear to be within reach.

But one thing is for sure: By themselves, the global forces leading to economic expansion and better standards of living are not sufficient to create a harmonious world community. Their contribution to the improvement of human conditions will remain limited to a few - individuals, social classes and countries - unless controlled and directed to the benefit of all by appropriate public authorities and institutions.

Mr. President,

5 years ago we made important promises to promote social progress and development - "The Copenhagen Consensus".

We have not fulfilled the objectives we set out for ourselves. It is fundamentally a question of political will and decisiveness. Making consequent decisions based on clear knowledge and experience. Making the right choices is not easy. But together we can make them. Make a difference.

Once again we are assembled under the aegis of the United Nations. Let us - at this follow-up Summit - recommit ourselves to the goals of Copenhagen. Let us intensify our efforts to implement these goals. Together we have the capacity. Let us show we also have the determination.

The poor - women, men and children - all over the world await us. We owe it to this generation and to future generations to make a difference. We still have an obligation to provide social leadership and direction.

It is vital that all parties concerned stand by their commitments and that appropriate action be taken to reverse a continued marginalisation of major parts of the world population and to eradicate poverty. Let us commit ourselves to do better at this follow-up Summit.

Let concrete actions follow words! Thank you.