Mr President, I am indeed very grateful to be allowed this opportunity to represent Trinidad and Tobago at this Special Session of the General Assembly to review the progress made in the implementation of the outcome of the World Summit for Social Development.

In 1995, Trinidad and Tobago joined with other Governments and pledged to counter the effects of poverty by adopting initiatives which would deliver the objectives of full employment and the fostering of stable, safe and just societies. Five years after Copenhagen the magnitude of poverty still remains alarming.

Mr President, there is no greater threat to humanity in the twenty-first century than that of world poverty. It is common to define poverty in purely material terms as a state of having little or no resources to allow for acquiring the most basic needs. Poverty, however, is also a function of several social and cultural factors. It should be noted as well that, the poverty and deprivation experienced by many countries are the consequences of the unfair economic relationships which exist among countries. It is imperative, therefore, that ample attention is given to this as we address the issue of globalization.

One of the major tenets of globalization is that the free play of the market, particularly free trade, can lead to growth. While this may be true, in some cases, many developing countries have become victims of a widening gap between the haves and the have nots which contribute to social conditions that lead to poverty.

Although globalization of the world economy has created opportunities for the development process in some countries, it has also created unstable labour markets and increased marginalization of individuals and groups. Since the world is heading very rapidly along the path of globalization, there is an urgent need to develop mechanisms at the national, regional and international levels to minimize its negative effects.

Mr. President, despite exogenous international factors which militate against the less powerful, policies, and priorities must be adjusted to create the necessary environment to compete at the international level. This would mean fair access to fit into the global economy and cultivate sustainable human development so that the society and the economic environment optimize their interactions.

The Copenhagen Declaration and Programme of Action present an opportunity to effect such development through the pledge to eradicate poverty by seeking to fully integrate all social issues in the development, matrix.

With the support of the United Nations and other developmental partners, programmes have been developed at the national and community levels to broaden the scope of social development issues in favour of the vulnerable groups. A Report by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago concerning the implementation of the outcome of the World Summit for Social Development, detailing our achievements to date and constraints encountered has been published in the Social Summit Digital Library, a CDROM, a project of the ILO and the Division for Social Policy and Development.

Attempts have been made to move away from the traditional social welfare approach to one that is more developmental and participatory, and to create a more enabling environment for social development through economic reform. Such reform has been geared towards the stabilization of the economy as a prerequisite to improving the quality of life of our citizens.

This dictated that Trinidad and Tobago formulate and implement policy measures that would, inter alia:
- ensure the sustainability of the growth process;
- promote a greater diversification of the economic base;
- establish a dynamic and energetic business climate conducive to both local and foreign investment;
- keep inflation to a minimum and under control; and
- create employment opportunities.

I am pleased to report that towards the end of 1997 about forty (40) foreign companies from Europe, Asia, the Americas and the Caribbean were doing business in Trinidad and Tobago in various sectors. The economy shows growth with GDP growth in 1999 recorded at 3.5%, inflation is at an annual rate of 2% and unemployment at its lowest in fifteen (15) years at 11.7%.

In terms of poverty eradication Trinidad and Tobago has made tremendous strides. A clear indication of our progress has been our maintenance of first ranking in the United Nations Human Development Index since 1997. One noteworthy endeavour has been the establishment of a the Change Management Unit for Poverty Eradication and Equity Building (CMU/PEEB) in 1997. This Unit is mandated to implement permanent strategies for promoting integration and collaboration among Government agencies as well as to empower poor communities for greater participation in community life.

An innovative and successful programme of this Unit has been the 'Adopt a Community' programme which was launched in May 1998. The main strategy is the creation of a partnership between business organizations and poor communities to improve the quality of life and facilitate the sustainable development of the communities.

In an effort to empower the poor through entrepreneurial activities, a Community Micro Credit System has also been developed which allows for the disbursement of soft loans through community based organisations (CBOs) to needy persons.

The Community Development Fund, which was established in 1996, with assistance from the InterAmerican Development Bank (IADB), finances community infrastructure and social assistance to communities where 80% of the beneficiaries are in the low-income category.

A most significant finding of the recent UNDP Human Development Report is that new dimensions of economic marginalization are occurring between the developed and developing countries. One such dimension is the growing new underclass in the new world order, that of "the excluded" or those who because of their situation of poverty are unable to have access to the Internet, the emerging pathway to commerce, information, education, training and communication with the rest of the world. This affects not only the literacy of our people but also our competitiveness within the global village. As a people we must ensure that we keep apace of these global trends.

Mr. President, the Government of Trinidad and Tobago has placed education as a means of combating poverty at the forefront of its strategies to tackle the problem. Accordingly, a National Distance Learning System Secretariat was established to review national programmes and liaise with the International Centre for Distance Education and other international development agencies working in the area of distance learning.

The expansion of productive employment is a focal point in achieving sustainable development. Trinidad and Tobago's major policy is to increase investments in the non-petroleum sector with the intention of job creation while simultaneously promoting sound labour relations. Trinidad and Tobago has also ratified the ILO Convention 144 concerning Tripartite Consultation and the International Labour Standards Conventions, 1996. Entrepreneurial spirit is also encouraged by the Small Business Development Company Limited which was established to facilitate the growth of the small and medium size business enterprises.

The social integration strategies adopted have focused on a participatory approach to ensure that consensus is obtained on major'social, economic and environmental issues.

The Government of Trinidad and Tobago, Mr President, has sought to strengthen political participation and promote transparency and accountability in public life by drafting a Green Paper to highlight the efciencies of the existing Integrity Commission and the Integrity in Public Life Act, 1987.

Other pieces of legislation are also being amended to strengthen human rights and promote nondiscrimination, tolerance and mutual respect for human diversity. An Equality Opportunity Bill is currently being debated. This Bill prohibits discrimination on the grounds of sex, ethnicity, disability and education, the provision of goods and services and accommodation.

Initiatives are also being taken to strengthen the family to promote social integration. The Government of Trinidad and Tobago has sought to build the necessary legislative framework to engender equal partnership between men and women in family life.

The Convention on the Rights of the Child was earlier ratified by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago and, in collaboration with UNICEF, a number of initiatives have been undertaken to protect children. One significant initiative is Trinidad and Tobago's declaration of the year 2000 as the Year of the Child with priority programmes for children.

To promote integration of all persons into the mainstream of community life and to ensure their productive involvement, the Government of Trinidad and Tobago established a Disability Unit and a Social Displacement Unit.

Trinidad and Tobago actively celebrated with the rest of the world, International Year of Older Persons (1999) and fully endorses the United Nations principles for older persons. I am proud to say that several programmes were successfully implemented to assist older persons to continue to participate in all facets of society.

There have been obstacles and challenges in the implementation of the strategies such as the lack of a comprehensive communications strategy, the increase in HIV/AIDS among the young, balancing social equity and economic efficiency. The threat to the stability of the family by domestic violence and rising divorce is also of grave concern.

Mr President, greater efforts must be made to continue to improve the lives of our people and to continue to meet the challenges of the effects of globalisation on developing countries. This task can be very daunting for individual countries. There is, therefore, need for the international community to assist in the process of effectively integrating these countries on equal terms in the international arena by providing the necessary support mechanisms which include adequate financial resources. It is also important that structural adjustment programmes, when necessary, should comprise a social development component.

I wish to close by reiterating the full support of the Government of Trinidad and Tobago for the Summit goals, for which we have expressed tangible commitment by adopting policies and programmes to eradicate poverty, promote productive employment and social integration. We endorse further actions and initiatives required to implement the ten commitments adopted in Copenhagen which will ensure that people are placed at the centre of development.