STATEMENT

BY

HE MR NAVIN CHANDARPAL
SPECIAL ENVOY OF HE THE PRESIDENT OF
GUYANA

BEFORE

THE TWENTY-FOURTH SPECIAL SESSION OF
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
"WORLD SUMMIT FOR SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
AND BEYOND: ACHIEVING SOCIAL
DEVELOPMENT FOR ALL IN A GLOBALISING
WORLD

GENEVA

JUNE 29, 2000



Mr. President
 Hon. Heads of State and Government
 Distinguished Ministers
 Ladies and Gentlemen,


            The 1995 World Summit for Social Development emphasized two simple truths without social development and social justice there can be no peace and security within and among our nations. Secondly, in both economic and social terms, the most productive policies and investments are those that encourage people individually and nationally to maximise their capacities, resources and opportunities.


            As we gather together for this Special Session of the General Assembly, let us remember that our Heads of Government intended the Copenhagen Programme of Action to serve as a catalyst for positive change. A catalyst to eradicate poverty, unemployment, social exclusion and the great divide between the rich and the poor, both within and among nations. A catalyst to assume duties and responsibilities within this global village. Duties to be carried out not only by Governments, but also civil society, international organisations and other actors of influence at the national and international levels. In fact, the presence at this Special Session of such a wide range of interested organisations, agencies and individuals further reminds us that the social contract concluded five years ago remains as relevant today at the turn of the century and millennium.


Mr. President,


            Over the past five years, member States of the United Nations have shared experiences and good practices in efforts to achieve the ten commitments undertaken at Copenhagen. Earlier this month, another Special Session of the General Assembly reviewed progress and proposed further action in the important area of gender equality and equity. Similarly, within the UN and other fora, greater attention has been given to the development challenges of Africa and the LDCs, the social costs of structural adjustment programmes, the dearth of resources available for social development and the root causes of underdevelopment in developing countries. The Cologne debt initiative, the trade negotiations for Lome IV, the 20/20 initiative and arrangements for a special meeting on financing for development are just some of the steps taken in this regard.


            The experiences of Guyana, as a small developing country seeking to provide a high quality of life for its citizens have demonstrated the importance of political will, both nationally and internationally, for the achievement of social justice and development. The strengthening of democratic structures and institutions since 1992 has proven to be a good basis for participatory approaches to resolve poverty, unemployment, unequal access to basic social services and the marginalisation of certain social groups within our society. Over the years, the budget for the social sector has steadily increased with emphasis given to health and education. Diversification of the economy, efforts to attract foreign direct investment and incentives for the private sector, including small enterprise development, have been actively pursued as part of income and employment generation strategies. Poverty alleviation programmes, housing as well as safe water and sanitation policies have been specially targeted at the poorest and most vulnerable in society.


            Despite these efforts, important challenges remain. Poverty eradication remains a formidable task as policy makers seek to balance limited financial resources with the need to respond to the most basic needs of the Guyanese citizens. The multidimensional character of poverty does not make this task easier since poverty eradication strategies must target not only income and employment generation, but also education, health, housing and access to opportunities since poverty can contribute to social exclusion.


            Building on the many initiatives taken so far, the Guyana Government has developed a Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) which acknowledges that the fight to reduce poverty must be four-pronged. First, this Strategy is aimed at stimulating economic growth through improving the business environment and providing sector specific enhancements that will benefit the poor. Second, it focuses not only on improving economic and social infrastructure, but also enhancing the poor's access to affordable health, education, water and housing facilities. Third, pending the realisation of the benefits of these two approaches, it will immediately provide a safety net to those who are more seriously disadvantaged; and finally, special poverty intervention programmes will be introduced to areas where prevailing poverty levels are still high.


            Such an approach however, calls into question the means at the disposal of a developing country such as Guyana to have a mufti-pronged strategy to eradicate poverty. A case in point is that despite improved educational standards in the country as funds are chanelled to the education sector, qualified graduates continue to migrate to countries with the capacity to pay higher emoluments. This brain drain is caused not only by the young people, but also older professionals, including teachers and doctors whose services, in a globalising economy have become increasingly competitive. At the same time, the demands of the labour market have had to adapt to the skills available in the country. Although the informal economy has played an invaluable role in absorbing a significant portion of the unemployed labour force, concerns still remain about the low level of productivity and social protection within this sector,


            Another issue of critical importance to social integration, moral values and the fabric of society itself is the steady increase in violence, crime and the trafficking and abuse of illicit drugs. The drug trade does not only corrupt individuals and systems by the enormity of its inducement but also threaten governance within our very country. Offenders, although largely youths, comprise all age groups with grandmothers being used in some cases, as "mules" for the drug trade. Once again, this phenomenon has been attributed to unfulfilled desires for a better way of life, propelled clearly by the insouciant images of wealth portrayed by the television and mass media. This situation has not been helped by recent mass deportations of criminals to Guyana by the developed countries, on the pretext that they were born in Guyana. The majority of these criminals have been socialised from childhood, in environments distinctly different from that of Guyana and their process of adaptation to Guyana has been marked by an alarming increase in violent crimes. In addition, the special social services required by these deportees create even greater pressure on already limited resources.


Mr. President,


            The Copenhagen Declaration and Programme of Action have inspired nations to take initiatives to reduce poverty and promote social development. It is true that some have worked more resolutely than others and the levels of success have varied significantly. However, one lesson stands out in relation to the efforts of developing countries. Even those who have made great efforts at the national level are severely constrained by the realities of the international climate.


            This forum needs to come to grips with the reality that good governance and other inclusionary policies are extremely important for a better sharing of the national cake in order to reduce the level of poverty. But it is equally important to note that for most countries of the world, the national cake is much too small. The principles of good governance, inclusionary policies, transparency, justice and equity must also apply in the international arrangements between states.


            Globalisation and the rule of the market place cannot provide the vehicle for improving the conditions of the developing world. Instead of globalisation serving to promote greater cooperation among states, the process is being pushed to give increasing advantage to the already developed world. The wide gap between the developed and developing countries is widening further.


            Developing countries are greatly disadvantaged by their inability to access improved technologies. In spite of the commitments made by developed countries to place a high priority on technology transfer, they continue to treat technology as a commodity on the market.


            A critical need for developing countries is to improve production, productivity and market access. We need to be embraced in a world of cooperation not stabbed by the daggers of hostile competition which globalisation is promoting.


            Our experiences since 1995 have therefore taught us that despite positive interventionist measures aimed at improving social conditions, our national success in achieving the goals of the Copenhagen Programme of Action, is largely dependent on the availability of resources. Sustained and improved domestic economic growth and an enabling international environment must be seen as pillars of support for the social development of developing countries. Such an environment must ensure markets for our products and more favourable and fairer terms of trade. Similarly, debt cancellation initiatives must be considered effective tools to reduce the debt stock, thus releasing much-needed funds for the social sector and increased salaries for reduced migration.


            We need massive debt reduction and meaningful development assistance. We need a more facilitating development oriented arrangement for international financial institutions. Aid must be a global dove not a Trojan horse.


            In 1995, the late President of Guyana, Dr. Cheddi Jagan, made a call for a New Global Human Order to address many of the economic and social ills recognised in the Copenhagen Declaration and Programme of Action. In presenting a number of proposals for issues such as poverty alleviation, debt relief, employment generation, population explosion and urbanisation, he called for a strong partnership between governments and agencies from both the North and the South. This call remains relevant and necessary today.


Mr. President,


            Every country can and must take internal actions to maintain social progress and this forum must serve to re-inspire and re-invigorate all countries to do so.


            But this forum would be a sad disappointment and we would have failed to meaningfully use the five years since Copenhagen if major forces do not take their heads out of the sand in order to recognise that the main impediments to achieve social progress are structural in nature deeply rooted in the massive inequality and unjust relations between states.


            This Summit affords us the opportunity to accelerate the process of addressing the situation of the poor and the powerless. Less than a third of 1 per cent of global income - approximately $80 billion yearly - is all that is needed to address poverty. If the rich and poor countries do not act together to overcome want and hunger, there can be no lasting peace. This is not just a partnership, but a forging of our collective destiny in the interests of all our peoples.


            Mr President


            Five years after Copenhagen, let us be true to our consciences and leave Geneva with the resolve to deal with the causes and not merely the symptoms of poverty. Let us recommit to accelerate social progress worldwide through a more enabling national environment enhanced by fair, just and equitable relations among the members of our global family.


            I thank you.