Social development, including questions relating to the world social situation and to youth, ageing, disabled persons and the family

Statement by Mr. E. Balanandan, Member of Parliament on October 8, 1999 in the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) of the United Nations

Mr. Chairman,

Allow me to congratulate you and other members of the Bureau on your election. Let me assure you of my delegation’s whole-hearted cooperation in the deliberations of this Committee. We would like to express our appreciation to the Department of Economic and Social Affairs for its incisive and thought-provoking reports.

We look at the issues under this agenda item as essentially intertwined and interdependent. Hence, our comments would be cross-cutting while taking into account the mutually reinforcing aspects of this interdependence. 

For the young, the concerns are that of finding a voice, channellizing energies into socially productive uses, improving capacities to deal with transformation from adolescence through adulthood and finding a rewarding occupation which allows mental, material and spiritual growth. The elderly feel the need to contribute, to review their experiences and act upon their strengths, to teach the young. These needs are complementary, not in conflict.

We have paid close attention to the events under the "World Programme of Action for the Youth to the year 2000 and Beyond" held in Portugal. The adoption of the "Braga Youth Action Plan" at the 3rd World Youth Forum is a welcome development. We thank the Governments of Turkey and Senegal for offering to host the forthcoming World Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth and the sessions of the World Youth Forum.

Issues related to youth should be seen in the context of social and economic development in an age of information revolution and globalization. The potential of youth to be a major force in social change should receive greater attention than hitherto and should find an important place in the review of the implementation of the Copenhagen plan of action and further initiatives for next year’s Geneva Summit on Social Development. To ensure that their concerns are properly factored into national policies and programmes we feel that there should be greater participation of youth in the political system of nations.

Mr. Chairman, today’s child is tomorrow’s youth and the youth of today is tomorrow’s parent. It is this chronology that makes the family the basic social institution. Its supportive, protective and progressive roles deserve serious attention. After five years of the declaration of the International Year of the Family in 1994, we need to take stock of the changed environment and new developments as they affect the family. Problems arising from broken homes, family conflicts, neglect, economic stress, inter-generational problems in families are on the rise everywhere.

Contributing to these are social and economic deprivation, rural-urban transmigration, marginalisation and environmental degradation. It is our view that since the family is the basic social organism that first feels the impact of socio-economic shocks and political fall out in either peace or in conflict, a fresh assessment of the role of the family as an institution for social stability is required. We have, for long, analyzed the impact of political, economic, cultural and social changes on nations, societies and individuals while missing the point that societies are first an agglomeration of families in which individuals are constituents.

The role of education as the primary instrument of progress of the family, child, youth and the aged cannot be overstated. It cuts across all themes; political, social, cultural, moral and ethical. We are in full agreement with the report of the Secretary General and Director General, UNESCO wherein education has been redefined as more than an addition of literates in a society but more about living and acquiring skills and competence in different social settings. Undoubtedly, this re-thinking will go a long way in our attempts at social transformation and change through education.

Persons with disabilities, be they children, youth or elderly should be more effectively targeted in the social service delivery system to enable the release of their productive potential. Education and more affirmative actions to provide sustainable livelihood are a necessity. "The World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons", the "Standard Rules on the Equalisation of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities" and the "Long Term Strategy to Implement the World Programme of Action concerning disabled persons to the Year 2000 and Beyond" are important efforts in this regard.

Mr. Chairman, as an instrument of change, cooperatives have received less attention than they deserve. Viewed initially as an instrument of economic growth, the significance of cooperatives dwindled in the face of rapid liberalization and corporate transnationalism. Within today’s globalising world, however, there is a new role for cooperatives to play in the arena of social development since they are organizations for self -help and collective self reliance. By pooling resources, contributing labour and bargaining collectively, societies at the grass roots can provide themselves with health-care, education, and other basic services without awaiting affirmative action by States. Additionally, cooperatives could become organisations of self-reliance for the aged, enterprise for the youth and the disabled and for care of children. We, therefore, welcome the guidelines aimed at creating a supportive environment for the development of Cooperatives as contained in the Report of the Secretary General and are glad to have co-sponsored the Resolution on Cooperatives.