Second World Summit on Social Development

Doc. 9175

11 July 2001

Second World Summit on Social Development

Recommendation 1463 (2000)

Reply from the Committee of Ministers

adopted at the 759^th meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies (4 July 2001)

The Committee of Ministers has examined carefully Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 1463 (2000) on a Second World Summit on Social Development. The Committee of Ministers signalled the importance it attached to the United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) meeting in Geneva in two ways. First, it gave the European Committee for Social Cohesion (CDCS) the task of organising a European Conference on Social Development. This was a pan-European preparatory meeting for the UNGASS which, by invitation of the then Irish Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers, took place in Dublin on 17 and 18 January 2000. Second, the Committee of Ministers, meeting at the level of Foreign Ministers on 11 May 2000 addressed a Political Message to the Session. The Message reaffirms the commitment of the Organisation and its member states to social development. It notes in particular that “the Council of Europe's Strategy for Social Cohesion aims to accelerate progress towards the achievement of commitments undertaken at the Copenhagen World Summit”. It also notes that the Dublin Conference represented “a significant advance in active co-operation between the Council of Europe and the United Nations in this field”.

Since the UNGASS meeting in Geneva, the European Committee for Social Cohesion (CDCS) has continued to build on this foundation. At its fifth meeting (8-10 November 2000), the CDCS held an exchange of views on the outcome of the Special Session and its implications for the social cohesion strategy of the Council of Europe. The Director of the Division for Social Policy and Social Development at the United Nations Secretariat in New York took part in this exchange of views. Then, in February 2001, the Council of Europe Secretariat was represented for the first time at the annual meeting of the United Nations Commission for Social Development. At that meeting, the Secretariat representative participated actively in the debate on the future of social protection. In addition, as foreshadowed in the Political Message, an inter-regional “expert reflection on pathways to social development” took place in Portugal from 28 to 30 May 2001. This event was co-organised by the Council of Europe (North-South Centre and DG III) and the United Nations. It brought together a small group of invited experts from all world regions to reflect on the different approaches to social development. The Vice-Chair of the CDCS took part as the representative of the CDCS. The extremely valuable debates focussed on the need to better integrate social policy and economic policy. This will, moreover, be the theme of the 2002 session of the United Nations Commission for Social Development, at which it is hoped that the Council of Europe will again be in a position to contribute.

In respect of paragraph 14i of the Recommendation, assistance programmes with countries of Central and Eastern Europe have been stepped-up significantly in the social field during the recent years. The 2001 assistance programmes include several activities in the following areas in particular:

- management training to support the development of social and employment services;

- promoting access to social rights;

- improving the systems for children in need of care;

- assisting countries in developing their social security systems with a view to ratification of the European Code of Social Security as well as the social security co-ordination instruments;

- assisting countries in developing national anti-poverty strategies;

- the “South East Europe Strategic Review” aimed at supporting the process of sustainable social development in the countries participating in the Stability Pact.

The Committee of Ministers recognises the importance of assisting the states concerned in bringing in policies and measures to promote social development and it will continue this programme in the coming years.

In respect of paragraph 14ii, the more active involvement of the Council of Europe is illustrated by the information given above about the Organisation's contribution to UNGASS on social development. The Committee of Ministers is continuing to give the Organisation a higher profile at major world events in its field of competence. A further example of this is the recently adopted Political Message to the UNGASS on children (19-21 September 2001).

In respect of paragraph 14iii, social investment is the raison d'être of the Council of Europe Development Bank. Through the co-operation agreement between the Secretary General and the Governor of the Bank, closer working relationships are being built up so that the Bank is in a position to make a direct contribution to achieving the goals of the Council of Europe strategy for social cohesion.

This co-operation programme is intended to explore new ways for seeking practical solutions in order to strengthen social cohesion in the member states, in particular in the countries in transition. Its goal is to identify and promote projects funded by the Bank through its usual procedures for populations excluded from economic development in Europe that do not have direct and ready access to conventional bank financing.

The Council of Europe and the Bank have recently agreed to extend this programme to the implementation of “accompanying measures” aimed at giving support to projects already approved by the Bank. Such “value added” measures combining expertise and participatory approach are intended to improve the social effects of the social cohesion projects carried out by the Bank in particularly challenging environments, and therefore strengthen the quality and the durability of its investments. In this context, two or three projects have already been identified with a special focus on minorities and refugees.

Concerning paragraph 14iv, as demonstrated by the inter-regional expert reflection meeting, the North-South Centre of the Council of Europe is well placed to bring together all relevant parties to consider the social implications of globalisation. It can be expected that the North-South Centre, in co-operation with the Council of Europe as a whole and with the United Nations, will come forward with proposals for taking further the dialogue which has just been launched.