United Nations

 NEW YORK, 20 June (UN Headquarters) -- The Preparatory Committee for the special session of the General Assembly, entitled the "World Summit for Social Development and Beyond:  Achieving Social Development for All in a Globalizing World", approved a draft of a final document this evening, presenting the views and recommendations of the international community for advancing the cause of social development worldwide.

 The draft will now be transmitted to a committee of the special session, which will be held in Geneva from 26 to 30 June, for final negotiations. 

 The proposed outcome document for the Social Summit consists of three parts:  a short political declaration reaffirming the Declaration and Programme of Action adopted by the World Summit in 1995; a review and assessment of the implementation of that Programme of Action; and new initiatives and actions to implement the commitments made at the Summit.  

 Among the proposals to be considered at the special session are a new global campaign against poverty, revised poverty reduction targets, and a global employment strategy that stressed the need to create jobs that provided decent earnings.  Also to be discussed is a proposal to establish a mechanism that would allow developing countries to receive medicines for HIV/AIDS at lower prices.  

 Following concern expressed by several representatives at the late distribution of a document containing a list of non-governmental organizations requesting accreditation to the special session, a decision on their accreditation was postponed until a further meeting on Thursday. 
 
 The special session comes five years after the consensus adoption by 186 countries of the Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development, which charted a new course towards people- centred development.  At that summit, world leaders pledged to eradicate poverty, attain full employment and foster stable, safe and just societies through the adoption of 10 commitments, which serve as the basis for global efforts to confront the structural causes and consequences of “profound social problems”. 

 The 10 commitments concern:  (1) an enabling environment for social development; (2) poverty eradication; (3) full employment; (4) promotion of social integration; (5) equality and equity between women and men; (6) universal and equitable access to high-quality education and health services; (7) acceleration of development in Africa and in the least developed countries; (8) inclusion of social development goals in structural adjustment programmes; (9) resources for social development; and (10) international cooperation for social development. 

 The Preparatory Committee Chairman is Cristián Maquieira (Chile).  The other officers are Bagher Asadi (Iran), Abdallah Baali (Algeria), Ion Gorita (Romania), Koos Richelle (Netherlands) as Vice-Chairmen.  Mr. Asadi was also designated to serve as Rapporteur.

 The Preparatory Committee will meet again on Thursday to conclude its work.