Eurostep’s
position paper on the state of the negotiations on Tuesday, 13
June
Note: the following
comments refer to the negotiation documents as of the end of
PrepCom on Tuesday 23 May 2000
We are deeply concerned about the lack of
political will to agree on further initiatives in the Copenhagen
process which adequately address the detrimental social effects
of globalization and the root causes of poverty and growing
economic disparities within and between countries. The outcome of
PrepCom 2 neither reflects sufficiently the urgency of the
socio-economic problems in many countries nor the current
political attempts to reach a new 'Post-Washington-Consensus'
beyond the old neoliberal paradigm.
Instead of new initiatives, the currently
agreed paragraphs in the draft document consist mainly of
formerly agreed language. Moreover, due to the extreme weakness
of the recent negotiations the final text is in danger of
watering down the Copenhagen consensus which gave social
development highest political priority.
There is still a chance to make Geneva 2000
a success. But therefore, Governments have to set signals of
change and to agree upon concrete measures to strengthen the
enabling environment for social development, to provide the
necessary resources and to reform the international institutional
framework for development.
Necessary steps in this direction are
outlined in the position papers presented by Eurostep and
Social Watch at the beginning of PrepCom 2. The demands made in
these papers remain valid. Nevertheless, we are presenting now
specific text proposals and comments on the latest draft
documents, as we intend to highlight what we regard to be crucial
issues and at least second best solutions within the remaining
framework of negotiations.
§ 9: Support
first EU proposal, second G77 proposal and last EU proposal. The
paragragh then reads:
·
§9 [Enhanced international cooperation among governments and
other actors, including non-governmental organizations, is
essential to implement the Copenhagen Declaration and Programme
of Action as well as the further actions and initiatives adopted
by the special session, and to address the challenges of
globalization. Reform of international financial institutions
through their democratization, transparency and accountability
will further foster this implementation and ensure that
prospective benefits promised by economic growth and global
integration will be shared equitably and that poverty will be
eradicated from the world, in order to promote social
development. In this regard, we also acknowledge the need for a
coordinated follow-up to all major conferences and Summits by
Governments, regional organizations and all of the bodies and
organizations of the United Nations system, within their
respective mandates.]
Commitment
1:
To create an economic, political, social, cultural and legal
environment that will enable people to achieve social
development:
§ 5bis: We
support the proposal to retain this paragraph under Commitment 1
as it stands:
·
§ 5bis. [Call on the international community to make all
efforts to help alleviate the unsustainable external debt burden
of developing countries, which should further strengthen the
efforts of the Governments of such countries to attain the full
realization of economic, social and cultural rights of their
people.]
§ 7,
commitment 1: Support proposal without US proposals and add
reference to WTO. Para should read:
·
§7 [Recommend that ECOSOC establish an expert working group
to develop guidelines on sound principles and good practices in
social policy to promote the goals of the Social Summit (poverty
eradication, equity, full employment and social
inclusion), for use in the development of all social and
economic policies of national Governments, international
financial institutions and other relevant international
institutions, including WTO. In this regard,
request the Secretary-General, drawing on expert advice, to
prepare proposals, having consulted with relevant international
organizations, including the Bretton Woods institutions;]
§8(c): We
propose the following text for this paragraph:
·
§ 8(c). [Increasing and improving access of products of
developing countries and countries with economies in transition
to international markets through the negotiated reduction of
tariff barriers and the elimination of those
non-tariff barriers and other protectionist measures which unjustifiably
hinder trade of developing countries and countries with economies
in transition;]
§8bis: We
propose an additional paragraph to read:
·
§ 8bis. [Recommend that UNCTAD carry out a survey of the
social impacts of the Uruguay round.]
§8ter: We
propose a new paragraph to read:
·
§8ter. [The objectives of Social Development should be included
as legally binding obligation in all bilatereal and multilatereal
trade agreements. ]
§ 10(a): We
support the text proposed by G77:
·
§10(a). [Improve preventive measures to address the excessive
volatility of short term capital flows, including inter alia, a
temporary debt stand-still to negoitate with creditors in an
orderly fashion and through transparency of operations by
international financial institutions and international banks;]
§10(b): We
propose the following text for this paragraph:
·
§10(b). [Developing, strengthening and enforcing the
regulatory frameworks for monitoring financial operations to
reduce the negative impact of speculative financial
transactions and to improve transparency for financial
flows at the national and international level;]
§10(d): We
support the following text for this paragraph:
·
§10 (d). [Actions to strengthen institutions and consultative
mechanisms for economic policy formulation, involving improved
transparency and consultation with civil society.]
§ 13: We support
a modified text of the G77. The paragraph should read:
·
§13. [To ensure full and effective participation of
developing countries and countries with economies in transition
in the decision-making process of international financial
institutions, including the IMF, WB and WTO,
through reform and democratization of these institutions, as well
as ensuring transparency and accountability in their management
and operations.]
§ 15: We propose
the following text for this paragraph:
·
§ 15. [Address urgently the continuing debt and debt
servicing problems of indebted developing countries as
constituting an element affecting their efforts to achieve
sustainable development; and alleviate the onerous debt and
debt-service burdens connected with the various types of debt of
many developing countries on the basis of an effective,
equitable, development-oriented and durable approach and, where
appropriate, addressing the full stock of debt of the poorest and
most indebted developing countries as a matter of priority.]
§16 (b): We
propose the deletion of “other” such that the text
reads:
·
§16(b). [Enhancing and embracing partnerships with business,
trade unions and non-governmental organisations.]
§16 (d): We
propose the deletion of this paragraph.
§17: We propose
the following text for this paragraph:
·
§17. [Recognize the need for a system-wide initiative to
develop binding guidelines in
consultation with civil society that encourage
corporate social responsibility, maintain corporate
social accountability and which provide for responsible corporate
governance. To this end, invite the International
Labour Organization to organize and coordinate efforts, taking
into account discussions in other international fora, as well as
organizations of civil society, including trade unions, and of
the private sector, in particular the deliberations of the Global
Compact. In this context, recommends to the Economic and Social
Council that the Commission for Social Development include this
issue as one of its priority themes in its programme of work for
the period 2002-2006.]
Commitment
3:
To promote the goal of full employment as a basic priority of our
economic and social policies, and to enable all men and women to
attain secure and sustainable livelihoods through freely chosen
productive employment and work.
§39: We propose
that this paragraph on globalisation includes references to
gender and should read:
·
§ 39. [Call upon Governments and organizations of the
international system, namely the ILO, World Bank, IMF, WTO,
UNCTAD, and other relevant organizations as well as civil
society, to
·
undertake a multilateral initiative to better understand the
social dimensions of globalization, including the relationship
among trade, development, poverty and labour issues, and to
integrate their approaches in these areas. Such an initiative
should include inter-organizational efforts to pool knowledge and
undertake joint gender sensitive research;
development of common analytical gender sensitive
frameworks for international policy; and publication
and submission of periodic reports and recommendations onthese
issues to the governing bodies of the respective organizations;]
Logically § 39 would come before
§7, since the results of research on the social dimensions of
globalisation should feed into making the guidelines on good
practices in social policy.
§47 (f): Propose
new sub-paragraph to read:
·
§47(f). [Identify measures to prevent women being driven into
dangerous occupations, including trafficking, and sexual slavery
of women. ]
§ 71: Amend to make more powerful
as follows:
·
§71 [(Governments should fully support the
commitments to gender equality and the empowerment of women that
will be adopted at the special session of the General
Assembly on the follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women
on the theme Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace
for the 21st century.]
§72: Amend to
read:
·
§72. [Ensure women’s participation in
mainstream decisionmaking at all levels. Reiterate
the commitment to ensure that gender is mainstreamed within all
proposals for further initiatives related to each of the
commitments made at the Summit, considering the specific roles
and needs of women in all areas of social development, by, inter
alia, evaluating the gender implications of proposals and taking
action to correct situations in which women are disadvantaged.
The use of affirmative action and empowerment programmes is
commended to both Governments and international organizations.]
§72quat Amend to
read:
·
§72quat. [Encourage national statistical offices and other
relevant agencies to formulate gender-sensitive statistical
indicators for monitoring/follow-up and assessment of the gender
impact of policies and programmes and provide them with adequate
support to enable collection, analysis and dissemination of
relevant comparable disaggregated data particularly by
sex and age, as well as to carry out surveys as required;]
§72penta:
Propose new paragraph to read:
·
§72 penta. Ask governments and the United Nations agencies to
advance studies aimed at recognising the unpaid work of women in
national accounts.
§73: Propose
that text should read:
·
§73. [ Governments should ratify] the
Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All
Forms of Discrimination against Women in time to enable it to
enter into force before the special session]
§73bis: We support the inclusion
of the US proposal with some changes. The paragraph to
read:
·
§73bis. [In accordance with the ICPD Programme of
Action and the ICPD +5 documents, governments should take every
appropriate measure to assure women and girls the
right to the highest attainable standard of health, including
their access to the full range of reproductive and sexual health
services, including those necessary to enjoy safe motherhood,
freedom of reproductive decision-making and a healthy and
satisfying sexuality, free of coercion, discrimination and
violence];
Commitment
6: To promote and attain the goals of universal
and equitable access to quality
education, the highest attainable standard of physical and mental
health, and the access of all to primary health care, making
particular efforts to rectify inequalities relating to social
conditions and without distinction as to race, national origin,
gender, age or disability; respecting and promoting our common
and particular cultures; striving to strengthen the role of
culture in development; preserving the essential bases of
people-centred sustainable development; and contributing to the
full development of human resources and to social development,
with the purpose of eradicating poverty, promoting full and
productive employment and fostering social integration:
§86bis.We
propose an additional paragraph to read:
·
§86bis. [ Recognize the Framework for Action for all adopted
at the World Education Forum in Dakar that commits all States to
develop or strengthen, in partnership with civil society and
other stakeholders, national action plans by 2002 to promote its
goals. These are:]
[(a) Expanding
and improving comprehensive early childhood care and education,
especially for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children;]
[(b) Ensuring
that by 2015 all children, with special emphasis on girls,
children in difficult circumstances and from ethnic minorities
have access to and complete free and compulsory primary education
of good quality;]
[(c) Ensuring
that the learning needs of all young people and adults are met
through equitable access to appropriate learning and life skills
programmes;]
[(d) Achieving
a 50 per cent improvement in levels of adult literacy by 2015,
especially for women, and equitable access to basic and
continuing education for all adults;]
[(e)
Eliminating gender disparities in primary and secondary education
by 2005, and achieving gender equality in education by 2015, with
a focus on ensuring girls’ full and equal access, to and
achievement in basic education of good quality;]
[(f) Improving
all aspects of the quality of education and ensuring excellence
of all so that recognized and measurable learning outcomes are
achieved by all, especially in literacy, numeracy and essential
life skills.]
86ter.
[Recognize that new financial resources in the order of at least
$8 billion a year need to be mobilised by national governments,
bilateral and multilateral funding agencies. Affirm that no
countries seriously committed to education for all will be
thwarted in their achievement of this goal by a lack of
resources. The international community proposes to agree before
the end of 2000 a clear framework and strategy for mobilising
resources, along with mechanisms for reviewing progress towards
education for all.]
Commitment
9: To promote further initiatives to increase
resources for social development, ensuring that no country that
is committed to achieving the goals of the Summit is unable to do
so because of lack of resources.
§111. We propose changes to this paragraph to read:
·
§111. [Consider further means, at the
international level, to mobilize additional resources for social
development by, inter alia, identifying the
levels of resources required to achieve the time bound targets
from the Copenhagen programme of action. ]
§ 111(b) we
propose that subparagraph should read:
·
§ 111 (b) [Exploring limits on the form and extent of
direct-tax incentives, use of tax shelters and tax havens, and
different levels of corporate taxation]
§ 111 new (e): Support Canada
proposal:
·
§111 new (e) [Further study of the feasibility of a currency
transaction tax]
§112 (a): We
propose that this sub paragraph should read:
·
§112(a). [Encouraging creditor countries and institutions to
take immediate action to implement HIPC II, and full debt relief
for the poorest countries.]
§112 (c): We propose that this sub
paragraph should read:
·
§112(c). [Urging donor countries to take necessary action to
reverse the current decline in ODA and fulfil the agreed target
of 0.7% of GNP, by adopting a time bound target,
preferably by 2005, to free the necessary resources to implement
the social development goals.]
§112(d): We propose that this sub
paragraph should be amended to read:
·
§112(d). Encouraging donor and recipient countries, based on
mutual agreement and commitment, to fully implement the 20/20
initiative, in line with the Oslo and Hanoi consensus documents,
to ensure universal access to basic social services, [by
strengthening monitoring and implementation efforts in relevant
co-ordination fora such as the Consultative Group meetings and in
relation to the Poverty Reduction Strategies conducted by
recipient countries.]
§ 117
(b). We support the retention of this paragraph
·
§117(b) Encouraging regional commissions to initiate or
continue evaluation of the implementation of the Copenhagen
Declaration and Programme of Action and the further initiatives
of the Special Session;
§117 (c): We
support the paragraph to read:
·
§ 117 (c) Encouraging implementation of regional social
development agendas where they exist; [encouraging recipient
countries, donor Governments and agencies as well as
multilateral financial institutions to give due
consideration to the
regional social development agenda of regional commissions as
well as other regional and sub-regional organizations in
their funding policies and programmes];
§123 support
G-77 proposal. Paragraph to read:
·
§123 [Reform the international financial structure including
a re-examination of current voting rights of the IMF];
§125. Support
paragraph with a strengthen introduction. To read:
·
§125 [Establish national
mechanisms, where they do not already exist, for the
implementation of the Copenhagen Declaration and Programme of
Action and the further initiatives agreed at the Special
Session;]
§ 129. Support secretariat text
with G-77 first and third amendment, but without other
amendments. Paragraph to read:
·
§129 [Commit ourselves, and encourage all organizations,
institutions, communities and individuals to take further
determined, sustained action to implement these decisions and to
achieve the commitments in/ the Copenhagen Declaration and
Programme of Action; and decide to convene a Second World Summit
for Social Development in 2005 to review progress and decide on
additional Initiatives].
§122bis: Add new paragraph to
read:
·
§122bis. [Establish an international working group to
initiate a process for establishing a Convention on Poverty
Eradication, in accordance with the Universal declaration of
Human Rights, articles 22, 23, 25, 26, and the International
Covenant on Economic and Cultural Rights articles 6, 7, 9, 11,
12, 13, and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Racial Discrimination article 5, and the Convention on the Rights
of the Child article 27. A Convention on Poverty Eradication
should be based on elements addressing international factors and
enabling environment that effect national policies for poverty
eradication. The Convention could be build along the experience
of the Desertification Convention.]
Updated on 24 January 2000
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