A4-0105/98

Resolution on the Commission's communication on the European Union's follow-up to the world summit for social development (COM(96)0724 - C4-0142/97)

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the Commission communication (COM(96)0724 - C4-0142/97),

- having regard to the Copenhagen Declaration and Programme of Action ((United Nations, New York, 1995.)),

- having regard to the OECD declaration of May 1996 on the contribution of development cooperation,

- having regard to its resolution of 2 March 1995 on the European Union's priorities for the world summit for social development ((OJ C 68, 20.3.1995, p. 49.)),

- having regard to the Council resolution of November 1996 on human and social development and EU development cooperation ((SOC(96)1124 of November 1996.)),

- having regard to the resolution of the ACP-EU Joint Assembly in Lomé of 29 October 1997 on the importance of the UN world conferences of 1990 to 1996 for cooperation between the European Union and the ACP States in the context of the Lomé Convention ((AP/2279.)),

- having regard to the report of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs and the opinion of the Committee on Development and Cooperation (A4-0105/98),

A. whereas social and economic development cannot be attained in the absence of peace and security, ecological balance, economical use of natural resources, and respect for all human rights and fundamental freedoms,

B. whereas poverty, unemployment and social exclusion constitute a denial of fundamental human rights as defined by the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights,

C. whereas more than a quarter of people in the developing world still live in poverty as measured by the human poverty index introduced by the UNDP and about a third, 1.3 billion people, live on incomes of less than 0.875 ECU a day,

D. whereas social development places emphasis on people-centred approach, actively involving civil society and empowering men, women and children to improve their condition,

E. whereas partnerships for poverty eradication have proven to be an effective instrument of development cooperation allowing a closer working relationship with the indigenous populations on an equal footing; whereas, however, working methods and the training of aid workers need to be brought into line with the new thinking on aid,

F. whereas the European Union and its Member States solemnly undertook to contribute to the implementation of the ten commitments of the Copenhagen Declaration and Programme of Action,

1. Welcomes the Commission's communication but expresses concern over delays in the formulation of a clear strategy aimed at encouraging all Member States and signatories of the Copenhagen Declaration to set explicit social development objectives empowering individuals, households and communities to participate in economic, social, civil and cultural development;

2. Stresses the importance of the people-centred approach for the implementation of a development strategy in which people are the main actors, allowing them to take part in the definition of priorities and the implementation of relevant policies, programmes and projects;

3. Calls the Member States to implement the conclusions of the Rio, Vienna, Cairo, Beijing and Istanbul conferences which also put emphasis on different aspects of human and social development; asks the Council to take concrete measures to reduce greenhouse gases in the Union by 15 % by the year 2010;

4. Stresses that development for people can be sustained only if we protect the environment and use our natural resources in a sustainable way; thus, protection of our environment must not be seen as a separate sector, but as a prerequisite for life and social development; all aspects of economic growth should be considered in the context of sustainable development;

Priorities at EU level

5. Considers the fight against poverty and social exclusion to be a top priority for the European Union; calls therefore for appropriate measures to be financed from the European Social Fund;

6. Calls on the Commission to define social exclusion, with special reference to the Amsterdam Treaty, and consider the legal instruments for combating poverty and exclusion among various population groups (inter alia the long-term unemployed, families, the disabled, the elderly, etc);

7. Stresses that tackling unemployment is another absolute priority of the Union; calls on the Commission, therefore, to make practical proposals for taxation and social protection systems in the Member States which are more conducive to employment and inclusion and to promote coordination among the Member States in this respect;

8. Calls on the Member States to adopt employment action plans to cut the unemployment rate in line with the 1998 employment guidelines, to support small enterprises, cooperatives and local economies against market centralisation and take action to strengthen the 'third system¨ in the social and welfare economy;

9. Stresses the importance for the EU and its Member States of promoting policies on equal opportunities between men and women that bridge the gender gap and enable women and men to reconcile work and family obligations, facilitate their return to work and secure unbiased access to employment and education opportunities;

10. Calls on the Commission and Member States to work for the earliest possible adoption of the fourth poverty action programme by the Council;

11. Stresses that, as well as consulting the two sides of industry, NGOs operating in the social field and other representative organizations should be consulted on the follow-up measures to promote social development of the Union; calls on the Commission, in addition to European conferences and debates, to embark upon a constructive and continuous dialogue with NGOs and other representative organizations;

Priorities at international level

12. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to make greater efforts in strengthening institutional cooperation among international bodies that have a stake in social development; supports in this connection the Commission's proposal to have joint high-level meetings among the relevant UN agencies, the IMF, the World Bank, the ILO and the WTO to make coordinated efforts giving more weight to economic and social aspects in drawing up and implementing policies for sustainable development as well as in regulating the financial markets;

13. Calls on all countries to work on a programme for debt reduction for the poorest countries, including the Highly Indebted Poor Countries Debt Initiative, and points also to the additional financial resources needed for the implementation of the Declaration and Programme of Action in Africa;

14. Urges Member States to allocate on average 20% of their development aid funds to basic social programmes and calls upon recipient countries likewise to allocate 20% of their budgets in support of basic social services as defined in the Oslo Consensus, to include 'basic education, primary health care, including reproductive health and population programmes, nutrition programmes and safe drinking water and sanitation, as well as the institutional capacity for delivering those services¨;

15. Stresses the need for more effective EU coordinated development cooperation and assistance efforts aiming also to reach at least 0.7% of GDP for official development assistance and expects all Member States to abstain from the practice of providing aid in forms whereby it is tied to the subsequent award of contracts to their own enterprises, which according to recent studies reduces the effectiveness of funds provided by more than 15%;

16. Calls on all countries actively to enforce and promote compliance with the basic labour standards covered by ILO Conventions 87 and 98 on freedom of association and the right to organize and collective bargaining, Conventions 29 and 105 on the prohibition of all forms of forced and slave labour, Convention 131 on a minimum wage, Conventions 100 and 111 on equal remuneration and the elimination of all forms of discrimination, Convention 155 on health and safety at work, and Convention 138 on the minimum age, including Recommendation 146; a clause requiring compliance with these standards should be a compulsory element in all trade agreements and cooperation agreements concluded by the EU;

17. Calls on the Commission and the Member States actively to enforce and promote social and ethical regulations in international trade and to support initiatives such as Social Accountability (SA) 8000, a world-wide standard for ethics control based on the UN Declaration on Human Rights, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and ILO Conventions, drawn up on the initiative of the Council on Economic Priorities (CEP) in collaboration with representatives from labour unions, NGOs, universities, companies, accountancy firms and consultants;

18. Urges Member States and signatories of the Copenhagen Declaration and Programme of Action to put emphasis on efforts to develop more equitable and sustainable health policies and to further improve preventive health care, especially child care; underlines the correlation between poor health and the level of educational attainment;

19. Calls on the Commission and Member States to cooperate with NGOs in the field to achieve the most efficient delivery of aid;

20. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the UN Economic and Social Committee (ECOSOC), and asks ECOSOC to forward it to delegations of all signatory countries to the Copenhagen Declaration and Programme of Action.