The Commission for Social Development has concluded its 52nd session with the approval of six draft resolutions to address issues of empowerment, older persons and the family.
The 10-day session included a high-level panel discussion and general debate on the priority theme of “Promoting empowerment of people in achieving poverty eradication, social integration and full employment and decent work for all.”
Ghana was represented at the session by an eight-member delegation led by Nana Oye Lithur, Minister of Gender, Children and Social protection.
Resolution
The 10-page draft resolution welcomed African countries’ progress in fulfilling their pledges to deepen democracy, human rights and good governance, and deliver sound economic management, while emphasising that increasingly unacceptable levels of poverty, inequality and social exclusion required a comprehensive approach to the development and implementation of social and economic policies.
The Commission also called on states to strive for more inclusive, equitable and balanced approaches to overcoming poverty, and stressed the importance of improving access to quality education, employment, water and sanitation, healthcare and social protection.
Ageing and Disability
It further called for the implementation of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, stressing the need for continued global cooperation aimed at strengthening the promotion and protection of older persons’ rights, as well as the participation of older persons in decision-making.
Touching on the rights of persons with disabilities, the member states, United Nations agencies and others expressed concern at the insufficient resources for programmes on disabilities.
It also recognised the importance of promoting visual health, stating that people affected by impaired vision should be able to participate fully in the social, economic, political and cultural aspects of society.
As such, it encouraged governments to develop and strengthen eye-care services and integrate them into the existing health-care system at all levels.
International Year of the Family
The resolution urged states to use the opportunity offered by the 20th anniversary of the International Year of the Family to continue to develop appropriate policies to address family poverty, social exclusion, work-family balance and intergenerational solidarity.
In her closing remarks, Sewa Lamsal Adhikari of Nepal, who chaired the session, thanked governments, civil society representatives, youth delegates and United Nations officials for participating in the session, and stated that: “Together we will move the social development agenda forward.”