Outcome of the Social Summit

After a week of the World Summit for Social Development, the participating state leaders and their negotiators agreed upon an 85-page Declaration and Programme of Action for social development. The document contains some good descriptions of the necessary social development. The phrase, "sustainable development" made its way into the Declaration and Programme in several places. In many places, the term was equalled with economic growth, e.g.: "..., sustainable development and broad-based and sustained economic growth are equally necessary for social development and social justice." (§6). Unfortunately, the paper has no definition of the much-debated term, "sustainable development"; but this is may be too much to ask from a social summit. Also, the results of the Rio conference are remembered in the Declaration (§ 10)

In the Programme of Action, sustainable development, renewable energy, and consumption patterns are addressed. Under the heading "A favourable national and international economic environment", the following action included as required to ensure equitable distribution of global economic growth: "Changing unsustainable consumption and production patterns, taking into account that the major cause of the continued deterioration of the global environment is the unsustainable pattern of consumption and production, particularly in industrialized countries,..., aggravating poverty and imbalances;" (§10c).

Listed as a requirement for promoting patterns of economic growth that maximize employment creation is: 'encouraging the utilization of renewable energy, based on local employment-intensive resources, in particular in rural areas." (§50j)

The results of the Social Summit will be discussed by the UN Economic and Social Committee - ECOSOC, that decides about the follow up. Beside this the summit proposed an annual meeting on social development with participation of ECOSOC, World Bank Development Committee and International Monetary Fund (IMI;). Social development will also be addressed by UN in 1996, that is declared international year for alleviation of poverty.