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INFORMATION NOTE
United Nations General Assembly
Special Session Copenaghen+5
Geneva, 26-30 June 2000 Special Event on Development Cooperation How Can
Development Cooperation
Help Implement
the Commitments of the Copenhagen Summit? The Special Event From 26 to 30 June 2000 the United Nations General Assembly Special Session “Copenhagen+5” will be held in Geneva to examine the progress of social development in the world five years after the Copenhagen Social Summit. Information on the Special Session is available on the following web site: http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/geneva2000/index.html In the framework of the United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS), with organisational support from the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and Italy, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) is coordinating preparations for the “Special Event on Development Cooperation” which will address the following question: "How can development cooperation help implement the commitments of the Copenhagen Summit?". The Special Event will take place in Geneva on 28 June in the Governing Body Room of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), starting at 9.30 a.m. The Special Event will be opened by J. Somavia, ILO Director-General. The first working session will be chaired by François Trémeaud, ILO Executive Director & Director of ILO Turin Centre; the second session will be chaired by Noeleen Heyzer, UNIFEM Director; and the final Round Table (of considerable political importance) by Nitin Desai, Under-Secretary General and Director of UNDESA with conclusions by H.E. Lamberto Dini, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Italy. Simultaneous translation in Italian, English, French and Spanish will be provided. Moreover, high-level representatives of UN agencies will participate in the international seminars to be held on June 27th. Danuta Hübner, UN/ECE Executive Secretary, will participate and conclude in the seminar “Human Development Indicators”; Goran Hultin, ILO Employment Sector Executive Director, will conclude the seminar “Local Economic Development”; Reinhart Helmke, UNOPS Executive Director, will conclude the seminar “Cooperation to Reduce Social Exclusion”; François Trémeaud, ILO Executive Director & Director of the ILO Turin Centre, will conclude the seminar “Training and Innovation for Human Development”; Larry de Boice, Deputy Director of UNDP Emergency Response Division, will conclude the seminar “Decentralised Cooperation for Human Development”. It is expected that, above all, the Special Event will facilitate the birth of an international group of partners interested in using development cooperation as an instrument to implement the Copenhagen Charter. At the request of this international group, the United Nations could promote activities for human development cooperation that encourage collaboration among all the actors, using methods which are coherent with the principles of the Social Summit and most capable of realising its objectives. The Special Event will take place in collaboration with Social Watch which groups together a large number of NGOs working to promote social development in various countries. Social Watch publishes an Annual Report outlining the state of social development throughout the world. The Special Event will set aside some space for Social Watch’s experience. All UNGASS side events are part of the Geneva Forum 2000 which will be held in the area surrounding the Palais des Nations and includes exhibition areas and rooms for conferences, meetings and discussions. On 27 June, H.E. Rino Serri, Undersecretary of State of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Italy and Mr. Mark Malloch Brown, Administrator of UNDP, will sign the Trust Fund Agreement “Anti-Poverty Partnership Initiatives” (APPI). On the occasion of the Special Event, on 28 June, H.E. Lamberto Dini, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Italy and Mr. Juan Somavia, Director General, ILO, will sign the Trust Fund Agreement “Promotion of Decent Work through Training for Development and Innovation - Universitas”. The Seminars In the context of the Geneva Forum 2000, on 27 June, five two-hour seminars will be held in the Conference Centre of Varembé. Simultaneous translation in Italian, English, French and Spanish will be provided. The Seminars have been organised by UNOPS in collaboration with UNDP, ILO, the Italian Foreign Ministry’s Department for Development Cooperation (DGCS) and the relevant organisations for each seminar theme. The results of the seminars will be displayed at the Special Event. The five themes are:
- Human development indicators. Room B 10.00 - 11.45 a.m.
Organised by the Statistics Division of the United Nations Economic Committee for Europe (UNECE), this seminar will provide a set of development and social cohesion indicators for use in programmes to reduce poverty and social exclusion.
- Training and innovation for human development. Room A 10.00 - 11.45 a.m.
Organised in collaboration with ILO, this seminar aims to identify operator training needs arising from the new social development practices. On this theme, the UNOPS-EDINFODEC office has already initiated consultations with some international organisations and universities in Canada, Colombia, Cuba, France, Italy, Mozambique, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco.
- Cooperation to reduce social exclusion. Room A 1.30 - 3.45 p.m.
This seminar has been organised by the International Network against social exclusion whose Secretariat is in Trieste and which connects hundreds of social experiences in more than 30 countries. Its aim is to publicise practices fostering social integration for people in difficulty, challenging institutions and services which show a lack of respect for human rights (mental hospitals, institutions for the chronically ill, and prisons).
- Local economic development. Room B 2.45 - 5.00 p.m.
This seminar aims to promote local economic development strategies and the agencies as territorial instruments for the new trends which have proved to be effective in reducing poverty and unemployment. Local Development Agencies have been set up in numerous developing countries and, through the international ILS-LEDA network, are linked to similar structures in Europe.
- Decentralised cooperation for human development. Room A 4.00 - 6.15 p.m.
On the subject of partnerships between local communities in various countries as an instrument for development and the promotion of peace and democracy, UNOPS-EDINFODEC has initiated consultations to compare the experiences of various countries: Albania, Bosnia, Canada, Colombia, Countries of Central America, Cuba, Denmark, Dominican Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Macedonia, Mozambique, Netherlands, Spain and Tunisia.
Preparation of the Special Event To prepare the Special Event, UNOPS, mandated by the United Nations Department for Economic and Social Affairs and in collaboration with UNDP, ILO and the Italian Government, organised three regional seminars, an international seminar in Rome and various international working groups.
- The Regional Seminars
The regional seminars were organised by the governments of the various host countries in collaboration with the Human Development Programmes running in the respective countries. These seminars involved 52 countries and provided an opportunity to discuss and compare experiences in human development cooperation in different geographical areas. The aim was to identify the best approaches to development that can serve cooperation in both the North and the South, to implement the commitments made at the Copenhagen Summit.
The first regional seminar was held in Cuba, from 4 to 6 May, and was attended by 16 Latin American countries, donor countries, international organisations and NGOs. The second regional seminar was held in Mozambique on 18 and 19 May and was attended by 12 Southern African countries, donor countries, international organisations and NGOs. The third regional seminar was held in Tunisia on 8 and 9 June and involved 24 countries of the Mediterranean Basin and Eastern Europe.
The conclusions of the seminars pinpointed priority areas reflecting the debate under way in various regional contexts but also underlined many common factors i.e.: the crucial importance of social integration and of democracy in the fight against poverty and unemployment; the need to strengthen the commitment of the industrialised countries in development cooperation; the recognition of the importance of framework programmes which operate at local, national and international level, recognition by the participating countries of the role of international cooperation as an important instrument to increase the participation of their civil societies and to find innovative solutions to common problems; the need to adopt strategies and methods allowing the many social and institutional actors to carry out an active role; the need to review cooperation mechanisms and procedures to guarantee the necessary administrative and operational flexibility - vital for the participation of the various local actors at all stages from programme identification to implementation; the need to develop the north/south and south/south dialogue also by means of international cooperation and the Agendas proposed by the Regional Conferences; the important contribution of decentralised cooperation among organised local communities; the need to expand professional training and refresher courses for those in positions of responsibility; and the important role of international cooperation in reinforcing inter and trans-cultural dialogue.
- The International Seminar in Rome
On 30 May, an International Seminar was held in Rome on the general subject of the Special Event to discuss the results anticipated by the various participants and to make sure that the organisation and the programme were in line with the objectives that had been agreed. Chaired by Sen. Rino Serri Undersecretary of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Italy, the participants were: Steven Miller from the United Nations Department for Economic and Social Affairs, Jaime David Fernandez Mirabal, Vice President of the Dominican Republic, Raul Taladrid, Vice Minister of the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Investment and Economic Collaboration and 140 representatives from the Embassies of donor countries and developing countries, Decentralised Cooperation Committees, trade unions, NGOs and organisations from civil society.
- International Consultation on Research and Training for Human Development
This study has involved numerous interlocutors from both industrialised and developing countries to examine the possibility of setting up an international network for research and training for human development. This consultation began because the observed change in development models, as proposed by the Copenhagen Summit, requires a profound cultural change which will not be possible if the political, economic, social and technological processes do not go hand in hand with instruments and working methods that can be reproduced and can reach the desired goals. It is in fact necessary to train the administrators and personnel of the public and private structures playing key-roles in social development and also to train the development workers. The idea is that development cooperation could serve as a laboratory for innovation and training in the various themes of human development.
National working groups have been set up in Algeria, Canada, Colombia, Cuba, France, Italy, Morocco, Mozambique and Tunisia. The working groups bring together representatives from universities, research centres, NGOs and some public and private structures. The results of these activities were discussed at an international meeting held in Hammamet from 31 March to 1 April last, with the participation of 30 experts from the various countries.
The consultation revealed a high degree of interest on the part of all the actors in setting up an international network for research and training in human development based on links between training centres in the industrialised countries and countries in the south of the globe, including the most innovative experiences and practices of human development in its various forms. This Network could be a useful instrument for the establishment of: innovation laboratories; a specific training system based at both the traditional research and training centres and in the context of the concrete experience of international cooperation; international seminars and meetings; the publication and distribution of educational material on human development; and the creation of a document archive on human development available on the Internet.
- International Consultation on Decentralised Cooperation for Human Development
The consultation on decentralised cooperation for human development has involved groups working in Canada, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, and the Netherlands. The objectives were to look at the various national experiences of decentralised cooperation and identify common denominators as a basis for future action, and to promote participation in multilateral framework programmes for human development cooperation.
An international seminar was also held in Rome on 11, 12 and 13 May 2000 where numerous experiences were presented. Some important characteristics of decentralised cooperation emerged and recommendations were made to strengthen its impact and sustainability. In particular, there was a wide consensus on the guiding principles of decentralised cooperation for human development: participation, working together, partnerships, subsidiarity, self-management, co-development, and sustainablity. There was also wide consensus on the concept of decentralised cooperation as a territorial partnership between local communities in the North and the South, and on the fact that decentralised cooperation gives considerable added value compared to traditional bilateral and multilateral cooperation efforts.
The recommendations were: to make sure that decentralised cooperation be consistent with and complementary to national development and international cooperation policies; to consolidate the process quality by reviewing methodologies and procedures to give more room for participation from local actors, thus avoiding pre-set plans; to promote the inclusion of activities and actors in a network by supporting in particular the south-south networks; to promote coordination at local, national and international level by specifying the roles of the various actors concerned (local authorities and their institutions, economic and social actors, central governments, international organisations and international networks); to develop the gender perspective which is likely to constitute one of the most important aspects of decentralised cooperation strategies; to facilitate more capacity building at local level, in particular for political and cultural aspects; to make a commitment so that decentralised cooperation will develop from a laboratory for innovative activities to a structural and organisational presence in the framework of national and international human development policies.
Organisation of the stands A human development cooperation exhibition area has been reserved in Geneva, comprising five stands of 10 sq. m. each, with panelling, tables, chairs, computers and, if requested, a television and video recorder so that CDs and video documentaries can be shown.
The first stand will present cooperation programmes for human development supported by the United Nations, the Italian Government and by the international working groups who are preparing the Special Event.
The second stand is for the Network of Local Economic Development Agencies (ILS-LEDA) which is supported by the United Nations and the Italian Government in the framework of human development programmes.
The third stand is for the International Network against Social Exclusion, which brings together the experiences of more than 30 countries where social and health services, NGOs, social enterprises, voluntary workers and civil society are proving that a world with no exclusion could be concretely possible and would certainly be better. This Network is also supported by the United Nations and the Italian Government in the framework of human development programmes.
Two stands are available for Italian actors in the field of decentralised cooperation for human development from the Regional Authorities, Local Authorities, NGOs and civil society. The stands will be set up in collaboration with the Associazione Nazionale dei Comuni Italiani, the Osservatorio Interregionale per la Cooperazione, the NGOs and operators in the Service Sector. The materials needed for these stands will be supplied directly to the organisers of the stands in Geneva. Organisational aspects To facilitate participation in the Special Event, UNOPS has activated a web site - web.tiscalinet.it/specialevent which contains the documents referring to the various activities. As regards the technical and organisation aspects dealt with by UNOPS (United Nations Office for Project Services), contact Bernhard Schlachter, RESS Division, Geneva (004122-9178475) E-mail BernhardS@unops.org and Luciano Gonnella, EDINFODEC Project, (06-57050213/06-57050214, E-mail: unops-edinfodec@unops.fao.org). The Department for Development Cooperation (DGCS) of the Italian Ministry for Foreign Affairs is in charge of generally coordinating all Special Event activities. As regards technical and organisational aspects, contact Luciano Carrino, Unità Tecnica Centrale (UTC), (06 36916220 E-mail carrino@esteri.it) and Lodovica Longinotti, Unità Tecnica Centrale (UTC), (06 36916219 E-mail longinotti@esteri.it). For the organisation of the stands, any organisations interested in exhibiting their work should contact the UNOPS office in Rome (Luciano Gonnella/Selvaggia Castelli, tel. 06 57050212/3/4/5 E-mail unops-edinfodec@unops.fao.org). For the organisation of the Seminar “Human Development Indicators”, contact Fabio Melloni DGCS/UTC melloni@esteri.it: Lodovica Longinotti DGCS/UTC (see above), and Paolo Garonna, Director of the Statistics Division, United Nations Economic Committee for Europe (UNECE), tel. 004122-9174144, fax 004122-9170123, E-mail: paolo.garonna@unece.org). For the organisation of the Seminar “Training and Innovation for Human Development”, contact Lodovica Longinotti DGCS/UTC: 06 36916219 E-mail longinotti@esteri.it or Sara Swartz/Vanna Ianni, at UNOPS in Rome, tel 06 57050212/3/4/5 E-mail unops-edinfodec@unops.fao.org). For the organisation of the Seminar “Cooperation to Reduce Social Exclusion”, contact Chiara Venier DGCS/UTC: 06 36916219 E-mail: venier@esteri.it or Chiara Strutti, Network Coordination Office: 040 3995268; 5270 E-mail exclusion@exclusion.net). For the organisation of the Seminar “Local Economic Development” Giulia Dario, DGCS/UTC 06 36916220 E-mail dario@esteri.it or Giancarlo Canzanelli/Andrea Agostinucci at UNOPS in Rome - tel 06 57050212/3/4/5 E-mail unops-edinfodec@unops.fao.org). For the organisation of the Seminar “Decentralised Cooperation for Human Development”, contact Lodovica Longinotti DGCS/UTC, tel 06 36916219 E-mail longinotti@esteri.it or Sara Swartz/Vanna Ianni, at UNOPS in Rome - tel 06 57050212/3/4/5 E-mail unops-edinfodec@unops.fao.org). |
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