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Review of World Summit <br>for Social Development

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9 June, 1999The UN is preparing an evaluation of the implementation of the Copenhagen decisions and what additional actions to take.

UNITED NATIONS: In order to review the outcome of the World Summit for Social Development, which took place in Copenhagen in 1995, the UN General Assembly will hold a Special Session in Geneva from June 26-30, 2000. In preparation for this Session, the UN Preparatory Committee for the Copenhagen Plus Five Review (known as "Prepcom") met in New York from May 17-28 to initiate a preliminary review and appraisal of the implementation of the outcome of the Summit. A second Prepcom is scheduled for April 3-14, 2000. Among the numerous NGOs attending Prepcom was the IMF, represented by Anne-Marie Mureau, head of the Economic and Social Research Department.

In the overall assessment of the situation since Copenhagen, three major factors were highlighted: debt has continued to grow, official development assistance has declined steadily since1992, and the current pattern of globalisation has failed. Some of the points proposed by the UN Commission for Social Development for further action are: preparation of guidelines on the social responsibilities of business; a global action programme for full employment; refocusing macroeconomic policies to include social goals and priorities; strengthening institutions for social dialogue by, among other actions, guaranteeing freedom of association, etc.

The two main aims of the Special Session in Geneva will be to evaluate the implementation to date of the decisions made in Copenhagen and consider additional concrete actions which could foster progress towards the Summit goals. Commitments made in 1995 will not be renegotiated.