Romania is chairing the 54th session of the Commission for Social Development

Between 3 and 12 February 2016, the 54th session of the UN Commission for Social Development (CSocD) takes place in New York. CSocD is the first functional committee of the ECOSOC to have a working session after the adoption of the Agenda 2030 for sustainable development by the all Heads of States or Governments of the 193 UN member states, on 25 September 2016.

2016-02-08 12:07:51

Romania is chairing the current cycle of the CSocD, the meetings of the 54th session being presided by Romania's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Ion Jinga. Romania has previously served in this capacity in 1977 when, based on a Romanian proposal, the topic of youth was introduced to the UN agenda for the first time.

This year, the priority theme of the Commission is "Rethinking and strengthening social development in the contemporary world". A high level panel discussion on this topic will focus on identifying the inter-linkages among the three dimensions of sustainable development: economic, social and environmental. The conclusions of the panel will be used by Member States in negotiating the resolution on this topic, which was drafted by the Permanent Mission of Romania and will be adopted at the end of the session.
A second panel will be dedicated to the emerging theme "Implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: moving from commitments to results for achieving social development", with a special focus on marginalized or vulnerable groups (young persons, women, elder persons, persons with disabilities, indigenous people etc.). The third panel will tackle the issue of "The implementation of the post-2015 development agenda in the light of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities".

The keynote speakers who will deliver presentations during the three panel discussions are high level governmental officials from all the five continents, experts and high level officials from the UN Secretariat, UNICEF, International Labor Organization, as well as representatives of the academia and civil society. Romania is represented by a delegation led by Mrs. Mihaela Ungureanu, State Secretary and President of the National Authority for Persons with Disabilities.

On 8 February 2016, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, the UN Secretary General, will also address the Commission. Representatives of the social groups relevant to the work of the Commission will be invited to share the podium with the UNSG and the President of CSocD.

Besides the resolution on the priority theme, CSocD will adopt two more resolutions: one concerning the methods of work of the Commission in the context of Agenda 2030 implementation, and another one on the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD).

Agenda 2030 contains a strong social dimension, as its fundamental objective is fighting inequality and eradicating poverty in all its forms, including extreme poverty, under the motto "leaving no one behind". As the majority of the 17 sustainable development goals include a social dimension, CSocD can contribute to monitoring and evaluating the social development component of areas under the authority of other functional commissions of the UN. From this perspective, the results of the current CSocD session may provide guidance for other commissions' activity. That explains the remarkable interest for this year's session extended by Members States, the UN Secretariat and the civil society.

During his statement at the opening of the Commission's first meeting, Ambassador Ion Jinga has underscored that "During the 20 years that have passed since the Copenhagen Summit for Social Development (1995), its commitments remain largely unfulfilled and continue to be just as relevant nowadays. Poverty has been reduced, but it is far from being eradicated. Unemployment stays at the same high level as in 1995. Young persons, women, elder persons, persons with disabilities and indigenous people still face barriers which prevent them from fully participating in the social, economic and political life in many countries worldwide.

As we are setting out a new map for sustainable development, stemming from by the results of the International Conference for Financing of Development in Addis Ababa, the adoption of Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development and the Paris Climate Change Conference, we have an unique opportunity to identify relevant solutions for the social pillar of sustainable development as well.
Thus, it is our responsibility to focus on promoting social inclusion policies that have proven their viability. This session of the Commission for Social Development can contribute to identifying the best means of eradicating poverty, raising employment rates, promoting social integration, reducing inequalities and advancing programs dedicated to disadvantaged and marginalized social groups."