Commission for Social Development
Encyclopedia
The Commission for Social Development is one of the ten functional commissions established by the United Nations
Economic and Social Council
(ECOSOC) since 1946 to advise and assist it in carrying its work.
The Commission for Social Development http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/csd/index.html consists of 46 members elected by ECOSOC.
Since the convening of the World Summit
for Social Development in Copenhagen
in 1995, the Commission has been the key UN body in charge of the follow-up and implementation of the Copenhagen Declaration and Programme of Action. As a result of the Summit, the mandate of the Commission was reviewed and its membership expanded from 32 to 46 members in 1996. It meets once a year at the United Nations Headquarters in New York
, usually in February for about two weeks.
Each year since 1995, the Commission has taken up key social development themes as part of its follow-up to the outcome of the Copenhagen Summit.
At the end of the Summit, Governments adopted the Copenhagen Declaration, the Ten Commitments (listed below) and the Programme of Action of the World Social Summit http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/wssd.
Five years later, Governments reconvened in Geneva in June 2000 for the 24th special session of the United Nations General Assembly
, to review what has been achieved, and to commit themselves to new initiatives.
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Economic and Social Council
United Nations Economic and Social Council
The Economic and Social Council of the United Nations constitutes one of the six principal organs of the United Nations and it is responsible for the coordination of the economic, social and related work of 14 UN specialized agencies, its functional commissions and five regional commissions...
(ECOSOC) since 1946 to advise and assist it in carrying its work.
The Commission for Social Development http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/csd/index.html consists of 46 members elected by ECOSOC.
Since the convening of the World Summit
Summit (meeting)
A summit meeting is a meeting of heads of state or government, usually with considerable media exposure, tight security and a prearranged agenda.Notable summit meetings include those of Franklin D...
for Social Development in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
in 1995, the Commission has been the key UN body in charge of the follow-up and implementation of the Copenhagen Declaration and Programme of Action. As a result of the Summit, the mandate of the Commission was reviewed and its membership expanded from 32 to 46 members in 1996. It meets once a year at the United Nations Headquarters in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, usually in February for about two weeks.
Each year since 1995, the Commission has taken up key social development themes as part of its follow-up to the outcome of the Copenhagen Summit.
The World Summit for Social Development, Copenhagen, March 1995
At the World Summit for Social Development, Governments reached a new consensus on the need to put people at the centre of development. The Social Summit was the largest gathering ever of world leaders at that time. It pledged to eradicate poverty, create full employment and foster social integration.At the end of the Summit, Governments adopted the Copenhagen Declaration, the Ten Commitments (listed below) and the Programme of Action of the World Social Summit http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/wssd.
- Create an economic, political, social, cultural and legal environment that will enable people to achieve social development;
- Eradicate absolute poverty by a target date to be set by each country;
- Support full employment as a basic policy goal;
- Promote social integration based on the enhancement and protection of all human rights;
- Achieve equality and equity between women and men;
- Attain universal and equitable access to education and primary health care;
- Accelerate the development of Africa and the least developed countries;
- Ensure that structural adjustment programmes include social development goals;
- Increase resources allocated to social development;
- Strengthen cooperation for social development through the UN.
Five years later, Governments reconvened in Geneva in June 2000 for the 24th special session of the United Nations General Assembly
United Nations General Assembly
For two articles dealing with membership in the General Assembly, see:* General Assembly members* General Assembly observersThe United Nations General Assembly is one of the five principal organs of the United Nations and the only one in which all member nations have equal representation...
, to review what has been achieved, and to commit themselves to new initiatives.