Kellokoski experts' meeting
Background: a road map
Rio > Copenhagen > Kellokoski (1998) > Arusha >
Kellokoski (2006) > New York (UN-CSocD February 2007)
The Kellokoski event was one step in a process that supports the
implementation of the outcome of the World Summit for Social
Development (Copenhagen-1995) and its follow-up events. In
partnership with likeminded Governments, Intergovernmental
organizations and global CSOs, Finland has been supporting a
comprehensive social development agenda within the context of
sustainable and balanced development.
At the special session of the General Assembly on sustainable
development (UNGASS 1997) Finland pledged to take action towards
furthering the social dimension of sustainable development. An
Expert Meeting on the social dimension of sustainable development
was organized in Kellokoski Finland in 1998. The key message was to
put
people at the centre of sustainable development as agents of
action and beneficiaries.
This time the Kellokoski event discussed the potential of a
comprehensive and universalistic approach to social and human
development and the need for multi-stakeholder partnerships to
implement a coherent and balanced social policy and employment
agenda.
The ILO Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalization
chaired by the Tanzanian and Finnish Presidents called for the
observing of the social dimension in all policies on the global
scale. While an enabling international and global environment is
vitally important the implementation challenge is at the national
level. The focus of Kellokoski was set on national policies: how
low and medium income countries of the 'Global South' with their
partners could design and implement social policies that support
effectively social and economic development within the limits of
ecological constraints.
Economic growth is a necessary but not sufficient condition for
socially just development. Economic and social development are
interlinked and support each other. Enabling economic policies
should promote equity and pro-poor growth. The Report of the UN
Secretary General (2004) called for a broad and inclusive approach
a policy towards a Society for All instead of
narrowing the focus on selected easy-to-measure goals. The road map
for reaching the MDGs calls for institutional changes and the
involvement of people themselves as active agents of their own
development.
People centred development strategies require that Human Rights,
equity and social considerations are integrated in all policies so
as to empower people to participate in development. Expanding the
sphere of social policies to all the relevant life arenas of people
was the key message of the Arusha Conference in 2006. The event
built also on the Arusha Declaration.
Enabling people to be in charge of their own lives calls for
policies that generate income as well as security. Until recently,
the third pillar of Copenhagen, employment, has received less
attention. In 2006 Decent Work for All was the
main theme of ECOSOC and will be the lead theme of the UN
Commission for Social Development (CSocD) in 2007. The concept of
decent work implies a coherent combination of employment and social
protection to enable people to materialize their rights and to
safeguard their livelihoods against vulnerabilities. Social
protection is on the rise on the national poverty reduction
strategies (PRS) of LICs and MICs as well as on donor priority
action areas.
The Kellokoski event sought to enhance the understanding of
comprehensive Social Policies as instruments for materializing
Human Rights, for boosting pro poor and equitable economic growth
and for empowering all people to participate in, contribute to and
benefit from development. This is why the event was entitled
"Social Policies for Development". Purpose of the event was also to
strengthen the ties and constructive collaboration between the
various stakeholders, forge partnerships and create strategic
coherence.
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