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Statement
by New York, 5 October 2004
First of all, on behalf of my delegation, I would like to congratulate you on your chairmanship and to other members of the Bureau on their election. We pledge our full support to ensure the success of our work ahead. We would also associate ourselves with the statement made by the distinguished delegate of Qatar, on behalf of the Group of 77 and China. Indonesia welcomes the Secretary-General’s report entitled “Implementation of the outcome of the World Summit for Social Development and of the 24 special session of the General Assembly,” as contained in document A/59/l20. We fully share his views that the Commission for Social Development continue to have the primary responsibility in the follow-up to and review of the further implementation of the commitments made at the Summit as well as further initiatives agreed upon at the twenty-fourth special session. We also subscribe to the Secretary General’s urging to Governments, the relevant specialized agencies, funds and programs of the United Nations system and civil society to enhance their support to the work of the Commission for Social Development. Indonesia fully supports the work of the Commission who not only renders itself to the spirit, orientation and objectives of the text adopted in Copenhagen in 1995, but has also been helpful in providing guidance to Member States in prioritizing efforts on core social issues at national level. Mr. Chairman, Our deliberation today is, indeed, timely and critical since it provides us with preliminary analysis of progress and challenges during a decade of implementation of the outcome of the Summit, and also serves as a basis for further discussion at next year’s session. It is a painful fact that current progress in achieving the main goals of the Summit continues to be characterized by a gap between intentions and actions, between proclaimed objectives and the actual orientation of national and international policies. Indonesia fully shares the analysis of the Commission on three major reasons to cause such a gap, namely (i) social aspects of globalization; (ii) macroeconomic policies and social development goals; and (iii) capacity of national Governments to undertake social policies. The report has precisely analyzed that so far the Commission did not appropriately pronounce the better understanding and better management of social development in the context of globalization. This unfortunately only exacerbates the marginalization of developing countries in the process. Indonesia strongly believes that developing countries can only reap the benefits of globalization if they can effectively participate and respond to the challenges of globalization. More specifically, developing countries must be allowed broader participation and integration into the world economy that would be possible only in the context of a development friendly international economic environment. Indonesia underlines the urgency of improving the formulation of macroeconomic policies, including those recommended by international financial institutions to incorporate social goals, such as full employment or access of all to essential social services. This is certainly in line with the message of the twenty-fourth Genera Assembly special session, in recognizing that social development requires a favorable economic social environment. Simultaneously, national and international economic policies should be efficient and coherent and at the same time conducive to better living conditions for all. It is a valid fact that in our current globalized and interdependent world economy, countries and notably their public authorities in developing countries appear to be losing some of their policy-making autonomy. This unfortunate infringement undermines the capacity of national governments to undertake social policies. In our view, national governments have the primary responsibility of monitoring the effectiveness of public sectors who often handle many responsibilities and ensure that the formulation of social development policies meet the needs of people in a timely, cost-effective, reliable, accountable and equitable manner. Concurrently, as mandated by several UN maj or conferences and summits, forging partnerships is central to promoting national and international cooperation for social development. Indonesia believes that the partnership initiatives generated in Johannesburg for the implementation of Agenda 21 could provide us with a model to advance social development. In the context of the reviews and appraisals of the UN major conferences and summits next year, progress on the above three issues definitely provides greater impetus for the achievement at national, regional and international stages of the goals and targets of the Millennium Declaration, in particular those of the Millennium Development Goals. Mr. Chairman, Let me now share with you Indonesia’s current progress on social development efforts at various levels. Only last week, Indonesia’s Parliament adopted the Law on National Social Security System, as mandated by our 1945 Constitution. The law provides progressive implementation of social security schemes on health, employment injury, and pension fund. This constitutes not only better policy formulation and implementation as well as management of the work of our current agencies on social development, but also provides a legal framework that ensures all Indonesians are protected against unprecedented social risks and provided with the proper fulfillment of basic needs. Indonesia pays particular attention to youth as an essential element of human resources for national development. In this regard, Indonesia in its cooperation with the UN-DESA recently held a Regional Workshop on “Youth in Poverty in Southeast Asia”, on 2-4 August 2004 in Yogyakarta, involving participants at government and expert level from Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines and Vietnam. At national level, in commemoration of the International Youth Day, Indonesia’s Vice-President launched the Indonesia Youth Employment Network on 12 August 2004 in Jakarta. Indonesia was one of the first nations to volunteer to be a “lead” country to “prepare reviews and action plans” on youth employment. As far as the issue of ageing is concerned, Indonesia is fully committed to the implementation of the 2002 Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing and the 1999 Macao Plan of Action on Ageing for Asia and the Pacific. Government measures that address the issue of elderly persons include a number of programmatic activities and legislative policies such as the adoption of Law No. 13/1998 on The Welfare of Older and continued commitments of the Indonesian Government on the issue National Commission on Ageing has also been established by Presidential Decree No. 52/2004. Its main task is to assist the President in coordinating the implementation of national policies and programs, as well as rendering professional advice and recommendations to the President. With regard to the issue of family, Indonesia attaches great importance to the family as basic unit of society. In achieving the “2015 Quality Family,” the Indonesian Government is promoting family empowerment programs emphasizing family welfare and resilience, using certain indicators of achievement such as fulfillment of basic needs, access to information and economic resources, and level of awareness among family and community members. In conclusion, Mr. President, Indonesia believes that successful social development is essential to the realization of development in other sectors, such as economic and political developments. As social development embeds a gamut of aspects, Indonesia is committed to the promotion of coherence in social development policies, taking into account development policies in other sectors. I thank you, Mr. President.
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