Commission for Social Development: 41st Session
New York, 10-21 February 2003 [Link] [Annotated agenda]

2. Review of relevant United Nations plans and programmes of action
pertaining to the situation of social groups

• Statement by John Langmore, Director, ILO Liaison Office with the United Nations, New York,
  Thursday, 13 February 2003

The following comments cover first a couple of issues relating to all social groups and then one or two on each of the groups.

A high priority for all groups is maximization of opportunities for decent work for all. Growth of employment for the young, the old and the disabled will contribute to reducing poverty, increasing personal and national economic security, increasing efficiency - especially by reducing waste - improving equity and strengthening social integration both within societies and families. It will be considerably easier to increase the number and quality of jobs for youth, the ageing and the disabled if there are steadily growing numbers of jobs for everyone.

One initiative towards the goal of decent work for all that has been found to be of value in many countries is preparation of a well balanced national employment strategy which gives explicit attention to each of the population groups. This is one of the principles included in the ILO Older Workers Recommendation, for example. Such a national employment strategy must aim to ensure that decent work has a central place in national goals, especially macroeconomic goals.

That Recommendation also calls on Member States to promote equality of opportunity and treatment for workers of all ages and to discourage discrimination especially in regard to employment services, vocational training, and access to retraining and employment security. Application of the same principles is crucially important for ensuring equality of opportunity for the disabled.

Youth are an asset for societies. Around 400 million young people will be entering the global work force during the rest of this decade. These young people will be able to help our societies improve the quality and quantity of education, health and personal care services, of information and communication technologies, of food supplies and deliveries if they have the education and training, the support of mentors who will encourage their entrepreneurial initiative, if credit is readily available at manageable interest rates and if they have the emotional support of secure families.

Exactly the same points are true for older persons. The ageing are an asset for societies, and our potential is commonly under-estimated! Not only is the growth of life expectancy one of the great triumphs of the last century but also extension of life enables all of us to expect to be able to go on contributing to our societies for more years. And that opportunity to make a contribution to the communities in which we live is a necessary part of a mature life. Of course contributions can be made through both income-generating work and through voluntary work, but it is proving more difficult to get acceptance of the former. For example, retirement ages should be abolished or at least made voluntary above a minimal level; and life long learning must be available to older as well as middle aged people; and equality in access to credit for productive activity is essential.

And the disabled too can be an asset to societies through the contributions they make. The principles of equality must be rigorously applied to them. And as with the young and the ageing each of us has a responsibility for our attitudes, how we accept and encourage each person whatever their circumstances. The ILO is well advanced with preparation of a paper on decent work and disabled people as a contribution to negotiation of a convention on disability.

So these issues present challenges for governments, communities and each of us as individuals but they are certainly manageable if there is widespread commitment to social justice and equity.

Statement on National and International Cooperation for Social Development