28 May 1987

17th plenary meeting

World social situation

The Economic and Social Council,

Recalling its resolutions 1983/8 of 26 May 1983 and 1985/21 of 29 May 1985,

Recalling General Assembly resolutions 34/152 of 17 December 1979, 37/54 of 3 December 1982 and 40/100 of 13 December 1985,

Recalling also General Assembly resolutions 3201 (S-VI) and 3202 (S-VI) of 1 May 1974, containing the Declaration and the Programme of Action on the Establishment of a New International Economic Order, 3281 (XXIX) of 12 December 1974, containing the Charter of Economic Rights and Duties of States, 3362 (S-VII) of 16 September 1975 on development and international economic co-operation, 35/56 of 5 December 1980, the annex to which contains the International Development Strategy for the Third United Nations Development Decade,

Recalling further General Assembly resolutions 39/29 of 3 December 1984 on the critical economic situation in Africa and S-13/2 of 1 June 1986 containing the United Nations Programme of Action for African Economic Recovery and Development 1986-1990,

Recognizing that social progress and development are founded on respect for the dignity and value of the human person,

Bearing in mind that the ultimate aim of development is the constant improvement of the well-being of the entire population on the basis of its full participation in the process of development and the fair distribution of the benefits therefrom and that the pace of development in the developing countries as a whole should be accelerated substantially to enable them to achieve this goal,

Mindful that the existing inequalities and imbalances in the international economic system are widening the gap between developed and developing countries and thereby constitute a major obstacle to the development of the developing countries and adversely affect international relations and the promotion of world peace and security,

Conscious that each country has the sovereign right freely to adopt the economic and social system that it deems the most appropriate and that each Government has a primary role in ensuring the social progress and well-being of its people,

Reaffirming that economic growth must go hand in hand with qualitative and structural changes, the reduction of social and economic disparities and the adoption of measures to ensure the effective participation of all peoples in the preparation and execution of their national policies for economic and social development,

Reaffirming the existence of the interrelationship of peace, disarmament and development and therefore the imperative need to halt the arms race, thereby releasing valuable resources that could be used for the development of the developing countries and could contribute to the well-being and prosperity of all,

Convinced of the urgent necessity to rapidly eradicate colonialism, neo-colonialism, racism and all forms of racial discrimination, apartheid, terrorism in all its forms, aggression, foreign occupation and alien domination and all forms of inequality, exploitation and subjugation of peoples, which constitute major obstacles to economic and social progress as well as to the promotion of world peace and security,

Reaffirming that the primary responsibility for their development rests with the developing countries themselves and that the commitment from other countries to support these efforts is of vital importance for achievement of this aim,

1. Notes with deep concern the continuing deterioration of the economic and social situation of the world, in particular of the developing countries, whose position has been further worsened by sharp fluctuations in exchange rates, high real rates of interest, the severe fall in commodity prices, serious deterioration in the terms of trade of developing countries, increased protectionist pressures, the reverse transfer of resources from developing countries, crushing debt burdens, the restrictive adjustment process demanded by financial and development institutions, the decline in official development assistance in real terms and the severe inadequacy of resources experienced by multilateral development and financial institutions;

2. Notes also with deep concern that the economic and social situation in Africa continues to be critical and that it has been exacerbated by the world recession and by famine, drought and desertification;

3. Calls for full implementation of General Assembly resolutions 39/29 on the critical economic situation in Africa and S-13/2 containing the United Nations Programme of Action for African Economic Recovery and Development 1986-1990;

4. Notes with great concern the slow progress in the implementation of the Declaration on Social Progress and Development and in the attainment of the objectives and overall development goals adopted and reaffirmed in the International Development Strategy for the Third United Nations Development Decade;

5. Reaffirms that the social aspects and goals of development are an integral part of overall development and that it is the sovereign right of each country freely to determine and implement appropriate policies for social development within the framework of its development plans and priorities;

6. Emphasizes the importance, for the achievement of social progress, of the establishment of the new international economic order;

7. Reaffirms the urgent need to implement the socio-economic development objectives set out in the Declaration on Social Progress and Development and the International Development Strategy for the Third United Nations Development Decade as well as the need to implement the socio-economic objectives of the Substantial New Programme of Action for the 1980s for the Least Developed Countries;

8. Emphasizes again that the rapid socio-economic progress of developing countries requires substantially enhanced multilateral and bilateral financial support and advanced technological assistance to national development efforts, rendered within the framework of the development plans of developing countries;

9. Calls upon all Member States to promote economic development and social progress by the formulation and implementation of an interrelated set of policy measures to achieve the goals and objectives established within the framework of national plans and priorities in the fields of employment, education, health, nutrition, housing facilities, environment, crime prevention, the well-being of children, equal opportunities for the disabled and the aged, full participation of youth in the development process and full integration and participation of women in development;

10. Calls upon the appropriate organs, organizations and bodies of the United Nations system to take measures aimed at improving social conditions and achieving the main objectives set out in the Declaration on Social Progress and Development, the International Development Strategy for the Third United Nations Development Decade and the Substantial New Programme of Action for the 1980s for the Least Developed Countries;

11. Calls upon Member States to make all efforts to promote the accelerated and complete elimination of such fundamental elements hindering economic and social progress and development as colonialism, neo-colonialism, racism and all forms of racial discrimination, apartheid, terrorism in all its forms, aggression, foreign occupation, alien domination and all forms of inequality and exploitation of peoples and to take effective measures to lessen international tensions and to halt the arms race and redistribute released resources in order to promote social and economic development;

12. Requests the Secretary-General to continue monitoring the world social situation in depth on a regular basis and to submit the next full report on the world social situation to the General Assembly in 1989, for consideration at its forty-fourth session, through the Economic and Social Council and the Commission for Social Development;

13. Decides to include in the provisional agenda for its first regular session of 1989 the item entitled "World social situation".