24 May 1989

15th plenary meeting

Follow-up of the Guiding Principles for Developmental Social Welfare Policies and Programmes in the Near Future

The Economic and Social Council,

Recalling its resolution 1987/48 of 28 May 1987 on the Interregional Consultation on Developmental Social Welfare Policies and Programmes,

Recalling also General Assembly resolution 42/125 of 7 December 1987, in which the Assembly, inter alia, endorsed the Guiding Principles for Developmental Social Welfare Policies and Programmes in the Near Future, adopted at the Interregional Consultation,

Taking note of the recommendation addressed to the Interregional Consultation by the Conference of European Ministers Responsible for Social Affairs, held at Warsaw in April 1987, that the United Nations look into ways in which the international community could in the future deal with pressing problems related to alcohol use,

Guided by the recommendations, set out in the Guiding Principles, for action at the national, regional and interregional levels in identifying social measures that may appropriately be taken to meet the challenges posed to social structures, values, traditions and attitudes by, inter alia, the negative social consequences of alcohol use,

Mindful of the important contribution of the World Health Organization in highlighting the negative health aspects of alcohol use,

1. Requests the Secretary-General to consider ways of following up the recommendation of the Interregional Consultation on Developmental Social Welfare Policies and Programmes on this topic by, inter alia, carrying out a study on the negative social consequences of alcohol use, based on a report of an expert meeting to be convened;

2. Takes note with appreciation of the offer of the Government of Norway to act as host to an expert meeting on the negative social consequences of alcohol use that would be convened in 1990 under United Nations auspices;

3. Requests the Secretary-General, within existing resources and drawing on support from interested Governments and appropriate intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, to make the necessary preparations for such a meeting;

4. Also requests the Secretary-General to consult with Member States on the nomination of experts to attend the meeting and to invite Member States to participate in the preparatory work by, inter alia, contributing national reports on relevant aspects of the questions deemed of particular importance;

5. Further requests the Secretary-General to report to the Commission for Social Development at its thirty-second session on the outcome of the expert meeting and to distribute the report of the meeting to Member States, inviting their comments on the recommendations contained therein.