Social Justice in an Open World: The Role of the United Nations
Note The special session requested in paragraph (g) of Commitment 10 was convened in Geneva from 26 June to 1 July 2000. At this session, entitled "World Summit for Social Development and beyond: achieving social development for all in a globalizing world", the General Assembly adopted resolution S-2412 on further initiatives for social development. This comprehensive document (A/RES/S-2412) comprises a political declaration, a review and assessment of the implementation of the outcome of the World Summit, and a section on further actions and initiatives to implement the commitments made at the Summit. In adopting this text, Member States of the United Nations not only reaffirmed the validity of the agreements and commitments made in Copenhagen but in many respects strengthened their resolve to work towards their achievement. For example, they detailed the requirements of a people-centred approach to development and international cooperation, notably with regard to international macroeconomic and financial policies; they highlighted the necessity of implementing effective employment policies to reduce poverty and improve living standards; they affirmed their support for the comprehensive 1LO programme on decent work; they adopted a number of precise objectives and targets, pledging, for example, to close the gender gap in primary and secondary education by 2005 and to ensure free compulsory and universal primary education for both girls and boys by 2015; and they went further than the Copenhagen text in identifying the measures required for ensuring adequate financing for social programmes and development, with specific mention made of the need to develop and maintain equitable, progressive and efficient tax systems, prevent tax avoidance, explore ways to combat tax shelters and tax havens, and conduct a rigorous analysis of proposals for developing new and innovative sources of funding. With regard to the critical follow-up and monitoring of the implementation of these commitments at the international level, the General Assembly urged "the United Nations system and all other relevant actors to take further determined sustained action" (para. 156) and requested "the Economic and Social Council to assess regularly, through the Commission for Social Development, the further implementation of the Copenhagen commitments and the outcome of the special session, not excluding the possibility of bringing together, at the appropriate time, all parties involved to evaluate progress and to consider new initiatives" (para. 156). Every year, the Commission for Social Development has, in fact, discussed the annual report of the Secretary-General on the follow-up of the agreements made in Copenhagen and Geneva and has adopted conclusions or resolutions for consideration by the Economic and Social Council. The Council, however, has not take any specific action with regard to the Commission's recommendations, as it has concentrated its efforts on the integrated follow-up of the various world conferences and summits convened by the United Nations and particularly on the implementa-