Relevant Literature

Relevant Literature on Human Rights in Africa

POSITION PAPER OF THE AFRICAN NGO CAUCUS ON THE DRAFT DECLARATION AND DRAFT PROGRAMME OF ACTION

We the Forty Two (42) African NGOs from all the sub-regions of Africa, affirm our support for the African Common Position on Human and Social Development in Africa. We call on the Preparatory Conference of the World Summit for Social Development to pay particular attention to what the African Common Position advocates as a centre piece of taking account of Africa's special situation. We also call on African governments to actively implement the positions contained in the Common Position and affirm that in consonance with our recognition of the central importance of popular participation and cooperation between government and organisations of civil society in social development, will work actively with our governments for social development. Further to the positions contained in the African Common Position we offer the following points towards the Programme of Action of the Summit:

ENABLING ENVIRONMENT

Social Development in Africa is today defined by SAPs. As currently designed and implemented SAPs have constituted a disabling environment for Social Development. Through their narrow focus on export led economic growth, fiscal balance, liberalization and privatization and disregard for distribution issues SAPs have failed to create employment, deepened social inequality and poverty thereby fed social disintegration. SAPs must be fundamentally revised both in the manner of their design and their content.

This requires

a) an end to the overbearing influence of the World Bank and IMF on their design and
b) their contents being centered on sustainable human development with equity rather than bald economic growth.

* The burden of debt, especially multilateral debt owed primarily to the World Bank and IMF, constitutes an important constraint on the freedom of African countries to plan and implement social development policies. The "preferred creditor" status of both the IMF and the World Bank must be waived in respect of Africa's debt to these institutions and debts owed canceled as should the bilateral debts.

* Africa is the only region that will be a net loser as a result of the agreement. The compensation that was promised africa at the beginning of the Uruguay Round should be delivered. It is also important that effective international commodity agreements are put in place to stabilize the prices of Africa's main export commodities.

* An enabling international economic environment for Social development requires that the World Bank and the IMF cease to be instruments for the imposition of the development ideas of a handful of big powers on other countries. They must be subjected to democratic control an accountability involving

a) Their being opened to a wider public scrutiny
b) The adoption of a more democratic voting structure within the two bodies
c) Their subjection and accountability to the United Nations through the Economic and Social Council.

* With the spread of Export Free Zones in developing countries an enabling international economic environment for Social development requires international monitoring and code of conduct for the operation of transnational corporation, backed by effective national enforcement of ILO Conventions.

* An enabling international economic environment must be complemented by an enabling international political environment. This should include the curbing of the arms trade, thereby making an important contribution to minimising violent social disintegration, and reform and strengthening of the United Nations through

a) enhancing the powers of the General Council vis a vis the Security Council and
b) reducing big power use of the Security Council for the pursuit of narrow self interest dressed up as "the wish of the international community".

* Special attention should be paid to women and their contribution to social development. Gender equity must be ensured to facilitate women's roll in the productive and reproductive sectors.

REDUCTION AND ELIMINATION OF WIDESPREAD POVERTY

In order to eradicate poverty the following actions must be seriously pursued.

Provide for the empowerment of local communities to participate in decision making and determining their own development.
Provide for equal distribution of resources.
Provide financial resources to strengthen NGOs working with the grassroots movements.
Bring about the reduction of military expenditure so that more funds are directed to social development.
Assure access to education training and capacity building to all sectors and women.
Develop means of production for all sectors including providing for land, credit, and appropriate technology.
Insure access to Health and promotion of traditional and conventional medicine.
Promote the use of our endogenous resources and the consideration of the work of women's as productive employment.
It is necessary for all African Governments to ratify and implement the convention of CEDAW declaration and plan of action of Vienna.

PRODUCTIVE EMPLOYMENT AND THE REDUCTION OF UNEMPLOYMENT

Africa among the regions of the world currently faces the highest incidence of unemployment and underemployment and for decades to come the situation is unlikely to change unless some drastic actions are taken. The recent history of the continent plus the ongoing unfair political and financial system at the international level are all permanent burdens for the marginalised African continent. Investment in human resources is the key factor to address the existing problem. Education and training, better quality work, opportunity to revitalise local technologies and know how and continuous political support towards integrated regional market, should be a priority of Governments and international agencies. To reduce unemployment Governments must commit themselves to:

a) job creation, apprenticeships and community service opportunities as means to achieve social development.
b) enforce labour standards as contained in the ILO conventions
c) recognise different economic and social activities, such as those in the informal sector, mainly performed by women and reinforce them through appropriate policies and resource allocations.
d) with the assistance of international agencies facilitate the strengthening of local know how and technology, and ensure young graduates and women entrepreneurs access to such technology and to credit as a means of promoting their access to all jobs.
e) pursue policies that facilitates nationals access to credit and limit the burden of high interest rates, particularly in favour of the most disadvantaged people in society.
f) develop, expand and implement long term projects in the production sectors.

SOCIAL INTEGRATION

The objective of social integration is not to eliminate differences of the diverse social situations and groups that different people belong to, but to enable them to live in productive and cooperative harmony. There is a need to accommodate the diverse interests and cultures within a framework of shared values. The framework should be based on observance by all countries of international human rights instruments that constitute the basis of human and social development. The circumstances and contributions of women should be recognized and gender equity must be part of a social restructuring to facilitate women's full participation at all levels of development. Global society should ensure the protection of the interests of the disabled, the aged, children and women thus emphasising the principle that social integration is only achievable when all forms of discrimination are eliminated. There is a great need for the international community to constantly monitor conflicts in member countries to ensure early and timely intervention and response in order to prevent the escalation of refugees and displaced persons. This will prevent the diversification of scarce resources from much needed development. Governments must be closer to the people hence the need for transparency, good governance and eradication of corrupt tendencies.

IMPLEMENTATION AND FOLLOW-UP

National level:

1) There should be specific recommendations for the establishment or strengthening of national institutions and mechanisms for overseeing the formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of social policy. The need to enhance policy management and institutional capacity through training technical and financial assistance to developing countries should be catered for in the programme of action.
2) Economic policies of states should be in favour of social development hence the need for budgetary allocations to reinforce social sectors such as education, health, employment etc.
3) Financial institutional mechanisms to ensure social protection should be set up to cater for the deprived and marginalised groups in society.

At the international level,

4) these should be initiation of a comprehensive review of the United Nations.
5) General solidarity Agreement should be executed in order to alleviate the social and economic insecurity resulting from world market instability and as a measure of protection solidarity actions launched under this agreement should be financed by a percentage tax out of the products of the world's commercial and financial exchange.

LIST OF AFRICAN NGO's

Pan African Movement Nigeria Rivers Club-Nigeria Nigeria Rivers Club- UK Independent Institute for Cooperation in Education and Development (IICED) Mali Organisation des Volontaires pour le Developpement Economique et Culturel (OVODEC) Rep. Guinea Centre for Community Studies, Action & Development Ghana ISODEC/TWN (Africa) Ghana African Association for Literacy and Adult Education Kenya Organisation for Social and Environmental Development in Africa (OSEDA) Mali Association pour le Progres et la Defense des Droits des Femmes Maliennes (APDF) Mali N.U.E.Y. Eritreea Zimbabwe Women's Resource Centre and Network Zimbabwe Mwengo Zimbabwe World University Service (Africa) Zimbabwe Danhiko Zimbabwe National Association for NGOs Zimbabwe ORAP Zimbabwe YRDC Nigeria CONGAD Senegal Union des Femmes Methodistes Benin UNTM-Secretaire a la Promotion Feminine Mali Reseau Sous-Regional Femmes Africaines et Droits Humains Burkina Faso Conseil des Organisations Non-Gouvernementales d'Appui au Developpement Senegal Association pour la Promotion Economique de la Femme Burundi Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania Tanzania Developing alternatives with Women for a New Era (DAWN) Kenya ENDA Senegal Uganda Women Tree Planting Movement Uganda Tiniguena (The Land is Ours) Guinea Bissau enda inter-arabe Tunisia Non Governmental Coordinating Committee (NGOCC) Zambia GROOTS Int. Ghana UNTPM/WEDO Uganda Farming Systems Kenya Terre Vivante Mauritania FIDA Uganda WILDAF Uganda OVODEC Rep. of Guinea Club de la Jeunesse Active (CJA) Mali Women's Forum Zimbabwe Third World Network Amadou Hampate Ba Center for Human Developpement Mali .