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Part B: Principles and Goals25. We heads
of State and Government are committed to a political, economic, ethical and spiritual
vision for social development that is based on human dignity, human rights, equality,
respect, peace, democracy, mutual responsibility and cooperation, and full respect for the
various religious and ethical values and cultural backgrounds of people. Accordingly, we
will give the highest priority in national, regional and international policies and
actions to the promotion of social progress, justice and the betterment of the human
condition, based on full participation by all.
26. To this end, we will create a framework for action to:
(a) Place people at the centre of development and direct our economies to meet human
needs more effectively;
(b) Fulfil our responsibility for present and future generations by ensuring equity
among generations and protecting the integrity and sustainable use of our environment;
(c) Recognize that, while social development is a national responsibility, it cannot
be successfully achieved without the collective commitment and efforts of the
international community;
(d) Integrate economic, cultural and social policies so that they become mutually
supportive, and acknowledge the interdependence of public and private spheres of activity;
(e) Recognize that the achievement of sustained social development requires sound,
broadly based economic policies;
(f) Promote democracy, human dignity, social justice and solidarity at the national,
regional and international levels; ensure tolerance, non-violence, pluralism and
non-discrimination, with full respect for diversity within and among societies;
(g) Promote the equitable distribution of income and greater access to resources
through equity and equality of opportunity for all;
(h) Recognize the family as the basic unit of society, and acknowledge that it plays a
key role in social development and as such should be strengthened, with attention to the
rights, capabilities and responsibilities of its members. In different cultural, political
and social systems various forms of family exist. It is entitled to receive comprehensive
protection and support;
(i) Ensure that disadvantaged and vulnerable persons and groups are included in social
development, and that society acknowledges and responds to the consequences of disability
by securing the legal rights of the individual and by making the physical and social
environment accessible;
(j) Promote universal respect for, and observance and protection of, all human rights
and fundamental freedoms for all, including the right to development; promote the
effective exercise of rights and the discharge of responsibilities at all levels of
society; promote equality and equity between women and men; protect the rights of children
and youth; and promote the strengthening of social integration and civil society;
(k) Reaffirm the right of self-determination of all peoples, in particular of peoples
under colonial or other forms of alien domination or foreign occupation, and the
importance of the effective realization of this right, as enunciated, inter alia, in the
Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action 3/ adopted at the World Conference on Human
Rights;
(l) Support progress and security for people and communities whereby every member of
society is enabled to satisfy his or her basic human needs and to realize his or her
personal dignity, safety and creativity;
(m) Recognize and support indigenous people in their pursuit of economic and social
development, with full respect for their identity, traditions, forms of social
organization and cultural values;
(n) Underline the importance of transparent and accountable governance and
administration in all public and private national and international institutions;
(o) Recognize that empowering people, particularly women, to strengthen their own
capacities is a main objective of development and its principal resource. Empowerment
requires the full participation of people in the formulation, implementation and
evaluation of decisions determining the functioning and well-being of our societies;
(p) Assert the universality of social development and outline a new and strengthened
approach to social development, with a renewed impetus for international cooperation and
partnership;
(q) Improve the possibility of older persons achieving a better life;
(r) Recognize that the new information technologies and new approaches to access to
and use of technologies by people living in poverty can help in fulfilling social
development goals; and therefore recognize the need to facilitate access to such
technologies;
(s) Strengthen policies and programmes that improve, ensure and broaden the
participation of women in all spheres of political, economic, social and cultural life, as
equal partners, and improve their access to all resources needed for the full exercise of
their fundamental rights;
(t) Create the political, legal, material and social conditions that allow for the
voluntary repatriation of refugees in safety and dignity to their countries of origin, and
the voluntary and safe return of internally displaced persons to their places of origin
and their smooth reintegration into their societies;
(u) Emphasize the importance of the return of all prisoners of war, persons missing in
action and hostages to their families, in accordance with international conventions, in
order to reach full social development.
27. We acknowledge that it is the primary responsibility of States to attain these
goals. We also acknowledge that these goals cannot be achieved by States alone. The
international community, the United Nations, the multilateral financial institutions, all
regional organizations and local authorities, and all actors of civil society need to
positively contribute their own share of efforts and resources in order to reduce
inequalities among people and narrow the gap between developed and developing countries in
a global effort to reduce social tensions, and to create greater social and economic
stability and security. Radical political, social and economic changes in the countries
with economies in transition have been accompanied by a deterioration in their economic
and social situation. We invite all people to express their personal commitment to
enhancing the human condition through concrete actions in their own fields of activities
and through assuming specific civic responsibilities.
Notes
3/ See Report of the World Conference on Human Rights, Vienna, 14-25 June 1993
(A/CONF.157/24 (Part I)).
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