Statement by Mr. Mayank Joshi, First Secretary, Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations, on Agenda item 3 (a): Follow-up to the World Summit for Social Development and the 24th Special Session of the General Assembly, Priority Theme : Rethinking and strengthening social development in the contemporary world at the 53rd Session of Commission for Social Development on 5th February, 2015

Madam Chair,

I extend, on behalf of the Indian delegation, my warmest felicitations to you and the members of the Bureau.  I assure you of the full cooperation and support of my delegation in the deliberations of this Commission. We thank the Secretary General for his various reports to this Commission and for his statement on Commemoration of the 20th Anniversary of the World Summit for Social Development.

We also associate ourselves with the statement made by the delegation of South Africa on behalf of the G-77 and China.

Madam Chair,

We welcome the topic 'Rethinking and strengthening social development in the contemporary world' as timely, as we mark the twentieth anniversary of the Copenhagen declaration this year, and at the same time, embark on the objective of adopting the Post-2015 development agenda to carry forward the 'unfinished business' of the MDGs.

In the last 20 years, progress on the three core commitments of eradicating poverty, promoting full employment and fostering social integration, as envisioned in the 1995 Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development and Programme of Action, has been uneven across countries and regions. That apart, the fact is that the attainment of people-centric Copenhagen commitments still continues to be relevant in the current context.

At the Rio + 20 Summit, the international community recognised 'poverty' to be the greatest challenge for the realisation of the commitment to sustainable development. We have also recognised the need to integrate the three pillars of sustainable development, economic, social and environmental with social justice, equity and equality, at all levels.  The report submitted by the Open Working Group and its outcome has also emphasised 'poverty eradication' and 'sustainability' to be at the core of the Post-2015 Development Agenda. Further, the path to break intergenerational poverty lies in complementing normative frameworks with policy measures and strict enforcement.

'Social integration' is critical to the goal of a stable, safe, harmonious, peaceful and just society and also for achieving poverty eradication and full employment and decent work for all. Social integration should, however, not be construed as achieving uniformity.  It needs to respect diversity and promote equal opportunity and participation of all in order to create a 'society for all'. Both targeted and universal approaches in national policies, are key to social development of vulnerable sections particularly, women, children, elder persons and persons with disabilities.

We need to mainstream sustainable development strategies focusing on readiness to face crisis situations in areas of health, economy, food and energy, and in climate change, natural disasters and armed conflicts. This preparedness would, however, demand increased investment in human capacity, resource mobilisation, transition to a green economy and infusion of knowledge and new technology in implementation.

Madam Chair,

Reducing poverty is the key element for our strategy for inclusive growth. In his speech on the occasion of Global Economic Summit in January 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said 'Elimination of poverty is fundamental to me. This is at the core of my understanding of cohesive growth.' He also quoted Mahatma Gandhi who had said 'We should not rest until we wipe every tear from every eye'.

The Government has initiated several programmes in the areas of housing and shelter, health insurance, employment generation, family planning, etc. which are focused on supporting families and households.  The objective is to address inequality and build infrastructure. Programmes include the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, the National Rural Livelihood Mission and the National Rural Health Mission. The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Scheme is the world's largest cash-for-work scheme of its kind, ensuring 100-days of wage-employment in a financial year.

Since its launch 5 months ago, more than a hundred million new bank accounts have been opened under the newly launched Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana.  These figures are frankly, staggering.  India is today is a nearly 100% banked country. This, we expect, will enable demand, growth and development. Through the initiative of Aadhar Identity card scheme, steps are being taken to universalise citizens' identity and link it to government services.

Madam Chair,

Technology can empower people. Through the National e-Governance Plan, the Government is attempting to harness knowledge, technology and innovation to improve governance and resource management.

Madam Chair,

In conclusion, I would like to state that India is committed to the objective of social development and social sustainability in an inclusive and people-centric manner. The post-2015 development agenda should also contribute to the shaping of equitable, just and growth-led sustainable social development.

I thank you.