ENB:10:10
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INFORMAL PLENARY
PrepCom Chair Amb. Somav¡a invited delegates to consider Document A/CONF.166/PC/L.8, "Elements for Possible Inclusion in a Text to be Adopted by the Preparatory Committee". The Secretariat also distributed a summary of the past two weeks' discussion for consideration as a possible annex to L.8. The Chair then suggested that an open-ended working group might be set up to work onthese two documents. He proposed Amb. Richard Butler of Australia to chair the Drafting Group. This was agreed to and the drafting group began their work at 11 am. Amb. Somav¡a requested that the drafting group finish its work by the end of Thursday in light of the remaining work before the Committee. The Plenary continued to meet at the same time as the drafting group to hear NGO interventions and to consider Document A/CONF.166/PC/L.9, Status of Preparations for the World Summit for Social Development.
NGO STATEMENTS
CAUCUS ON OLDER PERSONS: Issues regarding the ageing should be integrated into national development plans and formal structures must allow for flexible and part-time work.
SOUTH-NORTH DEVELOPMENT CLUSTER: Political will is needed to implement the goals of the WSSD and build upon Agenda 21 and the Vienna Declaration.
WOMEN'S CAUCUS: Linking productivity to employment leads to a subordinate position for women, since women often are not remunerated for their work.
ICSW: A Programme of Action should concentrate on a small number of principal priorities such as further development of social indicators like the Human Development Index and better methods for recognizing and quantifying the economic benefits of social development.
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF JURISTS: Optional protocols for conventions on women and children should be developed and sanctions against violators of these instruments should be considered.
WORLD CITIZENS ASSEMBLY: UNDP initiatives for evaluation and promotion of innovative development ideas should be expanded upon.
DOCUMENT L.9, STATUS OF PREPARATIONS FOR THE WSSD
The Chair said that national reports and NGO input are key. He emphasized the point made by the Women's Caucus that women's work has not been sufficiently considered in the calculations of economic productivity.
The Chair then announced that the Plenary would reconvene on Friday to consider Agenda Item 6, Arrangements for the second session of the PrepCom, and take up any proposals forwarded by the Drafting Group.