GLOBAL COOPERATION NEWSLETTERFEBRUARY 2014
In this issue:
Promoting empowerment of people: ways and means
Call for action by the Global Coalition: Social protection floor concept must
comprise the core social objective of the post-2015 global development framework
ICSW speaks out on empowerment. Statement by Sergei Zelenev, Executive Director of
ICSW at the 52nd session of the Commission for Social Development
Useful resources and links

The present issue of the Global Cooperation Newsletter is devoted to highlighting some key
issues considered at the 52nd session of the Commission for Social Development, which took
place from 11 to 21 February at UN Headquarters in New York. The ICSW actively participatedin the work of the Commission, making both oral and written statements. We also co-organized
three side-events convened during the work of the Commission and participated in the Civil
Society Forum on 10 February, which preceded the work of the Commission. More information
about the work of the Commission for Social Development is available at:
http://undesadspd.org/CommissionforSocialDevelopment/Sessions/2014.aspx
The Editor

Featured article:
Promoting empowerment of people: ways and means
By Wenyan Yang
Ms. Wenyan Yang is Chief of the Social Perspective on Development Branch (SPDB) within the Division
for Social Policy and Development (DSPD) of the United Nations Secretariat in New York. Her
responsibilities include the provision of substantive services to the Commission for Social
Development and overseeing the preparation of the publication Report on the World Social
Situation. Ms. Yang is a graduate of Peking University in China and New York University in the USA.
Empowerment is emerging as a central theme in development
discourse. As a principle, it is enshrined in the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights and various international
conventions and declarations (for example, the Declaration ofSocial Progress and Development, the Convention on the Rights
of Persons with Disabilities, Declaration on the Rights ofIndigenous Peoples, and the Future We Want, to name just a
few
promotion of gender equality. Its rising prominence in the
discourse of development is reflected, perhaps paradoxically, inthe fact that scholars and organizations in the field ofPage 1 of 8

development have been using the term in various contexts, which has lead, allegedly, to over 30
definitions (see Fraser 2010)1.
That popularity grew partly out of the re-thinking of approaches to development. Increasingly, therole of people as agents of change and the importance of participatory process and institutions inenabling change has been recognized. This has resulted in a re-focusing of global development efforts
towards creating enabling environments for people, especially the people whose lives these efforts
are supposed to improve, making them part of the decision-making rather than mere passive objects
to be affected by policy.
In general, empowerment has been used mostly in the context of increasing the resources, assets
and capabilities of disadvantaged and marginalized social groups to engage and exercise greater
choice and control over their own development. It is also widely acknowledged that as an approachto development, empowerment should go beyond often fragmented group-specific measures to-being.
It is commonly recognized that empowerment is a long-term dynamic process affected by andresulting in changes in norms, values, rules, institutions, behavior and social relations. This process
involves the strengthening and expansion of the capabilities and resources of citizens, as well as thecreation of an enabling environment that includes institutions and mechanisms of effective
participation. Furthermore, it has been shown that empowerment does not by itself ensure desired
outcomes, it has to be complemented by capable and responsive decision-makers whom empowered
citizens can hold accountable.
Empowerment of people is critical to achieving poverty eradication, full and productive employment,
and social integration, the three core objectives of social development as defined by the Copenhagen
World Summit for Social Development. Policies and strategies to promote empowerment will advance
those objectives, while measures to further social development also reinforce and advance theempowerment of people.
The Commissi
during its 2013-2014 cycle, and adopted the first intergovernmental resolution on that theme in
February 2014.
Toward a working definition of empowerment
marginalized social groups to exercise greater choice and control over their oare some key aspects of empowerment that are most relevant to social development. These key
dimensions of empowerment could be summarized as follows:
Social empowerment refers to the capacity of individuals and groups to foster the relationships andinstitutional interactions necessary for well-being and productivity. It is the process of cultivating
self-confidence and a sense of autonomy by the marginalized and of taking actions collectively orindividually to effect change in social relations and in the institutions and processes that exclude

1
difficulty in its operationalization.
Page 2 of 8social integration and poverty eradication. It raises awareness and builds the capabilities of people
for participation.
Economic empowerment enables disadvantaged and marginalized populations, through access to jobs
and livelihoods as well as basic entitlements, to exert greater control over their resources and choices
in areas such as health, housing and education. Economic empowerment is not only critical to poverty
eradication and the promotion of productive employment and decent work, it is also instrumental instrengthening the participation of disadvantaged and marginalized people and groups in decisionmaking. Experiences have demonstrated the self-confidence-boosting and autonomy-raising effectsof earning income among women and other generally disadvantaged and marginalized groups andindividuals. Individuals and communities with access to and control over resources, including income
and natural resources, have greater ability to engage in political and social processes. Moreover,economic empowerment plays an important role in facilitating social integration through participationin economic activities that create a sense of belonging and involvement.
Political empowerment
their well-being. Promoting responsive governance and enabling citizen participation are considered
to be part of the realm of political empowerment. Promoting political participation is an important
pathway to empowering people and increasing government accountability and responsiveness. This
often involves improving democratic institutions and processes (including the decentralization of
power), expanding access to information, facilitating citizens' engagement with decision-making
processes individually and collectively, and promoting public participation in the planning and delivery
of social services.
Legal empowerment concerns stren
institutional capacity to respond to the needs of people. Empowerment of disadvantaged socialgroups, such as women, youth, indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, and older persons, also
requires the elimination/amendment of discriminatory laws and provisions and improved access tojustice and legal instruments.
Empowerment is a process with mutually-supporting components. It requires an enabling
environment that supports policies, a capable and informed population and a change in attitude.
Experience shows that empowerment is necessary for sustained poverty reduction. In fact, simply
allocating a certain portion of a national budget has proven to be insufficient for national poverty
reduction strategies to be sustainable. It requires empowerment of people by involving them in thedecision-making process to improve their own lives. Such a people-centered approach gives people
choices, enables them to claim their rights but also makes them accountable for their actions.
This calls for the formulation and implementation of inclusive and comprehensive policies andstrategies that are consistent with international norms and contextualized to suit national
development priorities and circumstances. The following are some common elements that have beenshown to be effective, thus, should be considered by national governments and their international
partners.
Strengthening human capacities
education and skills-training opportunities, particularly for young people, as well as basic health care,is essential for empowerment and improved livelihoods. In addition to political will and the provisionof adequate financial resources, concrete and practical measures that are appropriate for the national
and local context are also needed to remove cultural and physical barriers to full access to educational
opportunities and other essential social services.
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Social protection further helps individuals and families build human capital, as well as other assets,
and improve their livelihood prospects, thereby empowering them socially and economically. Social
protection systems should be developed progressively so as to ensure sustainability, as levels ofcoverage and benefits can be expanded over time and remain effective in empowering people. Whenwell organized and with due consideration of its sustainability, social protection can lead to greatersocio-economic equalities, equal opportunities, equal access to social services and broad-based
participation.
A well-functioning labour market is needed for employment creation, empowerment and poverty
eradication. In order to promote decent work that economically empowers people, economic growthand good governance must be accompanied by employment generation, which, in turn, needs
functioning markets (including a labour market) and a robust private sector. In particular, an enabling
environment should be created to support job-rich economic growth, open markets and increased
opportunities for all. It involves the development of a favourable regulatory framework for enterpriseand entrepreneurship development and investment in people and infrastructure, including
connectivity. At the same time, macroeconomic policy should include employment promotion as oneof its objectives. Empowerment through economic institutions such as cooperatives also contributes
to the creation of decent employment as well as poverty reduction and social integration.
Information and communication technologies (ICTs) contribute to multiple dimensions of
empowerment. Public policies on information and communication technologies should foster wider
use of ICTs. Such policies should include the development of technology infrastructure and publicaccess, engagement in public-private partnerships, and the promotion of content in indigenous andlocal languages.
Strong, responsive and efficient institutions provide the tools and mechanisms necessary forthe full participation of all citizens. This involves putting people at the centre of decision-making
processes, creating the conditions for people to exercise choice and freedom, including efficientadministration, institutionalized procedures and processes, as well as investment in infrastructure
and technology.
The legal framework ensures access to justice and constitutes an important enabler toempowerment. In that regard, international legal instruments help to transform national policies,
legal frameworks and strategies. It is important to prioritize the implementation of internationallyagreed programmes of action, conventions and norms in the national context through the removal ofsocial, political, legal and economic barriers to meaningful participation by all members of society,especially with regard to disadvantaged groups. Birth registration has been proven to be critical for
members of disadvantaged groups to claim their rights.
Conclusions
Empowerment is a policy approach that unleashes the initiative of people. Depending on the country
context, priorities as well as the ways and means to promote empowerment will vary. The following
represents some common areas for action:
1. Investment in education and health to strengthen the capability/capacity of individuals andcommunities;
2. Improvement in access and rights to productive assets, including land, property, natural
resources and financial services, by disadvantaged groups;
3. Establishment of universal social protection, even at a nationally-determined minimal level;
4. Promotion of inclusive and job-rich economic growth;Page 4 of 8

5. Transparency and access to information, including through the utilization of ICTs;
6. Establishment of the rule of law and access to justice;
7. Building democratic institutions, including accountable and responsive government.
As the empowerment of people is a dynamic and long-term process that consists of mutuallysupporting components, it will require the commitment of national and international partners, as wellas the active involvement of people to bring about its progressive realization.
References
Fraser, E.
United Nations, Reports of the Secretary-

Promoting empowerment of people in(E/CN.5/2013/3 and E/CN.5/2014/3) [on-line]
http://undesadspd.org/CommissionforSocialDevelopment/Sessions.aspx
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and may not necessarilyreflect a position of the ICSW Management Committee or United Nations Secretariat.
Call for action: The Social Protection Floor concept must be the core social objective of the
post-2015 global development framework
The Global Coalition for Social Protection Floors, established in 2012, is a coalition of more than 70
civil society and trade-union organizations from around the world. The members of the Coalition
represent a diverse group of NGOs, but they are united in their approach to social protection, seeing
it as one of the key pillars of social justice and inclusive socio-economic development. That approachis reflected in the statement of the Global Coalition launched at the side-event on 18 February during
the work of the 52nd session of the Commission for Social Development in New York. That side-event
was organized by the Coalition in cooperation with the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung and the International
Labour Office. The ICSW was instrumental in the conceptualization of the statement; at the above
event in New York the statement was introduced by Michael Cichon, the President of the ICSW.
In theection Floor Recommendation no.202(2012), which emerged from the joint Global Social Protection Floor Initiative of the UN system, is acornerstone for meeting the objective of ensuring security, removing the fear of destitution, andprotecting standards of living when people are sick, unemployed, disabled and old, or cannot workor when they have to care for infants or sick family members. It can address the inequality anddiscrimination that women experience in accessing basic social services, economic opportunities andresources. Emphasizing the gender dimension of social protection schemes, the statement specifies
as must be the difference in access to services, work and productive activities between women and-dimensional strategy of the recommendation, extending basic social security
guarantees to all and ensuring improved quality of protection, should be adopted as a guide in
developing an overarching social protection goal for social development in the framework of thelso submitted to thepostmeeting of the Social Protection Inter-Agency Cooperation Board, which took place on 18 February
2014 in New York.
For
moredetails
pleasesee:
http://www.ilo.org/newyork/events-andmeetings/WCMS_235028/lang--en/index.htm
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ICSW speaks out on empowerment
Statement by Sergei Zelenev, Executive Director, International Council on Social Welfare, at the52nd session of the Commission for Social Development, UN Headquarters, 18 February 2014
Empowerment has become a core objective for many social movements and organizations. There isa widely shared agreement that every person should be empowered during their life-course, startingwith getting a fair start in life and throughout. Being well-fed, well-educated, staying healthy andcombination for society and for its prosperity and resilience, when everyone is able to make better
life choices and participate fully in society. It is a joint responsibility of society, families and, of course,
individuals to work together to make that process a reality. The Commission for Social Development
should be congratulated for taking up such a cross-cutting topic as empowerment, which hasenormous political and practical significance, as a priority theme for its deliberations. On behalf of
ICSW I wish the delegates and all other participants of the Commission fruitful and successful work.
Addressing the priority theme in its complexity we are striving to provide meaningful input not only
into the discussions in the Commission for Social Development but also into the discussions shaping
the post-2015 development agenda after the Millennium Development Goals expire. The intention to
put people at the heart of a new global partnership aimed at eradicating poverty and transforming
economies through sustainable development, as outlined in the Report of the High-Level Panel2, isinspiring. But we should be also realistic and see what needs be done and how it should be done.
promoting social inclusion. And another important point here, stemming from the Report of the High-ICSW fully subscribes to the conclusion of the Global Coalition for Social Protection Floors that social
protection is one of the foundations for inclusive, equitable and sustainable development. It cansimultaneously address the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainability andpreservation of livelihoods. It can have a transformative role in contributing to long-term inclusive
and sustainable growth, while also enhancing resilience against natural and manmade disasters, aswell as economic and social crises. We believe that the social protection floor concept described in
the report of the advisory group chaired by Michelle Bachelet and defined in ILO Recommendation
No.202 must comprise the core social objective of the post-2015 global development agenda.
ICSW supports having a specific stand-alone goal on inequalities be reflected in the post-2015
framework. Apart from the normative importance of this area, such inclusion could improve
accountability for reducing inequalities (and hence improved monitoring of both processes andoutcomes, resulting from better quantitative and qualitative data).
Today, when we are aiming at integrating the social, economic and environmental dimensions ofsustainability into one agenda, we also realize that disempowered people cannot achieve this goal.
Empowerment is, therefore, closely linked with inclusive growth. We cannot move forward without
specific, targeted efforts to embrace the poorest and most marginalized communities, so that they
are connected to economic and political systems. After all, the well-being of those communities also
depends on and is integrally linked to sustainable access to arable land and water, as well as energy.
It is our joint responsibility to define how targets are to be refined, what indicators are to be used
and what multi-stakeholder accountability means in practice.

2 A NEW GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP: ERADICATE POVERTY AND TRANSFORM ECONOMIES THROUGH SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT . The Report of the High-Level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda (on-line)
Page 6 of 8

The ICSW's experience on the ground, in many regions of the world, has shown that empowering
citizens and creating responsive, accountable governments are two sides of the same coin. Thatinterdependence is impossible without democracy and democratic societies that provide mechanisms
for participation to all, including marginalized groups. People want to participate fully in society, havea voice of their own and have access to the decision-making processes that affect them. A
participatory approach to governance promotes the empowerment of people. Civil society has a vitalrole to play in this process.
The written statement of ICSW to the 52nd session of the Commission for Social Development canbe accessed at:
http://undesadspd.org/CommissionforSocialDevelopment/Sessions/2014/NGOsStatements/Written
Statements.aspx
Useful resources and links
Civil Society Forum at the UN convened in advance of the 52nd session of the Commissionof Social Development
The Civil Society Forum was organized by the NGO Committee for Social Development in joint
sponsorship with UN-DESA Division for Social Policy and Development and the Friedrich Ebert
Stiftung, New York Office. The Forum was convened on 10 February 2014 to prepare civil society
participants to participate in the 52nd session of the Commission for Social development as well as
in ongoing discussions related to conceptualization and evaluation of the post-2015 development-year focus onempowerment, coming up with the Forum's own vision and recommendations that reflected
perspectives from civil society geared at promoting core goals of social development, in the context
of inclusive and transformative efforts and post- 2015 development agenda.
The Declaration of the Forum is available at: http://www.ngosocdev.net/
The archived webcast is available at:
http://undesadspd.org/CommissionforSocialDevelopment/Sessions/2014/CivilSocietyForum.aspx
Newborn crisis threatens progress
Despite the remarkable progress that the world has made in the fight to cut back child mortality inrecent years, achieved through action on immunization, family planning, nutrition and treatment ofchildhood illnesses, as well as by improving economies, child mortality, according to the recently
released report prepared by the international charity Save the Children
preventable causes. In fact, far less attention has been paid to tackling the life-threatening dangers
facing children when they are newborn and most vulnerable at birth and in their first month oflife. The report outlines the key way to stop newborn deaths, namely, to ensure that essential careis provided around labour, delivery and immediately afterwards, when the risks are greatest.
For more details please go to:
http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.8989373/k.E376/Ending_Newborn_Deaths_Ensuring_Every_Baby_Survives.htm
The content of this Global Newsletter may be freely reproduced or cited provided the source isacknowledged. Views do not necessarily represent policies of ICSW.
Newsletter Editor: Sergei Zelenev, Executive Director
Address: ICSW, P.O. Box 28957, Plot 4, Berkeley Lane, Off Lugard Avenue,
Entebbe, Uganda
Phone + +1 718 796 7417, +256414321150
E-mail: szelenev@icsw.org, icsw@icsw.org
Website www.icsw.org;
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