Much, however, remains to be done. One area that needs renewed attention and commitment from all of us is the creation of an enabling environment for social development. We believe that good governance is a critical element of an enabling environment. Free and regular elections, the rule of law, transparency in political processes, and an independent and free media are the basic building blocks of good government and stable society. An active civil society that represents interests from different walks of life, and that functions independently within a democracy is essential to advance and safeguard the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of every citizen.
People are an essential element of an enabling environment.
This means creating an environment in which people are not only the beneficiaries of, but also major contributors to, social development. To do this, we must find ways to improve education and health care, and to alleviate extreme poverty. Rapid advances in technology have created a new social dynamic that puts a premium on new skills, new knowledge, and, above all, on the ability to adapt and learn. We must invest more in educating our children not only to enable them to read and write, but also to enable them to keep up with the speed of technological change throughout their lives. Only through education and continuous training can people meet the demands of a modern economy.