He said governments in the Asia-Pacific region have committed themselves to eradicate poverty, create employment opportunities and strengthen social integration in their societies for the benefit of their people. While progress has been made in fulfilling these commitments, he added, these accomplishments have unfortunately fallen far short of targets. Today poverty in the region remains profound and endemic. Millions of people are still mired in poverty, with little access to health, education, and other basic social services.
Unemployment remains critical.
The goals of social integration stand mostly unachieved. The meeting will outline a regional perspective on social development and recommend courses of action that governments and international organizations can carry out to accelerate progress and overcome constraints in social development. The results of the session will be presented to the UN General Assembly at its special session in 2000 when it follows up on the Implementation of the Programme of Action of the World Summit for Social Development in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1995. The ageing of the population, economic liberalization and globalization and human rights - these changes all have the capacity to affect social development prospects adversely unless addressed appropriately at the policy and programme levels. We must incorporate responses to these challenges in our social development Agenda.