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NATIONAL
CONFERENCE FOR SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT Introduction
by Dr. Amina El Guindi, MISA
Aim of the National Conference is to agree on social policies and priority
programmes that contribute to SD. Participants were representatives of Ministries,
Executing bodies, Govern orates, NGOs, Private Sector, Media, and some
International Organizations. 6
main axes: 1)
Education 2)
Health 3)
Culture 4)
Media 5)
Social Care 6)
Development or resources Address
of President Mubarak He described how Egypt has paid attention to SD
and has been active internationally hosting and contributing to UN global
conferences (Population and Development in Cairo 1994, Women in Bejing 1995 and Bejing +
5 in New York 2000, Social Development in Copenhagen 1995)
and Conventions (Child
Rights 1990 and Warsaw Declaration towards the establishment of a democratic
society signed in 2000),
being also active in building economic partnerships at regional level (contributing
to the foundation of common African market at OUA, joining COMESA),
and playing a fundamental role in the global asset (first Euro-African Conference in Cairo 2000,
Chairmanship of the G-15 in 1999). 10
recommendations: 1)
Man is objective and axis of national development. Basic
needs and promotion of living standards 2)
Need
to qualify man and develop his potentials. Spirit
of work within the community 3)
Need for radical and universal changes in the education system and
scientific research Not by importing foreign technology but producing
national technology
4)
Eradication of illiteracy within 2005 National
programme to promote cultural level of the people 5)
Reduction of population growth rate to protect the development
achievements Redistribution
of the population map from the congested Nile valley to the new urban areas 6)
Health care for all General
hospitals, preventive health requirements, promotion of health awareness,
eradication of epidemic and endemic diseases, updated equipment for treatment 7)
Support to childhood and motherhood issues Family
care 8)
Social insurance to cover all citizens and land of Egypt Community
services for elderly, handicapped and socially marginalized segments 9)
Housing and unemployment Private
sector to play a greater role, while the states keeps a role for resolution of
these problems especially for youth and low-income segments 10)
Modernize mass media To
perform with freedom and democracy and develop knowledge, sense of belonging and
participation Prime Minister’s Address at the Concluding Session
Records on national social history: Infant mortality rate: 7.1% in 1980, 2.9% in
2000 thanks to programmes for vaccination of all children and services for
mothers and medical treatments Illiterate children: 15% in 1980, 2% in 2000 Life expectancy: 58.1% in 1980, 66.7 in 2000 Infrastructures: Electricity coverage in 1985
was deficient in rural areas and suburbs, in 2000 there are power stations
covering over 310,000 km, reaching 14.2 million housing units Transportation: now public transports carry
3,150 million passengers annually through a network of 45.6 thousand km. Variables
involved in the issues of SD: 1)
Population
growth Top
priority since 1984. 1985: 3%; 2000: 2%. Target for 2010 is 1% to reach an
average of a 4- member family. Need for family planning especially for
low-income sectors. Job opportunities for women, health services, prevention of
female dropouts from schools. Commitments:
a) to set a target rate; b) to define a programme to address all factors leading
to the growth; c) to provide resources for investments in human capital; 4) to
channel resources to field activities accessible to families; 5) to divide responsibilities
among all implementing authorities; 6) to call for people’s participation 2)
Individual’s earning capability Individuals
have to enjoy physical and mental assets; expenditures in the field; attention
to the demand side of the products and services esp. in the world markets. Programmes
within 2010: 20,000 schools to be set up and operational plus 100 specialized
institutes for rehabilitation of teachers (to render them capable of dealing
with modern labor market). Need of 60 billion LE for the school programme, plus
6,000 LE per student per year for the rehabilitation of 50,000 university
graduates every year. Rehabilitation
also of the workforce and better job opportunities. Partnership with
businessmen’s associations that have contributed with ILO to create a National
Fund for Training, plus 9 national financial institutions are financing small
scale enterprises and self-employment activities, giving loans, providing
infrastructures for production and marketing) Mobilization
of society to support science and scientific applications (youth centers,
libraries, etc.) From
a physical point of view, fundamental is health protection, especially towards
children’s diseases, bad living conditions of low-income families; pollution
affecting drinking water, sewage water and waste reversed close to housing
areas. Programme
for immunization of all children from birth. National production of vaccines. Medical
insurance programme for all students in schools and universities (28% of Egyptian
population). 1,000
health units serving all villages for primary health services plus housing
compounds and other benefits for the physicians to work in poor urban and rural
areas. 3)
State’s expenditures capabilities on SD programmes The
State has to bear the cost of education of underprivileged providing medical
treatment and a minimum of food commodities; has to subsidize transport for
workers and students; has to provide income for those unable to work. Ways
to increase State’s resources: a) taxation b) productive sector has to share
the cost of basic services while the State pays on behalf of poorest; c)
revenues from land, public investment and natural resources need to be channeled
to finance SD programme. 4)
Role of NGOs Their
effectiveness depends on management improvements and regular resources available
with monitoring of their work. Social Development
Strategy
Adoption
of developmental concept involving social aspects of development, basic
needs, fair distribution with growth.
Social
reform runs parallel
to political and economic reform. Health and education expenditures have been
doubled especially for low income families, children, women and the new urban
communities. Complementary
role
of family, private sector, NGOs, civil society organizations, religious,
educational and media institutions, health, administrative and legislative
services. Records show that increase in the national
income is not an indicator of development, it does not include social,
cultural and political dimensions. Influences of globalization and privatization
have determined a crisis of the Welfare State, through reduced
allocations to social programmes including welfare and insurance schemes. Strong link between social stability and
development. Egypt
has been seeking a Third Way apart from Socialism and Capitalism, through a
realistic programme enhanced by the 1952 Revolution, based on the principles of socially
justice, sufficiency and equality. Democracy and political plurality with
economic liberalization. Need of economic strategy mobilizing
resources in a rational manner for the principles above. Policies towards the
poor and middle class with participation of businessmen and civil society
organizations. Need to sustain national economy from the globalization
impact to prevent dissipation of national interest and the drop in
people’s standard of living. Need to improve quality of life,
upgrading the indicators of human development. 3 axes for social policies: human
development, justice, poverty alleviation. STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE
Long term objective is to establish a safe and
secure human community at the economic and social levels for all the different
strata. Material
conditions are: -
Education and Health for all -
Basic Human Needs -
Narrowing the gap between income sectors and definition of minimum
level of per capita income -
National Income growth rates has to be more than double the population
increase rates -
Increase growth rate of productive manpower -
Completion of country’s infrastructure such as electricity, water
and sewage in rural areas and poor urban districts -
Reduction of the gaps rural/urban, Upper/Lower Egypt, males/females -
Eradication of unacceptable phenomena like street children and child labor -
Upgrading housing areas and eliminating inhuman housing compounds. POLICIES 1)
Economic Development is a prerequisite for Social Development Reciprocal
effects between ED (increase of per capita income rates) and SD (education,
health, environment, culture) 2)
Role of the State -
Directing the development processes that suit the market economies and
limit their negative impacts. -
State as independent body and arbiter between classes, formulating a social
contract to define rights and duties of all the social strata -
Responsible for formulation of structural reform of national economy to
stand international competitiveness -
Director of the path of national economy not only with financial and
monetary policies by with direct presence in the vital branches of production,
like in the sector of mass consumption commodities. -
Formulating a policy for proportionally higher taxation and balance between
wages and prices in view of Consumer Price Index. Restructuring of government
spending for education, health and other social welfare schemes. -
Enhancing efficiency in public administration to run the affairs of State
and Society with transparency and participation. Fundamental is the availability
of accurate, documented data and good studies of all the alternatives. 3)
Human development as the basis for social development. a)
Consolidating
the education process Full
assimilation and prevention of dropouts Capacity
of development of analytical, critical and technical skills Rehabilitation
and training to renew the work markets with required skills Financial
allocations to education and within the education sector Investment
to girls’ education and in rural areas. b)
Promoting
health care Increase
of expenditures and reallocation within the sector for primary health care, preventive
health and remedial health and for provision of services in rural areas. Availability
of potable water and drainage systems Medical
Insurance Authority has to sign contracts with private and public hospitals to
facilitate provision of services for all Review
the maximum fees received by doctors c)
Activating
the role of culture in society Raise
cultural awareness of social problems and of everyone’s part in solving them,
changing the values obstructing civilization growth and development. Main
societal values are: a) respect of work, production and workers; b) society and
everyone’s duty towards society; c) towards oneself upgrading knowledge, work
and contribution to social activities; d) respecting others’ views to maintain
cohesion; e) preserving cultural identity, heritage and religious value; f)
interacting objectively with other cultures; g) preserving the environment,
reducing pollution and rationally utilize its non-renewable. d)
Activating
the role of the media Mass
media have contribute dramatically to behaviors and values changes with both
positive and negative effects, therefore media authorities have increased
responsibility in preserving cultural identity and religious values. e)
Consolidating
the network of social security Economic
reform has negative impacts such as increased unemployment and lower income
rates. Measures needed are: a) to increase the social allowances granted by
MISA, increasing financial allocations to the social aid programme and income-yielding
projects and consolidating the resources of SFD; b) coordination between public
and private projects and definition of poverty alleviation policies. Need of
information system embodying all activities by NGOs and government on social
welfare and effective follow-up; c) accurate studies on poverty and
identification of the most deprived groups, to be targeted for specific
programmes and monitored for decisions on future interventions; d) periodical
assessment of social safety networks and their ability to reach the poor; e)
non-governmental sector has to play a bigger role for income-yielding activities
to support the poor (not aid to the poor); f)
Upgrading the status of women and families Educational,
cultural and health programmes plus economic empowerment and adjustment in their
position in society: a) women participation in decision-making; b) policies,
laws and practices towards them; c) bridging the quality gap between men and
women; d) media role to rectify misconceptions and false image on women; e)
attention to religious institutions; f) economic empowerment through access to
capital, credit, production means, information, training and technical
assistance; g) dividends and benefits from society safety networks to women; h)
Social Security Programme should cover the women supporters of poor families,
who largely depend upon allowances and pensions. Role
of The National Council of Women established February 2000 and of National
Council for Childhood and Motherhood. 4)
Promoting civil society capabilities There
are nearly 15,000 civil associations. Need
to reactivate the social role of labor unions reaching hundreds of thousands of laborers
for eradication of illiteracy, provision of health care and social services. 5)
Enhancing the role of the private business sector in social development Since
the early Nineties the State has taken measures to consolidate private
investment, production and trade capacities, through facilities like tax and
custom exemptions, training etc. Therefore the sector has to contribute to SD:
a) paying taxes, bearing in mind that public salaries are lower; b) increasing
savings and investment rates to create growth, instead of depending on bank
credits; c) spending on scientific research and technical development; d)
reducing unemployment size; e) offering social services to their workers
including education and health care. 6)
The overall Manpower Unemployment
is an issue due to the economic cycle of prosperity/recession, dependence on
technology, increase in population growth rate and discrepancies between the
available educational availabilities and what is required in the labour market. The
settlement of the new urban communities will contribute to employ young people. BASIC
FACTORS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS STRATEGY 1)
Political
support
by political leaders, parties, NGOs, businessmen’s associations, syndicates
and trade union so to have a social contract between the various social sectors. 2)
Clear-cut plans and programmes that contribute to a safe society
in the long-term 3)
Restructuring of government spending in the State Budget 4)
Provision of necessary data and statistics to have indicators of
human and social development on education, health, family budgets, equal
distribution of revenues, etc. A standing committee formed by the Central
Agency for Mobilization and Statistics, Institute of National Planning, National
Center for Social and Criminological Research, Ministries concerned should
undertake the preparation of data and fix the social indicators. 5)
Revision of legislation so as to fill legal gaps on education,
health, social welfare, personal status, child act, etc. MECHANISMS 1)
Ministerial
group
concerned with human development should be activated to propose and coordinate
policies and legislations. The Secretariat would be undertaken by MISA. 2)
MISA has to become MISD 3)
A higher committee of development partners has to be formed,
comprising executing departments concerned with social development, civil
society organizations and businessmen’s associations plus trade unions. 4)
An annual report should follow up on the status of social
development with quantitative and qualitative indicators guided by the studies
conducted by the People’s Assembly, the Shura Council, Specialized National
Councils and research centers. 5)
A National Conference for SD is to be held every 5 years to follow
up on the implementation of the strategy. The convening should coincide with the
drawing up of the 5-Year Plan for SD.
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