Press Release
Ministry of Foreign Affairs

29. March 1996

FOLLOW-UP TO THE WORLD SUMMIT FOR SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT IN COPENHAGEN

On 23 to 25 April this year, an international meeting to discuss greater efforts in the social sector will be held in Oslo as part of the follow-up process to the World Summit for Social Development held in Copenhagen last year. The meeting is the result of a Norwegian initiative, and its purpose is to discuss how the 20/20 Initiative can be implemented in practice.

The Initiative calls for a mutual commitment on the part of interested donor and recipient countries to allocate 20 per cent of their official development assistance and 20 per cent of their government budgets, respectively, to basic social services such as basic schooling and primary health services.

The meeting will be attended by politicians and senior officials from approximately 20 developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America, 10-15 donor countries and the most important multilateral organizations. The opening speakers will include Norwegian Minister of Development Cooperation, Mrs. Kari Nordheim-Larsen, Executive Director Mr. Nafis Sadik of the UN Population Fund, Tanzania's Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Mr. Jakaya Kikwete and Denmark's Minister of Development Cooperation Mr. Poul Nielson.

INTERNATIONAL MEETING ON THE 20/20 INITIATIVE, OSLO 23-25 APRIL 1996

As part of the follow-up process after the World Summit for Social Development held in Copenhagen last year, the Minister of Development Cooperation has taken the initiative for an international meeting to be held in Oslo on 23-25 April 1996 to discuss how best to implement the 20/20 Initiative.

The Programme of Action drawn up in Copenhagen calls for a mutual commitment on the part of interested donor and recipient countries to allocate 20 per cent of their official development assistance and 20 per cent of their government budgets, respectively, to basic social services. The principal components of basic social services are basic education, primary health services and related services such as water supplies and nutrition programmes.

Norway was one of the strongest advocates of the 20/20 Initiative at the World Summit for Social Development, and we made every effort to gain acceptance for a wording that was as binding as possible. However, many countries, including both donors and recipients, were sceptical to the idea, and it was only possible for the Summit to urge interested countries to agree to such a mutual commitment.

The effect of the 20/20 Initiative will of course depend entirely on how many countries support it. Norway is therefore continuing its efforts to gain the broadest possible acceptance for the principle. We hope that the focus on the Initiative resulting from the Oslo meeting will lead to greater international interest in the concept, and thus increase the likelihood that it will be implemented in practice.

The decision in Copenhagen left a number of unanswered questions on which it is important for the countries involved or interested to reach agreement. The most central of these is determining what by the concept of basic social services actually covers in this context. Moreover, it is necessary to clarify how such mutual commitments can be implemented in practice and what mechanisms are needed to ensure uniform methods of reporting and following up the Initiative. The international meeting to be held in Oslo will therefore focus on these three main issues and attempt to reach a common understanding.

The preparatory group, consisting of representatives of Bangladesh, Canada, Chile, the Netherlands, Uganda and Norway, together with representatives of multilateral organizations (UNDP, UNICEF, UNFPA, UNCTAD and the World Bank) has been involved in planning the meeting. A background document has been drawn up in which the three main questions mentioned above are discussed in more detail. This will be distributed to all participants before the meeting.

The governments of the Netherlands and Norway are co-sponsoring the meeting.

The meeting will be attended by approximately 20 developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Most of the representatives from these countries will be politicians and senior officials from ministries of finance, planning, social services, education and health. The development assistance authorities in 10-15 donor countries will also be represented. A number of international and Norwegian NGOs will also be invited to the meeting as observers.

During the opening session, talks will be given by the Norwegian Minister of Development Cooperation, Mrs. Kari Nordheim-Larsen, Tanzania's Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Mr. Jakaya Kikwete and Executive Director Mr. Nafis Sadik of the UN Population Fund. Other opening speakers will include Denmark's Minister of Development Cooperation Mr. Poul Nielson, the Nepalese Minister of Finance, the Minister of Education from Guinea and the Chilean Minister of Planning and Cooperation. There will also be introductory talks by prominent representatives of the UN agencies and the World Bank.