Summit outcome document

This process will involve closer analysis of the outcome document around which Global March will further review its strategic plan of action. The document acknowledges that although progress has been made in the last decade towards achieving the MDGs, this progress “falls far short of what is needed”. In this context, the international community resolves to address these shortcomings and “work together for the promotion of the economic and social advancement of all peoples.” It also takes into account the impact of the global economic crisis on progress already made and what this might mean for the future.

It is encouraging to see references to the need for increased mobilisation of resources and this was supported to a certain extent by various financial commitments made by different governments and agencies during the Summit and some side events, for example, US$40 billion was pledged by a wide range of donors over the next five years to accelerate progress on women’s and children’s health. However, these commitments must become reality if they are to make a difference and this further underlines the importance of the role of trade unions and civil society in ensuring that these funds are actually made available. Financial commitments have been made and broken in the recent past and at a time when the global economy was booming.

Heads of State also take note of the lessons learned in the past in making progress towards the MDGs and emphasise the need to replicate and upscale successful models across all the goals. They highlight the need to offer greater support to least-developed countries and that more and greater attention needs to be given to development in Africa, especially those countries which are most off track to achieve the goals by 2015.

Marking the way forward

The outcome document makes a number of key points in outlining the way forward:

• Promoting and strengthening national ownership and leadership in development with individual countries taking primary responsibility for their own development.
• Encouraging broad consultation and participation of all national stakeholders in the development process.
• Calling on the UN system and other development actors to support the design and implementation of development strategies.
• Emphasising the importance of mobilising financial resources within the global partnership for development.
• Calling for further reform and modernisation of the international financial institutions to better serve the needs of member States.
• Enhancing policy coherence at all levels.
• Promoting sustained, inclusive and equitable economic growth for all, particularly the poor, and ensuring this leads to job creation and decent work and is complemented by effective social policies, including the establishment of social protection floors.
• Ensuring that by 2015 all girls and boys will be able to complete a full course of primary education.
• Highlighting the importance of gender equality and empowerment of women to drive forward the MDG agenda.
• Calling on the private sector to contribute to poverty eradication, including by adapting business models to the needs and capacities of the poor and committing to corporate social responsibility and action.
• Underlining the importance of a strong, well-coordinated, coherent and effective UN that is accountable, transparent and more results-focused in its work.
• Calling for increased South-South cooperation.
• Highlighting the need to strengthen national statistical systems.

Each of these strategic elements, if they are met, will contribute significantly to the elimination and prevention of all forms of child labour and would go a long way in supporting the elimination of worst forms of child labour by 2016. Global March is disappointed that the outcome document did not go as far as endorsing an international financial transactions tax, but will continue to press this demand with other partners.

Our role over the next five years, therefore, is to ensure that these strategic commitments are met and that we play a coherent and effective public watchdog role in this process. For governments and the UN to be held accountable, we will have to constantly remind them of their responsibilities and promises and keep them on track. This must be our promise to the world’s child labourers.