14 מאי 1987

UN PRESS RELEASE

The Economic and Social Council would stress the importance of direct participation of youth in projects and activities organized at the local, national, regional and international levels in the field of youth at all stages of implementation, according to a draft resolution introduced this morning int he Second (Social) Committee.

The draft (document E/1987/C.2/L.5), introduced by Romania, is sponsored by 34 countries.

Also this morning, the Committee continued its consideration of social development issues, hearing 11 statements on such topics as crime prevention and criminal justice, the Decade for the Disabled )1983-1992) and a proposed international year of the family.

Statements were made by the representatives of New Zealand, Poland, Italy, China, Australia, Argentina, Romania, the Soviet Union and Iraq.

Also making statements were representatives of two non-governmental organizations: the Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Council and the International Co-operative Alliance.

The Committee will continue consideration of issues related to social development when it meets again at 3 p.m. today.

Items before Committee

The Second (Social) Committee of the Economic and Social Council met this morning continue consideration of the item on social development.  (For details of the reports before the Council, and the recommendations they contain, see Press Release ECOSOC/4971 of 30 April.)

Statements Made

LEILA PROUNIS, of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Council, said that body had always been aware that the condition in which people lived determined their health, well-being and ability to engage in gainful employment.  The Greek Council had an extensive programme of providing food and shelter for those in need in urban communities.  In addition, its youth had organized a programme to assist those in developing countries.

Following a study of the health and nutritional status of the Orthodox in Ghana, Ethiopia and Kenya, she said, the Kenya project had come into being —  a pilot programme which would send a 25-member team of young adults to Lailipia, Kenya to serve as construction and medical teams in collaboration with the Kenyan Government.  The team would help build housing and construct water wells.  The medical team, composed of two doctors, two nurses, a dentist and five medical students, would set up clinics in the area.

She said the Archdiocese looked forward to collaborating with other interested Governments in similar projects.

WALLACE J CAMPBELL, of the International Co-operative alliance, said 72 nations were represented in the Alliance by 740,656 affiliated co-operative societies with an individual membership of over 5000,000,000 members.

He said the report on national experience in the promotion in the co-operative movement gave a balanced view of the extent of the co-operative movement.

He suggested that for further studies and for a basis for information on co-operatives the Secretary-General should request the statistical unit of the United Nations to begin the collection of statistics on co-operatives of all types.  His organization would provide the information already available and assist the unit in any way necessary to speed that process.  With that information, the United Nations could provide annual reports on co-operative development and could include articles in its annual or biannual publications in the social and economic field.

While the assistance and support of Governments in the development of co-operatives was very helpful, he said, it was important that the people to be assisted be encouraged to help themselves.  In that connection, the role of the Government should decrease over a period of time as the co-operatives attained an independence which proved their economic stability and their contribution to the welfare of the state or nation.