Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan (February 18, 2009) - Speech of Neal Walker, United Nations Resident Coordinator, delivered during the Conference on Social Justice Day.
Your Excellency, Vice Prime Minister Ms. Abdullaeva;
Your Excellencies, Mister Ombudsman and Members of Parliament;
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am very pleased to celebrate with you the UN World Day of Social Justice. It is a particular honor for me as it was Kyrgyzstan’s initiative with the UN General Assembly that led to the resolution declaring 20 February the UN World Day of Social Justice, which we are celebrating today for the first time ever. Because of the importance of the topic and because there are many different entry points on what Social Justice means, I would ask your patience while I work through some of the ideas that the team here in the United Nations House of Kyrgyzstan have put together.
I would like to talk briefly about the different definitions of social justice.
Social justice is a concept to which many people aspire. However, when asked what it means, opinions may differ. Social justice is definitely more than justice plus social policy. Some argue that it means that a concept of society in which justice is achieved in every aspect of life; others consider it a concept of society where all citizens have a fairly equal access to chances, services and goods.
Depending on one’s ideological point of view, social justice could be a society “with a greater degree of economic egalitarianism, which may be achieved through progressive taxation, income redistribution, or property redistribution”. A very different ideological viewpoint would be that “a just society is best achieved through the operation of a free market, which would provide equality of opportunity and promotes philanthropy and charity.”
Others define social justice as the principle that all persons are entitled to ‘basic human needs’, regardless of differences such as economic disparity, class, gender, race, ethnicity, citizenship, religion, age, sexual orientation, disability, or health. This view includes "the eradication of poverty and illiteracy, the establishment of sound environmental policy, and equality of opportunity for healthy personal and social development.”
For the UN Social Justice means….
For all of us working for the United Nations the term social justice has international as well as national implications. As recognized in 1995 by the World Summit in Copenhagen, “social development aims at social justice, solidarity, harmony and equality within and among countries and social justice, equality and equity constitute the fundamental values of all societies. To achieve ‘a society for all’ governments made a commitment to the creation of a framework for action to promote social justice at national, regional and international levels. They also pledged to promote the equitable distribution of income and greater access to resources through equity and equality and opportunity for all”. The observance of the UN World Day of Social Justice” should contribute to the further consolidation of the efforts of the international community in poverty eradication, promotion of full employment and decent work, gender equity and access to social well-being and justice for all”.
I am pleased to highlight that gaining international consensus on what Social Justice means and actually working towards its achievement has been at the heart of many United Nation initiatives.
- The very Preamble of the Charter of the United Nations, founding the organization in 1945, makes clear reference to the elements of social justice: “To reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights… in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small… to establish conditions under which justice and respect for obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained… and to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom…” Since then, many international treaties have been written and adopted, including by Kyrgyzstan, that further define the specifics of what could be meant by Social Justice.
- The 1966 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights provides for minimum rights with regard to key aspects of human life, such as the right to adequate standard of living, the right to housing, the right to food and drinking water, the right to health, the right to work and to education. Similarly, the 1966 Covenant on Political and Civil Rights guarantees among others the liberty and the security of a person, the right to a fair trial and the right to take part in public affairs. Both covenants guarantee equal rights without discrimination on any ground such as race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property or birth. I am pleased to inform today’s audience that both Covenants were ratified by Kyrgyzstan.
- Today’s UN World Day of Social Justice specifically refers back to the UN World Summit for Social Development in Copenhagen in March 1995 in which more than 100 world leaders stated that they “share the conviction that social development and social justice are indispensable for the achievement and maintenance of peace and security within and among our nations. In turn, social development and social justice cannot be attained in the absence of peace and security or in the absence of respect for all human rights and fundamental freedoms.”
- In another major milestone, in the year 2000, the United Nations got the approval of virtually the whole world, including Kyrgyzstan, to sign off on the Millennium Declaration. In addition to the Declaration, the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals was agreed. For the first time in the history of mankind, world leaders agreed on development objectives that can be measured and they further agreed to a concrete timeline for their achievement, by the year 2015. The MDG’s provide both the United Nations and the Governments a clear framework for achieving social justice in selected areas such as eradication of extreme poverty and hunger, improving maternal health, achieving universal primary education, and promoting gender equality.
- Another UN initiative to achieve social justice is the 2008 Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization. This initiative is led by the International Labour Organization and is designed to assist the nations of the world to effectively and equitably face the new social challenges created by a globalized economy.
- Last to be mentioned, but perhaps most important of all, within Kyrgyzstan and in other countries around the world, the United Nations funds important programmes that address the fundamental principals of social justice. These programmes strive to strengthen and protect vulnerable groups such as women, children, homeless persons, people affected by HIV/AIDS, refuges, persons with disabilities, and members of minority communities. I am pleased to offer these ongoing programmes as well as future programmes to be defined, as well as the good offices of the United Nations System in Kyrgyzstan, as important elements in the push to achieve the social justice agenda.
Social Justice in Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan – as you all will agree - is a country which is still struggling to achieve social justice. Substantial progress has been achieved over the past years – for instance, the rate of extreme poverty fell from 33% in 2000 to 7% in 2007 and the overall poverty level fell from 63% to 35% in the same period. While this progress is impressive and commendable there is still much to be done. As one example, studies have shown a problem of chronic food insecurity in the country, with as many as 1 in five people suffering. This winter, aggravated by the global impact of increasing food and energy prices, the problem has become acute. Many pensioners, families with many children, and single-mothers are struggling to meet ends and hardly can afford more than their daily libjoshka. Poverty is much higher in some parts of the country such as Jalalabad and Osh compared with other oblasts. The fact that more than hundred homeless persons froze to death in Bishkek during winter 2007/8 documents the challenge of achieving social justice in a relatively poor country that faces a harsh winter.
Other examples abound, you all are living here, and you will know this better than I. The most critical question, how do we meet the challenges ahead?
First, I would like to suggest that we are not yet ready to “celebrate” the day of social justice, there is too much to be done, both on a world wide level and in Kyrgyzstan. Rather, today is designed as a moment of serious reflection and discussion on how to achieve social justice and to meet coming challenges such:
- The challenge of achieving social justice against the background of a worldwide economic crisis;
- The challenge to implement the planned privatization in a way that the supply of basic social services (water, heating , electricity, gas…) will not only meet the needs of all people but will remain affordable for all;
- How to fight corruption and to establish rule of law which should provide security, justice and support also to those who are powerless, excluded or marginalized. I would like to emphasize that everyone has a role in this and it begins by increasing widespread awareness of what corruption is and how it slows down development for all;
- The challenge to make a reality the right to an adequate standard of living, the right to health, the right to clean drinking water, the right to adequate housing, and the right to be protected for all people living in Kyrgyzstan.
- Let me also highlight the aspect of social justice for persons with disabilities. In 2008 the Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities came into force which – if properly implemented – would provide social justice to these persons. I would like to encourage Kyrgyzstan to sign this convention which would strengthen the rights of hundreds of thousands of disabled persons.
There is a saying in Russian: “The stuffed one does not understand the hungry one”. “СЫТЫЙ ГОЛОДНОГО НЕ РАЗУМЕЕТ” It is this sense, acknowledging that, in this room, we might not fully understand what it means to be a victim of social injustice, that we can commit ourselves to fight against it. It is my most sincere wish, and here I am confident to include the entire UN system in Kyrgyzstan, that the World Social Justice Day remains not only a ceremonial day. Please, let us ensure that it contributes to an understanding of the fate of those who are left out and even more importantly, to the solutions that achieve real social justice.
Thank you.
