Third Committee: Social Development

3 November 2011

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

As this is the first time that my delegation is addressing the Committee this session, let me congratulate you on your election as Chair.

Today we discuss a range of pressing issues for the international community and for my country. In recent months, questions of social justice have come to the forefront of Israel’s public discourse in unprecedented ways.

Last July, a new grassroots movement emerged in Israel to bring attention to issues such as housing, education, health care and employment. Hundreds of thousand of Israelis took to the streets to call for a greater focus on social justice. The public has been captivated. The Government of Israel is listening.

Prime Netanyahu set up a committee headed by a leading economist to offer recommendations for improving social justice in Israel. Last week, this Committee released a comprehensive report with detailed recommendations for addressing issues that have been raised. Today the Israeli government is exploring the recommendations contained in this report – and will soon work on implementing them. This represents an important step forward. It is clear that the dialogue about social justice in Israel will continue in the weeks and months ahead.

Mr. Chairman,

Social development cuts across many issues. It calls for a set of holistic solutions. States, the private sector and civil society should work to fully integrate all members into society, including youth, older persons, people with disabilities, and individuals from marginalized groups. We must seek to provide all with opportunities to contribute according to their abilities.

Israel welcomes the increased attention that the International Year of Youth provided to the needs and concerns of youth. We should use the momentum of the International Years of Youth to work towards the empowerment of young people and the full implementation of the World Program of Action for Youth.

Over the past twenty years, Israel has developed a comprehensive approach to respond to the needs of at-risk youth through major advances in legislation and increased public awareness. In 2008, Israel launched a National Program for Children and Youth at Risk, encompassing five government ministries. This initiative has advanced a number of unique projects designed to reabsorb at-risk youth into the community, including vocational learning and entrepreneurship training. These programs are designed to meet the needs of Israel’s diverse population, including immigrants from around the world.

Social development must also include addressing the needs of seniors. Policies must be shaped by the understanding that older persons have contributed and continue to contribute much to society. In developing ageing policies Israel is guided by the following principles: promote independence and autonomy, promote equality, assure an adequate standard of living, provide non-discriminatory health care, prevent age discrimination and maintain inter-generation partnership and mutual responsibility.

We welcome the Secretary General’s report A/66/173 on the “Follow up to the Second World Assembly on Ageing”. Israel participated in the Open–ended Working Group on Ageing. This proved to be a valuable forum for identifying problems, addressing gaps and promoting the rights of older people.

Israel also welcomes the attention given by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) to the issue of older women and the thorough analysis the committee provided in its General Recommendation Number 27, which focused on older women and the protection of their human rights.

Mr. Chairman,

Over 1 billion people, or approximately 15 percent of the world’s population, now live with some form of disability. The State of Israel remains committed to upholding the rights of persons with disabilities through legislation, legal protection, education and active partnerships between government and civil society. Israel’s Commission for Equal Rights of Persons with Disabilities was established in 2000 with the aim of implementing a comprehensive equal rights law that was enacted two years earlier.

Israel has focused on integrating persons with disabilities into the community, and raising public awareness about their needs. I would like to highlight the Supportive Communities for People with Disabilities project, an initiative that became part of the formal social service of the Government of Israel in 2009. This project provides a social safety net and a basket of services, including emergency care, for disabled people living in the community. This helps to ensure that the disabled live independent and dignified lives, contributing to and benefiting from the community around them.

Mr. Chairman,

Israel is dedicated to the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, including paragraph 25, which states that: “Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and his family, including food, clothing, housing, medical care and necessary social services”. 

Since our founding, the State of Israel has looked to partner with others around the world to advance these important principles not just for Israelis, but for people everywhere. We have sought to use our technical expertise in agriculture, education, food security, community development and other related areas to alleviate global suffering and poverty.

Leading these efforts is MASHAV, Israel’s Center for International Cooperation. MASHAV was born out of the idea that global collaboration can advance social equity and sustainable development. To this end, the organization places great focus on education – and has trained more than 250,000 people from 140 countries. The importance of education on the development of a society cannot be overstated. It is a cornerstone for international progress, social equity, and ultimately, poverty eradication. MASHAV implements programs to empower marginalized people to gain access to the workforce and healthcare services. This is critical for breaking the cycle of poverty. We believe that such efforts can advance the implementation of the Second United Nation’s Decade for the Eradication of Poverty.

Mr. Chairman,

We must work together as a cohesive body to ensure that all members of society have the opportunity to participate in the workforce, have access to education and healthcare, and fulfill their maximum potential. As members of this Assembly, this is not only our challenge, but our joint responsibility. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.