Social ministers from OECD countries will meet in Paris on 31 March – 1 April, 2005 to discuss how social policies can help individuals and families achieve their potential and support economic growth. Much social progress has been made in all countries. But problems remain. Too many people are still exposed to risks of poverty in childhood, of exclusion from work in prime age, of isolation and limited self-sufficiency in old age. Active social policies that promote the economic independence of the individual provide solutions to these problems. Action is needed urgently before population ageing complicates reforms further.
Ministers will discuss which measures are needed to address these social challenges. They will also discuss rights and responsibilities in social policy with non-governmental organisations. The debates will focus on the following issues:
How best to invest in families and children - Investing in families gives children the best possible start in life and will boost economic growth. Supporting parents to earn and care reduces the risk that children grow up in poverty and neglect. Policies to promote child development and the reconciliation of family life and work are essential. But the government cannot do this alone -- workplaces must adapt to parents’ needs. Family-friendly policies might also boost birth rates.
How to get a better social policy balance between generations - Population ageing requires a re-balancing of social policies and expenditures between the generations. Pension and long-term care systems need reforming, and some OECD countries have already taken-up this challenge. Pension entitlements have often been reduced, as have the incentives to retire early. These measures will help limit the pressure on pension expenditures, but they could also increase the risk of pensioner poverty. Careful monitoring and appropriate safety-nets are essential to prevent older people from falling into poverty in the future. Access to quality long-term care by those who need it also has to be improved without imposing an excessive burden on working-age taxpayers or carers.
How to assign rights and responsibilities for different parts of society in delivering social protection - Governments cannot do everything: Individuals, employers and community groups need to take responsibility for social policy. Individuals may want to have more choice of services, community groups understand local needs better than central authorities do, and it is in the interest of employers to play a larger role in social protection. Successful companies in the future will be employing parents, people with disabilities and older workers. But there is still an important role for government to ensure equal access and a consistently high quality of privately-provided social services.
How to design active social policies to tackle poverty - OECD countries need to introduce more active social policies. This means getting people off benefits and into work instead of keeping people in a state of dependency. Active social policies that work are, for example: good social and employment supports, making work pay, requiring people on benefits to look for work or training, and making the different public agencies work better. But it is not only about getting people into jobs; more effort needs to be made to help people keep jobs and to develop careers. We need to move from the slogan ‘welfare-to-work’ to that of ‘welfare-in-work’.
Well-designed social protection can be an asset that is critical for sustaining social development.
