Strongly suggest to our Governments:

• That now is the time for the state and all sections of society to undertake serious action for poverty eradication and renew their commitment to achieving the goals of the Summit with clear targets and measurements of achievements;
• That now is the time to devote additional resources to ensure concrete and sustainable changes in people's lives.
• That instead of renegotiating the Copenhagen commitments, the five-year review should concentrate on a small number of priority issues rather than trying to cover all of those that were considered in Copenhagen.

We undertake to work in partnership with Governments and other agencies to ensure the implementation of the Copenhagen Summit commitments. We hereby submit these recommendations for consideration by Eastern and Southern African governments meeting to prepare for the five year review of the Summit by the United Nations General Assembly in 2000;

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ACTION

1. POVERTY ERADICATION

We call upon our governments to fully implement the WSSD Programme of Action by:

1.1 Placing poverty eradication at the top of the national agenda. Governments must demonstrate this commitment by ensuring that each line ministry allocates at least 10% of its budget to poverty eradication by the end of year 2001. Serious consideration should be given to the establishment of independent national Poverty Funds managed in a transparent manner.

1.2 Implementing their commitment to the 20/20 initiative by 2001 and reducing absolute poverty by half of its present levels by 2015.

1.3 Lobbying through the ECA, SADC, EAC, COMESA, OAU and G77 for debt cancellation and utilising the resources saved for poverty eradication and employment creation.

1.4 Taking steps to accelerate women’s access to and control over land and credit for increased productivity. Specific mechanisms by which this goal can be defined and progress measured should be put in place by 2002.

1.5 Setting targets for achieving access to quality universal basic education.

1.6 Developing standards to provide basic income support systems for those in greatest need by 2001.

1.7 Setting dates for the establishment of an inter-sectoral co-ordination, planning, implementation and evaluation mechanism for poverty eradication programmes, supported by legislation that enshrines the rights of civil society organizations to participate in the same process.

2. EMPLOYMENT

We call upon our Governments to safeguard the rights of citizens to productive and gainful employment by;

2.1 Seeking the full ratification and implementation of the core labour standards of the ILO in order safeguard the rights and interests of marginalised workers, especially migrant workers.

2.2 Adopting employment policies, which protect vulnerable groups against unemployment.

2.2 In conjunction with the private sector and civil society, investing in human resource development in order to cope with technological and other changes.

2.3 Formulating policies and relevant legislation that recognise the importance of, and stimulate growth in the informal sector.

2.5 Enacting legislation to prohibit the employment of children under the age of 15 years, as stipulated in ILO Convention 138 on minimum age for employment.

2.6 Putting in place policies and legislation that ensures sustainable job creation.

3. SOCIAL INTEGRATION

We call upon our Governments to undertake concrete action for social integration by;

3.1 Establishing inclusive mechanisms for the promotion and protection of human rights.

3.2 Recognising and accrediting non-formal education which includes imparting life-skills which are appropriate to local conditions beyond the narrow focus on formal education.

3.3 Introducing taxation legislation that facilitates tax incentives for private sector contribution to the social services, and establishing monitoring mechanisms, which include all stake-holders to be set up by 2001.

3.4 Developing and implementing plans and mechanisms which promote cultural diversity by formal and informal means, eliminating all forms of discrimination and seeking domestic implementation and enforcement of international human rights protocols by 2001.

4. ENABLING ENVIRONMENT

We call upon our Governments to create a social, political and economic environment which enhances social development and poverty eradication by;

4.1 Seeking the full implementation of the International Covenant on Economic Cultural and Social rights and respecting human rights, fundamental freedoms and the rule of law.

4.2 Adopting measures to ensure full enforcement of legislation to combat corruption in all sectors of society.

4.3 Recognising that peace is an essential pre-requisite for social development and including civil society, especially women, in the mechanisms for conflict prevention and resolution. Similar mechanisms at local levels should be created by 2001.

4.4 Pressing for the international adoption of specific measures to restrict and discourage excessive currency speculation and encouraging the adoption of a standard tax on financial market transactions (for example a Tobin-type tax).

4.5 Strengthening the mandate of regional and subregional intergovernmental organizations such as OAU, EAC, SADC, COMESA and IGAD to ensure the implementation and monitoring of the WSSD.

5. MOVING FORWARD

To achieve the above recommendations we strongly urge governments and inter-governmental organizations of the East and Southern Africa region to undertake the following;

5.1 Establish regular national level consultative mechanisms involving government, civil society and the business sector to consider the accelerated implementation of the Copenhagen programme of action.

5.2 Convene a meeting of senior ministers across the ECA region before the UN General Assembly Review in 2000 to synthesise the recommendations of the subregional meetings.

5.3 Involve civil society organizations in these discussions and provide them timely access to documentation, drafts and resources in order to participate effectively.

Signed by the following organizations;

Dated: 14^th March 1999, Mbagathi, Nairobi.