Abstract : |
“Over-reliance on market forces and economic liberalization has led to neglect of nationally designed and developmentally-oriented strategies, to the detriment of the poor.”
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Rethinking Poverty the 2010 issue of the Report on the World Social Situation seeks to contribute to rethinking poverty and its eradication. It affirms the urgent need for a strategic shift away from the market fundamentalist thinking, policies and practices of recent decades towards more sustainable development- and equity-oriented policies appropriate to national conditions and circumstances.
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The report ‘World Social Situation 2010' makes a compelling case for rethinking poverty and poverty-reduction efforts, saying that over-reliance on market forces and economic liberalization have led to neglect of nationally designed and developmentally-oriented strategies, to the detriment of the world’s poor. The most important lesson, according is that governments need to play a developmental role, integrating economic and social policies that support inclusive output and employment growth, while attacking inequality and promoting justice.
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The report states that provision of essential social services such as basic healthcare and primary education, safe water and sanitation with basic social protection must be incorporated in development programmes.
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Keeping inflation and fiscal deficits under control and economic liberalisation these have not really reduced poverty; on the contrary, they have often “reduced growth and increased inequality”. Its assessment that “inclusive economic development which brings dividends to poor people and the marginalised has been elusive.”
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The report argues that the relationship between economic and social policy cannot be one where growth is given primacy over distribution, where social policy comes to be understood merely as a corrective for the undesirable consequences of growth processes.
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Unified policy approach :
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| The report places stress on a unified policy approach that clearly targets inclusive development, which would go a long way in bringing about sustained growth of real output, employment and incomes and promote inclusive development which benefits the poor. |
The UN report plumps for extension of basic social protection while underlining the need to safeguard public social expenditures or even augment them “in this current time of crises so as to protect investment in human capital. Report on the World Social Situation 2010/BL 050210
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| Compiled by K. Ramasubba Reddy KRSR/050110 |
