On social progress and development

United Nations Declaration of December 11, 1969

The General Assembly, bearing in mind the obligation of the Members of the United Nations, in accordance with the Charter, to take joint and independent action in cooperation with the Organization to promote higher standards of living, full employment of the population and conditions for economic and social progress and development, reaffirming faith in human rights and fundamental freedoms and in the principles of peace, dignity and values of the human person, and the principles of social justice proclaimed in the Charter, recalling the principles contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, The International Covenants on Human Rights, the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and the United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the Declaration on the Promotion of the Ideals of Peace, Mutual Respect and Understanding among Peoples among Youth, the Declaration on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women women and in United Nations resolutions, taking into account the norms already established for achieving social progress in the charters, conventions, recommendations and resolutions of the International Labour Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the World Health Organization, the United Nations Children's Fund and other relevant organizations, based on the conviction that a person can achieve the full realization of his aspirations only in conditions of a just social order and that, therefore, the acceleration of social and economic progress everywhere is of cardinal importance., what contributes to international peace and solidarity, based on the belief that international peace and security, on the one hand, and the social progress of economic development - On the other hand, they are closely interdependent and mutually influence each other, convinced that peaceful coexistence, friendly relations and cooperation among States with different social, economic and political systems can contribute to social development, emphasizing the interdependence of economic and social development within the broader process of growth and transformation, as well as the importance of strategy integrated development, which fully takes into account social aspects at all stages, regretting the lack of progress., despite the efforts of States and the international community, recognizing that the primary responsibility for the development of developing countries lies with these countries themselves, and reaffirming the urgent need to reduce and ultimately eliminate the gap between the standard of living of economically more developed and developing countries, to this end, States - Members should be responsible for implementing domestic and foreign policies aimed at promoting social development throughout the world and, in particular, helping developing countries accelerate their economic growth, recognizing the urgent need to devote resources that are spent on weapons and unproductive waste to conflict and destruction to the cause of peace and social progress, recognizing the contribution of which science and technology can do to meet the universal needs of humanity, believing, That the primary task of all States and international organizations is to eliminate from the life of society all evils and obstacles to social progress, above all such as inequality, exploitation, war, colonialism and racism, desiring to promote the progress of all mankind towards achieving these goals and to overcome all obstacles to their realization,      Solemnly proclaims this Declaration of Social Progress and Development and calls for national and international action to use it as a common framework for social development policy.:

Part I. Principles of Article I

     All peoples and all people, regardless of race, skin color, gender, language, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, marital or social status, or political or other beliefs, have the right to live in dignity and freedom and enjoy the fruits of social progress and must contribute to it.

Article II

     Social progress and development are based on respect for the dignity and worth of the human person and ensure the development of human rights and social justice, which requires: a) the immediate and definitive elimination of all forms of inequality, exploitation of peoples and individuals, colonialism, racism, excluding Nazism and apartheid, and any other policies and ideologies contrary to the goals and principles The United Nations;      (b) The recognition and effective exercise of civil and political rights, as well as economic, social and cultural rights, without discrimination.

Article III

     The main conditions for social progress and development are considered to be: a) national independence based on the right of peoples to self-determination; b) the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of States; c) respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States; d) the inalienable sovereignty of each State over its natural resources and resources;      (e) The right and responsibility of each State and, to the extent that each nation and people is concerned, to freely determine its own social development goals, establish its own order of priority and determine, in accordance with the principles of the Charter of the United Nations, the means and methods of achieving them without any outside interference; (f) Peaceful coexistence peace, friendly relations and cooperation of States, regardless of the differences between their social, economic and political systems.

Article IV

     The family, as the basic unit of society and the natural environment, should be provided with assistance and protection for the growth and well-being of all its members, especially children and youth, so that it can fully fulfill its responsibilities in the team. Parents have the exclusive right to freely and responsibly determine the number of their children and the time between their births.

Article V

     Social progress and development require the full use of human resources, including, in particular: (a) encouraging creative initiative in an atmosphere of enlightened public opinion; (b) disseminating information of a national and international nature in order to develop an individual's awareness of the changes taking place in society as a whole; (c) the active participation of all elements of society, individually or through associations, in defining and implementing common development goals with full respect for the fundamental freedoms enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights;      (d) Ensuring equal opportunities for social and economic development for disadvantaged or backward segments of the population in order to create an effective integrated society.

Article VI

     Social development requires that everyone be given the right to work and freely choose an occupation.      Social progress and development require the participation of all members of society in productive and socially useful work and the establishment, in accordance with human rights and fundamental freedoms, as well as in accordance with the principles of equity and the social function of property, of such forms of ownership of land and means of production that exclude any form of human exploitation and ensure equal property rights for all They create conditions leading to true equality among people.

Article VII

     The rapid increase in national income and wealth and their equitable distribution among all members of society are at the heart of all social progress, and therefore they should be at the center of the activities of every State and Government.      Improving the position of developing countries in international trade, in particular by providing developing countries with favorable trading conditions and fair and favorable prices for their goods, is necessary in order to enable them to increase national income and promote social development.

Article VIII

     Each Government has a primary role and ultimate responsibility in ensuring social progress and the well-being of its people, planning social development measures as part of comprehensive development plans, combining or encouraging and coordinating all national efforts to achieve this goal and implement necessary changes in the social structure. When planning social development measures, due consideration is given to the diversity in the needs of developing and developed areas, urban and rural areas of each country.

Article IX

     Social progress and development are a common cause of the international community, which, through coordinated international actions, complements national efforts aimed at improving the standard of living of peoples.      Social progress and economic growth require recognition of the common interest of all nations in the exploration, protection, use and exploitation of environmental areas, such as outer space, the seabed and ocean floor and its subsoil, beyond national jurisdiction, exclusively for peaceful purposes and in the interests of all mankind, in accordance with the principles and purposes of the Charter of the United Nations.

Part II. OBJECTIVES

Social progress and development should be aimed at continuously improving the material and spiritual standard of living of all members of society while respecting and exercising human rights and fundamental freedoms by achieving the following main goals:

Article X

     a) Ensuring the right to work at all levels, the right to form trade unions and associations of workers and conclude collective agreements; promoting full productive employment, creating fair and favorable working conditions for all, including improving sanitation and labor protection, ensuring fair remuneration for work without discrimination, setting a minimum wage, sufficient high to ensure a satisfactory standard of living; consumer protection;      (b) Eliminating hunger and malnutrition and guaranteeing the right to adequate nutrition; (c) Poverty eradication; ensuring a steady improvement in the standard of living, as well as a fair and even distribution of income; (d) Achieving the highest level of health care and ensuring the protection of the health of the entire population, as free as possible; (e) Eradication of illiteracy, ensuring the right to universal access to culture and to free compulsory education at the primary level and to free education at all levels; improving the general level of education throughout life;      (f) Providing all, especially those with low incomes and large families, with adequate housing and public services.      Social progress and development should be equally aimed at achieving the following main goals::

Article XI

     a) The provision of comprehensive social security and social care services, the creation and improvement of a social security and insurance system for all persons who, due to illness, disability or old age, are temporarily or permanently unable to earn a living, in order to ensure an adequate standard of living for such persons, their families and dependents; b) Protection of the rights of mother and child; taking care of the upbringing and health of children, carrying out activities aimed at protecting the health and well-being of women and especially working mothers during pregnancy and infancy of their children, as well as mothers whose earnings are the only source of family support; providing women with vacations and benefits related to pregnancy and motherhood while maintaining their place of work; and salaries; c) Protecting the rights and welfare of children, the elderly and the disabled; ensuring the protection of people with physical and mental disabilities;      (d) Educating youth in the spirit of the ideals of justice and peace, mutual respect and understanding among peoples; spreading these ideals among them; promoting the full participation of youth in the process of national development; (e) Carrying out measures in the field of social protection and eliminating conditions that give rise to crime, delinquency and especially juvenile delinquency; f) Ensuring that everyone's rights and obligations are brought to the attention of everyone without discrimination and that they receive the necessary assistance in exercising and protecting their rights.      Further, social progress and development should be aimed at achieving the following main goals::

Article XII

     a) Creating conditions for rapid and steady social and economic development, especially in developing countries; changing international economic relations, applying new and effective methods of international cooperation, in which equality of opportunity should be the prerogative of both countries and individuals within the country; b) Eliminating all forms of discrimination and exploitation and all other practices and ideologies contrary to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations;      (c) The elimination of all forms of foreign economic exploitation, in particular that carried out by international monopolies, in order to enable the people of each country to fully benefit from their national resources.      Finally, social progress and development should be aimed at achieving the following main goals::

Article XIII

     (a) The equal participation of developed and developing countries in the use of science and technology, and the increasing use of science and technology for the benefit of the social development of society; (b) The establishment of a harmonious balance between scientific, technical and material progress and the intellectual, spiritual, cultural and moral development of mankind; (c) The protection and improvement of the human environment.

Part III. TOOLS AND METHODS

     Based on the principles set out in this Declaration, achieving the goals of social progress and development requires the mobilization of necessary resources through national and international action, with particular attention to such means and methods as:

Article XIV

     (a) Planning for social progress and development as an integral part of planning for overall proportional development; (b) Establishment, where necessary, of national systems for the development and implementation of social policies and programmes, and assistance from interested States to planned regional development, taking into account different regional conditions and needs, in particular the development of disadvantaged areas conditions or backward compared to the rest of the country;      (c) Encouraging basic and applied social research, especially comparative international research, in relation to the planning and implementation of social development programmes.

Article XV

     (a) Taking measures to ensure the appropriate and effective participation of all elements of society in the development and implementation of national plans and programmes for economic and social development;      (b) Taking measures to increase the participation of the broad masses of the people in the economic, social, cultural and political life of countries through national government bodies and non-governmental organizations, cooperatives, rural associations, workers' and employers' organizations, as well as women's and youth organizations, through methods such as national and regional plans for social and economic progress and community development, with a view to achieving the full integration of national society, to accelerate the progress of social mobility and strengthen the democratic system; (c) To mobilize public opinion at both the national and international levels in support of the principles and objectives of social progress and development; (d) To disseminate social information at the national and international levels in order to bring to the attention of the population the changing circumstances in society as a whole and to educate the consumer.

Article XVI

     a) Maximize the mobilization of all national resources and their rational and effective use, promote the increase and acceleration of productive investments in the social, economic and employment fields, and orient society towards the development process; b) Progressively increase the necessary budgetary and other resources required to finance the social aspects of development;      (c) Achieving a fair distribution of national income by using, inter alia, the tax system and government spending as an instrument for the equitable distribution and redistribution of income to promote social progress; (d) Taking measures aimed at preventing capital outflows from developing countries that could harm their economic and social development.

Article XVII

     (a) Taking measures to accelerate the process of industrialization, especially in developing countries, taking due account of its social aspects for the benefit of the entire population; developing an appropriate organizational and legislative framework that promotes the continuous and comprehensive growth of the industrial sector; taking measures to overcome the adverse social consequences that may arise from urbanization and industrialization, including automation; maintaining an appropriate balance between rural and urban development, and, in particular, taking measures to improve living conditions, especially in large industrial centers; (b) Integrated planning to address the problems of urbanization and urban development; (c) Developing comprehensive rural development plans to improve the living standards of rural populations and facilitate such relations between the city and rural development and the appropriate distribution of the population, which will contribute to the equitable national development and social progress;      (d) Taking appropriate measures to control the use of land in the public interest.      Achieving the goals of social progress and development equally requires the implementation of the following means and methods:

Article XVIII

(a) The adoption of appropriate legislative, administrative and other measures to ensure not only political and civil rights for all, but also the full enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights without discrimination of any kind;      (b) Promoting democratic social and organizational reforms and incentives for change that are necessary to eliminate all forms of discrimination and exploitation and lead to high rates of economic and social progress, including agrarian reform, in which land tenure and land use systems would best serve the goals of social justice and economic development;      (c) Taking measures to dramatically increase and diversify agricultural production, in particular through democratic agrarian reforms, in order to ensure an adequate and well-balanced food supply, equitable distribution among the entire population and improved nutrition standards; (d) Taking measures to introduce, with the participation of the Government, affordable housing construction programs in rural areas. and in urban areas; (e) The development and expansion of transport and communications systems, especially in developing countries.

Article XIX

     a) To provide free health care services to the entire population and to ensure that appropriate preventive and curative institutions, as well as medical services, are accessible to all; (b) To adopt and enforce legislative measures and administrative provisions with a view to implementing comprehensive social welfare and social care programmes, as well as improving and coordinating existing services;      (c) Taking measures and providing social security services to migrant workers and their families in accordance with the provisions of Convention No. 97 of the International Labour Organization and other international instruments related to migrant workers; (d) Taking appropriate measures to restore the working capacity of persons with mental or physical disabilities, especially children and youth, in order to to help them become useful members of society to the fullest extent possible; Such measures should include the provision of medical treatment and technical devices, educational opportunities, professional and social orientation, training and employment benefits, as well as other types of necessary assistance, and the creation of social conditions in which disabled persons would not be discriminated against because of their disabilities.

Article XX

     a) Granting full democratic freedoms to trade unions, freedom of association for all workers, including the right to conclude collective agreements and strike, recognition of the right to form other workers' organizations; providing opportunities for wider participation of trade unions in economic and social development; effective participation of all members of trade unions in solving economic and social issues affecting their interests;      (b) Improving the health and safety conditions of workers through appropriate technological and legislative measures and ensuring the material conditions for the implementation of these measures, including the limitation of working hours; (c) Taking appropriate measures to promote harmonious industrial relations.

Article XXI

     (a) Training of national staff and personnel, including administrative, managerial, professional and technical personnel, necessary for social development and the implementation of general development plans and policies; (b) Taking measures to accelerate the expansion and improvement of general vocational and technical education, training and retraining, which should be provided free of charge at all levels;) Improving the general level of education; development and expansion of national mass media, their rational and full use to ensure a continuous process of education for the entire population and to encourage their participation in social development; constructive use of free time, especially the time of children and adolescents; d) Development of national and international policies and measures aimed at avoiding brain drain and its adverse effects.

Article XXII

     (a) The development and coordination of policies and measures aimed at strengthening the essential functions of the family as the basic unit of society; (b) The development and introduction, as appropriate, of population programmes within the framework of national demographic policy and as part of general health services, including education, staff training and family education programmes; and means that would enable them to exercise their right to freely and responsibly decide on the number of children and the intervals between their births;      (c) The establishment of appropriate childcare facilities for the benefit of children and working parents.      Achieving the goals of social progress and development requires, finally, the implementation of the following means and methods.

Article XXIII

     (a) Setting targets for developing countries in terms of economic growth rates, within the framework of the United Nations development policy, high enough to significantly accelerate their growth; (b) Providing more assistance on more favorable terms; achieving targets for assistance of at least 1 percent of gross national product (in market prices) of economically advanced countries; a general easing of the conditions for granting loans to developing countries by setting low interest rates on loans and long preferential repayment periods, as well as a guarantee that the granting of such loans will be based strictly on socio-economic criteria, independent of any political considerations;      (c) Providing technical, financial and material assistance, both bilaterally and multilaterally, to the fullest extent possible and on favorable terms, and improving the coordination of international assistance to achieve the social goals of national development plans;      (d) Providing technical, financial and material assistance to developing countries and creating an enabling environment to help those countries directly exploit their national resources and natural resources, thereby enabling the peoples of those countries to make full use of their national resources; (e) Expanding international trade based on the principles of equality and non-discrimination; correcting the situation of developing countries in international trade through fair terms of trade; the introduction of a common, non-reciprocity, non-discriminatory system of preferences for developing countries' exports to developed countries; the conclusion of general and comprehensive commodity agreements and the financing of sufficient buffer stocks by international financial institutions.

Article XXIV

     a) Strengthening international cooperation in order to ensure the international exchange of information, knowledge and experience in the field of social progress and development; (b) The widest possible international technical, scientific and cultural cooperation and the mutual use of the experience of countries with different economic and social systems and with different levels of development on the basis of mutual benefit and strict observance and respect for national sovereignty; c) The increasing use of science and technology for social and economic development; Activities for the transfer of technical knowledge, including manufacturing technology and patents, to developing countries, as well as activities for the exchange of this knowledge.

Article XXV

     (a) Development of legal and administrative measures for the protection and improvement of the human environment at both the national and international levels;      (b) The use and exploitation, in accordance with appropriate international standards, of the resources of such environmental areas as outer space and the seabed and ocean floor and its subsoil beyond the limits of national jurisdiction, in addition to national resources available in any country, regardless of its geographical location, to achieve economic and social progress and development; with special attention to the interests and needs of developing countries.

Article XXVI

     Compensation, including restitution and reparations, for damage, both social and economic, caused as a result of aggression and illegal occupation of the territory by the aggressor.

Article XXVII

     a) To achieve general and complete disarmament and to channel the gradually released resources for the economic and social progress and well-being of all peoples, and in particular for the benefit of developing countries; (b) To take measures conducive to disarmament, including, in particular, the total prohibition of nuclear weapons testing, the prohibition of the development, production and stockpiling of chemical and bacteriological weapons. (biological) weapons and prevention of pollution of oceans and inland waters by nuclear waste.

President    

Republic of Kazakhstan     

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