Employment to Fight Poverty

This brochure can be ordered from Sabine Brüschweiler in English, French, German or Italian.

Online versions (text-only) are available in English, French, Spanish, German and Italian.

The documentation of the meeting "Employment to Figth Poverty/Arbeit gegen Armut" which took place in Bern on 11 May 2000 is also available in pdf format (285 kB) or Word (174 kB). It contains speeches by Walter Fust, Juan Somavia, Ela Bhatt and Victorine Ouandaogo, as well as the results of the working groups and the hearing.

Employment to fight poverty At the World Social Summit of 1995 in Copenhagen, the participating heads of states and governments made a commitment to support the reduction of poverty, the provision of sufficient employment, and measures for the social integration of marginalized groups.

Following the summit, with the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) in charge, Switzerland drew up an analysis of the main causes for the major problems in social development. Fixed values were defined in order to reach the goals of the summit with regards to north-south relationships. In the same manner, elements for policies and strategies of SDC as well as for Swiss foreign policy were developed and challenges formulated for the private industry and the non-profit-making private organizations.

One of the main topics discussed at the summit was the creation of jobs. It is only through the creation of new jobs that a lasting reduction of poverty can be achieved. For this reason, SDC supports, through numerous projects and programmes, the creation and safeguarding of jobs as well as the improvement of working conditions.

- Vocational training programmes increase the qualifications of blue-collar, white-collar, and self-employed workers;

- Promotion of small enterprises makes the safeguarding and creation of jobs and incomes possible;

- Accessibility of microcredits is an important prerequisite for jobs and incomes for a large portion of the population;

- Agriculture and forestry are still important employers in poorer countries. SDC supports the partner countries in the effort to improve the environment for entrepreneurial activities.

Stimulating the economy in a manner which has a positive effect on employment and facilitating access to production and marketing opportunities for poorer segments of the population, are some of the steps taken to enhance the environment. Having access to local and national markets is as important as having access to the markets of the north. SDC supports free enterprise reforms towards a market economy and the fight against corruption. Broad access to education, knowledge, and to new information and communication technologies is promoted specifically.

Five years after Copenhagen, from June 26th - June 30th, 2000, the world community will meet again to take stock. Switzerland, Geneva to be precise, has the pleasure to host the World Social Summit +5 at the special session of the UN General Assembly. SDC is committed to the resolutions of the World Social Summit and will continue its contribution to effectively implement the Copenhagen resolutions in the service of the poorer countries, regions and people.

Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation
Walter Fust, Director