Brussels, 05/04/2005 (Agence Europe) - Meeting in Paris on 31 March and 1 April under the chairmanship of the Dutch minister for social affairs and employment, Aart Jan de Geus, the social affairs ministers of the OECD countries discussed the subject “Extending Opportunities: How active social policy can benefit us all”. A forum was also held as part of this meeting, raising the question “Does social protection have to be provided only by government?”
At the end of the work, the ministers agreed that a strong economy is a decisive factor for the ability of societies to achieve their social objectives. Economic growth is a key element in providing support to families and reducing dependence on public aid, the OECD explains in a press release. Effective economic and social policies are complementary if we are to expand everybody's opportunities and make better use of resources than is currently the case. In the same way, effective social policies are essential to: generate economic dynamism and help create flexible employment markets; -prevent negative childhood experiences from leading to disadvantages for adults; putting a stop to exclusion from the employment market and from society; -guaranteeing the reliability of the system of caring for the elderly. Social policies must stress investment in people and the achievement of their potential, not just protect people against the vagaries of life.
The ministers called upon the OECD to carry out more detailed work in the following areas: 1) child welfare and family support; 2) future economic and social impact of pension system policies; 3) disabled people on the employment market; 4) a new balance between rights and responsibilities in terms of social security; 5) life risks, life course and social policy. (For details of the conclusions, see http://www.oecd.org/socialmin2005 ).