Leading development and social policy thinkers called for social concerns to be integrated in global negotiations on aid and trade, and to make sure that social empowerment and inclusion become a center piece of the development agenda.

Gathered in Arusha, Tanzania, this week at the ‘New Frontiers of Social Policy: Development in a Globalizing World’ international conference, participants emphasized in “The Arusha Statement” that social policy must no longer be an afterthought – to recognize that development policy is always simultaneously economic and social policy.

The conference aimed at exploring how   policy makers globally and especially in Africa can address current gaps in the achievement of the commitments made at the 1995 World Summit on Social Development in Copenhagen and in meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

“New frontiers of social policy were created in 1967 with the Arusha Declaration,” said Ian Johnson, Vice President for Sustainable Development, World Bank.  “This week’s conference has expanded those frontiers.  Years of experience has shown us that economic growth alone is not sufficient to improve well-being and reduce poverty.  Economic development needs to put people and their realities at the center of the agenda – to respect and embrace local norms, political conditions, cultures, and traditions.”

Johnson was referring to the groundbreaking declaration of Arusha, by which Tanzania, under the leadership of the late head of State Julius Nyerere, established the principles of self-reliance in guiding development strategies. 

The Arusha Statement stressed   that “citizens need to be involved in the generation of knowledge, the debate on policy formulation, and the implementation of programs. There are many paths to development, and social policy should not fall into the trap of one-size-fits-all prescriptions.  Social policy principles within countries will ultimately be the result of contestations among citizens and will invariably be a compromise between what is desirable, feasible, and acceptable.”

Arusha Conference Urges To Bridge Social Divide