OECD Ministers state that social policies must be pro-active, stressing investment in people’s capabilities and the realisation of their potential, not merely insuring against misfortune.
In March 2005, Ministers responsible for social policies from OECD countries met to discuss the benefits of active social policies and whether social protection has to be provided by the state. They concluded that:
Social and family policies must help give children and young people the best possible start to their lives and help them to develop and achieve through their childhood into adulthood. Providing all parents with better choices about how to balance work and family life extends opportunities, especially for women, and creates economic gains. More family-friendly policies could also help raise birth rates in those countries where they are too low.
Attaining a better social balance between generations is, and will long remain, one of the most important challenges facing OECD countries. The social and financial sustainability of pension systems needs to be improved.
Family breakdown, the need to care for family members, illness, or the loss of a job can all lead to long-term joblessness unless appropriate social supports are in place. Social policy can lower poverty by reducing barriers to employment, supporting self-sufficiency, and by providing adequate benefits for those who cannot work. We should end the unjustified assumption that some groups such as lone parents, older workers, people with disabilities and people on social assistance for a long time cannot or should not work. The reassessment of the OECD Jobs Strategy should identify policies which will help end labour market exclusion.
These social policy challenges must be a shared responsibility. Common purpose is needed among all concerned (including employers, workers, their respective representative organisations, all levels of government, individuals, communities and a broad range of non-government organisations) in order to better align economic dynamism with social objectives. Individual beneficiaries of social programmes have responsibilities to contribute to their own development.
Areas identified for future OECD work include:
Well-being of children and support for families
Future social and economic implications of pension policies
Disabled people in the labour market
A new balance between rights and responsibilities in social security
Life risks, life course and social policy
