STATEMENT OF THE PARLIAMENTARY WORKSHOP
"SURVIVING TRANSITION: SOCIAL WELFARE SAFETY NETS FOR CHILDREN AND VULNERABLE FAMILIES"

Organized jointly by UNICEF and the Hungarian Inter-Parliamentary Group
under the sponsorship of the Inter-Parliamentary Union
Budapest, 19-21 March 1993)

We, the participants of this Workshop, met in Budapest to discuss issues pertaining to social welfare legislation during the major economic transformations underway in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and to assess the potential of social services to protect children and families.

We recognize that the failure of the centrally planned economies and the onset of the transition to social market economies are characterized by a present decrease in living standards and other negative social changes.

We assert that although there are some specific difficulties in each country represented at the Workshop, the underlying basic problems regarding children and vulnerable families are similar.

We state that the social protection of children should remain a top priority in every country undergoing the transition from centrally planned to market economy.

We consider children to be an important force capable of bringing together various political parties and groups for the purpose of promoting and adopting the needed equitable and pragmatic social policy measures.

We reaffirm our support and commitment to the principles of the "Convention on the Rights of the Child" and to the goals expressed in "The Declaration and Plan of Action of the World Summit for Children", and pledge to advocate their implementation.

We congratulate the organizers of the present Workshop for taking the initiative to hold such a meeting and invite UNICEF and the Inter-Parliamentary Union to work on follow-up measures and further possible joint activities focusing on the region of Central and Eastern Europe.

We express our sincere gratitude and appreciation to the Hungarian hosts who have provided excellent working conditions for the Workshop.