A/RES/59/146 the special needs of vulnerable and disadvantaged groups, democratic participation and the rule of law; 7. Recognizes the need to promote respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in order to address the most pressing social needs of people living in poverty, including through the design and development of appropriate mechanisms to strengthen and consolidate democratic institutions and governance; Reaffirms the commitment to gender equality and to strengthening 8. policies and programmes that improve, ensure and broaden the full participation of women in all spheres of political, economic, social and cultural life, as equal partners, and to improving their access to all resources needed for the full exercise of all their human rights and fundamental freedoms by removing persistent barriers; Stresses the vital importance of achieving social development for all and 9. of integrating social development objectives, as set out in the Copenhagen Declaration and the Programme of Action and in the further initiatives for social development, into economic policy-making, including into policies that influence domestic and global market forces and the global economy; 10. Recognizes that globalization and interdependence are opening new opportunities through trade, investment and capital flows and advances in technology, including information technology, for the growth of the world economy and the development and improvement of living standards around the world, while at the same time there remain serious challenges, including serious financial crises, insecurity, poverty, exclusion and inequality within and among societies and considerable obstacles to further integration and full participation in the global economy for developing countries, and that unless the benefits of social and economic development are extended to all countries, a growing number of people in all countries and even entire regions will remain marginalized from the global economy, and in this regard reiterates the need for further action in order to overcome those obstacles affecting peoples and countries and to realize the full potential of opportunities presented for the benefit of all; 11. Looks forward, in this context, to further consideration of the impact of globalization on social development at the forty-third session of the Commission for Social Development, taking note of the report of the World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalization; 5 12. Reaffirms the need to place people at the centre of all our development policies in order to eradicate poverty, promote full and productive employment and foster social integration so as to promote stable, safe and just societies for all; 13. Underlines the importance of adopting effective measures, including new financial mechanisms, as appropriate, to support the efforts of developing countries to achieve sustained economic growth, sustainable development, poverty reduction and the strengthening of their democratic systems, while reaffirming that each country has primary responsibility for its own economic and social development and that national policies have the leading role in the development process; 14. Emphasizes the importance of integrating economic and social policies in promoting human resources development and enhancing the process of development, invites the Economic and Social Council and the Commission for _______________ 5 International Labour Office, A Fair Globalization: Creating Opportunities for All (Geneva, 2004); see also A/59/98-E/2004/79. 3