GCSPF at the Global Social Protection Week

Members of the Global Coalition for Social Protection Floors participated in the Global Social Protection Week organized by the International Labour Organization (ILO) which was held from 25th to 28th November 2019 in Geneva, Switzerland.

The objective of the Global Social Protection Week was to provide a roadmap for the future of social protection within the framework of the recently adopted ILO Centenary Declaration for the Future of Work.

Video recordings of the high-level segment, selected interviews and photos are posted here.

The GCSPF delivered a statement at the Commitment session of the High-level Segment on Tuesday 26th. Read the statement here and the audio is here

The GCSPF delivered a statement at the Session Partnership for USP and SDG 1.3 at the Global Social Protection Week on Thursday 28th. Read the statement here

Cäcilie Schildberg delivered a statement on behalf of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung at the Commitment session of the High-level Segment on Tuesday 26th.
The audio is available here, and all the session is here

A meeting with the Social Protection, Freedom and Justice for Workers Network took place on Wednesday 27th. The Workers Network is an initiative by the ILO – in partnership with the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) – to bring together trade unions that are active in promoting adequate, comprehensive social protection systems, to support dialogue amongst them and mutual learning. The network meeting showcased how unions are campaigning for the extension of social protection systems that are adequate, comprehensive, and based on the principles of solidarity and universality; dfending these systems against austerity and mobilising against cutbacks to the adequacy and coverage of social protection; negotiating reforms within tripartite committees or councils, as well as actively participating in the implementation, monitoring and follow-up of social protection reforms; supporting workers in the informal economy to access comprehensive social protection, while at the same time fostering the transition from the informal to formal economy; and promoting the ratification and effective implementation of international labour standards on social protection, namely ILO Convention 102 on Social Security and Recommendation 202 on Social Protection Floors. Specific country cases were presented (India, Nepal, Argentine, Kenya. Read more

Aura Sevilla and Michael Cichon participated in the panel. The session was moderated by Cäcilie Schildberg. The session was held on Wednesday 27th.
This session brought together governments, social partners, international organizations and development partners to discuss the importance of an effective and inclusive national dialogue for formulating national social protection strategies and policiesto build national social protection systems. It explored steps that countries can follow to formulate national social protection policies and strategies based on national dialogue and highlight countries’ experiences and lessons learnt in this regard. Read more

The technical session "Exploring the feasibility of International Financing for Social Protection Systems" was held on Thursday 28th. Michael Cichon and Markus Kaltenborn were in the panel.
This session brought together leading thinkers from governments, research institutions, the civil society and the private sector in order to discuss the feasibility of international financing for social protection floors. Different proposals for global solidarity mechanisms have been put forward in the past decade. Furthermore, different tax proposals have been discussed (and partly been implemented), including recent discussions on international taxation in the G7. The audio is here and the concept note is here

The side event "Launch of the publication From international ivory towers to national realities: The challenge of creating national social dialogues for social protection floors, organized by the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung was held on Thurdsday 28th.
The importance of an effective and inclusive national dialogue for formulating national social protection strategies and policies to build national social protection systems was discussed in the session. And the experiences FES made in a three year project in nine countries where the impact that can be achieved by societal dialogues for the extension or the preservation of social protection almost everywhere.
The publication seeks to contribute to the core objectives of the Global Coalition for Social Protection Floors and to foster ongoing discussion at the national and international levels on how to better support the achievement of the SDGs and the practical realization of Recommendation 202, as a necessity for any kind of social-ecological transformation towards just and sustainable development.

Only with a solid floor beneath our feet, we can feel safe and start dancing! Watch the video here

On Wednesday 27th the GCSPF had a stand to present our work as well as publications of our members. The presentations included information shared by the members. The stand was focused on the cluster "Delivering on SDG 1.3: UN and partners" and the main focus was on "The role of civil society for universal social protection". José Florito (CIPECC, Argentina) coordinated our participation on this.

The strategy meeting of the Core Team of the Global Coalition for Social Protection Floors took place during the Global Social Protection Week.
The aim of this workshop was to bring together the members of the Core Team in order to share information among the members on activities in their working area, to discuss and develop future strategies and actions on all levels with specific focus on the regional, national and local level in developing countries, to discuss and decide respective action plans for 2020 and 2021 and to meet with international experts of the ILO and the Human Rights system during the ILO’s Social Protection Week and to strengthen their partnership.
The meeting was facilitated by the Geneva Office of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) and Brot-für-die-Welt.

The World Bank recently issued a White Paper on rethinking social protection systems to extend coverage. While at first glance this is an honourable goal, the proposals in Protecting All: Risk-Sharing for a Diverse and Diversifying World of Work would do little to achieve this aim. The paper proposes a rollback of existing rights and protections for workers, both in terms of social security and labour market protections. Leo Baunach, Evelyn Astor and Stephen Kidd argue that this approach would increase inequality and undermine poverty reduction.
The World Bank is the largest multilateral institution devoted to promoting development. Unfortunately, its promotion of the Washington Consensus, pension privatisation, poverty targeting and other failed policies have caused immense damage to developing countries. No matter, the authors say: “Rather than an indication of poor development progress,” the lack of social protection coverage in developing countries means that it will be easier to implement the untested and inequitable framework presented in the White Paper (pg. 31). Read more

In a joint declaration, Civil Society Organisations reject the IMF austerity policies implemented in Ecuador, Argentina and Haiti, with agreements that include the restriction of public investment, reduction of labor rights, establish tax amnesties for the corporate sector and trigger a continued deterioration in public services. This is not the way to either prevent or resolve a crisis. The IMF has to change its austerity and deregulatory structural reform policies. Countries must have access to financing with sovereignty over their economic policies and in a a way that the State can guarantee human rights, civil and political, as well as economic and social rights, in line with their Constitutions and international treaties, and with the participation of diverse sectors of society, including social movements of indigenous people, women and workers. Read more

On 24-25 September, parallel to these High-level UN meetings and closed-door or invitation only business meetings, civil society organisations engaged in critical discussions on the future of sustainable development and reforms needed to ensure a just and equitable future for all.
The People’s Assembly hosted a session on “High level political forum (HLPF) Reform Including the Role of Private Sector in the UN”. The conversation, moderated by Jens Martens of Global Policy Forum (GPF), featured panelists Oli Henman of Action 4 Sustainable Development (A4SD), John Romano of the Transparency, Accountability, Participation (TAP) Network, Kate Donald of the Center for Economic and Social Rights (CESR) and Barbara Adams of the GPF. Their remarks and the subsequent interactive conversation touched on challenges and opportunities ahead regarding reform to the wider UN, proposals to reconstitute the HLPF, and immediate opportunities to reform the HLPF. Read more

The South Asia Inequality Report 2019 aims to flag up the seriousness of growing inequality in South Asia as a result of government policies and programmes that benefit only a handful of rich leaving behind a large section of society who are denied access to the basic human rights and needs.
The report published by SAAPE discusses the common problems caused by inequality and its impact on the lives of the people across South Asian countries.
The high level of economic growth in South Asia has not resulted in welfare improvement especially in case of the poor since they have failed to gain any benefits in comparison to the rich. Societal welfare has been remarkably decreased because the economic growth has benefited the rich at the cost of the poor. Read more

European Anti Poverty Network (EAPN) has written to the President of the European Commission to ensure the AGS 2020 continues its progress towards a more balanced social/economic/environmental strategy delivering on poverty, social rights + participation.
EAPN underlines 10 key messages for the 2020 Annual Growth Survey, building on their exchanges with their members on their findings this year and particularly on the EAPN Assessment of the Semester 2019: Is the 2019 European Semester more social? Read more

By harnessing transformative interfaith action in communities, Norwegian Church Aid – Tanzania (NCA Tanzania) engages community members and local partners to uphold peace and promote social cohesion. Our interfaith community projects on budget monitoring, and savings and loan groups have proved vital for harmonious networking and interaction.
Contact information: Sarah Shija, Senior Program Officer

Please see his publications here.

Four years after the adoption of the 2030 Agenda the world is off-track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Most governments have failed to turn the transformational vision of the 2030 Agenda into real transformational policies. Even worse, xenophobia and authoritarianism are on the rise in a growing number of countries.
But there are signs of change. Social movements have emerged worldwide, many with young people and women in the lead. They not only challenge bad or inefficient government policies, but also share a fundamental critique of underlying social structures, power relations and governance arrangements.
Thus, the implementation of the 2030 Agenda is not just a matter of better policies. Meaningfully tackling the obstacles and contradictions in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs requires more holistic and more sweeping shifts in how and where power is vested, including through institutional, legal, social, economic and political commitments to realizing human rights.

The GCSPF and several members of the Global Coalition participated in the 2019 Report. The chapter on SDG 1 is entitled “Applying human rights standards for the governance of social protection will unleash its transformative potential” by the GCSPF. Read the publication here and see below the contributions by members of the GCSPF.

“There needs to be an examination of the hardware of the 2030 Agenda, rather than an upgrade of its software” concludes the 2019 Spotlight Report launched on Thursday, 11 July during the HLPF that reviews the UN 2030 Agenda for sustainable development. Under the title of “Reshaping governance for sustainability”, the civil society report explores transforming institutions, shifting power and strengthening rights. The launch event showcased the ideas presented by a variety of the report’s authors. Read more

By Sylvia Beales and Nicola Wiebe, Global Coalition for Social Protection Floors
The Agenda recognizes that economic growth alone misses those left furthest behind, and its transformative vision is to reach the furthest first, to leave no one behind, to empower the disadvantaged and to end poverty in all its forms everywhere by 2030.
Social protection is key to accomplishing this vision and is mandated in SDG 1, target 1.3. When properly designed, social protection effectively prevents and reduces poverty and inequality. Guaranteed social protection supports improved nutrition and access to essential services and can therefore interrupt the vicious cycle of poverty and its intergenerational transfer. Universal access rights to social protection means that those at extreme disadvantage can be reached, which contributes to overcoming deeply rooted experiences of discrimination and exclusion, disempowerment and gender inequality. But currently only 29 percent of the global population count on comprehensive social protection over the lifecourse and for the different contingencies that may occur. Read more

By Roberto Bissio, Social Watch
The trade-offs between different priorities competing for scarce budget resources, for the limited attention of policy-makers or the interest of the media rarely emerge in the official debates, but they are permanently highlighted by the independent reports of civil society on implementation of the 2030 Agenda... or lack of it. Read more

By Xavier Godinot, International Movement ATD Fourth World
The 2030 Agenda recognizes that poverty is multidimensional. However, apart from income poverty, hitherto these dimensions have not been well-specified, several of them have gone unrecognized, and the ways in which they all interact to shape the experience of poverty has not been properly understood. Read more

By Ignacio Saiz, Center for Economic and Social Rights (CESR)
Over the seven decades since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), human rights have become deeply embedded in the discourse, norms and structures of global governance. Promoting human rights is one of the foundational purposes of the United Nations. Human rights agreements - and disagreements - have profoundly shaped the dynamic of relations between States, as well as between governments and their people. The principles affirmed in the UDHR represent the closest humanity has come to an agreed universal framework of standards for how such relations should be governed. Read more

By Roberto Bissio, Social Watch
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development clearly identifies several issues, ranging from finances, to climate to trade, where global governance agreement is required. But actual decisions on these issues often run in the opposite direction. Non-accountable ‘clubs’ exercise de facto authority and raise obstacles to implementing the SDGs. Read more

By Trywell Kalusopa, Africa Labour Research Network (ALRN), ITUC-Africa
This article seeks to add to the global dialogue from a trade union point of view, focusing on the assessment of progress in Africa towards SDG 8 targets on growth and employment. It argues that the current capitalist neoliberal global financial and economic production system tends to reproduce economic insecurities, a prime source of inequalities, unemployment and poverty. It asserts that the unfettered globalization enterprise, defined in the purview of the integration of trade, technology and labour, is an inherent driver of decent work deficits around the world. This is clear in the global commodity and value chains of the formal and informal economies that are now linked across borders, altering political, socioeconomic structures and ultimately employment relations. In that light, the increased integration of the global economy simply means that both formal and informal workers are enmeshed in integrated capitalist production processes that present newer challenges to worker organizations and ultimately undermine human development and progress. Read more

By David Boys, Public Services International (PSI)
Public infrastructure and services are the bedrock of our societies – they help families thrive, they allow communities and businesses to grow and prosper, they provide support for people in need. They include health and social services; education; water and sanitation; energy; public transport; roads; land use planning (both urban and rural); justice, security and more. These core government responsibilities are one of the main guarantors of fulfilling human rights and reducing poverty.
Although the UN’s 2030 Agenda implicitly acknowledges the fundamental role of public services and the importance of universal access, its Financing for Development policies and the emphasis in SDG 17 on partnerships are pushing us towards the private, for-profit model. This even as the for-profit model demonstrates its inability to ensure universal access, especially for the poor. Therefore, a different framework is needed, one that rebalances the needs of people and planet over profit. Read more

By Kate Donald, CESR, Grazielle David, University of Campinas and Mahinour El-Badrawi, CESR
The IMF plays a central role in economic governance, both at the global and national levels. Although it presents itself as neutral economic arbiter, its approach is in fact deeply rooted in certain economic orthodoxies, many of which have proven incompatible with the achievement of sustainable development and the meaningful reduction of inequalities, particularly in the Global South. Drawing on the examples of Egypt and Brazil, we present concrete examples of how IMF governance – in its various forms – has led to deepening of social and economic inequalities, and threats to human rights enjoyment. This is in stark contrast to the image that the IMF is painting of itself as a champion of the SDGs. Read more

By Daria Cibrario, Public Services International (PSI) and Andrea Ciambra, United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG)
Highlighting the crucial role of local and regional governments in the frontline implementation of the SDGs, this article showcases a selection of innovative initiatives by subnational governments, often in dialogue and cooperation with trade unions and community groups. Cases go beyond the scope of SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities) reaching out to other SDGs relating to essential public service access, housing, climate change and public procurement. Read more

By Govind Kelkar and Sudeshna Sengupta
The concept of Green Economy has been operationalized for the last 10 years. Politically, the concept became prevalent from the negotiation in Environmental Summit of 1992. Rio 20 became the platform where the idea of Green Economy started growing more prevalent. In a Green Economy, however, the Rights approach to development and gender equeality has been missing. Growth in income and employment is to be driven by public and private investments that reduce carbon emissions and pollution, enhance energy and resource efficiency, and prevent the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services. Pointing out the Global South concern on conceptualizing Green Economy in a recent webinar hosted by the BRICS Feminist Watch (BFW), Mariama Williams stated that some South feminists were not happy with this agenda as it might shift the focus from sustainable development, especially if the Green Economy only puts price tags on nature and was not concerned about human rights. Feminists are of the opinion that it is important that Green Economy should engage with political, social and environmental concerns and ensure adequate participation of women and recognize their contributions. Women are not to be looked at only as target beneficiaries impacted by the transition process to Green Economy. This position paper presents the progressive feminist position on incorporating Green Economy within the policy domain of New Development Bank (NDB). Read more

Over a hundred Heads of State or Government are expected to arrive to New York in the last week of September for a series of back-to-back summit meetings at the opening of the General Assembly of the United Nations. On top of the usual photo opportunities and a myriad of bilateral meetings between leaders, this High-level week provides an opportunity for multilateral action to shift away from ’business as usual’ and address some enormous current challenges.
The calendar is certainly crowded: the Climate Action Summit and the High-level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage on 23 September, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Summit on 24-25 September, the High-level Dialogue on Financing for Development (FfD) on 26 September, and the High-level Midterm Review of the SAMOA Pathway on 27 September.
These multiple events enable world leaders to confront policy gaps, address interlinkages among these issues and design policies and actions in an interconnected way. Similar vested interests that resist regulation of the corporate sector to protect the largest greenhouse gas emitters also block increased access to affordable medicines and vaccinations. Further, the conversations on financing the SDGs, particularly on ecological and climate issues cannot be divorced from the programme on Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Read more

By Priti Darooka and Sejal Dand
Rural roads have enormous economic and social benefits to the poor in terms of increased agricultural production, lower input and transport costs, increased school enrollment, increased access to health and other services. In addition, rural roads construction, maintenance, and rehabilitation are an excellent employment and income-generating opportunity for the local population.
Mukhya Mantri Grameen Sadak Yojana (MMGSY) or the Chief Minister's Rural Road Project in Gujarat in India was selected as a case study to critically assess inclusion of, and impact on, women and girls at all stages of the project. MMGSY is an Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) funded stand-alone project in India. The Gujarat Rural Roads Project, financed by the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), seeks to construct and upgrade rural roads to increase connectivity throughout the State. According to the project document, its aim is to provide all-weather rural roads to about 1060 villages in all of the state's 33 districts, benefitting about 8 million people at an estimated cost of USD 1.5 billion.
PWESCR and BRICS Feminist Watch are happy to present this gender analysis report of the project which includes observations, findings and recommendations from the field with an overview of relevant Indian and Gujarat State laws and policies and an analysis of the gaps and track record of implementation. Read more

By Carlin Carr, WIEGO
Globally, 2-billion people work in the informal economy. They are some of the most vulnerable workers in the world, and they are the new majority. This means that 61% of workers globally rely on work that offers little pay and few protections, and women are particularly at risk. Public policies and social protection schemes often do not consider these workers, leaving them vulnerable to income losses and struggling to cope after an event or shock.
In this new podcast, Informal Economy: Social Protection, Cyrus Afshar hosts WIEGO social-protection experts, as well as external guests, in wide-ranging discussions on some of the most-pressing issues related to social protection from the perspective of informal workers. These include debates around the future of work, demographic changes and the informal economy, as well as social services, like child care and health that can protect informal workers' incomes. Read more

BWP's new briefing explores how the World Bank addresses gender equality in Development Policy Financing (DPF), the World Bank instrument that provides credits, loans or guarantees to borrowing countries through fungible budget support, conditioned on policy reforms. It aims to stimulate further discussion around the linkages between gender equality, macroeconomic policy, and the role of the World Bank, ultimately to help create an enabling macroeconomic policy environment for gender equality.
The briefing presents the Bank's role in shaping macroeconomic and gender policymaking, examining how DPF is designed and illustrating how gendered impacts are examined in policy and practice. In its overarching policy, the Bank states that staff must determine whether “specific policies supported by the operation are likely to have significant poverty and social consequences, especially on poor people and vulnerable groups.” Yet the recent operations outlined as case studies in BWP's briefing highlight a number of gaps and remaining questions regarding the Bank's approach to analysing the potential gendered impacts of policy reforms introduced through this lending instrument.
Without critically and comprehensively reviewing its DPF from a gender perspective, especially in relation to macroeconomic policy reforms, the World Bank is at risk of supporting inconsistent and counterproductive policy reforms, which could undermine its own aims to promote gender equality and contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. Read more

By Carlin Carr, WIEGO
The daily grind of street vendors comes with a host of obvious business challenges: sourcing and preparing goods to sell; attracting a steady stream of customers; and generating enough take-home pay to survive. It's a hustle, and one that these roadside entrepreneurs know well.
But the hustle only goes so far.
Conducting their livelihoods in public spaces, street vendors face difficult challenges extending beyond their everyday business transactions. Woefully inadequate infrastructure, particularly around access to clean water and toilets, often wreaks havoc on their working lives. Multiple costs – including trips to the toilet and water delivery – cut into already meagre earnings. Limited access takes a toll on vendors' mental and physical health, further reducing their earning potential. These are key findings from research by WIEGO and International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) with street vendors in Nakuru (Kenya) and Durban (South Africa). Read more

The High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development met from Tuesday, 9 July, to Thursday, 18 July 2019; including the three-day ministerial meeting of the forum from Tuesday, 16 July, to Thursday, 18 July 2019.

The theme was: “Empowering people and ensuring inclusiveness and equality”. The HLPF also reviewed progress towards the SDGs and focus in particular on Goals 4, 8, 10, 13, 16, and 17.
During the ministerial meetings 47 countries carried out Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs).

Dr. Luise Steinwachs, BftW
“What's wrong with inequality? Should all people be the same?” someone asked me once. Maybe this person was confusing inequality with diversity. Diversity does not necessarily imply exclusion or marginalization. Inequality does.
Inequality is something that shapes and defines one's life. There are always people behind the numbers and percentages. Read more

By Kate Donald, CESR
The 2019 HLPF —the global platform for reviewing progress on the SDGs— took place last week at the UN in New York, and in general terms, it was more of the same. Admirable rhetoric, but not much evidence of serious efforts at comprehensive implementation, and a host of major flaws and limitations to contend with. As CESR has observed at previous HLPFs (see 2017 and 2018), the space given to civil society is far too limited, most of the Voluntary National Reviews feel very disconnected from reality, and one leaves with the feeling that most governments are at best timidly tinkering around the edges, making minor adjustments to business-as-usual while the planet burns.
There were, however, three elements that made this year's HLPF somewhat distinct. Read more

By Elena Marmo, GPW
Every year since the adoption of the 2030 Agenda in 2015, governments are invited to present Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) on their progress in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the High Level Political Forum (HLPF) of the UN. This process is heralded by some as a great opportunity to hold governments accountable to their actions and by others as a beauty contest riddled with misrepresentation and power imbalances. Civil society organizations in many countries produce their own alternative “spotlight reports,” playing with the name of “shadow reports” traditionally given to such independent voices in the Human Rights context.
An event titled “National Reports on 2030 Agenda: What do They (Not) Tell Us?,” jointly hosted by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the Committee for Development Policy (CDP), Global Policy Forum (GPF) and Social Watch, explored these tensions and sought to identify opportunities to improve reporting, monitoring, follow-up and accountability in these national review processes. Read more

By Elena Marmo and Sophia McCarron, GPW
“There needs to be an examination of the hardware of the 2030 Agenda, rather than an upgrade of its software” concludes the 2019 Spotlight Report launched on Thursday, 11 July during the High Level Political Forum that reviews the United Nations 2030 Agenda for sustainable development. Under the title of “Reshaping governance for sustainability”, the civil society report explores transforming institutions, shifting power and strengthening rights. The launch event showcased the ideas presented by a variety of the report’s authors. Read more

As part of the 2019 edition of the SDGs Learning, Training & Practice – a series of capacity building and knowledge workshops held at the HLPF and co-hosted by the Division for Sustainable Development Goals, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA/DSDG) and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) - a group of NGOs and Universities (some of which are members of the Global Coalition on Social Protection Floors) came together to present their “Participatory and Inclusive tools to build capacities in leaving no one behind”, Thursday July 11th, 2019. Through interactive talks, activists, academics and people with a direct experience of disability or poverty powerfully shared their respective work and research aiming at bringing the voices of the most excluded and marginalized segments of society globally. Read more

By Barry Herman
Social Justice in Global Development
There is a growing appreciation that the SDGs, if not yet the 2030 Agenda writ large, are less than they are made out to be. Nevertheless, they embody the only international discussion on development and remain politically embraced by international development organizations, governments and much of civil society. The following draws from comments made in different meetings. Read more

By Sylvia Beales Gelber, APSP
The Stakeholder Group on Ageing event ‘Confronting ageism and empowering older people to ensure social, economic and political inclusion of all’ was held on 9th July, the key message was ‘Achieving the SDGs means dismantling ageism’. The event can be watched here and a report is available here.

VNR LAB 3: “Leaving no one behind” – Inclusive implementation and reporting was held on 10th July. The Lab focussed on how public and civic institutions can create/strengthen mechanisms to ensure inclusive processes, including decision-making in the implementation of SDGs, and in specific VNR preparatory and reporting processes at the national and local levels. A key conclusion was that LNOB principles need to be mainstreamed into all policies and sectors and should be more effectively used as inclusive mechanisms at the national and local levels. The report is available here and the intervention is here.