The recording of the side event From “Unaffordability” to Rights: Claiming Fiscal Space for Universal Social Security is now available. The session brought together new research and regional perspectives to examine how narratives around “affordability” shape fiscal choices, and to explore pathways toward universal, rights-aligned social security systems.
Speakers: Jamele Rigolini (World Bank), Stephen Kidd (Development Pathways), Angella Kasule Nabwowe (ISER Uganda), Diala Ahwach (Arab Reform Initiative), Matti Kohonen (Financial Transparency Coalition, tbc).
Moderator: Lena Simet (Human Rights Watch).
The event was co-organized by Act Church of Sweden, Arab Reform Initiative (ARI), ISER Uganda, Human Rights Watch, Bretton Woods Project, Global Coalition for Social Protection Floors (GCSPF), International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP), The Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy (TIMEP), Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ).
The event took place at the Civil Society Policy Forum (CSPF), held during the 2026 Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group (WBG) held from 14 to 17 April 2026 in a hybrid format.
