GCSPF e-Newsletter #102 | April 2024 Edition

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e-GCSPF #102 - April 2024

Invitation: Join the webinar on the UN Global Accelerator

The Working Group on Financing Social Protection of the GCSPF and the INSP!R network are inviting you to participate in a webinar to discuss the UN Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection for Just Transitions. This webinar will take place on Friday, April 26th at 1 pm UTC. Read more

World Bank and IMF Executive Directors: Support States to Realize the Human Right to Social Security

Human rights, faith-based, and economic justice organizations wrote to the World Bank and IMF Executive Directors to express concerns that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group (WBG) are failing to support states to realize the human right to social security for all.
The letters were sent in the framework of the Spring Meetings of the Boards of Governors of the IMF and the WBG that are taking place from April 15 to 20, 2024, in Washington DC. Read more

The GCSPF at the UNECE Regional Forum 2024

Ms. Sylvia Beales Gelber and Ms. Odile Frank, both members of the Global Coalition for Social Protection Floors (GCSPF), participated at the 2024 UNECE Regional Forum on Sustainable Development. Read more

South Africa | IEJ and #PTG file replying affidavit in SRD grant court case

Statement on the court case in South Africa around the Social Relief of Distress Grant
The Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) and #PayTheGrants (#PTG) filed their replying affidavit in the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant court case. The legal action is an attempt to rectify the unfair and irrational systems of administration for the SRD grant, which have served to exclude up to 50% of the people (around 8 million) who are living in food poverty with no other access to social assistance, and who should qualify for the SRD. Read more

South Africa: Watch the video "A basic income for all"

Watch the new animated video released by the Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ), that shows how a basic income grant will give ordinary South Africans the power to improve their lives. The video shows the positive impacts of a basic income on three previously struggling South Africans and their communities.

Advancing Gender Equality through Social Protection in an Ageing World

Social protection programmes have the potential to create lasting improvements in older women’s lives, contributing to a fairer and more inclusive world.
This is the main finding from the policy report ‘Advancing Gender Equality through Social Protection in an Ageing World’ by HelpAge International, which offers suggestions on how to move towards social protection programmes that, when correctly applied, can be transformative. Read more

TED talk on Social Protection

Last April Ashif Shaikh (from People’s Courage International, PCI) gave a TED talk to highlight the role of social protection to build resilience for the internal migrants and informal workers more broadly – to domestic economies and the need to ensure adequate safety nets for them and how climate change is increasing migration and vulnerability.
In the talk, Ashif Shaikh shared the idea behind MRC, the mission, and how we aim to work with government, industry, and civil society to support those who build our world. Watch the talk or listen to the audio version on this Spotify link.

2024 SASPEN International Annual Conference

The 2024 International Annual SASPEN Conference themed "Community-Based Social Protection: Inclusion, Challenges, and Prospects" will be held in Polokwane, Limpopo, South Africa from 20 to 22 November 2024.
SASPEN invites abstract submissions and the deadline is 16 June 2024. Read more

Welcome to our new members COL'OR – Camminiamo Oltre L'ORizzonte

COL'OR – Camminiamo Oltre L'ORizzonte (Walking Beyond the Horizon) -- is an Italian NGO founded in 2002 which aims to support comprehensive human development through international cooperation projects, fully respecting the beneficiaries’ needs and sensitivity, as well as the sustainability of the ecosystems in which it operates. The organization promotes fair and multidimensional development through inclusive and innovative projects strengthening social protection systems and social safety nets in the countries of intervention.
Contact information: Lisa Grandi Read more

People’s Courage International (PCI)

PCI is a USA-based not-for-profit organization. PCI works across South and South East Asia for: Safe migration and worker protection, Prevention of violence against women and children, Building resilience in the not-for-profit organizations in the region.
PCI is working on the extension of social protection to informal economy workers and migrant workers in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, the Philippines and Indonesia.
Contact information: Ashif Shaikh Read more

Make Mothers Matter (MMM)

MMM is an international NGO which was created in 1947 at the UNESCO in Paris. MMM was among the first INGO accredited to the UN in 1949 and they have General Consultative Status with the UN ECOSOC. MMM is also active at the ILO, participating every year in the International Labour Conference, and MMM was invited to join the Global Coalition on Social Justice.
MMM Mission is to make mothers’ voices heard at the international level, to defend and advance their rights, and empower them. Based on their lived-experience, MMM raises awareness among decision-makers of the educational, social, economic and cultural impact of mothers, as well as the injustices they suffer. MMM aim is to change society's view and influence laws, policies and practices in their favour, so that they are fully recognised and supported in their various roles.
Contact information: Valerie Bichelmeier Read more


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Ahead of the 2023 Annual meetings of the World Bank and IMF, 71 civil society organizations supported the release of a joint statement calling on the Bank and IMF to change their social protection policies and practices. The group of signatory organizations urged the IMF and the World Bank to commit to realizing the right to social security, end poverty-targeted programs in countries without universal coverage, support equitable and sustainable public systems, and to halt austerity measures that threaten rights.

We restated our concerns with the start of the 2024 Spring Meetings, in an open letter to World Bank and IMF executive directors, proposing four measures to realize the right to social security.

Human rights, faith-based, and economic justice organizations wrote to the World Bank Group (WBG) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Executive Directors to express concerns that the WBG and the IMF are failing to support States to realize the human right to social security for all. The letters were sent in the framework of the Spring Meetings of the Boards of Governors of the IMF and the WBG that are taking place from April 15 to 20, 2024, in Washington DC.

Download pdf version.

Dear Executive Directors,

We, the undersigned human rights, faith-based, and economic justice organizations, are writing to express concerns that the World Bank and IMF are failing to promote the human right to social security for all.[1] We are proposing four policy changes that would advance the right to social security in line with human rights standards, and we would like to meet with you to explore how your office may support them.

As underlined by the Global Partnership for Universal Social Protection to Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (USP2030),[2] which the World Bank is co-chairing, “universal social protection is a human right and key to recovery, for a green transition and sustainable and inclusive economic and social development for individuals, communities, and nations”. At present, however, over half of the world’s population has no access to even one social security program.[3]

Among international development actors, the World Bank is the largest funder of social protection systems.[4] Despite the World Bank’s commendable commitment in 2015 to promote universal social protection, we are concerned that the World Bank continues to promote narrowly targeted “safety nets,” where eligibility hinges on estimates of the extent of poverty that have acknowledged large exclusion errors, rather than embracing a more inclusive and rights-aligned universal approach.[5]

Research by Oxfam International and others found that 85 percent of the world’s population lives in countries where governments’ austerity measures impede their ability to deliver on their human rights obligations.[6] While as part of its country assistance programs, the IMF has increasingly included some level of protection for social spending, the Fund continues to promote heavily means-tested programs that cover only a tiny fraction of the population. This undermines global efforts to work towards universal social protection systems consistent with human rights.[7]

The negative impacts of this approach are well-documented, especially in countries without universal social security systems and where the majority of people work and live in informal settings. Evidence shows that such programs are often designed too narrowly and exclude many of the poorest.[8] “The poor” is not a static group, and in reality, households dynamically move between societal welfare rankings over short periods.[9] Further, most governments lack up-to-date data to accurately identify “the poor.” “Targeting” is also vulnerable to mismanagement or corruption.[10] By focusing only on people in poverty or even extreme poverty, these programs exclude large segments of the population who may not be considered “poor” at one moment but are far from enjoying their rights. They also fail to build a shared sense of solidarity and can undermine trust within societies.[11]

Further, through macroeconomic policy advice, the World Bank and IMF have a history of undermining public social insurance systems by promoting individualized savings schemes such as privately managed pensions, over investment in public systems.[12]Recent reforms in some countries have further eroded the right to social security, leading to reduced coverage and lower benefits.[13] In some countries, these changes involved cuts to employer contributions or reduced benefits for the majority in the public system. Research by the International Labour Organization (ILO) shows that privatization of social insurance in some countries worsened poverty and inequality, disproportionately affecting women and older people.[14]

The current approach taken by the World Bank and IMF falls short of their obligations under international law. International financial institutions have an obligation to avoid causing harm by not demanding cuts or a re-design of social security programs that would undermine rights, and to provide as many resources as they can to help build universal social security systems that are rights-aligned.[15]

The Bank and IMF have an opportunity to course-correct and adopt a rights-aligned approach to social security that sets the tone and leads the way toward more just societies and economies. We strongly urge the World Bank and IMF, as pivotal actors in financing and shaping social security policies in low- and middle-income countries, to take four measures to progressively realize the right to social security:

  1. Support states to realize the right to social security. Immediately commit to support states to progressively realize the right to social security. This involves setting up or strengthening rights-aligned social security systems, including the establishment of social protection floors in line with ILO Recommendation 202.[16]
  2. Replace the focus on poverty-targeting with universal systems. Stop funding new poverty-targeted programs and phase out existing ones, along with related technologies and privacy-invasive infrastructure such as social registries. Additionally, strengthen a fair distribution of resources by coupling universal social security with fiscal reforms that reduce inequality.[17]
  3. Support equitable and sustainable public systems. Support equitable and sustainable social security systems in accordance with international standards, including by promoting adequate employers' contributions and adequate social security benefits to ensure income security. Avoid pension privatization and instead strengthen public social security systems.
  4. Cease harmful austerity budgeting reforms. Halt austerity policies that threaten rights and privatize social security and refrain from promoting social spending trade-offs. Cease conditioning loans on austerity measures and promoting austerity as a policy priority for governments. Ensure that any increase in social spending in one sector, for instance on social security, does not come at the expense of other rights.

We would greatly appreciate the opportunity to meet with you and discuss these proposed policy reforms. Given that several of our organizations will be in Washington DC for the 2024 Spring meetings, we kindly request a meeting either in person during the Spring meetings or online the week following the meetings.

For additional details on our unified call to action and priorities for realizing the right to social security, please refer to the full statement on the Global Coalition for Social Protection Floors website via the following link: https://www.socialprotectionfloorscoalition.org/social-security-for-all/.

Sincerely,

  1. AbibiNsroma Foundation
  2. Act Church of Sweden
  3. Action contre la Faim
  4. ActionAid International
  5. Actions des femmes marginalisées pour le développement "AFMD ASBL"
  6. Actions des Femmes pour les Initiatives de Developpement (AFID)
  7. Africa Japan Forum
  8. Age International
  9. Aid Organization
  10. Ajemalebu Self Help (AJESH)
  11. Alliance contre la Pauvreté au Mali AP/MALI
  12. Amnesty International
  13. Arab Reform Initiative (ARI)
  14. Arab Renaissance for Democracy and Development
  15. Arab Watch Coalition (AWC)
  16. Asociación Generaciones de Paz
  17. Association For Promotion Sustainable Development
  18. Association Nigérienne pour la Défense des Droits de l'Homme (ANDDH)
  19. Association Tunisienne des Femmes Démocrates
  20. Bretton Woods Project
  21. Candid Concepts Development
  22. Center for Economic and Social Rights
  23. Central Autonoma de Trabajadores del Peru - CATP PERU
  24. CHIRAPAQ/ECMIA
  25. CNCD-11.11.11
  26. Conseil de Facilitation et Gestion Locale (CFGL)
  27. Consejo de Jóvenes de Oaxaca - México
  28. Council for NGOs in Malawi - CONGOMA
  29. DAAD Alumni Guinea Bissau (German Academic Exchange Services)
  30. Daayyaa Generation Network (DGN)
  31. Defensores do planeta
  32. Derecho Ambiente y Recursos Naturales
  33. Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era (DAWN)
  34. DoTheDream Youth Development Initiative
  35. Earth Forever Foundation
  36. Egyptian Human Rights Forum (EHRF)
  37. EuroMed Rights
  38. Food Sovereignty and Climate Justice Forum/Tax and Fiscal Justice Alliance
  39. Forum for Wildlife and Environment Preserve (FOWEP)
  40. Free Trade Union Development Center
  41. Friends of the Disabled Association
  42. Gender Action
  43. Gestos (soropositividade, comunicação e gênero)
  44. Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP)
  45. Global Forum of Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent (GFOD)
  46. Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
  47. Global Redistribution Advocates
  48. Global Social Justice
  49. Global Social Justice Brussels
  50. Green Economy Coalition
  51. Halley Movement Coalition
  52. HelpAge International
  53. Human Rights Watch
  54. Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi (ITA)
  55. Initiative for Social and Economic Rights (ISER)
  56. Institute for Economic Justice
  57. International Budget Partnership
  58. International Society for Poverty Elimination / Economic Alliance Group
  59. International Trade Union Confederation ITUC
  60. International Transport Workers' Federation
  61. Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation
  62. Lebanese Center for Human Rights
  63. Lutte Nationale Contre la Pauvreté "LUNACOP ASBL"
  64. MenaFemMovement for Economic, Development and Ecological Justice
  65. MY World Mexico: Hub of Action for Sustainable Development
  66. Nash Vek Public Foundation
  67. National Campaign for Sustainable Development Nepal
  68. North Western Youth Led Zambia
  69. Oxfam International
  70. Pakistan workers federation
  71. Passion To Share Foundation
  72. Phenix Center
  73. Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement
  74. Povod Institute, Slovenia
  75. PRO Global/Pensioners without Borders
  76. Reachout Salone
  77. Red Nicaragüense de Comercio Comunitario
  78. Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary NGO
  79. Rivers without Boundaries Mongolia 
  80. Rural Area Development Programme (RADP)
  81. SAHRiNGON Tanzania Chapter
  82. Sir J interbiz Ventures
  83. Social Justice in Global Development
  84. Social Policy Initiative
  85. Social Policy Insights
  86. Success Capital Organisation
  87. Tax Justice Network Africa
  88. Trickle Up
  89. UNASCAD (Union des Amis Socio Culturels d'Action en Developpement)
  90. Wada Na Todo Abhiyan
  91. WEED - World Economy, Ecology & Development
  92. Wemos
  93. Witness Radio- Uganda
  94. Women in Informal Employment: Globalizing and Organizing (WIEGO)
  95. WSM - We Social Movements
  96. Youth For Change Bangladesh Foundation

Notes:

[1] In October 2023, 71 organizations signed a joint statement that provides additional details on our unified call to action and priorities for realising the right to social security, see here: https://www.socialprotectionfloorscoalition.org/social-security-for-all/.

[2] See: https://usp2030.org.

[3] See: https://www.social-protection.org/gimi/WSPDB.action?id=32.

[4] In 2022, the World Bank reported a portfolio of almost US$29.5 billion in social protection financing, covering an estimated 880 million people in 71 countries. See: https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/entities/publication/84ba2380-624c-553a-b929-2882e72c7468

[5] We understand poverty versus universal programs as follows: i) Poverty-Targeted Programs are means-tested and attempt to target people based on their income or assets. ii) Universal Programs do not limit eligibility based on peoples’ resources, but rather emphasize universal eligibility for everyone within specific groups that encompass stages of life or statuses in which people’s economic, social and cultural rights are particularly at risk (e.g., children, people with disabilities, unemployed adults, caretakers, older people, etc.).

[6] “85% of the world’s population will live in the grip of stringent austerity measures by next year.” Oxfam. 2022. https://www.oxfam.org/en/press-releases/85-worlds-population-will-live-grip-stringent-austerity-measures-next-year.

[7] “Bandage on a Bullet Wound: IMF Social Spending Floors and the Covid-19 Pandemic.” Human Rights Watch. 2023. https://www.hrw.org/report/2023/09/25/bandage-bullet-wound/imf-social-spending-floors-and-covid-19-pandemic.

[8] “Hit and Miss: An assessment of targeting effectiveness in social protection with additional analysis.” Stephen Kidd and Diloá Athias. Act Church of Sweden and Development Pathways. 2020. See: https://www.svenskakyrkan.se/default.aspx?id=1909511.

[9] “Advocating for universal social security: how to win hearts and minds.” Stephen Kidd, Gunnel Axelsson Nycander, and Holly Seglah. 2023. https://www.developmentpathways.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Advocating-for-universality_v1c.pdf.

[10] “The social contract and the role of universal social security in building trust in government.” Stephen Kidd, Gunnel Axelsson Nycander, Anh Tran and Madeleine Cretney. Act Church of Sweden and Development Pathways. 2020. https://www.svenskakyrkan.se/default.aspx?id=2151346.

[11] “Towards universal social protection.” Development Pathways and the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific. 2022. https://www.developmentpathways.co.uk/publications/towards-universal-social-protection/.

[12] “Reversing Pension Privatizations: Rebuilding public pension systems in Eastern Europe and Latin America.” International Labour Organization. 2018. https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_protect/---soc_sec/documents/publication/wcms_648574.pdf.

[13] “End Austerity: A Global Report on Budget Cuts and Harmful Social Reforms in 2022-25.” Isabel Ortiz and Matthew Cummins. 2022. https://publicservices.international/resources/publications/end-austerity-a-global-report-on-budget-cuts-and-harmful-social-reforms-in-2022-25?id=13501&lang=en.

[14] “Reversing Pension Privatizations: Rebuilding public pension systems in Eastern Europe and Latin America.” International Labour Organization. 2018.

[15] “Questions and Answers on the Right to Social Security.” Human Rights Watch. 2023. https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/05/25/questions-and-answers-right-social-security.

[16] Stephen Kidd, Nahya Mansoor, Angela Barca. 2023. “An affordable and feasible pathway to universal social security using the principle of universality.” Act Church of Sweden, Action Against Hunger France, Development Pathways. 2023. https://www.developmentpathways.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Affordable-and-feasible-pathway-to-universal-social-security.pdf.

[17] “Social registries: a short history of abject failure.” Stephen Kidd, Diloá Athias & Idil Mohamud. 2021. https://www.svenskakyrkan.se/filer/578537/Social-registries-a-short-history-of-abject-failure-June-1%20(1).pdf?id=2244266.

e-GCSPF #101 - April 2024 - IMF & WBG Spring Meetings
   
   
   
 

IMF - WBG Spring Meetings 2024 and the Civil Society Policy Forum (CSPF)

   
 
 

This year’s IMF-WBG Spring Meetings are taking place from April 15-20 and the Civil Society Policy Forum (CSPF) is taking place from April 17-19 in Washington DC. You will find here the information for the Global Campaign for the Right to Social Security, members and colleagues related events.

   
   
   
 

Critical perspectives on international financial institutions

   
 
   
   
 

The Economics of Implementing a Universal Basic Income in South Africa

   
 

The Social Policy Initiative cordially invites you to our webinar on the 16th of April 12pm. The webinar will discuss insights from SPI’s latest policy brief: The Economics of Implementing a Universal Basic Income in South Africa.
Nomahlubi Jakuja, Head of Research will present the insights. Mr Wildeman from UNICEF and Mr Dominic from the AIDC will give inputs to the brief. We invite you to be part of the conversation and make invaluable contributions to the work SPI and colleagues are doing in the promulgation of a UBI in South Africa. Read more

   
   
   
 

"Examining the Progress of the World Bank's Commitment to Universal Social Protection"

   
 

The Global Campaign for the Right to Social Security invites you to join our session at the Civil Society Policy Forum (CSPF), titled "Examining the Progress of the World Bank's Commitment to Universal Social Protection." You can also attend online. Read more

   
   
 

Beyond the World Bank: The fight for universal social protection in the Global South

   
 

The World Bank Group promotes a model of social protection via poverty-targeted programmes that are error-strewn and can cause social unease, and set back progress towards universal social protection. But a global coalition, led by borrowing governments themselves, is fighting back.
This briefing is based on Matthew Greenslade’s book, Beyond the World Bank: The Fight for Universal Social Protection in the Global South, which explores the Bank’s approach to social protection. Read more

   
   
   
 

Time for a democratic reform of global institutions

   
 

The ITUC calls for a major democratic reform of the international financial architecture as a key demand in its For Democracy campaign, as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank hold their spring meetings.
Across the world this month, trade unions focus on the fight For Democracy in societies, which means much more than free-and-fair elections. Central to the For Democracy campaign is the New Social Contract which will guarantee workers climate-friendly, decent jobs, rights for all, minimum living wages, universal social protection, equality and inclusion. In support of the drive to rebuild democracy for the benefit of all, working people are signing this global petition demanding that International Financial Institutions (IFIs) change course and support governments to deliver a New Social Contract to workers. Read more

   
   
   
 

Bretton Woods Institutions continue to sleepwalk through crises as 80th anniversary of Bretton Woods Conference approaches

   
   
 

As the World Bank and IMF approach the Spring Meetings, it’s difficult to escape the conclusion that – despite endless talk of reforming the international financial architecture since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic – the Bretton Woods Institutions (BWIs) and their wealthy country shareholders have largely failed to rise to the challenge, much to the chagrin of Global South countries and civil society. As we approach the 80th anniversary of the Bretton Woods Conference in July, the BWIs’ governance structures – which were forged in the aftermath of WWII – remain largely unreformed. Read more

   
   
   
   

JOIN US TO ACHIEVE SOCIAL PROTECTION FOR ALL

GLOBAL COALITION FOR SOCIAL PROTECTION FLOORS - GCSPF

For comments, suggestions, collaborations contact us at:

info@socialprotectionfloorscoalition.org

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The Global Campaign for the Right to Social Security invites you to join our session at the Civil Society Policy Forum (CSPF), titled “Examining the Progress of the World Bank's Commitment to Universal Social Protection.” You can also attend online.

The event will take place on April 17, 2024 at the World Bank I Building 2-250 from 16:15 pm to 17:45 pm (GMT-4).

English - Français - Español

     

The Working Group on Financing Social Protection of the Global Coalition for Social Protection Floors (GCSPF) and the INSP!R network, we are inviting you to participate in this webinar to discuss the UN Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection for Just Transitions.

The UN Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection for Just Transitions, launched in September 2021 by the UN Secretary-General, signals the UN system’s collective response for addressing the multiple challenges that threaten to erase development progress.

Members of the GCSPF are participating in the Steering Group, and today we invite you to join us to share information about this initiative and to discuss the crucial role of civil society organizations and trade unions in ensuring representation, both domestically and internationally.

The Global Accelerator will support countries committed to create decent jobs, expanding social protection and promote pathways for just transitions. You can check here if your country is among the pathfinder countries, which means that your country is part of this initiative and, in this case, its level of engagement.

This webinar will take place on Friday, April 26th at 1 pm UTC. You can confirm your local time here.

Interpretation services will be available in English, Spanish and French.

Registration link: https://ituc-csi-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYpcumgrTMiHtRbGLEca3L8ckG5N1YEZPoS

We would greatly appreciate it if you could share this invitation within your network and colleagues.

For any further information, please feel free to contact us.

     

Français

     

Invitation
Rejoignez le webinaire sur l’accélérateur mondial des Nations Unies

     

Le Groupe de travail sur le financement de la protection sociale de la Coalition mondiale pour les socles de protection sociale (GCSPF) et le réseau INSP!R, nous vous invitons à participer à ce webinaire pour discuter de l' Accélérateur mondial des Nations Unies pour l'emploi et la protection sociale pour des transitions justes .

L' Accélérateur mondial des Nations Unies pour l'emploi et la protection sociale pour des transitions justes , lancé en septembre 2021 par le Secrétaire général de l'ONU, témoigne de la réponse collective du système des Nations Unies pour relever les multiples défis qui menacent d'effacer les progrès en matière de développement.

Les membres du GCSPF participent au groupe de pilotage et nous vous invitons à nous rejoindre pour partager des informations sur cette initiative et discuter du rôle crucial des organisations de la société civile et des syndicats pour assurer la représentation, tant au niveau national qu'international.

L’Accélérateur mondial soutiendra également les pays déterminés à créer des emplois décents, à étendre la protection sociale et à promouvoir des transitions justes. Vous pouvez vérifier ici si votre pays ( pays éclaireurs ) fait partie de cette initiative et son niveau d'engagement.

Ce webinaire aura lieu le vendredi 26 avril à 13h00 UTC. Vous pouvez confirmer votre heure locale ici .

Des services d'interprétation seront disponibles en anglais, espagnol et français.

Lien d'inscription : https://ituc-csi-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYpcumgrTMiHtRbGLEca3L8ckG5N1YEZPoS

Pour toute information complémentaire, n'hésitez pas à nous contacter.

 

 

Español

     

Invitación
Participa en el seminario web sobre el Acelerador Mundial de las Naciones Unidas

     

El Grupo de Trabajo sobre Financiación de la Protección Social de la Coalición Global por los Pisos de Protección Social (GCSPF, por su sigla en inglés) y la red INSP!R, les invitamos a participar en un seminario web para compartir información sobre el Acelerador mundial del empleo y la protección social para transiciones justas de Naciones Unidas.

En septiembre de 2021 el Secretario General de las Naciones Unidas presentó el Acelerador mundial del empleo y la protección social para transiciones justas, cuyo objetivo es acelerar las acciones mundiales necesarias para promover la recuperación de empleo, así como transiciones ecológicas, tecnológicas y sociales justas hacia economías más sostenibles e inclusivas.

Miembros de la GCSPF participan en el Grupo Directivo, y en esta oportunidad les invitamos a participar en este seminario web para compartir información sobre esta iniciativa y discutir el rol crucial de las organizaciones de la sociedad civil y de los sindicatos para garantizar la representación, tanto a nivel nacional como internacional.

El Acelerador Global apoyará a los países comprometidos con la creación de empleos decentes, la ampliación de la protección social y la promoción de vías para transiciones justas. Puedes ver aquí si tu país se encuentra entre los países pioneros que forman parte de esta iniciativa y, en ese caso, también su nivel de compromiso.

Este seminario web tendrá lugar el viernes 26 de abril, 1 pm UTC. Puedes confirmar aquí tu hora local.

Habrá interpretación en inglés, español y francés.

Zoom (requiere inscripción previa): https://ituc-csi-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYpcumgrTMiHtRbGLEca3L8ckG5N1YEZPoS

Les agradecemos que compartan esta invitación con sus redes y colegas.

No dudes en ponerte en contacto con nosotros si quieres información adicional.

Ms. Sylvia Beales Gelber and Ms. Odile Frank, both members of the Global Coalition for Social Protection Floors (GCSPF), participated at the 2024 UNECE Regional Forum on Sustainable Development.

Ms Sylvia Beales Gelber and Ms Odile Frank spoke in Round Table 1: SDG1 - No Poverty (Preparing social protection systems to respond to the poverty impacts of the climate crisis and green transitions) that was held on 13 March 2024. This session was part of the Opening and High-level Policy Segment. Further information on this session is available here and the recording is here.

Odile Frank highlighted there are two major ways in which social protection has an impact on what we are going to experience from climate change. The first is clearly the issue of shocks and crises and the immediate solutions required for populations that have been made vulnerable by these crises and this is a very important function of social protection. The other area is the usefulness of social protection to assist workers in undergoing just transition to green, and I insist that just transition to green is not only a green transition, but it should also be accountable in respect of ILO recommendations regarding decent work and respect for labour rights.

At a later point in the discussion, Odile Frank added that in regard to the issue of displaced populations, migrants and asylum seekers, the GCSPF had always as a principle supported de facto residency-based access. This approach requires that there should be cooperation and agreements across countries. It also requires support for civil vital registration systems globally, which enables individuals to have the identity giving them access to social protection where they find themselves.

Sylvia Beales Gelber highlighted the history and the rationale of the SPF recommendation 202, and that the right to social security for all is enshrined in the 1948 UDHR and a range of subsequent human rights provisions and treaties. However over half of the world still does not have access to the full range of social protection guarantees;  including in the UNECE region. Updated and fully disaggregated data is essential to ensure all people across their life course have social protection, as is adequate and long term finance.  As the world ages in all regions social protection is a vital and essential policy measure to lessen intergenerational transfer of poverty. 

Sylvia explained the life course elements of the social protection floor, as it provides for basic income in childhood, old age, for persons with disability and the unemployed together with access to health.  Design for social protection must be multidimensional and integrated as communities are composed of people of different ages, sex, ethnicities and locations; all with different charteristics. Civil society organisation are well equipped to identify gaps in social protection as they know what is going on at local level. Barriers to access to entitlements can often be due to lack of legal documentation, itself a denial to rights.  Members of the GCSPF are working on issues of legal documentation for children and adults. Social protection accountability to maximise the reach of social protection is another important area of work for members of the Coalition. Population movement due to conflict and climate change means that there are gaps and errors in documention held by local officials and in national data systems. This can be corrected with civil society monitoring leading to more inclusive mechanisms being put in place. 

Multiple studies and country experiences show it is perfectly possible both to have accurate data for social protection and to set a national budget within each country. Financing social protection and system building for it over the long term is a matter of global and national  political will. The Global Coalition, comprising over 120 civil society organisations, thinktanks and NGOs  is calling for a solidarity based Global Fund for Social Protection to ensure the necessary finance and technical know how is available for all countries in all regions to put in place the right of all to universal provision.  

Sylvia also talked about how social protection has positive outcomes for people of all ages and countries is not in doubt. Social protection is both a human rights and a fundamental lever for the achievement of all SDGS and its financing is of utmost priority in the final six years of SDG implementation. There is no time to waste.

Social protection will play an important role in enabling the green transition and adapting to and mitigating climate change, by assisting workers in their re-skilling and re-employment in a just transition to a green economy and decent work for all.

This round table allowed participants to learn from each other and share information on the best ways to address the growing poverty impacts of the climate crisis in the region as well as explore potential gains from green and digital transitions.

The UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) convened its annual regional forum on sustainable development (RFSD) in preparation for the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) in July 2024. The forum explored opportunities for advancing key transitions and cooperation towards achieving the SDGs in the region and discussed progress towards the Goals undergoing in-depth review in 2024.

The 2024 UNECE Regional Forum on Sustainable Development took place in Geneva, Switzerland, from 13 to 14 March. The UNECE region comprises the countries of Europe as well as countries in North America (Canada and the US), Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan), and Western Asia (Israel).

The Joint Statement was developed by the co-organizers and participants of the workshop series “Toward Universal Social Protection: Health, Social Protection and Equality“ that was held in Kathmandu on 17 February 2024 during the World Social Forum 2024 (WSF2024). The GCSPF as well as many members support the Statement.

The statement is here. Download pdf version.

Joint Statement WSF2024

Workshop Series on Towards Universal Social Protection

As the world economy produces more goods, grows at a rapid pace, and generates more and more wealth and profits, the disparity between those at the top of the pyramid and those at the bottom is increasing exponentially. Despite producing more, working longer hours, and sacrificing more, vulnerable people around the world now have less access to healthcare, quality education, civic services, and housing. In a world where work and income are far from secure, the lack of guaranteed access to necessities for workers and their families is a serious and often tragic issue. At least 8 million people die every year simply due to a lack of quality health care. In 2020, almost 800 women died every day from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. On top of this, women undertake three times as much unpaid care work as men in Asia and two times more than men globally. The aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic has left a multitude of public service workers in dire straits, especially in health and sanitation (where service provision has increasingly been contracted out to private firms), since such workers were all hired under sub-contractual outsourcing systems and therefore have no guarantee of future employment. Inequality is omnipresent and takes a number of different forms. Within the household, there exist inequalities between boys and girls and between men and women. Nor is equality maintained in education, in the distribution of skill, or in employment opportunities. Women are facing discriminatory behaviors first in accessing employment and then, for women who are employed, in accessing financial resources. This gender inequality fuels patriarchy, empowering men and forcing women to take losses, which then creates a situation in which men grow more powerful and women weaker. The absence of gender- responsive budgeting mechanisms, that focus financing on social protection presents systemic barriers for the implementation of social protection in a holistic manner.

Discussing universal social protection becomes challenging in the midst of war and conflicts that resulted in the loss of lives, injuries, and the displacement of millions of people from their homes, depriving them of essential rights such as access to health, food, clean water and education, with the most substantial of these casualties being women and children.

In these circumstances, all people must be assured access to comprehensive social protection, encompassing housing and civic services, healthcare, education, unemployment allowances, maternity cash assistance, and pensions for the elderly, whether they are employed or not. Within the broad framework of social protection for all, there must also be a particular focus on addressing the needs of people with disabilities and workers within the informal economy, and concerted efforts should be made to organize spaces and systems that facilitate their ability to lead secure and productive lives. Additionally, everyone should be guaranteed a decent life from the womb to the tomb.

We, including 200 people from different organizations participating in the World Social Forum 2024 in Kathmandu, gathered for Universal Social Protection, jointly state the following:

1. Universal Social Protection. We are committed to collective action, advocating for the rights and dignity of all, recognizing that universal social protection is not merely a cost or charity but an inherent right and a crucial investment. Our pledge involves rejecting poverty targeting in favor of universality, ensuring that disability benefits, child benefits, pension and maternity rights reach every individual. We emphasize the importance of day care services for working mothers, the elimination of child labor and abuse, and the provision of free and quality education for a better tomorrow. We acknowledge the significance of #CareWorkMakesAllOtherWorksPossible and strive to achieve decent work for all. Our unwavering commitment extends to quality public services and healthcare, opposing privatization and advocating for increased investment in public healthcare. We pledge to prioritize people over profit, advocating for living wages and ensuring financial benefits are easily accessible to all. In our comprehensive approach, we recognize that building a society that values the well-being, rights, and dignity of all is a collective responsibility. Keeping in view the exclusion of workers within the Informal Economy from the social protection floors, we demand the establishment of Maternity protection boards for informal workers across the region. Maternity benefits must be extended to all women irrespective of age, marital status and income category and must be applicable to all pregnancies. Adequate universal social protection coverage should also include the possibility to adapt and use schemes in case of large-scale shocks, especially in a context of increasing catastrophes exacerbated because of the climate crisis, but also including phenomena like Covid-19 which especially affected informal workers.

2. Gender Equality and Justice. Advocating for Gender-Responsive Budgeting and gender-friendly markets, we emphasize the imperative need to remove the obstacles hindering women's career advancement, and push for the proportionate representation of women in all walks of life, including employment, administration, and parliament. Recognizing that promoting Gender Equality requires active championing by men, we assert the necessity to halt gender-based violence. Additionally, fostering a society that embraces dignified menstruation is the collective responsibility of all. Social protection is also a powerful tool to ensure inclusivity of LGBTIQA+ workers and their families.

3. Economic Justice and Decent Work. In our comprehensive approach, we advocate for a Solidarity Economy, ensuring Equal Access to Financial Resources, and ending Workplace Harassment to create safe working conditions. Recognizing the importance of Women's Engagement in the Labor Market, we value and recognize Care Work, strive for a Living Wage for Social Protection, and emphasize Decent Work for All, promoting fair labor practices and safe working conditions.

4. Social Justice and Human Rights. Given our commitment to Youth Health as fundamental for a healthy nation, we acknowledge the significance of unpaid care work. Consequently, we are actively working towards its integration into national accounts. Moreover, we advocate for the availability of easily accessible centers facilitating digital benefit applications for all, ensuring streamlined access to essential services and support.

5. Gender Transformative Quality Public Services. Our advocacy revolves around championing Quality Public Services. Opposing privatisation, we instead promote the public ownership and management of public services. Our fight is for equal access to quality public services and for the rights of the workers delivering them. We emphasize the essential need for public services to be in the public's hands.

6. Social Responsibility. Our commitment lies in prioritizing People Over Profit, working towards Poverty Alleviation, and advocating for Social Profitability within the framework of a Social Solidarity Economy. We emphasize the importance of placing human well-being ahead of financial gains and fostering economic models that prioritize broader societal benefits over narrow interests.

March 2024

The Global Campaign for The Right to Social Security hosted a parallel event titled ‘Unlocking Gender Equality: The Power of Universal Social Security Programs’ highlighting the pivotal role of universal and individual social security programs in advancing gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, as opposed to means-tested or poverty-targeted programs. The session took place on March 14, 2024.

The session was focused on the flaws of means-tested or poverty-targeted social protection programs and make the case for universal and individual social security programs in advancing gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.

The event was moderated by Farah Al Shami (Arab Reform Initiative) and the panelists were Ana Maria Munoz Boudet (World Bank), Jane Anyango (Polycom Development Project), Tara Korti (Christian Aid) and Abiodun Abaniwo (Action Against Hunger Nigeria).

The side event was coorganized by the Global Campaign for the Right to Social Security, Act Church of Sweden, Action Against Hunger France, Action Aid, the Global Coalition for Social Protection Floors, and the Arab Reform Initiative.

The 68th annual Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68) took place from 11 to 22 March, 2024 under the priority theme “Accelerating the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls by addressing poverty and strengthening institutions and financing with a gender perspective”.

Further information here.

e-GCSPF #100 - March 2024 - UNCSW68
   
   
   
 

Invitations to events at the Commission on the Status of Women

   
 
 

The 68th annual Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68), the UN’s largest annual gathering on gender equality and women’s empowerment, will take place this year from 11 to 22 March under the priority theme, “Accelerating the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls by addressing poverty and strengthening institutions and financing with a gender perspective”. The review theme is Social protection systems, access to public services and sustainable infrastructure for gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls (agreed conclusions of the sixty-third session).

Please find here the information for our members, colleagues and friends related events at UNCSW68.

   
   
   
   
   
 

Rebuilding the Social Organisation of Care

   
 

A key to dismantling womxn's poverty
GI-ESCR, Public Services International (PSI), Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era (DAWN), ActionAid, OXFAM, Center for Economic and Social Rights (CESR), Global Alliance for Tax Justice (GATJN), Tax Justice Network (TJN), Womankind, African Women's Development and Communications Network (FEMNET), International Domestic Workers Federation (IDWF), and ESCR-Net will co-host a parallel event on March 11, 2024, 2:30 pm at Tillman Chapel, 1st Floor CCUN. Read more

   
   
   
 

A Care-Led Transition Towards a Sustainable Future

   
 

Pathways to Address Poverty and the Climate Crisis with a Gender Lens
Join this dynamic conversation that will explore how just transition policies can support the care economy.
Monday, 11 March 2024 - 4:45 pm ET - Room CR-F at UNHQ Read more

   
   
   
 

Invitation to a happy hour networking event

   
 

UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR), the Wellspring Philanthropic Fund, and Human Rights Watch are excited to invite you to a happy hour networking event to kicks off the CSW with engaging discussions on tax justice, social protection, the human rights and care economy, and more.
If you’re in NYC, join for drinks, snacks, and great conversation on economic justice at the New York Human Rights Watch office, on Monday, March 11, from 6-8:30pm ET. Feel free to drop by anytime during the happy hour; it's an informal gathering, so come when you can and stay for as long as you like. Kindly RSVP using the QR code on the invitation below and attached to give us a sense of numbers for nibbles and drinks. QR code

   
   
   
 

“Closing the Gender Nutrition Gap - a key feminist approach to fight hunger and undernutrition”

   
   
 

In-person - March 12, 2024 - 2.30-3.30pm (New York time) at the Salvation Army auditorium, 221E. 52nd St. New York, NY10022
Our parallel will focus on the nexus of gender-smart and nutrition-smart commitments during this session provides a critical opportunity to generate Calls to Action with influential actors across sectors. Nutrition financing falls far from meeting growing needs, and the Gender Nutrition Gap provides a common platform for organizations with diverse mandates to collaborate to close the gap and address intersections between gender equality and girls’ and women’s nutrition.
The panel discussion will highlight the “how to” work of organizations practically addressing the Gender Nutrition Gap through programs, policy and advocacy to inspire multiple actors. Read more

   
   
   
 

“Feminist reflections on the Voluntary Guidelines on Gender equality of the Committee on Food Security and ways forward for social protection and climate action”

   
   
 

Online - Wednesday 13th March, 2-3.30 pm CET
Virtual Event Register here for the virtual event

   
   
   
 

Unlocking Gender Equality: The power of Universal Social Security Programs

   
   
 

Date: Thursday, 14th March - 10 am to 11:30 am EST - Virtual Event
This session delves into the pivotal role of universal social protection in advancing women's and girls' rights. Research highlights how targeted income support, especially when directed towards women, fosters financial autonomy and enables investment in income-generating endeavors. Such initiatives also correlate with decreased instances of intimate partner violence, underscoring the link between alleviating poverty and reducing household conflicts. For many elderly women, access to pensions signifies newfound independence, emphasizing individual entitlement to social security over reliance on familial support.
Coorganised by the Global Campaign for the Right to Social Security, Act Church of Sweden, Action Against Hunger France, Action Aid, the Global Coalition for Social Protection Floors and the Arab Reform Initiative. Register here for the virtual event

   
   
   
 

Trade unions at UNCSW68

   
   
 

Please find here the flyer for trade union related events at UNCSW68. The ITUC and Global Unions will be sharing a union perspective on a joint blog. You can already read the joint statement here.

   
   
   
 

PSI Events at UNCSW68

   
   
 

PSI’s delegation of 23 women union leaders from around the globe is joining forces with the Global Unions delegates and representatives of civil society to push for our common goals at the CSW68. PSI will work with the Global Unions and progressive civil society organisations to advocate for a global governance approach to women’s poverty in the agreed conclusions. Read more

   
   
   

JOIN US TO ACHIEVE SOCIAL PROTECTION FOR ALL

GLOBAL COALITION FOR SOCIAL PROTECTION FLOORS - GCSPF

For comments, suggestions, collaborations contact us at:

info@socialprotectionfloorscoalition.org

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Curious about how universal and individual social security programs can promote gender equality and empower women and girls?

The Global Campaign for The Right to Social Security will be hosting a parallel event at the 68th annual Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68) titled ‘Unlocking Gender Equality: The Power of Universal Social Security Programs’ highlighting the pivotal role of universal and individual social security programs in advancing gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, as opposed to means-tested or poverty-targeted programs.

The session will be focused on the flaws of means-tested or poverty-targeted social protection programs and make the case for universal and individual social security programs in advancing gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. It will be delivered in an engaging format that inspire people to take action and express concrete commitments towards this issue.
 
Join us on Thursday, March 14, 2024 at 10:00 am – 11:30 am EST

Zoom registration link: Webinar Registration - Zoom

Moderator: Farah Al Shami, Arab Reform Initiative.

Panelists: Shahra Razavi (International Labour Organization, ILO), Ana Maria Munoz-Boudet (World Bank), Jane Anyango (Polycom Development Project), Tara Korti (Christian Aid), Abiodun Abaniwo (Action Against Hunger Nigeria).

The 68th annual Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68) will take place this year from 11 to 22 March under the priority theme “Accelerating the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls by addressing poverty and strengthening institutions and financing with a gender perspective”.

Civil Society Call for a Global Fund for Social Protection

Over 200 civil society organizations and trade unions unite to call for a Global Fund for Social Protection to protect the most vulnerable during COVID-19 and beyond.

Read the Call

SP&PFM Programme

The programme Improving Synergies Between Social Protection and Public Finance Management provides medium-term support to multiple countries aiming to strengthen their social protection systems at a national level and ensure sustainable financing. The programme aims to support countries in their efforts towards achieving universal social protection coverage.

This initiative is implemented jointly by the ILO, Unicef, and the GCSPF.

Read more

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