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.
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:
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,
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.
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.
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.
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 video of the side event “The transformative potential of expanding the coverage of child benefits to eliminate child poverty” is now online. The side event was held on February 14, 2024 during the 62nd Session of the Commission for Social Development (CSocD62).
Child poverty is one of the world’s greatest challenges to the realisation of the SDGs and children’s rights, including the right to survival, learning and protection. In 2022, 330 million children lived in extreme poverty, with children comprising more than half of the world’s 1.1 billion people experiencing multidimensional poverty.
Through the SDGs, world leaders committed to eradicate poverty in all its forms and dimensions, including extreme poverty, including by putting in place social protection floors (SPFs) by 2030 and guaranteeing access to quality essential health care for all and basic income security for children, persons with disabilities, older persons and the unemployed.
While governments have made some progress in building inclusive social protection systems, children are frequently left the furthest behind. For instance, in 2021, more than 73 percent of girls and boys worldwide did not receive any child or family cash benefits at all, leaving them particularly vulnerable and at risk to the irreversible and long-lasting impacts of poverty, stunting and wasting, inadequate access to health and education services on human capability development.
To promote awareness and use of Universal Child Benefits (UCBs) as an effective means to reduce child poverty and support child development, the International Labour Organization (ILO), Save the Children and UNICEF launched a new tool, the Global Child Benefits Tracker during the CSocD62 in New York. As indicated by the recent report of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in his report to the Human Rights Council, UCBs are one of the most inclusive, effective and fairest approaches to reach those furthest behind.
The aim of this tool is to provide a dedicated knowledge management platform to foster progressive and evidence-based dialogue, drawing on best practice, on the need for and feasibility of greater investment in child-sensitive social protection.
Speakers and Panelists
Opening Remarks: Cynthia Samuel-Olonjuwon, Special Representative to the United Nations and Director of the ILO Office in New York
Keynote Speaker: Philip Alston, former UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights
Moderated Discussion
This event was organised by Save the Children International, UNICEF and ILO and co-sponsored by the Global Coalition for Social Protection Floors (GCSPF), the Permanent Mission of Luxembourg and USP2030.
The CSocD62 took place from 5 to 14 February 2024 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The priority theme of the CSocD62 focused on "Fostering social development and social justice through social policies to accelerate progress on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and to achieve the overarching goal of poverty eradication". The emerging issue focused on "The Influence of Digital Transformation on Inclusive Growth and Development: A Path to Realizing Social Justice".
Download the concept note here. Further information is available here and at the UN's website.
The official virtual Side Event “Advocating Universal Social Protection (USP) Floors for Asian Countries” will be held on February 21, 2024 (Wednesday), from 16.30 – 17.45 Bangkok time (GMT+7).
The 11th Asia Pacific Forum for Sustainable Development (APFSD) will be organized from 20-23 February under the theme: “Reinforcing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and eradicating poverty in times of multiple crises: The effective delivery of sustainable, resilient and innovative solutions in Asia and the Pacific” at the United Nations Conference Center (UNCC) in Bangkok, Thailand.
Globally, the number of the extreme poor stands at 860 million. Over 820 million people goes hungry every day.
SDG 1.3 and other SDGs and targets mention social protection, but the SDG framework itself is being derailed as a consequence lack of commitment on the part of governments.
In Asia and pacific 930 million workers out of a total of the 1.3 billion informal economy workers (68%) are in vulnerable sectors. Female workers experience gender-based discrimination, receiving less pay than men and spending more time on unpaid care work.
The impact of climate change becomes more and more visible. More and more people are affected by natural disasters from Pakistan over Bangladesh to the Philippines. The people have also had to contend with inflation on food and energy. International debt among some low- and middle-income countries are limiting their investment in social protection. At the country level there are some social protection mechanisms covering the people of various ages, but even where there is good coverage, there are implementation gaps.
The side event will discuss the scope of Universal Social Protection Floors to address poverty, hunger, inequality and adapt to climate change.
This session is organized by the Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP) and co-organized by Wada Na Todo Abhiyan (India); NGO Federation of Nepal (Nepal); Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement - PRRM (Philippines); Noakhali Rural Development Society (Bangladesh); Sri Lanka United Nations Friendship Organisation (Sri Lanka); Pakistan Development Alliance (Pakistan); Coordination Committee of Cambodia (Cambodia); Sanayee Development Organisation (Afghanistan); ONE Singapore (Singapore); Africa Japan Forum (Japan); Asia Dalit Rights Forum; Global Forum on DWD and the Global Coalition for Social Protection Floors (GCSPF).
Link to register in the Virtual Side Event: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYvcO-gqjIrGNZXd7-g4s6DIQWJmLAdbc6g
Download the concept note here.
The side event “The transformative potential of expanding the coverage of child benefits to eliminate child poverty” will be held on February 14, 2024 at 1:15 pm to 2:30 pm EST at Conference Room 11, UNHQ, New York. The event will be held during the 62nd Session of the Commission for Social Development (CSocD62).
Child poverty is one of the world’s greatest challenges to the realisation of the SDGs and children’s rights, including the right to survival, learning and protection. In 2022, 330 million children lived in extreme poverty, with children comprising more than half of the world’s 1.1 billion people experiencing multidimensional poverty.
Through the SDGs, world leaders committed to eradicate poverty in all its forms and dimensions, including extreme poverty, including by putting in place social protection floors (SPFs) by 2030 and guaranteeing access to quality essential health care for all and basic income security for children, persons with disabilities, older persons and the unemployed.
While governments have made some progress in building inclusive social protection systems, children are frequently left the furthest behind. For instance, in 2021, more than 73 percent of girls and boys worldwide did not receive any child or family cash benefits at all, leaving them particularly vulnerable and at risk to the irreversible and long-lasting impacts of poverty, stunting and wasting, inadequate access to health and education services on human capability development.
To promote awareness and use of Universal Child Benefits (UCBs) as an effective means to reduce child poverty and support child development, the International Labour Organization (ILO), Save the Children and UNICEF will launch a new tool, the Global Child Benefits Tracker during the CSocD62 in New York. As indicated by the recent report of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in his report to the Human Rights Council, UCBs are one of the most inclusive, effective and fairest approaches to reach those furthest behind.
The aim of this tool is to provide a dedicated knowledge management platform to foster progressive and evidence-based dialogue, drawing on best practice, on the need for and feasibility of greater investment in child-sensitive social protection.
Speakers and Panelists
Opening Remarks:
Cynthia Samuel-Olonjuwon, Special Representative to the United Nations and Director of the ILO Office in New York
Keynote Speaker:
Philip Alston, former UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights
Moderated Discussion
This event is organised by Save the Children International, UNICEF and ILO and co-sponsored by the Global Coalition for Social Protection Floors (GCSPF), the Permanent Mission of Luxembourg and USP2030.
Link to participate online:
https://unvc.webex.com/unvc/j.php?MTID=m2a0c225f02eac227c16428d745da85be
Webinar number: 2343 658 0587
Webinar password: CSocD62_14Feb#24
Download the concept note here. Further information is available here.
The video of the event "Building a New Eco-social Contract and Advancing Social Security in Times of Debt and Austerity" is now online. The event took place on Friday, October 13, 2023 during the Civil Society Policy Forum of the WBG-IMF Annual Meetings 2023 held in Marrakech, Morocco.
Recent research analyzing IMF programs show that, far from “mitigating” austerity measures, IMF policies and social spending floors fail to address negative social impacts. The panel explored how the World Bank and IMF could build a human rights-based economy with better developmental outcomes.
The event was moderated by Shahir Ishak (Senior Social Protection Specialist, Inclusive Social Security Policy Forum).
And the speakers were Sarah Saadoun (Senior Researcher, Human Rights Watch), Allana Kembabazi (Program Manager, Initiative for Social and Economic Rights), Isabel Ortiz (Director of the Global Social Justice, Initiative for Policy Dialogue) and Rodrigo Cerda (Division Chief, IMF), the World Bank Group (WBG) declined the invitation to participate in the event.
The event was organized by Act church of Sweden, ActionAid international, AWC, ANND, Amnesty International, CESR, End Austerity Campaign, FTC, Global Coalition for Social Protection Floors (GCSPF), Global Social Justice/Initiative for Policy Dialogue (IPD), HRW, ISSPF, ISER, ITUC, Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation, Oxfam International, BWP, WIEGO, ARI and MenaFem.
Further information on this event is available here. Further information about the Right to Social Security Campaing is available here.
Members of the Social Security for all Campaign participated at the Annual Meetings of the World Bank Group (WBG) - International Monetary Fund (IMF) Annual Meetings 2023 held in Marrakech, Morocco, from 9 to 15 October, 2023.
Members of the Social Security for all Campaign participated at the Reclaim our Future Conference, from 8 to 9 October 2023. The event End Austerity! Reclaim the Right to Education, Health and Social Security took place on October 8th.
This session presented the new austerity policies advised by the IMF and the World Bank, and implemented by most Ministries of Finance, from cuts to public services and social security/social protection, to privatization and labor flexibilization reforms, affecting more than 6 billion people. All the human suffering these reforms cause is unnecessary: there are alternatives that even the poorest countries can implement to achieve human rights including the right to education, health and social security.
The speakers were Isabel Ortiz (Director of the Global Social Justice Programme), Matti Kohonen (Director of the Financial Transparency Coalition), Nabil Abdo (Senior Policy Advisor, Oxfam International), Roos Saalbrink (Global Lead on Economic Justice and Public Services, ActionAid International) and Sarah Saadoun (Senior Researcher and Advocate, Poverty and Inequality, Human Rights Watch).
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Members of the Social Security for all Campaign participated at the Civil Society Policy Forum (CSPF) of the WBG-IMF Annual Meetings 2023, from 9 to 13 October 2023. The event "Building a New Eco-social Contract and Advancing Social Security in Times of Debt and Austerity" took place on Friday, October 13th. The video is here and further information is available here.
Recent research analyzing IMF programs show that, far from “mitigating” austerity measures, IMF policies and social spending floors fail to address negative social impacts. The panel explored how the World Bank and IMF could build a human rights-based economy with better developmental outcomes.
The event was moderated by Shahir Ishak (Senior Social Protection Specialist, Inclusive Social Security Policy Forum). And the speakers were Sarah Saadoun (Senior Researcher, Human Rights Watch), Allana Kembabazi (Program Manager, Initiative for Social and Economic Rights), Isabel Ortiz (Director of the Global Social Justice, Initiative for Policy Dialogue) and Rodrigo Cerda (Division Chief, IMF), the World Bank Group (WBG) declined the invitation to participate in the event.
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Members of the Social Security for all Campaign participated at the Global Counter-Summit of Social Movements, that was held from 12 to 15 October 2023. See the programme here.
Further information about the Right to Social Security Campaign is available here. Please sign on to the statement using this link here, and help us spread the word and encourage others for endorsements.
The video of the launching of the Campaign: Social Security for All – Key Pillar for a New Eco-Social Contract is now online. The event took place on Wednesday, October 4th, 2023.
The event was moderated by Farah Al Shami (Arab Reform Initiative). Global testimonies on the challenges of poverty targeting and pension privatization were presented by Allana Kembabazi (ISER, Uganda), Sarala Emmanuel (Feminist Collective for Economic Justice in Colombo, Sri Lanka), Guillermo Zuccotti (CGT, Argentina) and Manuel Riesco (CENDA Foundation, Chile). Isabel Ortiz (Global Social Justice) presented the Campaign: Social Security for All – Key Pillar for a New Eco-Social Contract.
Further information about the campaign is available here. Please sign on to the statement using this link here and the list of signatories is here.
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.
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.
