2019

The IMF and Inequalities: Tensions between structural adjustments and structural transformations

Thursday, 17th October 2019; 9:00 - 10:30 AM; Room IMF HQ2 03B-838B

The IMF has now recognized economic and gender inequality as issues that are core to its mandate, and claims it is playing key role in helping countries achieve SDG 10. However, evidence from the country-level suggests that IMF policy advice and loan conditions may in fact be exacerbating inequalities on multiple levels and dimensions (social; political; economic; generational).

The event co-hosted by SID, CESR, ANND, DAWN, FES, GPF, TWN and Social Watch on 17th October 2019 will debate the tensions between IMF-advised structural adjustments and the need for systemic changes in monetary and financial governance at the global level to ensure governments can have fiscal and policy space to tackle inequalities and finance the SDGs.

Speakers will draw on the 2019 Spotlight Report on Sustainable Development and propose constructive ways forwartd for the Fund´s work to tackle inequalities and achieve the SDGs. The session will be structured to promote a dynamic discussion with active participation from the floor.

Speakers to be confirmed

Organized by: Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, Society for International Development, Development with Women for a New Era, Global Policy Forum, Center for Economic and Social Rights, Arab NGO Network for Development, Third World Network and Social Watch.

Download the Save the Date here.

Quo Vadis EU?

How the UN Treaty process can build on European development in the area of business and human rights

• Christopher Patz, Policy Officer, European Coalition for Corporate Justice
• Guus Houttuin, Senior Adviser Trade Issues and MSG Chair, European External Action Service
• Alva Bruun, Senior Adviser Human Rights, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland
• Jan-Christian Niebank, Researcher and Policy Adviser, German Institute for Human Rights
• Susanne Stormer, Vice President, Sustainability Management & Reporting, Novo Nordisk
• Manon Aubry, Member of Committee on Legal Affairs, European Parliament

Facilitator: Karolin Seitz, Programme Officer, Global Policy Forum

People’s Assembly

24 and 25 September 2019 parallel to the SDG Summit
Church Center – opposite the UN, New York

Register here! English | Français | Español

For more and updates go to https://gcap.global/peoples-assembly/

As Heads of State will meet on 24 and 25 September 2019 for the SDG Summit to review the progress of Agenda 2030, we are organizing a parallel People’s Assembly.

The People’s Assembly will bring together people’s representatives and civil society from around the world to give grassroots and marginalised people a voice. Most importantly, it will be a space for all to jointly analyse the structural reasons for the injustices, act and plan for common future actions to create systemic change to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Climate Agreement.

Civil society plays a key role in advocating and implementing much needed change and to work on the structural causes of poverty and inequalities. However, we are being threatened and civic space to work is dwindling. Civil Society must fight back together and reclaim our space.

We are at the crossroads, as inequality has risen to unsustainable levels and climate change is causing incalculable damage. We can implement change or continue with the status quo. We are determined to act to save the planet and humanity, particularly ensure that no one is left behind.

Spotlight Report Launch Brussels

Who’s paying the bill? – Reshaping Governance for Sustainability

Wednesday, 11 September 2019 16h00 to 18h30

Venue: EKD Office Brussels Rue Joseph II 166, 1000 Brussels

Four years after the adoption of the 2030 Agenda the world is off-track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In order to turn the transformational vision of the 2030 Agenda into real transformational policies, there needs to be a shift towards more coherent fiscal and regulatory policies.

The implementation of the 2030 Agenda is not just a matter of better policies. It requires more holistic and more sweeping shifts in how and where power is vested, including through institutional, legal, social, economic and political commitments to realising human rights and ecological justice. This is the key message of this year's "Spotlight Report on Sustainable Development" that is co-authored by a network of international NGOs, human rights organisations, think tanks, and trade unions since 2016.

In addition, policy coherence for sustainable development requires to fully take into account the externalities and spill-over effects of European policies, production and consumption patterns. With an emphasis on environmental and social impact beyond our borders, the "Spotlight Report Sustainability in Europe. Who is paying the Bill?" was published this year

Draft programme

15:30 Registration

16:00 Welcome remarks – Jens Martens (Global Policy Forum) and Leida Rijnhout (SDG Watch Europe)

16:15 Presentation of the Global Report – Antonia Wulff (Education International)

16:25 Presentation of the European Report – Patrizia Heidegger (European Environmental Bureau) and Roberto Bissio (Social Watch)

16:45 Comments by Udo Bullmann MEP

17:00 Open discussion chaired by Elisabeth Bollrich (FES Berlin)

18:30 Light refreshments

Download the invitation and draft programme here.

Conversation with authors of the global Civil Society Report

SPOTLIGHT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 2019

Reshaping governance for sustainability: Transforming institutions – shifting power - strengthening rights

Baha'i International Community, conference room, 866 UN Plaza, New York
11 July 2019, 9:30-11:30AM

Four years after the adoption of the 2030 Agenda the world is off-track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Most governments have failed to turn the transformational vision of the 2030 Agenda into real transformational policies. Even worse, xenophobia and authoritarianism are on the rise in a growing number of countries.

But there are signs of change. New social movements have emerged worldwide. They not only challenge bad or inefficient government policies, but also share a fundamental critique of underlying social structures, power relations and governance arrangements.

The implementation of the 2030 Agenda is not just a matter of better policies. It requires more holistic and more sweeping shifts in how and where power is vested, including through institutional, legal, social, economic and political commitments to realizing human rights and ecological justice.

For this reason, the Spotlight Report 2019 has as main topic “reshaping governance for sustainability”. It offers analysis and recommendations on the global governance that sustainability requires, as well as on how to strengthen inclusive and participatory governance to overcome structural obstacles and institutional gaps.

Since 2016, the annual Spotlight Report has been published and supported by a broad range of civil society organizations and trade unions. It provides one of the most comprehensive independent assessments of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs.

At the roundtable event authors of the Spotlight Report 2019 will present key findings and recommendations to participants for discussion.

Programme

• Welcome by Luise Rürup (FES New York Office) and Barbara Adams (Global Policy Forum)
• Brief statements by Jens Martens (Global Policy Forum), Roberto Bissio (Social Watch), Kate Donald (CESR), Antonia Wulff (Education International), Abigail Ruane (Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom)
• Comments by Katja Hujo (UNRISD)
• Discussion Moderator: Barbara Adams (Global Policy Forum)

Refreshments will be served. As space for this side event is limited, we kindly ask you to RSVP by 9 July 2019 to gpf[at]globalpolicy.org.

Download the invitation and programme here (pdf, 161KB).

National Reports on 2030 Agenda - What do they (not) tell us?

11 July, 2019 at 6 PM UN FF Building
304 East 45th Street, 11th floor
access with UN or HLPF access badge only

The side event will present and discuss the importance of national reporting on the 2030 Agenda, both by governments (VNRs) and civil society (“spotlight” or “shadow” reports).

The Committee for Development Policy (CDP) will present key findings of its analysis of 2018 VNRs. Voluntary national reviews (VNRs) are an important innovation as a United Nations process for follow-up to the adoption of development agendas, in particular the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The report analyses how countries addressed three key issues of the 2030 Agenda in the VNRs submitted in 2018: leaving no one behind; pursuing global partnership as means of implementation (SDG17); and quality education (SDG4). While the VNRs contain already many interesting examples as basis for mutual learning and sharing of good practices, the paper also identifies a need for more attention to these issues and more explicit discussions on strategies for their implementation.

Social Watch and Global Policy Forum are members of Civil Society Reflection Group on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development that publishes the global Spotlight Report assessing the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. This year’s report focuses on governance arrangements, structures and institutions, including attention to the limitations of the High-level Political Forum and the VNRs.

In the 2030 Agenda governments promised “accountability to our citizens”. Civil societies responded by multiplying their own national and regional “spotlight” reports and engaging with governments in a variety of ways about their findings. Social Watch helps to link those processes with the global follow-up and review.

Agenda

Pedro Conceição, Director, Human Development Report Office, UNDP

• Welcoming remarks and introduction

Prof. Sakiko Fukuda-Parr, Professor for International Affairs at the New School and Vice-Chair of the CDP

• Presentation of findings from CDP’s analysis on 2018 VNRs, with focus on the findings on LNOB

Roberto Bissio, Coordinator of the Social Watch International Secretariat

• Summary of findings from national and regional “spotlight reports” from civil society, including inter alia Guatemala, the Philippines and Tunisia and the regional report on the EU and its “externalities”

Barbara Adams, Board Chair of the Global Policy Forum

• Findings from the 2019 Spotlight Report with a focus on governance challenges for the 2030 Agenda and the HLPF

Interactive dialogue with other participants.

Download the invitation and programme here.

Launch Spotlight Report Sustainability in Europe

Who is paying the Bill ? (Negative) impacts of EU policies and practices in the World

Church Center - 10th floor, New York
Monday 15th of July - 16.30-18.00h

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted unanimously at the United Nations in September 2015 is highly ambitious. If taken seriously it has the potential to change the prevailing development paradigm by re-emphasizing the multidimensional and interrelated nature of sustainable development and its universal applicability. Consequently, it should also form the basis for all policies of the European Union.

The 2030 Agenda is universal, not just because the SDGs are global in scope, but also because all countries have to do something to achieve them. No country can deem itself to be sustainably developed and having already done its part to meet the SDGs. The 2030 Agenda offers the opportunity to challenge the idea that development is a phenomenon that occurs only in countries of the Global South while the North is already ‘developed’. This is especially true for the European Union.

But four years after the adoption of the 2030 Agenda the world is off-track to achieve the SDGs. Most governments have failed to turn the transformational vision of the 2030 Agenda into real transformational policies. Even worse, xenophobia and authoritarianism are on the rise in a growing number of countries.

In January of 2019 the European Commission presented a “Reflection Paper” on how to deal with the 2030 Agenda. The paper, however, limits itself to outlining options for the Commission and the European Parliament to come after the European elections in May 2019. The EU is still lacking a comprehensive strategy on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and its ambitious commitments to action.

On average, the EU has one of the world’s worst environmental footprint per capita, with our unsustainable lifestyles based on resource and labour exploitation in other parts of the world. The economy of the future needs to take into account the environmental and social impact beyond our borders rather than living in the illusion of a low-carbon, resource efficient Europe that exports resource-intensive production to other parts of the world. Policy coherence for sustainable development requires to fully take into account the externalities and spill-over effects of European policies, production and consumption patterns.

Taking policy coherence into account means also a monitoring of the spill-over effects and set goals to limit them. Eurostat is not including externalities in their reporting, as indicators are (still) not existing.

This report shows in some important policy areas where there is an urgent need for action, because the external effects of European policies are not sufficiently taken into account.

With:

• Mr. Jens Martens – Global Policy Forum
• Ms. Lonne Poissonier – CONCORD Europe
• Ms Thao Hoang Phuong - ActionAid Vietnam,
• Mr. Roberto Bissio – Social Watch
• Mr. Gabor Figeczky- IFOAM
• Repr of EC (tbc)

Moderated by Ms. Leida Rijnhout – SDG Watch Europe

Download the invitation here (pdf, 316KB).

Side Event on Reduced Inequalities (SDG 10)

Overcoming barriers to reduce inequalities: Policies to leave no one behind and achieve greater equality

July 15, 2019, 7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Permanent Mission of Germany to the United Nations | Auditorium

Organzied by: The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the Association of German Development and Humanitarian Aid NGOs (VENRO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO)

Reducing inequalities (SDG10) is essential for overcoming extreme poverty (SDG 1) and a successful implementation of the 2030 Agenda as a whole.

Many countries experience high and increasing inequalities. A reversal of this trend is not in sight. Therefore, it is paramount to take political action towards reaching this central goal of the 2030 Agenda. Strong social protection and redistributive policies significantly reduce inequality within countries. Therefore, it is essential to develop overarching strategies, build universal social protection systems as well as assess and increase redistributive capacities. These measures have to ensure that no one is left behind and equitable access to protection against risks and against poverty for all people is guaranteed.

The panel will discuss the most persistent barriers to a sustained reduction of inequalities and the contribution of fiscal and social protection policies to overcome inequalities worldwide.

Refreshments and snacks will be served.

Please confirm your participation by July 11 to Ms. Johanna Hauf ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ), stating your name, position and affiliation.

For further questions, please contact Ms. Johanna Hauf or Ms. Sonja Grigat ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ).

Programme

WELCOME

• Dr Maria Flachsbarth Parliamentary State Secretary German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
• Dr Luise Steinwachs Deputy Chair Association of German Development and Humanitarian Aid NGOs (VENRO)

PANEL DISCUSSION

• Pedro Conceição Director Office of the Human Development Report, United Nations Development Program (UNDP)
• Dr Chiara Mariotti Inequality Policy Manager Oxfam Great Britain
• Wolfgang Schiefer Senior Multilateral Cooperation Specialist International Labour Organization (ILO)
• Roberto Bissio Coordinator Social Watch and Global Coalition for Social Protection Floors
• Esther Lusepani (tbc) Permanent Secretary Namibian Ministry of Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare

Host: Dr Minu Hemmati

Download the invitation and programme here.

Prevention, Liability and Rights of the Victims

Discussing towards the first Draft of a legally binding Treaty on TNCs and other Business Enterprises with Respect to Human Rights

Panel Discussion

April 15, 2019, 1-3pm | Church Center 10^th Floor | 777 UN Plaza New York

The event is jointly organized by ESCR-Net, FIAN International, Franciscans International, Global Campaign to Reclaim Peoples Sovereignty Dismantle Corporate Power and Stop Impunity, Global Policy Forum, Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung-New York Office, and Transnational Institute.

The transformation of our world as proclaimed in the title of the 2030 Agenda requires fundamental changes in the way our societies produce and consume goods and services. However, far too often, corporate profits are systematically fed by poor working conditions, low environmental standards and even by human rights abuses and violations. When business enterprises violate labor rights, grab local population’s resources or cause damage to the environment and people’s health, they often face no legal consequences for their actions. Those affected have little or no access to legal protection or redress—neither locally nor in the controlling enterprises’ home countries.

Instruments to prevent and hold corporations accountable for human rights abuses and the violation of social and environmental standards are weak. Human rights enforcement remains ineffective, especially when their enjoyment is negatively impacted by transnational corporations (TNCs).

Against this background, the UN Human Rights Council’s resolution of 26 June 2014 establishing an open-ended intergovernmental working group (OEIGWG) to elaborate an international legally binding instrument to regulate within the scope of international human rights law and the activities of transnational corporations and other business enterprises deserve to be called historic. Since 2014, the working group has convened four times. In July 2018, the Chair of the working group published a zero draft for the prospective treaty, which was discussed by representatives of governments, academia, civil society and business during the fourth session in October 2018.

Preventative measures, including but not limited to mandatory human rights due diligence, linked with legal liability, and the clarification and definition of the rights of affected and threatened communities will be three central elements of the prospective treaty. Representatives from governments, international organizations, academia and civil society will discuss together with the participants how the zero draft addresses these topics. They will further inform about the state of the treaty process and next steps to be taken.

Panelists:

• H.E. Luis Gallegos Chiriboga, Permanent Representative of Ecuador to the UN
• Representative, Permanent Mission of South Africa to the UN (tbc)
• Mona Sabella, ESCR-Net
• Shayda Naficy, Corporate Accountability/Global Campaign
• Ana María Suaréz-Franco, FIAN International

Discussant:

• Christian Courtis, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

Moderator: Karolin Seitz, Global Policy Forum

Download the Invitation and Program here.

2018

Public Event: Changing Course for Sustainable Development

Bold Alternatives to Business as Usual

Spotlight on Sustainable Development 2018

Geneva Launch of the Civil Society Reflection Group Report

Monday 17 September 2018, 1.00 – 3.00 PM; Room XII, Palais des Nations

“The world is off-track in terms of achieving sustainable development and fundamental policy changes are necessary to unleash the transformative potential of the SDGs.” This is the main message of the Spotlight Report 2018.

Civil society organizations have a key role to play as independent watchdogs holding governments and international organizations accountable for their actions that help—or hinder—the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. The Spotlight on Sustainable Development 2018 report, produced by a global coalition of civil society organizations and trade unions, provides a wideranging independent assessment of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals.

The 2018 edition shines a light on existing bold alternatives to business as usual that can help to change the course towards more coherent policies for sustainable development aligned with human rights principles and standards.

But it goes far beyond that, seeing policy reform as necessary but not sufficient. More fundamental shifts in how and where power is vested are necessary to unleash the transformative potential of the SDGs. In particular, the report calls for more coherent fiscal and regulatory policies, and a “whole-of-government” approach towards sustainability.

At this event, co-organized by UNRISD and FES, some of the key findings and recommendations of this year’s global Spotlight Report will be presented and discussed from various perspectives.

Panelists:

• Gita Sen (DAWN)
• Kate Donald (Center for Economic and Social Rights)
• Sandra Vermuyten (Public Services International)
• Ziad Abdel Samad (Arab NGO Network for Development)

Discussants:

• Paul Ladd (UNRISD)
• Victoria Tauli-Corpuz (United Nations Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples)

Moderator:

Hamish Jenkins (UNRISD)

Opening Remarks:

Hubert René Schillinger (FES)

Sandwiches and light refreshments will be served prior to the event

Registration: http://www.unrisd.org/spotlight-geneva-launch-2018

Conversation with authors of the Civil Society Report

Spotlight on Sustainable Development 2018

Exploring new policy pathways: How to overcome obstacles and contradictions in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda

Church Center, 10^th floor, 777 UN Plaza, New York

12 July 2018, 6:15-7:45pm

Jointly organized by Arab NGO Network for Development, Center for Economic and Social Rights, Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era, Public Services International, Global Policy Forum, Society for International Development, Social Watch, Third World Network with support from Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung.

The world is off-track in terms of achieving sustainable development. Fundamental policy changes are necessary to unleash the transformative potential of the SDGs. In particular, there is a need for more coherent fiscal and regulatory policies and a whole-of-government approach towards sustainability.

These are the main messages of the Spotlight Report 2018, the most comprehensive independent assessment of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

The Spotlight Report 2018 describes policies, resources and actions that are necessary to implement the 2030 Agenda. It highlights strategies and approaches which depart from business-as-usual and prioritize fulfilment of human rights and respect for planetary boundaries.

At the roundtable event authors of the Spotlight Report 2018 will present key findings and recommendations to participants for discussion.

Programme

6:15 Welcome by Luise Rürup (FES New York Office) and Barbara Adams (Global Policy Forum)

6:30 Brief statements by Roberto Bissio (Social Watch), Ziad Abdel Samad (Arab NGO Network for Development), Corina Rodríguez Enríquez (DAWN), Kate Donald (CESR), Stefano Prato (SID), Sandra Vermuyten (PSI)

7:00 Discussion; Moderator: Jens Martens (Global Policy Forum)

As space for this side event is limited, we kindly ask you to RSVP by 10 July 2018 to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Side Event during the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development 2018

Partnership or Business Case?

Private Sector and the SDGs

Permanent Mission of the Federal Republic of Germany to the UN, 871 UN Plaza, New York

13 July 2018, 7:15 pm – 8:45 pm

Jointly organized by Government of Germany, Government of Uruguay, German NGO Forum on Environment and Development, Brot für die Welt, Global Policy Forum, Public Services International, Social Watch, MISEREOR, World Council of Churches

The private sector plays a significant role in achieving the SDGs of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Several corporations have already pledged their support for the SDGs or evaluated the relevance of SDGs in their business activities. The UN Global Compact has started a global campaign to celebrate business leaders who are taking action to advance the 2030 Agenda.

In many countries, engaging the private sector in SDG implementation is part of official policy. Governments and the UN are seeking increased commitment from the private sector in order to finance SDG implementation and bring growth to their economies. Many governments expect the involvement of companies in SDG implementation to lead to greater social and environmental awareness in business strategies.

Among civil society organizations (CSOs), the increased involvement of the private sector in sustainable development has received mixed responses. Some CSOs welcome more business involvement as a necessary recognition of responsibility and a shift in the understanding of the private sector’s role in society. As a result, various partnerships between CSOs, governments and the private sector have emerged. Other CSOs view the growing involvement of the private sector in sustainable development critically. The democratic legitimation of this trend as well as the budgetary rationale of Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) is being questioned as governments hand over more of their duties and power to private companies, particularly in the social sector. Some CSOs view this as a further push towards the privatization of public goods and services and worry about a new form of greenwashing with the SDGs.

This side event will focus on the following questions:

What are the activities and strategies of private sector actors in SDG implementation? Does private sector involvement lead to more sustainability and better implementation of the SDGs? Does it positively affect business models and behavior in the long run? What are criteria and political frameworks for private sector engagement in SDG implementation? What are recommendations for the private sector, governments and civil society organizations with regard to sustainable development?

Programme

Opening remarks and introduction to side event: Anna Cavazzini, Bread for the World

Findings from the case study “SDGs and Finance Sector”: Wolfgang Obenland, Global Policy Forum

Discussion with: Cormac Ebken, Deputy Head of Division 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ); Dr. Laura Schneider, Project Manager, econsense; Shanta Lall Mulmi, RECPHEC; Rosa Pavanelli, General Secretary, Public Services International;
Moderator: Marie-Luise Abshagen, German NGO Forum on Environment and Development

Side Event during the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development 2018

SDG-implementation at national level: What's the point of national reports?

The experience of Voluntary National Reviews and of Civil Society shadow (or spotlight) reporting. How it is key for meaningful participation and accountability?

July 13, 2018 | 1:15 PM to 2:45 PM

WeWork Grand Central, 4th Floor, Room 4A,
450 Lexington Ave , New York 10017

Organized by Social Watch in co-operation with Alliance Sud, Arab NGO Network for Development and Global Policy Forum

The national voluntary reporting to the High Level Political Forum of ECOSOC is a practice that has gained traction, as dozens of governments are volunteering each year to participate and contribute their VNRs. A number of CSOs have prepared their own shadow or spotlight reports to follow-up on their governments efforts to implement the 2030-Agenda. Rising inequalities and the need to substantially change policies to achieve the SDGs is a common theme in many of them. Is there a meaningful dialogue between the official and the alternative reports? What is the value of the whole exercise?

The event aims to:

• share experiences of CSO shadow reports on national implementation; and
• engage government and CSO-representatives in a discussion on national implementation, CSO participation and accountability

Speakers:

• Roberto Bissio (Social Watch)
• Clarisse Sonon (Social Watch-Benin)
• Ziad Abdel Samad (Arab NGO Network for Development, Lebanon)
• Iara Pietricovsky (INESC, Brazil)
• Mark Herkenrath (Alliance Sud, Switzerland)
• Rene Raja (Social Watch - Philippines)

Comments by:

• Sakiko Fukuda-Parr (New School)
• Ambassador Michael Gerber, Swiss Special Envoy for Global Sustainable Development

Download the invitation to this event here (pdf, 70 KB).

Remedies for Cross-Border Human Rights Violations: A Status Report on the Binding Treaty on TNCs and other Business Enterprises

Panel Discussion

April 25, 2018, 1-3pm | Consulate General of Ecuador, 800 2nd Ave, 2nd Floor | New York

The event is jointly organized by Corporate Accountability, ESCR-Net, FIAN International, Franciscans International, Global Campaign to Reclaim Peoples Sovereignity, Dismantle Corporate Power and Stop Impunity, Global Policy Forum, Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung-New York Office, and Transnational Institute.

It is co-sponsored by the Permanent Mission of Ecuador to the United Nations New York.

To implement the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), many in the international community have addressed the financing gap, proclaiming the need to go from “billions to trillions” of dollars. This has pushed a turn towards the private sector and the promotion of ‘blended financing’ as a major way to ‘leverage’ corporate funds to meet any additional investments needed. In many cases there is no lack of additional investments, but more quality investments would appear to figure less frequently. The transformation of our world as proclaimed in the title of the 2030 Agenda requires fundamental changes in the way our societies produce and consume goods and services. Primarily both the state and the private sector have a particular role to play in this regard. However, far too often there is a considerable gap between the social and environmental commitments companies make and the actual effects of their activities on people and the environment. At the international level, instruments to hold corporations accountable for human rights abuses and the violation of social and environmental standards are weak.

Victims of human rights violations by corporations often face insurmountable barriers to access justice. A regulation gap exists especially with regard to corporations operating transnationally. In many cases victims are not able to hold these corporations accountable for their actions, neither in the country of jurisdiction, the home country, nor in the host country of the business enterprise. In contrast, new trade and investment agreements are able to ensure transnational corporations (TNCs) more far-reaching investor rights. They can use private tribunals to sue governments if they deem their profits or investment potentials are affected by new laws – including higher health and environmental standards. In reality there is a perceptible regulatory unbalance.

Against this background, the UN Human Rights Council’s resolution of 26 June 2014 establishing an open-ended intergovernmental working group (OEIGWG) to elaborate an international legally binding instrument to regulate within the scope of international human rights law and the activities of transnational corporations and other business enterprises deserve to be called historic. For the first time since the dissolution of the UN Commission on Transnational Corporations in 1992, an intergovernmental body of the UN was established to address the international regulation of corporations. Since 2014, the working group has convened three times with a growing number of participating states and civil society representatives discussing the scope and content of the prospective treaty.

The panelists will discuss how a binding treaty could overcome obstacles for remedy in cases of cross-border human rights violations by TNCs. It will further inform about the state of the treaty process and next steps to be taken.

Inputs by

• Luis Espinosa, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility Ecuador
• Ana Maria Suárez Franco, FIAN International
• Harris Gleckman, former Chief of the New York Office of UN Conference on Trade and Development
• Nathalie Rengifo, Global Campaign to Reclaim Peoples Sovereignity, Dismantle Corporate Power and Stop Impunity

Facilitator: Barbara Adams, Global Policy Forum

We kindly ask you to RSVP by April 24, 2018 to karolinseitz[at]globalpolicy.org

Please download the invitation here (pdf, 614KB).

Looking forward: How can the FfD Follow-up live up to its full potential?

Side-event during the 2018 ECOSOC Forum on Financing for Development

April 26, 2018 – 1:15pm | Conference Room A | UNHQ, New York

Co-organized by the Civil Society FfD Group (including the Women’s Working Group on Financing for Development) and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (Germany).

Facilitated by: Global Policy Forum, MISEREOR, Social Watch, Brot für die Welt and Society for International Development

The Addis Ababa Action Agenda (AAAA) has defined the follow-up process for the Financing for Development process as well as the means of implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This includes assessing progress, obstacles, challenges as well as new and emerging topics of relevance, and “provide policy recommendations for action by the international community” (para. 131).

After three fora—from 2016 to 2018—it is time to assess if they have managed to live up to their full potential. Some of the challenges raised by observers have been:

• Is the current FfD follow-up process providing an adequate framework not only to assess progress but also to identify and remove obstacles to implementation?
• How can the normative tasks and challenges outlined in the AAAA be clearly spelled out, programmed and tackled? These include, inter alia, elaborating on the principles for blended finance and public-private partnerships included in the AAAA (para. 48); “work towards a global consensus on guidelines for debtor and creditor responsibilities in borrowing by and lending to sovereigns” (para. 97); and “strengthen international cooperation to support efforts for the mobilization of domestic resources” (paras. 20ff).
• How can the FfD follow-up process be reinvigorated for it to provide a vibrant space to identify, assess and tackle cross-cutting, structural and systemic issues as well as emerging new risks that may hinder progress towards sustainable development?
• Is the link between the FfD Forum and the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development close enough to deliver meaningful outcomes strengthening the Addis outcomes as well as the means of implementation for the 2030 Agenda? What could be done to improve this link and mutually reinforce both processes?

At the side-event, participants will be invited to provide their insights into their assessment of previous FfD Fora, their link with other international processes, and discuss with participants about opportunities and challenges, also with view to the upcoming High-level Dialogue on Financing for Development of the General Assembly in 2019. The format of the side event will be highly interactive. After a short framing presentation, the moderator will facilitate active dialogue with a small panel of respondents and the audience.

Participation is open to everybody attending the 2018 FfD Forum (for which registration/a UN grounds pass is required).

Please rsvp by sending a short e-mail to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Download the invitation here (pdf, 900 KB).

Illicit Financial Flows: Time to Drop False Solutions and Embrace Real Change

Illicit financial flows (IFFs), with legalized tax avoidance as its major component, is the fundamental constraint to be addressed to ensure the fiscal space that is necessary to advance the 2030 Agenda. Major public scandals brought to light by the many recent leaks, the Panama Papers and Paradise Papers, exposed how many wealthy individuals and multinational companies are involved in illicit flows, and how a number of countries, including some major economies, are providing systemically institutionalized facilitation of IFFs.

No adequate measures are being undertaken in practical ways to combat IFFs. On the contrary, whereas the global agreement reached in the SDG process clearly covers tax avoidance by multinational companies, efforts seem underway to redefine IFFs to exclude tax avoidance from issues and measures to address IFFs.

Also on the point of tax cooperation, international agreements have not been followed up on. The Addis Ababa Action Agenda is unequivocal in its "stress that efforts in international tax cooperation should be universal in approach and scope and should fully take into account the different needs and capacities of all countries". Despite this, there is still no consensus on establishing an intergovernmental tax commission under the auspices of the United Nations.

This side-event aims to

• Explore policy measures which will narrow the implicit and explicit differences in definition and measurement of IFFs which undermine efforts to curtail IFFs
• Share experiences of how the national and continental level efforts in the Global South to enhance DRM are being impacted by IFFs and discuss the main obstacles to progress, with emphasis on the role of secrecy jurisdictions and tax havens
• Problematize recent international initiatives and the dominance of certain institutions, and map out concrete pathways for the establishment of an UN intergovernmental tax commission.

Speakers include: Mr. Jerry Matthews Matjila​, Ambassador, Permanent Mission of South Africa to the UN; Mr. Sameh Elkhishin​, First Secretary​, Permanent Mission of Egypt to the UN, Arvinn Gadgil, Senior advisor to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Norway; Representative from the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) (TBC)

Respondent: Towfiqul Khan, Research fellow, Centre for Policy Dialogue, Bangladesh

Moderator: Hannah Brejnholt Tranberg, ActionAid Denmark

Download the invitation here .

Strategies for Empowering Rural Women

Side-event on the margins of the 62nd Commission on the Status of Women

Monday 12 March 2018, 2:30 p.m. | 10th Floor, Church Center for the United Nations | 777 United Nations Plaza

Organized by Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung—New York Office (RLS-NYC), Co-sponsored by Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era (DAWN), Global Policy Forum (GPF), and Social Watch.

Speakers include:

• Barbara Adams, Global Policy Forum
• María Graciela Cuervo, DAWN
• Vidhya Das, Agragame
• Agnes Kirabo, Food Rights Alliance
• Carolyn Sachs, Penn State University

Moderator: Stefanie Ehmsen, RLS–NYC

​This public panel will discuss the multiple roles of rural women and girls for enhancing food sovereignty, preserving biodiversity, reducing inequalities, and combating climate change. The presentations will affirm the importance of engaging women in policy-making around more equitable and sustainable production and consumption.

Panelists will offer perspectives from the local level, addressing challenges such as intellectual property rights and land ownership for small-scale women farmers. We will also discuss the opportunities and shortcomings of a human rights approach and global advocacy efforts to increasing women's participation in decision-making to tackle poverty, malnutrition, and environmental degradation.

Additionally, the panel will discuss approaches to advancing gender equality for rural women by analyzing the challenges small-scale women farmers face due to economic stressors such as food insecurity, hunger, and poverty. Taking into account women's organizing movements in rural communities, it will highlight women's contributions to implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including in them informal sector of farm workers. The conversation will enhance policy debates focused on increasing rural women's access to and control over resources at the global level and in local communities.

The Way Forward - Towards a UN Treaty on Business and Human Rights:

The Future Process and Key Elements

Roundtable Discussion

Room XII, Palais des Nations, Geneva, 9 March 2018, 13:00-14:30

Organized by CIEL, FIAN International, Franciscans International, Friends of the Earth International, Global Policy Forum, Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung—New York Office

Co-sponsored by Society for International Development, Indonesia for Global Justice, Project Poder

In June 2014, the Human Rights Council established the open-ended inter-governmental working group (OEIGWG) to elaborate an international legally binding instrument on transnational corporations and other business enterprises with respect to human rights. After three sessions in 2015, 2016 and 2017 and substantive discussions on the scope and content, it is time to begin negotiations among those parties interested in the treaty initiative on the possible form of such an instrument and explore options for the way forward in order to reach an ambitious and timely result.

How to strengthen the political support of the process across regional groups? How to speed up the process, overcome obstacles, and avoid dead-ends in the negotiations? What are the lessons to be learnt from other highly contested (but ultimately successful) international initiatives? What are the most promising and effective modalities to organize the negotiation process? Human rights due diligence is a key principle of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and has been included in many international standards. Several Member States have passed laws and set up initiatives requiring companies to implement due diligence. The concept of duty of care should be a key element of the envisaged legally binding instrument. How should this element be elaborated and what further measures would be required for its implementation?

On the occasion of the presentation of the report on the third OEIGWG session to Human Rights Council, we will be evaluating the political context, possible ways ahead and the concept of duty of care as key element of the prospective treaty. We invite you to discuss these questions in an informal setting together with representatives from Member States, UN agencies, academia, and civil society organizations. To facilitate the free and open exchange of views, the roundtable discussion will be held under the Chatham House Rules.

Inputs by

Sandra Ratjen, International Advocacy Director at Franciscans International

Dr. Nicolas Bueno, Lecturer and Postdoctoral Researcher at Université de Lausanne

With initial comments by

• Representative of Ecuador (tbc)
• Representative of South Africa (tbc)
• Representative of Member State of African Group (tbc)
• Representative of Member State of Latin America & Caribbean Group (tbc)
• Representative of Member State of Asia Pacific Group (tbc)
• Representative of Member State of Western Europe & Other Group (tbc)
• Representative of Member State of Eastern European Group (tbc)

Facilitator: Anne van Schaik, Accountable Finance Campaigner, Friends of the Earth Europe

Download the invitation here .

2017

Reclaiming Policies for the Public!

Monday, 23 October 2017, 13:00 — 15:00h

Palais des Nations, Room XII, Geneva

Join the Reflection Group on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, UNRISD and FES for the Geneva launch of the Spotlight on Sustainable Development 2017 report. Carrying the subtitle "Reclaiming policies for the public. Privatization, partnerships, corporate capture and their impact on sustainability and inequality - assessments and alternatives", the civil society "shadow" report provides a wide-ranging independent assessment of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals. At the event, contributors will present and discuss key findings and recommendations of this year's report.

Registration for this event is now open.

The full report is available for download at https://www.2030spotlight.org.

Adding up the odds: out of the box approaches to increasing ambition and action for climate justice

COP 23 Bonn, Bonn Zone, Meeting Room 4

8 November 2017, 11:30—13:00

Jointly organized by: Corporate Accountability, Sustainable Rural Development, The Greens/EFA, miljöpartiet de gröna, Women's Major Group, Corporate Europe Observatory, IBON International, Global Policy Forum, IPMSDL, Aksi!

The global community is compelled to look at different ways to increase ambition and action. Pledges under the Paris Agreement are not enough to match the urgency and magnitude of the problem. Climate crisis challenges us with the hard questions: how ready are we to challenge systems and structures?

Speakers: Jesse Bragg - Corporate Accountability Titi Soentoro - AKSI, Indonesia Max Andersson - EU Parliament, European Greens Karolin Seitz- Global Policy Forum Atama Katama - Indigenous Peoples Movement for Self-Determination & Liberation Ruth Nyambura Maria Theresa Lauron - IBON International

Download the flyer here .

The Way Forward - Towards a UN Treaty on Business and Human Rights: Options for form and process

Roundtable Discussion

Room XXV, Palais des Nations, Geneva

25 October 2017, 13:15 - 15:00 hrs

Jointly organized by: Brot für die Welt, FIAN International, Friends of the Earth Europe, Global Policy Forum, Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung-New York Office

In June 2014, the Human Rights Council established the open-ended inter-governmental working group (OEIGWG) to elaborate an international legally binding instrument on transnational corporations and other business enterprises with respect to human rights. After two sessions in 2015 and 2016 and substantive discussions on the scope and content, it is time to begin negotiations among those parties interested in the treaty initiative on the possible form of such an instrument and explore options for the way forward in order to reach an ambitious and timely result.

How to strengthen the political support of the process across regional groups? How to speed up the process, overcome obstacles, and avoid dead-ends in the negotiations? What are the lessons to be learnt from other highly contested (but ultimately successful) international initiatives, such as the Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and the Ottawa Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Treaty? What are the most promising and effective modalities to organize the negotiation process? The envisaged legally binding instrument could take on very different forms. Which options should be considered? What are the advantages and disadvantages of the different formats?

After three days of the OEIGWG session, we will be evaluating the political context and possible ways ahead. We invite you to discuss these questions in an informal setting together with representatives from Member States, UN agencies, academia, and civil society organizations. To facilitate the free and open exchange of views, the roundtable discussion will be held under the Chatham House Rules.

Inputs by

Sigrun Skogly, Professor at the Law Faculty of the University of Lancaster

Harris Gleckman, former Chief of the New York Office of United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)

With initial comments by

• Representative of Ecuador
• Representative of South Africa
• Representative of Member State of African Group
• Representative of Member State of Latin America & Caribbean Group
• Representative of Member State of Asia Pacific Group
• Representative of Member State of Western Europe & Other Group
• Representative of Member State of Eastern European Group

Facilitator: Ana María Suárez Franco, FIAN International

The event is co-sponsored by: AWID, CCFD-TerreSolidaire, CIEL, ESCR-Net, FIDH, Friends of the Earth International, IBFAN-GIFA, Franciscans International, Indonesia for Global Justice, PODER, Society for International Development, WILPF

Download the invitation here .

Conversation with authors of the Spotlight on Sustainable Development 2017

Reclaiming policies for the public: Privatization, partnerships, corporate capture and their impact on sustainability and inequality - assessments and alternatives

Baha'i International Community, Suite 120 (first floor)

866 UN Plaza, New York

18 July 2017, 1:15-2:45pm

A global coalition of civil society organizations and trade unions present the Spotlight on Sustainable Development 2017 report. The report provides a comprehensive independent assessment of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The 2017 edition focuses on privatization, partnerships, corporate capture and the impact they have on sustainability and inequality. The articles and textboxes cover all sectors of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs. According to the report, it is time to counter privatization trends, reclaim public policy space and take bold measures to strengthen public finance, regulate or reject PPPs, and weaken the grip of corporate power on people’s lives. These are indispensable prerequisites to achieve the SDGs and to turn the vision of the transformation of our world, as proclaimed in the title of the 2030 Agenda, into reality.

At the roundtable event authors of the Spotlight Report will present key findings and recommendations to participants for discussion.

Speakers include Barbara Adams/Jens Martens (Global Policy Forum), Roberto Bissio (Social Watch), Ziad Abdel Samad (Arab NGO Network for Development), Corina Rodríguez Enríquez (DAWN), Chee Yoke Ling (Third World Network), Kate Donald (CESR), Stefano Prato (SID), Sandra Vermuyten (PSI).

As space for this side event is limited, we kindly ask you to RSVP by 14 July 2017 to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Side-Event during the 2017 High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development

Policy Coherence and Financing for Sustainable Development With Equality

13 July 2017 | 8:15 – 9:30 AM

UN Headquarters, Conference Room E

Jointly organized by Civil Society Financing for Development Group including the Women’s Working Group on Financing for Development, Femnet, Forum for Women and Democracy, Womankind Worldwide in co-operation with inter alia Society for International Development, Global Policy Forum, Brot für die Welt, MISEREOR, Christian Aid, Social Watch and many more.

The pursuit of the 2030 Agenda requires UN Member States to provide the necessary regulatory and financial means, including the removal of structural barriers to social, economic, and ecological transformation of countries both in the global North and South as well as the fulfilment of human rights. While the need for scaling-up financial resources, particularly public investments, is undeniable, there remains significant underestimation of the possible leverage generated by regulatory and policy interventions in the context of the democratization of global economic governance.

In this respect, one of the most pervasive structural obstacles come in the form of gender inequalities at all levels. Indeed, persistent production and consumption patterns and the sexual division of labor fail to properly recognize, value, reduce and redistribute unpaid domestic and care work, pushing the heavy and often hidden burden of work unevenly on women’s lives. While the need for scaling-up financing for gender equality has emerged strongly through the reviews of the 20th Anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the agreement of the 2030 Agenda as well as the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, financing alone will not be able to tackle the barriers to the realization of women’s rights. Deep contradictions remain between financing structures and international human rights frameworks and commitments.

The political and policy space for the follow-up and review of the ‘means of implementation’ as well as the their linkages with the broader Financing for Development agenda has been established with the ECOSOC Forum on Financing for Development Follow-up (FfD Forum). How can the FfD Forum make a meaningful contribution to the HLPF? How can be ensured that human rights and gender equality are regarded as starting points and necessary pre-conditions for the journey as well as ends in themselves? How can both processes (HLPF and FfD Forum) benefit from each other and what role is there for civil society to play, in particular feminist and women’s rights organisations? How can the public policy space be protected from conflicts of interest in the emerging multi-stakeholder processes and strong private sector focus?

This side event will provide an interactive opportunity to discuss progress and challenges in delivering the 2030 Agenda and in particular the role of the FfD Forum and the HLPF as global policy spaces.

Corporate influence in the G20 and other international policy fora

Workshop at the Global Solidarity Summit

Hamburg, Kampnagel, room KX

Thursday, 6 July, 11:00 - 13:00

Transnational corporations and their national and international associations and lobby groups are using the G20 process as important opportunity to engage with the world’s most powerful governments, shape their discourse, and influence their decisions.

Corporations and their interest groups have become powerful actors in international policy debates on sustainable development and human rights as well. They are positioning themselves as more flexible, efficient and un-bureaucratic than states and are promoting “multi-stakeholder initiatives” and “public-private partnerships” as innovative models to tackle global problems. This rise of corporate influence goes along with a fundamental shift in economic thinking. Since the 1970s neoliberal and neoclassical thoughts became predominant. Many economists promote competition and market solutions while alternatives that include emancipatory and ecological considerations are suppressed in mainstream economics.

Business groups are constantly preaching economic growth as a panacea and a sine qua non condition for prosperity, ignoring more sophisticated concepts of sustainability; they urge the G20 to “optimize” and “re-evaluate” regulations intended to lessen the risk of another global financial crisis; they call on governments to strengthen investment protection and promotion agreements that de facto give priority to investors’ rights over human rights and the environment; they promote PPPs that minimize the risk for the private investor at the expense of the public; and they push for preferential treatment for the business lobby in global governance. Corporate actors often use a double strategy to achieve their goals. On the one hand they demonstrate their willingness to cooperate by participating in non-binding dialogues and multi-stakeholder initiatives. On the other hand, they use various methods to influence discourses and massive legal and political pressure against governments to avoid compulsory regulation.

The workshop assesses the extent of corporate influence in the G20, as well as in the United Nations debates on business and human rights and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It discusses policies and safeguards to counteract corporate power and presents related civil society initiatives.

Speakers include:

• Jens Martens, Global Policy Forum
• Nancy Alexander, Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung
• Klaus Schilder, Misereor
• Sarah Lincoln, Brot für die Welt
• Theresa Neef, „Was ist Ökonomie?" Berlin

Facilitator: Heike Löschmann, Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung

Download the flyer here.

Side-events during the 2017 ECOSOC Forum on Financing for Development Follow-up

How a UN Intergovernmental Tax Body could tackle illicit financial flows and advance progressive and gender responsive tax systems

Monday, May 22, 2017 | 1:15 – 2:30 p.m. | Conference Room B

Organised by the CSO for FfD Group together with the Women’s Working Group on FfD

The AAAA is unequivocal in its “stress that efforts in international tax cooperation should be universal in approach and scope and should fully take into account the different needs and capacities of all countries”. At the same time, there are issues on the international tax co-operation agenda that are currently not advancing rapidly enough and thus risk placing mobilization of domestic resources at risk.

These include tackling illicit financial flows which if developing countries are fully represented in international tax co-operation would put forward as a key concern with an ambitious definition that includes abusive tax practices under the AAAA and SDG target 16.4 on Illicit Financial Flows. Similarly, tax incentives could be discussed from the perspective of both developed and developing countries in a context where developing countries have a greater reliance on corporate income taxes (CIT) in relation to developed nations. Similarly developing countries depend far more on withholding taxes that are undermined by tax treaties that privilege residence countries over source countries. Greater tax co-operation could also advance gender responsive tax rules that take into account the large unpaid care work burden of women outside of the formal labour market.

This side-event will consider what international tax co-operation would look like from the perspective of developing countries, and map out concrete pathways for the establishment of an Intergovernmental Body for International Cooperation in Tax Matters where all countries will be democratically represented – and that is guided by the overarching aim of fulfillment of human rights, sustainable development and gender equality.

Moderator: Pooja Rangaprasad, Policy Coordinator, Financial Transparency Coalition

• Andrew Chikowore, Advisor - Public Accountability and Tax Justice at ActionAid Tanzania
• Kathleen Lahey, Professor, Faculty of Law, Queen's University, Kingston Ontario, Queen’s University, Canada
• Jason Braganza, Deputy Executive Director, Tax Justice Network - Africa
• Carola Iniguez Zambrano, Undersecretary of International Organizations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ecuador

• H.E. Mr. Ahmed Sareer, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Maldives to the United Nations (invited)
• H.E. Mr. Courtenay Rattray, Permanent Representative of Jamaica to the United Nations (invited)
• Gail Hurley, Policy Specialist: Development Finance, Bureau for Policy and Programme Support, UNDP (invited)
• Mr. Joe Klock, Representative to the UN and Vice President, New Humanity

Public Panel

Advancing Women’s Economic Empowerment through Human Rights

Friday March 17, 2017, 8:30 – 10:00 AM
Church Center for the UN
777 First Avenue, 10^thFloor
New York, NY, 10017

In cooperation with Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung—New York Office, Public Services International (PSI), Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era (DAWN), and Rutgers’ Center for Women’s Global Leadership.

International leaders and civil society activists will soon convene again at the UN Headquarters in New York for the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW61), which will take place from March 13 to 24, 2017. This year, the Commission will address the issue of women’s economic empowerment in the changing world of work, a subject of uttermost importance to tackle persistent gender inequalities. Today, most of the world’s poor are working, and the majority of those are women. This clearly shows how employment, while essential for development, is not enough to guarantee the economic rights of millions of women.

The legal barriers posed by the formal and informal economies, the lack of a gendered perspective in policy and planning processes, and the persistent disparities in the labor market pose difficult challenges to women’s advancement in the economic sphere. Trying to cope with the failures of neoliberalism to secure substantive equality, an international commitment becomes imperative.

We are co-organizing a Parallel Event along with Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung, Public Services International (PSI), DAWN, and the Center for Women’s Global Leadership.

This panel will bring together researchers and activists to assess the current situation of women in the working world. The speakers will explore the importance of a global response for achieving women’s economic empowerment, from a perspective that takes the framework of human rights as a pathway to fulfill social justice. They will do so by assessing the contributions and shortcomings of this approach, outlining the situation of women workers in the global economy, and highlighting the challenges and opportunities of advocacy efforts for women’s economic rights within the international realm.

Radhika Balakrishnan, Faculty Director, Center for Women’s Global Leadership
Gita Sen, General Coordinator, DAWN
Barbara Adams, Board Chair, GPF
Gloria Mills, Equalities National Secretary, Unison UK – PSI
Jennifer Fish, Chair of Women’s Studies, Old Dominion University

Facilitator: Stefanie Ehmsen, Co-director, Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung—New York Office

Free and open to the public. Registration here.

Download the flyer here.

2016

Side Event

Corporate Accountability and Influence in the UN

Current Trends in the Governance of Business & Human Rights, Global Health, Agriculture, Food and Nutrition

25 October 2016, 18.30-20.30 | The Graduate Institute, Maison de la Paix, Chemin Eugène-Rigot 2, Geneva

Room: Auditorium A2

Jointly organized by: FIAN International, Global Policy Forum, Social Watch, Society for International Development, Third World Network, Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung and the Environmental Student Committee of the Graduate Institute

The international debate surrounding the environmental, social and human rights responsibilities of corporations has been gaining momentum. Growing public criticism of transnational corporations and banks has contributed to this debate. The list of criticisms is long: pollution scandals, disregard for basic labour and human rights standards, massive bribery allegations, on top of widespread corporate tax avoidance.

At the same time, corporations and their interest groups have become powerful actors in international policy debates on poverty eradication, development, the environment and human rights. They are themselves positioning as more flexible, efficient and un-bureaucratic than states and are promoting “multi-stakeholder initiatives” and “public-private partnerships” as innovative models to tackle global issues.

Corporate actors often use a double strategy to achieve their goals. On the one hand they demonstrate their willingness to cooperate by participating in these kinds of non-binding dialogues and multi-stakeholder initiatives. On the other hand they use massive legal and political pressures against governments to avoid compulsory regulation. Corporations and their interest groups use various methods to influence discourses and political decision-making processes – including the discussions about food and nutrition at the Committee of World Food Security (CFS), the discussions on global health at the World Health Organization (WHO) and the business and human rights agenda of the UN.

On the other hand, there are emerging initiatives of civil society and some governments to counteract corporate power and to establish binding rules for transnational corporations. With the Working Group “to elaborate an international legally binding instrument to regulate, in international human rights law, the activities of transnational corporations and other business enterprises”, for the first time since decades, an intergovernmental body of the UN has been established to address the international regulation of corporations.

The panel will assess the state of corporate influence in the business and human rights debates, in global health, the agriculture, food and nutrition policy domains. It will discuss possible policies and safeguards such as WHO’s Framework of Engagement with non-State Actors (FENSA) and the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control that have been put in place to protect against conflicts of interest in these respective domains. It will also inform about further debates to regulate the UN’s engagement with private actors such as the discussions in the Quadrennial Comprehensive Policy Review (QCPR).

Speakers:

• Flavio Valente (FIAN International)
• Barbara Adams (Global Policy Forum)
• Roberto Bissio (Social Watch)
• Mirza Alas (Third World Network)
• Nathalie Rengifo (Corporate Accountability International)
• Stefano Prato (Society for International Development)

Download the invitation and the programme here.

Corporate accountability and influence in the UN

Challenges for the new Secretary-General and the UN

Panel Discussion

4 October 2016, 1:00-3:00 pm | Church Center, 2nd Floor, 777 UN Plaza, New York City

The international debate surrounding the environmental, social and human rights responsibilities of corporations has been gaining momentum. Growing public criticism of transnational corporations and banks has contributed to this debate. The list of criticisms is long: pollution scandals, disregard for basic labour and human rights standards, massive bribery allegations, on top of widespread corporate tax avoidance strategies.

Confronting this reality is a historic decision of the UN Human Rights Council (of 26 June 2014) to establish an intergovernmental working group “to elaborate an international legally binding instrument to regulate, in international human rights law, the activities of transnational corporations and other business enterprises”. For the first time since decades, an intergovernmental body of the UN was established to address the international regulation of corporations.

The second session of the intergovernmental working group is scheduled for 24-28 October 2016 in Geneva.

The panel will assess the state of the current debate, discuss the pros and cons and the potential content of a legally binding instrument (or a treaty), and explore links to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs and to the agenda and responsibilities of the incoming Secretary-General.

Speakers include:

• Jens Martens/Barbara Adams, Global Policy Forum
• H.E. Horacio Sevilla, Permanent Representative of Ecuador to the United Nations*
• Dominic Renfrey, Corporate Accountability and Economic Policy Program Coordinator, ESCR-Net
• James Hare, Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung

* to be confirmed

Download the invitation and the programme here.

Please RSVP by 30 September 2016 to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

A Good or Bad Start?

Civil Society Reflection Group Report Launch: Spotlight on Sustainable Development 2016

Jointly organized by: Arab NGO Network for Development, Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era, Third World Network, Global Policy Forum and Social Watch with support from Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung

Date: July 11, 2016, 6:15-7:30 pm

Venue: Conference Room D in the UN Conference Building, New York

Independent monitoring and review of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and its structural obstacles and challenges are key factors for the success of the SDGs. It is for this reason, a global alliance of civil society organizations and networks has agreed to produce an annual Spotlight Report assessing the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the structural obstacles in its realization. The report puts a spotlight on the fulfillment of the 17 goals, with a particular focus on inequalities, responsibility of the rich and powerful, means of implementation and systemic issues.

What are currently the main obstacles to achieving the SDGs? Are there transnational spill over effects that influence or even undermine the implementation of the goals? Are the current policy approaches, as they are reflected, inter alia, in the 2030 Agenda, an adequate response to the challenges and obstacles (or are they part of the problem)? What has to be done? Which specific policy changes (at international level) are necessary?

At the side event key findings and recommendations of the global Spotlight Report will be presented.

Speakers: Barbara Adams/Jens Martens (Global Policy Forum), Roberto Bissio (Social Watch), Ziad Abdel Samad (Arab NGO Network), Chee Yoke Ling (Third World Network), and others.

Contributing partners of the report include: ATD Fourth World, ITUC, Center for Economic and Social Rights, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, Public Services International, Global Alliance for Tax Justice, International Centre for Adult Education, ETC Group, NGO Mining Working Group at the UN, What Next Forum, Council of Canadians, Society for International Development, Global Action to Prevent War, Ecoropa and more.

Download the invitation here.

Please RSVP by 10 July 2016 to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Civil Society Exchange

“Shadowing SDG-implementation”

Civil Society Action for meaningful participation and accountability

Wednesday, July 13^th, 2016, 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm

Baha'i International Community | 866 United Nations Plaza, New York, NY 10017, Suite 120 (first floor)

Jointly organized by: alliance sud, Equipo Pueblo, German NGO Forum on Environment and Development, ECESR, GPF, Social Watch Philippines, Social Watch, kepa and VENRO.

Shadow reporting is a well-established tool of civil society when it comes to holding governments accountable. A number of CSOs have already started to prepare shadow or spotlight reports or similar monitoring accounts to follow-up on their governments efforts to implement the 2030-Agenda, especially its 17 goals and 169 targets. The main focus in this first year’s reports was to devise and discuss methodologies and to monitor governments’ efforts on drafting national implementation plans or strategies. In future reports they will point to governments’ short-comings in the implementation and highlight issues relevant for the successful achievement of the SDGs which have not been raised by their governments so far.

The aims of the event are thus to:

• present a number of CSO shadow reports on national implementation, CSO participation and accountability as examples of good reporting practice
• engage government and CSO-representatives in a discussion on national implementation, CSO participation and accountability with a specific focus on “leaving no one behind”
• provide a space for mutual exchange and peer learning regarding national challenges and methods of CSO shadow reporting

As space for this side event is limited, we kindly ask you to RSVP until July 10^th.

Download the invitation and programme here.

“Shadowing SDG-implementation”

Civil Society Action for meaningful participation and accountability

Date: July 11, 2016 | 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM

Venue: Conference Room E in the UN Conference Building, New York

Jointly organized by: alliance sud, Equipo Pueblo, German NGO Forum on Environment and Development, ECESR, GPF, Social Watch Philippines, Social Watch, kepa and VENRO.

Shadow reporting is a well-established tool of civil society when it comes to holding governments accountable. A number of CSOs have already started to prepare shadow or spotlight reports or similar monitoring tools to follow-up on their governments efforts to implement the 2030-Agenda, especially its 17 goals and 169 targets. The main focus in this first year’s reports was to devise and discuss methodologies and to monitor governments’ efforts on drafting national implementation plans or strategies. In future reports they will point to governments’ short-comings in the implementation and highlight issues relevant for successful achievement of the SDGs which have not been raised by their governments so far.

The event aims to:

• present a number of CSO shadow reports on national implementation, CSO participation and accountability as examples of good reporting practice; and
• to engage government and CSO-representatives in a discussion on national implementation, CSO participation and accountability with specific focus on “leaving no one behind”

Speakers include: Roberto Bissio (Social Watch), Areli Sandoval (Mexico, Equipo Pueblo), Daniel Jüttner (VENRO) / Marie-Luise Abshagen (German NGO Forum on Environment and Development), Marivic Raquiza (Social Watch Philippines), Jürg Staudmann (AllianceSud – Swiss Alliance of Development Organizations, Switzerland) and Mahinour El Badrawi (ECESR, Egypt)

Download invitation and programme here.

How to hold the 'rich and powerful' accountable in the 2030 Agenda

Roundtable discussion on monitoring, review and SDG indicators

Jointly organized by dAWN, Third World Network, Social Watch

8 March 2016, 1-3 pm

Baha'i International Community, 866 UN Plaza, New York

The 2030 Agenda adopted at the highest level in September 2015 has the potential to change the prevailing development paradigm by re-emphasizing the multidimensional character of sustainable development and its universal applicability.

The implementation of the 2030 Agenda depends on the adoption of appropriate strategies and policies, available resources and other means of implementation. Accountability mechanisms are important tools for strengthening political commitment and effectiveness. Thus the success of the new Agenda relies a lot on adopting adequate mechanisms and indicators for the monitoring of progress or regressive developments in achieving the goals.

But monitoring and review should not be reduced to the implementation of the SDGs and their related targets. The monitoring of outputs or outcomes alone is by no means sufficient. Rather, policies and policy changes should be scrutinized. In particular, monitoring and review should include the structural obstacles to the implementation of the SDGs and disclose the actors and vested interests behind them.

As we are entering the implementation phase of the 2030 Agenda, it is necessary to identify the obstacles to the achievement of the SDGs and the ways to address them. This includes the need to analyze and reconsider the approach to work with indicators: Does the proposed set of SDG indicators reflect adequately the goals and aspirations of the 2030 Agenda and its universal character? What are structural and political obstacles to be addressed within and around the work on indicators? How can the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities be operationalized in the formulation and weighting of indicators? And what does this mean for the role of the UN and the High-Level Political Forum for Sustainable Development (HLPF)?

The Reflection Group on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development invites you to a discussion on these issues.

Panelists include:

• Barbara Adams, Global Policy Forum
• Nicole Bidegain, DAWN
• Roberto Bissio, Social Watch
• Kate Donald, Center for Economic and Social Rights

Invitation (pdf, 150 KB)

Please RSVP by 4 March 2016 to sarahdayringer[ät]globalpolicy.org.

This event is supported by Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung.

2015

Following up on Addis Ababa

What will we need to sustain the outcomes of the 3rd International Conference on Financing for Development?

Side-event during the 3rd Drafting Session for the Outcome Document for FfD3
Thursday, 18 June 2015, 1 – 2:30 pm
Bahá’Í International Community Office, 866 UN Plaza, Suite 120, New York

Organized by Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, APWLD, Regions Refocus, DAWN, SID, Latindadd, CIDSE, FTC, Eurodad, GPF, Social Watch, Third World Network, and ANND

2014

The Privatization of the Post-2015 Development Agenda

Issues and Challenges in Partnerships with the 'Private Sector'

Side event, New York City

April 8, 2014 | 1:15 - 2:45 pm | 2nd Floor Conference Room | Church Center, 777 UN Plaza, New York City

Partnerships for sustainable development are increasingly being promoted as a major, if not the primary, enabler for the implementation of the successor international sustainable development goals to replace the MDGs by 2015. However, a growing number of civil society groups warn against a partnership approach that places primary emphasis on enticing private sector participation and investments as this risks reinforcing the coporate capture of the post-2015 agenda.

This one-and-a-half hour Public Forum aims to inform civil society organizations and member states with critical perspectives on the major issues and challenges associated with partnerships with the "private sector" for sustainable development.

Download the invitation here (PDF, 200 KB).

Watch a webcast of the event here.

Co-organized by: Brot für die Welt, the Campaign for People's Goals for Sustainable Development, United Methodist Church, Center for Economic and Social Rights, Global Policy Forum, IBON international, MISEREOR, Social Watch, and Third World Network

Corporate influence through the G8 New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition

Civil Society Strategy Meeting

Brussels | 18 March 2014, 10:00-16:30
APRODEV office, European Ecumenical Centre, Boulevard Charlemagne 28, B-1000 Bruxelles

The workshop is co-organized by Brot für die Welt, MISEREOR and GPF

Since its launch in Camp David mid-2012, the G8 New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition has become a platform of increasing importance and power for transnational corporations. They now left the role of mere “policy-takers” to co-create enabling political environments conducive to their core business. African markets are to be opened up to access agricultural commodities or natural resources and to market commercial seed, fertilizer and pesticides under the banner of the fight against hunger.

So far, movements and civil society in Africa and in the G8 countries have raised their voice here and there, strongly criticizing the initiative. However, due to the opacity, complexity und “blurriness” of the G8NA it has so far proven difficult to put the New Alliance under real pressure.

We want to use the strategy meeting to analyze the corporate influence and agricultural policies that led to the frameworks of the 10 countries. We want to discuss the ‘ensemble of corporate agriculture initiatives’ that serve as the blueprint for the New Alliance, and analyze them from different perspectives. In a second step, we then want to discuss options for joint civil society strategies and actions for the next 15 months, towards the G8 Summit 2015.

Workshop Program (pdf, 90KB)

Fur further information, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

2013

Financing for sustainable development: Can the international financial system make the leap?

The event is jointly organized by CIDSE, RightingFinance, and Third World NEtwork

Where: Conference Room A, United Nations Headquarters Between 46th Street and 1st Avenue, New York, NY 10017 (a UN ground pass is required to attend this event)

When: Monday, 9 December, 2013, 18:15-19:30

Speakers:

Moderation: tba

Invitation (pdf, 30 KB)

Side Event during the opening of the 68th UN General Assembly

What kind of a Post-2015 Development Framework will bring about the Real change we need?

The event is jointly organized by CIDSE, GPF, and Social Watch

Where: UN Church Center, 2nd Floor, 777 United Nations Plaza, New York, NY 10017

When: 23rd September 2013, 18:00-21:00

Speakers:

• Bernd Nilles, Secretary General, CIDSE
• Roberto Bissio, Coordinator, Social Watch
• Heidi Hautala, Minister of Development, Government of Finland
• Mariama Williams, Senior Research Fellow, South Centre
• Wael Hmaiden, Director, CAN International
• Ignacio Saez, Executive Director, Center for Economic and Social Rights
• Justin Kilcullen, Director, Trócaire

Reaching a broad consensus on the future development agenda is the ultimate goal of the upcoming negotiations. Extensive consultations and reports of high-level policy-makers, the private sector and academics have contributed to the discussion how to eradicate poverty and ensure a global sustainable development. Yet, to which extent have the needs of the poor and most vulnerable people been reflected?

Through the panel discussion we aim to identify gaps in the official Post-2015 agenda when held against the views and aspirations civil society has expressed in their active engagement in consultations on this agenda to date. The panel will equally discuss alternatives which could make a vision of greater justice and equity that also addresses the challenges posed by climate change and resource constraint a reality.

The event will conclude with a light dinner, during which participants can continue discussions and talk with our panellists and CIDSE experts on the future development agenda and the priorities of the poor.

Global Sustainability Goals: The way forward in shaping transformation towards a more equitable, just and sustainable world?

Workshop at the Global Media Forum, Bonn, 17-19 June 2013

The present framework of international development goals centering on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the strategies based on them do not provide adequate answers to the global problems, be it global warming, or the growing gap between rich and poor. Both the debate over a ‘post-2015 agenda’, as well as the agreement by governments at the Rio+20 Conference to start an intergovernmental process of formulating Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) now offer the opportunity to readdress holistic concepts of prosperity and progress in society.

How could an integrated system of Global Sustainability Goals look like? What are the principles and normative foundations of a Post-2015 agenda? What lessons can be learned from the MDG experience? How could Global Sustainability Goals be embedded in a rights-based approach to development and a system of fair burden-sharing? And what accountability mechanisms must be put in place?

At the Workshop we will present and discuss the findings of the Civil Society Reflection Group on Global Development Perspectives (www.reflectiongroup.org) and its proposal for a Framework of Universal Sustainability Goals as Part of a Post-2015 Agenda.

The workshop will be moderated by Jens Martens, Director, Global Policy Forum

Speakers:

Barbara Adams, Senior Policy Advisor, Global Policy Forum

Danuta Sacher, Chair of the Executive Board, terre des hommes

Hubert Schillinger, Coordinator, Dialogue on Globalization program, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung

The Global Media Forum is hosted by the Deutschen Welle. For further information and registration, please visit the conference website.