Economic Justice

A world forum of civil society organizations is urging President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to push for greater state responsibility to ensure people’s welfare, especially in developing countries. 

Discussions on a global post- Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) still “lean to a market-based development approach, which means the expansion of the market that minimizes the responsibility of the state,” Sugeng Bahagijo of the international NGO the Indonesian Development Forum (INFID), said on Monday in Nusa Dua, Bali.

“The trend is for each country to recognize voluntary action in implementing the global development framework [which] is not binding and would be detrimental to the people. The responsibility of states must be laid out clearly through a binding universal mechanism,” Sugeng added. 

A 24-member advisory panel will meet on Tuesday after discussions on Monday between scholars, representatives of the public sector, civil society organizations and youth organziations. 

On Wednesday two of the three cochairs of the Bali High Level Panel, Yudhoyono and Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, will conclude the talks, while cochair UK Prime Minister David Cameron will participate by video conference. 

Members of the UN high-level panel meet in Bali this week. Tax evasion is expected to feature in the discussions

 Tax evasion by multinationals and corrupt leaders has emerged as a key issue ahead of the third substantive meeting of a UN high-level panel to discuss a framework for development after 2015.

The theme of this week's meeting in the sweltering Indonesian resort island of Bali is global partnership, the orphan child of the millennium development goals (MDGs). Devoid of clear targets, MDG8 talks in general terms about an open, rule-based trading and financial system, dealing with debt burdens, providing access to affordable essential medicines, and increasing access to new technologies. Goal eight also mentions fostering links between the public and private sector to drive better development.

Yet momentum is building up among NGOs, poor countries and some rich countries to ensure that developing countries build up their tax base at a time when aid flows are under pressure, notwithstanding Britain's commitment to meet, this year, the UN target of spending 0.7% of gross national income (GNI) on aid.

As the fourth meeting of the High-­‐Level Panel on the Post-­‐2015 Development Agenda begins in Bali, Indonesia, we, the members of global, regional and national civil society urge the HLP to be ambitious by setting a framework for transformative, universal, people-­‐centered development. We call on the HLP to outline the bold and relevant commitments needed to ensure a new paradigm for sustainable development, firmly rooted in existing economic, social, cultural, civil and political human rights obligations.

For a full document please see the attached file.

As members of civil society representing diverse constituencies and communities around the world, including over one billion impoverished people,we are deeply concerned about the direction that the High Level Panelon Post 2015 Development may take, particularly as regards the roles of government, business and multilateral institutions in any sustainable development agenda

For a full document please see the attached file

A civil society dialogue on `Post2015 agenda : sustainable development and people’s priorities from the ground’ was held at Barisal, Bangladesh on 24 December 2012. The dialogue jointly organized by VOICE, Beyond 2015 Bangladesh Hub and Speed Trust, Barisal was attended by the members of the civil society and communities while it discussed about the ongoing process of post 2015 and drew priorities for post2015 development framework from the ground realities.
 
Speakers demanded to make post 2015 development agenda equitable through people’s participation considering the vulnerability and ground realities of the people living with poverty. They urged the UN and government to undertake special measures to ensure sustainable development goals putting rights based approach in shaping post 2015 development framework.
 

We have the pleasure to invite you to a “civil society dialogue on post2015 agenda : sustainable development and people’s priorities from the ground” to be held at Barisal Zilla Parishad auditorium, Bangladesh from 2 pm to 5 pm. on 24 December 2012.

The dialogue aims at bringing the members of the civil society and communities to discuss about the ongoing process of post 2015 and draw priorities for post2015 development framework from the ground realities. The dialogue will jointly be organized by VOICE, Beyond 2015 Bangladesh Hub and Speed Trust, Barisal.

A write up by Farjana Akter and Ahmed Swapan Mahmud questioning the real contribution of private sector in the development of Bangladesh. Authors conlcluded that private sector can only contribute in the real development in Bangladesh, if it maintains country ownership and bring effective development result for poor and vulnerable populations. Please find the source for full article: 

http://realityofaid.org/roa-reports/index/secid/377/Aid-and-the-Private-Sector

Reality check, a quarterly report published by Reality of Aid Network. Please find the summary below:

As 2015 draws to a close, the whole international development community is in a rush to come up with a new framework and process that will set  common objectives over the next years- a new development agenda that will truly bring about changes in peoples’ lives.  The United Nations’ high level panel on global sustainability suggests global sustainable development goals to replace the MDGs.

As the whole international community rethinks development, moving away from the business-as-usual approach to end poverty and inequality, so is the opportune time to push for one of the potentially powerful instruments to fight poverty - policies that are comprehensive and coherent towards achieving sustainable development.

But while governments are required to implement policies that are consistent with the goal of promoting sustainable development, what is not highlighted is that policy incoherence stems from the implementation of neo-liberal policies that are imposed on developing countries.

To download the new issue of Reality Check "Policy Coherence for Sustainable Development", please click the following link:

http://realityofaid.org/content/publications/parent/358/name/Reality-Check/id/359

Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, June 17, 2012

Civil society activists from across the world joined for a protest on Sunday inside the Riocentro convention center to push the messsage: “Our Future, Our Voice.”

The activists, part of the Rights for Sustainability campaign, taped their mouths and held placards before gathered media.

The protest was in reaction to a lack of voice for civil society at Rio+20; back-tracking on the Rio principles established at the 1992 Earth Summit; and the prioritizing of unregulated corporate interests over human rights and equity.

Paul Quintos of IBON International, which coordinates the NGO Cluster on Rights and Equity at Rio+20, and the Rights for Sustainability advocacy platform, said: “Civil society’s ability to promote the voice of the people it represents has been steadily eroded throughout the
process leading up to Rio+20."

“Instead of progress and solutions in negotiations, we are seeing back-tracking on commitments established in 1992. Principles that protect human rights and equity are disappearing, watered down or remain devoid of concrete means to implement them.