What needs to be done

Hundreds of civil society organizations from around the world have endorsed a common statement which includes the following substantive paragraphs:  We are facing a global systemic crisis, which originated in the rich countries of the North, their unsustainable consumption and production patterns and the irresponsible economic behaviour of their dominant social actors. The crisis affects billions of people all over the world, pushing many millions of them into unemployment and poverty, and violating their economic, social and cultural rights.  The response of the G20 was not sufficient to address the root causes of these multiple crises of food, climate, financial markets and sustainable development.  The global crisis needs a global response involving all societies that are affected by the crisis. Therefore, the United Nations is the only legitimate forum through which the crisis can be resolved. This is the reason why we highly welcomed the decision of governments in Doha to hold a UN Conference on the world economic and financial crisis and its impact on development.

Decisions that have to be implemented immediately as a response to the current crisis, include the sufficient funding for a global stimulus package, and long-term
measures, such as the establishment of a new Global Reserve System or the proposal for a Global Tax Authority. We agree that the UN has to come up with immediate responses to the crisis and simultaneously decide on an intergovernmental time-bound process towards the long-term reforms.

Among the decisions that are of high priority and could be taken without any further delay are the following:

The initiative to establish a Global Panel on Systemic Risks in the World Economy, following the model of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, bringing together academics, civil society and policy makers.
The decision to upgrade the Committee of Experts on International Cooperation on Tax Matters to an intergovernmental Commission on Tax Matters as a functional commission of ECOSOC by the end of 2009.
The political commitment to introduce an internationally coordinated Financial Transaction Tax in order to mobilize additional resources for a short-term Global Stimulus Fund and the longer-term implementation of the Internationally Agreed Development Goals, including the MDGs.
The establishment of a Global Economic Coordination Council within the UN system.  The decision to review the Agreement between the UN and the Bretton-Woods-Institutions (BWIs) in order to enhance coordination and policy coherence by integrating the BWIs as specialized agencies completely into the UN system.

Signatures (as of June 02, 2009); Jens Martens and James Paul, Global Policy Forum; Roberto Bissio, Social Watch; Beverly Keene, Jubilee South; Andrea Baranes and Antonio Tricarico, Campagna per la Reforma della Banca Mondiale; Mirjana Dokmanovic, Women and Development Europe (WIDE); Gigi Francisco, Development Alternatives wirh Women for a New Era (DAWN); Patricia Blankson Akakpo, Network for Women's Rights in Ghana (NETRIGHT) and ABANTU for Development (ROWA); Josep Xercavins i Valls; Philo Morris, Medical Mission Sisters; Aldo Caliari, Center of Concern; Rudy De Meyer, 11.11.11; Verena Winkler and Simon Stocker, Eurostep; Eva Friedlander, IWAC, the International Women's Anthropology Conference; Luke Fletcher, Jubilee Australia; Anne Jellema, Action Aid; Mark Herkenrath, Alliance Sud, Switzerland; Klaus Schilder, terre des hommes Germany; Magaly Pineda, CIPAF, Rep.Dominicana; Feminist Task Force of the Global Call to Action against Poverty; Arjun Karki, LDC Watch; Sarba Khadka, South Asia Alliance for Poverty Eradication-SAAPE; Mana Dahal Rural Reconstruction Nepal-RRN; Edward Oyugi, Social Development Network, Nairobi, Kenya; Oksana Kisselyova, Liberal Society Institute, Ukraine; Cartas A. Kapele, Children Education Society (CHESO), DAR ES SALAAM – TANZANIA; Fernanda Carvalho, IBASE - Brazilian Institute for Social and Economic Analysis; European Network on Debt and Development (EURODAD); ATTAC Hungary; Milan Smrz, Czech section of Eurosolar; Joseph M. Sammut, Social Watch, Malta; Christine Andela - COSADER (Collectif des ONG pour la Sécurité Alimentaire et le Développement Rural) - Cameroun; Marta Benavides - Instituto Internacional de Cooperación entre Pueblos (IICP) - El Salvador; GCAP - Sudan; Jubilee Debt Campaign (UK); Tom Kucharz, Ecologistas en Acción (Spain); Transnational Institute; Institute for Policy Studies, Global Economy Project; Dr. Hassan Abdel Ati - National Civic Forum - Sudan; Malgorzata Tarasiewicz - Network of East-West Women, NEWW-Polska; AWID (Association for Women¹s Rights in Development); Rede Brasil sobre Instituições Financeiras Multilaterais; Marek Hrubec, Centre of Global Studies, Czech Republic; Zelená Pro Planetu, Czech Republic; Henri Valot, Policy Advisor CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation; Professor Aijaz Qureshi: Social Watch Pakistan- IDF; Zulfiqar Halepoto- Sindh Democratic Forum (SDF) and Social Watch Pakistan; Nazeer Memon- Sindh Agriculture Forum; Abrar Kazi - SDF- water expert and technocrat; Rural Reconstruction Nepal (RRN); Public Finance Monitoring Center; Women's Working Group on Financing for Development; Egyptian Association For Community Participation Enhancement (EACPE); CARDET, Cyprus; National Social Watch Coalition - India; Action for Economic Reforms; Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement (PRRM); Arab NGO Network for Development (ANND); Ziad Abdel Samad; Mariama Williams, Integrated Policy Research Institute (IPRI); Yves Conze, Integrated Policy Research Institute (IPRI); Carla Bakboord, MSc Cultural Anthropologist, Executive Director Equality & Equity for Gender&Social Development, Suriname; El Amel Association For Social Development in Algeria; Women for Change; Genoveva Tisheva- Bulgarian Gender Research Foundation; Development Network of Indigenous Voluntary Associations (DENIVA), J.B. Kwesiga; Network of Ugandan Researchers and Research Users (NURRU), David Obot; Tomas Tozicka - Jubilee Czech; Hanaa Edwar, Iraqi AlAmal Association; David Obot (NURRU), Kampala-Uganda; J.B.Kwesiga (DENIVA), Uganda; Hamarneh, Vanda, Syria; Consumers Association of Penang; Friends of the Earth, Malaysia; KOPIN (Koperazzjoni Internazzjonali) Malta; Instituto Latinoamericano de Servicios legales Alternativos (ILSA) - Colombia; Klaus Heidel, Werkstatt Ökonomie e.V., spokesperson Social Watch Deutschland/Forum Weltsozialgipfel (Social Watch Germany); International Gender and Trade Network (IGTN).; Rene Suša, Humanitas, Society for human rights and supportive action, Slovenia; Africa Development Interchange Network (ADIN); Sanayee Development Organization (SDO). Kabul, Afghanistan; UK Coalition Against Poverty. Eileen Devaney; Baudouin Schombe, Coordonnateur National Reprontic; Bretton Woods Project (UK); FOCO - Foro Ciudadano de Participación por la Justicia y los Derechos Humanos; DECIDAMOS, Campaña por la Expresión Ciudadana, Paraguay; Social watch Mocambique; Jiri Silny, Ecumencial Academy Prague, Czech Republic; Vagn Berthelsen, Secretary General of IBIS; Sisters of Mercy (of the Americas); Marta Scarpato, Consultora sindical, Italia; Mayalu Matos Silva, Brazil; Carlos Martinez Garcia, Presidente de ATTAC España; Martín Pascual, Fundación Cenda, Chile; CIDEP, Asociación Intersectorial para el Desarrollo Económico y el Progreso Social (El Salvador)I; Reseau Marocain pour le Droit a la Sante, Dr Aziz RHALI. Maroc; Antonio J. González Plessmann, Activista venezolano de Derechos Humanos; WEDO (Women's Environment and Development Organization); Red de Control Ciudadano, Costa Rica; Secours-Catholique/Caritas France; Instituto de Estudos Sócioeconômicos – INESC, Brasil; Lunaria, Italy; War on Want; Carlos Martinez Garcia, Presidente de ATTAC España; Socio Economic Rights Initiaitive/Social Watch Nigeria; Global Economy Program; Coordinación de ONG y cooperativas - CONGCOOP; Uganda Coalition for Sustainable Development; SLUG - The Norwegian Coalition for Debt Cancellation; African Women's Development and Communication Network/FEMNET Africa; K.U.L.U.-Women and Development, Denmark; Plataforma 2015 y más, España; Third World Network; CAP; SAM; Red Latinoamericana sobre Deuda, Desarrollo y Derechos – LATINDADD; Women Headed Households Empowerment (PEKKA); Kerstin Sack, Attac Germany; John Y. Jones, Networkers SouthNorth Oslo Norway; Carol Barton, Community Action Program, United Methodist Women; International Council for Adult Education (ICAE); For the French and Spanish versions of this statement and an updated list of signatures see: <www.choike.org/nuevo_eng/informes/7515.html>