Social Watch news
Published on Thu, 2012-04-26 15:39
In the eve of Rio2012, civil society organizations all over the world are warning against the “growing influence of major corporations and business lobby groups within the UN”. Those concerns became also apparent in the thirteenth session of the UNCTAD in Doha, where the rich countries were trying to minimize the role of that agency, whose reports have consistently criticized the politics of deregulation, liberalization and privatization that benefit the private sector. |
Published on Thu, 2012-04-26 15:37
In the thirteenth session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD XIII), civil society representatives “witnessed outrageous attempts by developed countries to change the policy basis and mandate” of that UN agency, that reflected their corporations and investors’ interests “rather than maintaining historical policy commitments to assist developing countries”, according the statement issued by the organizations on Thursday. |
Published on Wed, 2012-04-25 13:58
The uncertain fate of women’s rights in the Middle East and North Africa region was one of the most relevant concerns at the 12th International Forum of the Association for Women’s Rights In Development (AWID), held last week in Istanbul. After the Forum, Canadian activist Kate McInturff called on feminists “working at the international level” and those “working at the community level” to break the isolation between both groups, and to engage themselves “in a meaningful dialogue”. |
Published on Wed, 2012-04-25 11:56
Some 115 non-governmental organizations have urged governments to “sunset” the World Bank’s Climate Investment Funds and instead, redirect their reserves to the new Green Climate Fund established within the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, to make it fully functional as soon as possible, reported journalist Kanaga Raja, of the South-North Development Monitor (SUNS). |
Published on Tue, 2012-04-24 09:05
Civil society groups taking part in UNCTAD XIII that is been held in Doha called on the UN and its member countries to pursue a "fundamental shift" in economic and development paradigms in order to address the multiple global crises, reported the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA). |
Published on Tue, 2012-04-24 09:01
The “Arab Uprisings” and the civil society in the Arab region have a relevant role on campaigning and advocating to end the Israeli occupation and on support for building an independent Palestinian state, said Ziad Abdel-Samad, director of the Arab NGO Network for Development (ANND, a member organization of Social Watch), participating in a discussion on ‘Sustaining the Palestinian Economy Under Occupation: the Role of Arab Cooperation,’ organized last week by Unctad’s Assistance to the Palestinian People Unit in Doha. |
Published on Tue, 2012-04-24 08:52
Sex workers who parade the streets of Zambia at night will suffer harsh jail terms or fines in a crackdown that shall commence soon, according to the inspector-general of Police Stella Libongani. The Non-Governmental Organization Coordinating Council said the arrests will not solve the problem, reported the Daily Maill. |
Published on Thu, 2012-04-19 14:23
About a thousand people, most of them on behalf of civil society organizations from all over the world, have signed so far a petition to warn the United Nations and its member states about the possibility that the outcome of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio2012), to be held in June, “severely threatens the rights of all people”. |
Published on Thu, 2012-04-19 14:17
The Group of 77 and China, along with civil society organizations (CSOs), come out in defence of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), threatened by several rich nations that are trying to minimize its mandate and its ability to give advice to developing countries. The CSO Forum of UNCTAD XIII that began this week in Doha, Qatar, raised questions about the “business as usual” approach to policies of trade, investment, finance and cooperation. The participants also noted that a key lesson from the global financial crisis is the need to recognize the important role of the state in economic development. |
Published on Wed, 2012-04-18 08:36
The non governmental organization Code: Reforms for Economic Development (Code: RED) and Social Watch Philippines launched a policy monograph on transparency and accountability in local governance, after several months of workshops in six municipalities to allow grassroots groups to get more involved in local public finance. |
