Civil society in the Philippines issues suggestions for UNCTAD XV

Social Watch Philippines, together with a number of Filipino academics and civil society representatives, present a policy matrix that identifies urgent issues, provides analyses and outlines recommendations on trade and development from a wide range of actors from civil society, the academe, and private sector in time for the preparatory process leading to the UNCTAD XV Conference to be held in Barbados from 18 to 23 October 2020.

This submission is the product of a two-day multi-stakeholder consultation entitled 'Engaging UNCTAD XV: Perspectives from Academe and Civil Society' jointly organized by the University of the Philippines Center for Integrative and Development Studies – Political Economy Program (CIDS-PEP), Social Watch Philippines, and the College of Science (CS) held last 21st and 22nd of November 2019 at the Institute of Environmental Science and Meteorology Auditorium in the College of Science in the University of the Philippines, Diliman. Many of the positions contained in the matrix were presented to various government agencies in a spirit of policy dialogue. The multi-stakeholder consultation was followed by one more meeting held on 28 February 2020, to further complete all substantive inputs for the matrix.

The submissions comprise the following:
1. The report on the two multi-stakeholder consultations; and
2. The matrix containing analysis and policy recommendations from civil society and academe on trade and development.

The policy matrix highlights some of the most pressing issues that matter to the Filipino people, especially the poor and socially excluded, in relation to trade and development.

Source: Social Watch Philippines (SWP).