Social Watch news

How can multilateralism lead the path towards equity?

Published on Sun, 2023-06-11 00:00

Civil society debated with Ambassador Courtenay Rattray, Chef de Cabinet of the UN Secretary-General, the need for reform of the multilateral institutions, food security and food sovereignty, the role of the financial system, the pandemic, trade and the development-human rights nexus. All the simultaneous crises lead to the need of reforming global governance

Global Paradoxes, a trap for developing countries

Published on Fri, 2023-06-09 00:00

Developing countries’ finances, energy and food are trapped in paradoxes that hinder their sustainable development concluded the first plenary of the Civil Society Forum in Doha, March 2023, part of the Fifth UN Summit on Least Developed Countries (LDC5).

By Roberto Bissio^*

“The crises of COVID, Ukrainian war, debt distress, bankrupt treasuries, they are telling us in a very painful way that we have not built resilience. There are root causes before these crises, so let's not be distracted by them. Otherwise, if we start to focus on the crises and their impact, we might be pushed to short term solutions” said Cristina Isabel Lopes da Silva Monteiro Duarte, UN Special Envoy to Africa, as her key message to civil Society. The multiple global crises should not be blamed for all the negative impacts that the LDCs, of which a majority are in Africa, are suffering.

“We are not on track”

Published on Thu, 2023-06-08 16:17

“The diagnosis is not good, but we try to keep the roadmap to development” summarized Ambassador Lachezara Stoeva, president of ECOSOC, in her dialogue with civil society at the Civil Society Forum of the Fifth LDC Summit. The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) is the UN intergovernmental body in charge of overseeing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Social Watch at the SDG Summit 2023 Informal Stakeholder Dialogue

Published on Wed, 2023-06-07 11:41

Statement by Roberto Bissio, on behalf of Social Watch, at the SDG Summit 2023 Informal Stakeholder Dialogue that was held virtually on 7 June 2023.

“The doors of the UN are open in your country”

Published on Tue, 2023-06-06 00:00

By Roberto Bissio^*

During the Summit on the Least Developed Countries (Doha, 5-9 March 2023), the UN convened a meeting of UN Resident Coordinators (RCs) of all 46 LDCs. UN reform measures to provide better in-country agency coordination and convening started with getting the RCs to report directly to the Secretary-General, DSG Amina Mohammed told the accompanying Civil Society Forum.

UN: “The international financial architecture is not fit for purpose and morally bankrupt”

Published on Mon, 2023-06-05 12:18

By Roberto Bissio^*

A reform in the international financial architecture is needed and urgent. High level UN officials and civil society agreed on that proposition during the UN Summit on the Least Developed Countries.

“The international financial architecture is absolutely no longer fit for purpose. It is morally bankrupt” said UN deputy secretary general Amina Mohammed in a candid dialogue with civil society organizations at the closure of the Civil Society Forum on the last day of the Summit on the Least Developed Countries held in Doha last March 2023.

The Intersecting and interlocking challenges

Published on Mon, 2023-06-05 11:50

In her introductory comments to the first plenary of the Civil Society Forum at the LDC5 Summit, Gita Sen, General Co-coordinator for Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era (DAWN) summarized civil society interventions at the opening session, noting that these “set the tone for the seriousness of the challenges LDCs face and the Global South more generally”.

Statement of the Civil Society Forum at the LDC5 Summit

Published on Thu, 2023-03-09 00:00

Chantal Umuhoza delivered the statement of the Civil Society Forum at the Closing session "Adoption of the Doha Political Declaration & Closure" of the LDC5 Conference held on 9 March 2023. Download pdf version of the Statement (French version is available here).

Watch the Adoption of the Doha Political Declaration & Closure.

The Civil Society Forum (CSF) was organized by a Core Group of civil society organizations composed of LDC-Watch, Third World Network, Social Watch and Global Policy Forum, in collaboration with the United Nations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries (UN-OHRLLS). The Civil Society Forum was held in Doha, Qatar, from 4 to 9 March 2023.

Social Watch Philippines: Capacity building workshop on budget and policy advocacy and campaigns for water, sanitation, and hygiene

Published on Thu, 2022-12-15 14:48

Social Watch Philippines (SWP) - Alternative Budget Initiative Health Cluster (SWP - ABI) held a three-day capacity-building workshop on budget and policy advocacy and campaigns for water, sanitation, and hygiene at Hive Hotel and Convention Center, Quezon City on November 23-25, 2022. The activity was also accessible online via Zoom. The workshop training was participated by civil society organizations working on health, environment, and human rights, and those representing persons/children with disability, older persons, and urban poor communities.

LDCs and Their “Graduation”

Published on Tue, 2022-11-15 19:29

The UN established the category of least developed countries (LDCs) in 1971, as many developing countries were navigating a path to development in the post-colonial period. The classification identified specific development challenges faced by these countries.

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