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Equitable Global Governance & UN reform

Briefings, Equitable Global Governance & UN reform

UN General Assembly 2023: Shifting Dynamics of Global Governance

The Global Policy Watch Team
Many world leaders during the UN GA High-level General Debate referenced the sorry state of multilateralism and the various alignments and groupings, some to counter the lack of agency and redress power asymmetries across multiple policy streams. In conjunction with the historical responsibilities of developed countries for carbon emissions, many called for reparations for slavery and colonialism, highlighting the historical injustice that continues to disadvantage developing countries. Reform of the international financial architecture featured consistently on the agenda, as did a focus on demands for action on Loss and Damage at the upcoming COP 28 and the devastating debt distress, especially in small- and medium-sized countries. Read more

Briefings, Equitable Global Governance & UN reform

2022 UN General Assembly High-level Debate: perspectives from the Global South

The GPW Team
In September 2022, heads of state and government spoke at the UN Headquarters on the theme “A watershed moment: transformative solutions to interlocking challenges”. Secretary-General António Guterres’s message was clear: “Our world is in peril and paralyzed”. He launched the High-level General Debate bluntly: “Our world is in big trouble. Divides are growing deeper. Inequalities are growing wider. Challenges are spreading farther.” He urged, “We need action across the board.”
These concerns reverberated throughout the high-level session. This briefing contains a sampling from countries of the Global South. Read more

Briefings, Corporate Influence, Economic justice, Equitable Global Governance & UN reform

Sustainable Development, Corporate Influence and Private Finance

By Antje Hipkins and Elena Marmo

Crucial to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda is SDG 17, “Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development”. Increasingly, discussions now take the form of multistakeholder partnerships and engagement with the business sector as a tool to mobilize finance for the SDGs or generate needed capacity – often to develop a pipeline of bankable projects. This partnership orientation has become a regular feature of the UN agenda, from the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Operational Activities Segment in May 2022 to the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) in July 2022. Read more

Briefings, Equitable Global Governance & UN reform

Global South Voices at 2022 UN High-level Political Forum

By Antje Hipkins
At the first High-level Political Forum held in person since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in July 2022, 44 countries presented VNRs, including many Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). These countries focused on progress toward achieving the 2030 Agenda and the impact of COVID-19 on countries’ development plans, progress on gender equality, specific vulnerabilities in the face of multiple global crises, and the urgency of increasing climate resilience. Some emphasized the importance of a shift away from reliance on Gross National Income (GNI) as a key measure of development, as well as concern about the ability of LDCs to continue developing sustainably after graduating from the category. Read more

Equitable Global Governance & UN reform

UNGA Revitalization and selecting the next Secretary-General

By Elena Marmo
In 2007, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) established an Ad Hoc Working Group on the revitalization of the work of the General Assembly (AHWG) which in recent years has addressed the selection process of the UN Secretary-General (S-G). The current S-G Antonio Guterres’ five-year term is set to expire on 31 December 2021 and Member States have begun activities for the 2021 selection and appointment for the UN S-G position, including a thematic debate on the selection process on 23 April. Read more

Articles, Economic justice, Equitable Global Governance & UN reform

Broad consensus, paltry results. The UN Forum on Financing for Development 2021

By Bodo Ellmers
The UN Forum on FfD 2021 was the first FfD forum held as planned since the outbreak of the COVID-19 crisis. Accordingly, the expectations were high. Development finance is currently facing a triple challenge: to mitigate the humanitarian crisis, funds for an acute crisis response are needed – for example, to finance universal access to vaccines through the COVAX-facility, or for social protection measures. To mitigate the further divergence between countries, resources must be made available for economic stimulus programmes in the Global South that match those of the Global North. To prevent the failure of the Agenda 2030, the SDG financing gap that already existed before the COVID-19 crisis and has widened as a result of the crisis must be filled. The UN FfD Forum 2021 was a pivotal moment on the international policy calendar to take the necessary steps. Read more

Articles, Equitable Global Governance & UN reform

COVID-19 & LDCs: Upcoming opportunities to address structural impediments

By Elena Marmo and Barbara Adams
The United Nations and Member States begin the 2021 calendar confronted with the need to address the ongoing COVID-19 crisis and growing global inequalities. Despite the WHO’s efforts to make the COVID-19 vaccine “affordable and accessible for all” through the ACT Accelerator and calls by CSOs and UN leadership and world leaders for a People’s Vaccine (a global public good free from Intellectual Property Rights), the global vaccine distribution/rollout has been dominated by wealthy, developed countries, with little if any vaccines available for small and medium developing countries. Read more

Equitable Global Governance & UN reform, Publications

Where the rubber meets the road

By Barbara Adams and Roberto Bissio
A survey among CSOs in “programme countries” evidences a very high level of commitment to UN values and principles, much dissatisfaction with the actual operations at country level and articulation of areas for improvement.
For a number of CSOs, the UN system is appreciated for its inspiration, legitimization and promotion of the values they stand for, but is also viewed as a competitor for funds and influence, often displacing the social sector instead of building it. And frequently it is seen as both at the same time. Read more

Equitable Global Governance & UN reform, Round Up

UN Monitor: COVID-19 Round-Up on UN General Assembly High-level Meetings – 04/09/2020

The 75th session of the UN General Assembly (GA) will open on 15 September and its first weeks will see a number of high-level meetings: the first annual “SDG Moment” launching the Decade of Action, the High-level meeting to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the UN, the Biodiversity Summit, the High-level meeting on the 25th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women (Beijing +25) and the High-level meeting to commemorate and promote the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons. Read more

Equitable Global Governance & UN reform, Round Up

UN Monitor: COVID-19 Tour d’horizon 15/05/2020

Le Secrétaire général des Nations unies, António Guterres, introduisent un rapport et évaluation des progrès de la réforme du système de développement des Nations unies, qui sera examiné lors du segment des activités opérationnelles pour le développement (OAS) de l’ECOSOC. Ce segment se déroulera virtuellement, du 19 au 22 mai et le 27 mai, et son programme officiel ainsi qu’une série de rapports sont maintenant disponibles en ligne. Lire plus

Equitable Global Governance & UN reform, Round Up

UN Monitor: COVID-19 Tour d’horizon 05/05/2020

Le Forum politique de haut niveau 2020 (FPHN) doit examiner la mise en œuvre de l’Agenda 2030 pour le développement durable et les progrès accomplis dans la réalisation des SDG du 7 au 16 juillet 2020. Le Département des affaires économiques et sociales des Nations Unies (DAES) a publié un programme provisoire et une note conceptuelle pour le FPHN 2020. Le DAES a également annoncé de nouvelles modalités pour les manifestations et expositions virtuelles parallèles. Lire plus

Equitable Global Governance & UN reform, Round Up

UN Monitor: COVID-19 Round-Up 30/04/2020

The International Labour Organization (ILO) issued a COVID-19 monitor on the world of work in light of the global coronavirus on 29 April. This was accompanied by a press release specifically focusing on informal work. It reports that: “1.6 billion workers in the informal economy – that is nearly half of the global workforce – stand in immediate danger of having their livelihoods destroyed” due to COVID-19. Read more

Equitable Global Governance & UN reform, Round Up

UN Monitor: COVID-19 Round-Up 28/04/2020

WHO ACT Accelerator
On 24 April, the World Health Organization announced a multi-stakeholder initiative called the “Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator, or the ACT Accelerator”. The ACT Accelerator describes itself as “a collaboration to accelerate the development, production and equitable global access to new COVID-19 essential health technologies”. It is “grounded in a vision of a planet protected from human suffering and the devastating social and economic consequences of COVID-19”. Read more

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