Global reform, financial system reform, UN reform and reform of UN finances
Presentation by Barbara Adams at the UNU – IIGH & TWN Symposium – 22 April 2025
Economic justice, Equitable Global Governance & UN reform, Presentations
PPPs
Articles, Economic justice, People-centered Multilateralism
Financing Sustainable Development in the Era of Covid-19 and Beyond
By Bodo Ellmers
In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the United Nations (UN) estimated that developing countries needed an extra US$ 2.5 trillion in external finance to cope with the consequences of the crisis. This vast sum is needed because additional spending needs – for example on health services and social protection – coincide with a simultaneous collapse of all traditional sources of development finance: tax revenue, export earnings, migrant remittances, foreign direct investment and, to a lesser extent, also official development assistance (ODA). Read more
Articles, Briefings, Sustainable development, social justice and sustainable peace
Data is the new gold – development players mine a new seam
by Barbara Adams and Karen Judd
“Data is the new Gold” headlined a 2014 article in the business press on the marketing power it offers. “Each click, like, and share creates new data in the world, much of which can be used to deliver relevant marketing information and bring increased value to consumer audiences.” Picking up on the potential of so-called Big Data to measure national and global progress on development goals agreed in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the 2030 Agenda has driven a variety of new initiatives, bringing together a vast array of global corporations, foundations, and CSOs ready to mine this new seam. Read more…
Publications
Spotlight on Sustainable Development 2017: Reclaiming Policies for the Public
In the 2030 Agenda governments committed to a revitalized Global Partnership between States and declared that public finance has to play a vital role in achieving the SDGs. But in recent decades, the combination of neoliberal ideology, corporate lobbying, business-friendly fiscal policies, tax avoidance and tax evasion has led to a massive weakening of the public sector and its ability to provide essential goods and services. Read more…
Articles, Corporate Influence
Global Spotlight Report warns against risks of Public-Private Partnerships
Press release PPP: Corporations divert UN agenda, claims civil society report Global Spotlight Report warns against risks of Public-Private Partnerships
Articles, Corporate Influence, Press Release
Global report assesses how privatization and corporate capture have become obstacles to progress under the 2030 Agenda
Press release Civil society groups reclaim policies for the public Global report assesses how privatization and corporate capture have become
Briefings, Economic justice, People-centered Multilateralism
Silos or system? The 2030 Agenda requires an integrated approach to sustainable development
By Barbara Adams and Karen Judd
The 2030 Agenda goes far beyond previous development agendas. First, it recognizes that inequality and unsustainable consumption and production are by-products of economic growth and constitute a big challenge in a world of finite resources. This understanding would have been unthinkable as little as 10 years ago. Read more…
Briefings, People-centered Multilateralism
2030 Agenda and the SDGs: indicator framework, monitoring and reporting
By Barbara Adams and Karen Judd
On 11 March 2016 the UN Statistical Commission agreed “as a practical starting point” with the proposed global indicator framework by which to measure progress towards the 17 goals and 169 targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It recognized that the development of a robust and high quality indicator framework is a process that will need to continue over time and authorized the Interagency and Expert Group for Sustainable Development Goals (IAEG-SDGs) to continue its work. Read more…
Articles, Corporate Influence, Partnership
Public-Private Partnerships: Benefiting or hindering international development?
By Sabá Loftus, Social Watch
On the 18th March, the Public Services International Research Unit (PSIRU) hosted a side event in New York to promote the report “Why Public-Private-Partnerships don’t work”. The report assessed the impact of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) actually undertaken in rich and poor countries. These global case studies show that there is no evidence that PPPs are cheaper or more convenient for governments in the long-term.
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