Social Watch news

The chaos that has gripped Somalia for so long has many causes and effects. Examination of  recent history can lead to a greater understanding and hopefully teach us a lesson for the future. Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) were not always active, but they play a crucial role in the peace process.

A number of Social Watch reports have been published over the first few months of 2010. In addition to the French version of the international annual report, the regional Arab report and several annual reports from the national Social Watch coalitions in Italy, Czech Republic, Poland and Spain have been published. 

During February 22-24 2010, in New Delhi, India, Social Watch held the Pan Asia Social Watch capacity-building workshop. The aim of this workshop was to strengthen the technical capacities of national Social Watch coalitions in Asia and in the analysis and monitoring of public policy, as well as to forge links between the different member organizations of Social Watch in Asia as well as to construct, at the regional level, a common advocacy and campaigning agenda for Social Watch.

The Spanish Social Watch (SW) Coalition, constituted by Plataforma 2015 y más [Platform 2015 and Beyond] since 2006, joins the efforts of the social organizations which, within the global SW network, are working for sustainable human development and the fulfilment by governments of international agreements in the fight against poverty and inequality.

Author: 
Roberto Bissio Coordinator, Social Watch International Secretariat

We refer to “the eighties” and “the nineties” to designate the closing decades of the 20th century, so how should we baptise the first decade of the new century?

In 2000, at the start of this inaugural decade of the third millennium, there was universal optimism, but now when we came to assess what was really achieved perhaps we should call it “the double-O decade” because the results have been exactly that: “nothing whatsoever”.

2010 marks the 15th anniversary of the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. To commemorate this and review commitment achieved so far, the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) resolved to conduct its 54th session in New York from 1-12 March 2010. The Social Watch network was in New York to present new findings and reports and also partnered with other NGOs to organize parallel civil society events.

 

Social Watch Statement through its Host Organization the Third World Institute (which has ECOSOC status) delivered by Natalia Cardona

3 March 2010, New York

Thirty years after the adoption of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and 15 years after the Fourth World Conference on Women, women all around the world still struggle for gender equality and respect for their human rights and freedoms. Despite certain progress, discrimination against women still prevails in all spheres of public life. The United Nations Member States still have not fully implemented their commitments to gender equality as an essential condition for sustainable economic and social development.  Furthermore, disagreements and tensions among member states and a crisis of unlimited proportions in global geopolitics and global governance have led to the muddling and compromise of basic human rights.

Statement by Dr. Arjun Karki at the ambassadorial-level meeting of the group of the Least Developed Countries *

New York, 25 February 2010
Mr. Chairman, Mr. Cheick Sidi Diarra, High Representative for LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

Thank you for inviting me to this meeting as the International Coordinator of LDC Watch. It is my regret that I could not be with you at the meeting in person today; however, I would like to share with you a few words, specifically on the preparatory process towards the LDC IV that is underway.

Author: 
Jana Silverman Coordinator of Campaigns and Communications Social Watch International Secretariat

In January 2010 – almost ten years after the first World Social Forum (WSF) – over 35,000 social activists met in Porto Alegre, Brazil, to debate topics as diverse as the conference on climate change held in Copenhagen in 2009, the resurgence of US militarism in Latin America, and the growing criminalization of social protest.  Moreover, the future of the WSF, and the relationship among the Forum, NGOs and progressive governments were analyzed.

Author: 
Jana Silverman Coordinator of Campaigns and Communications Social Watch International Secretariat

After ceding to pressure from NGOs around the world, the International Monetary Fund opened up its process of investigating the possible impacts of a global Financial Transactions Tax (FTT). NGOs working on finance and development issues are currently preparing written commentaries and will be participating in face-to-face meetings with Fund officials to advocate for the implementation of the tax. The possibility of turning the vision of Keynes and Tobin into concrete financial policy is now more palpable than ever. Civil society must keep up the pressure.

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