GLOBAL COOPERATION NEWSLETTER
March 2011
In this edition
Japan’s earthquake and tsunami
South Asia UNESCO Forum on social protection
UNICEF e-learning programme – social-economic policies for child rights
Food crisis continues - UNICEF analysis
From UNRISD
28th Annual Social Work Day at the United Nations
Free ‘How to’ guides by KnowHowProfit
Japan’s earthquake and tsunami
The terrible and destructive events in Japan have both an immediate and long term impact
on the people of Japan. Christian Rollet, ICSW President has been in contact with Mr
Chikashi Matsuju Executive Director of our member in Japan – the Japanese National
Committee of ICSW. ICSW joins with so many others who have expressed their support andsympathy for the losses that have hit so many.

South Asia UNESCO Forum on social protection
From left: Ms Bindra Hada
Member Secretary National
Planning Commission Nepal;
Hon Mr Felix Perera Ministerof Social Service, Sri Lanka;
Ms
Elizabeth
Longworth,
UNESCO Deputy Assistant
Director General for Socialand Human Sciences andDirector of Social ResearchPolicy

ICSW was well represented at the UNESCO Forum of South Asia Ministers in charge ofSocial Development held in February 2011. The topic was social protection policies in SouthAsia. A S Shenoy, ICSW Regional President for South Asia presented in a session on a social
protection floor for South Asia. The Forum was hosted by Mr Felix Perera, Minister of Social
Services, Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.

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The ministers in their declaration arising from the meeting recognised they were ―Driven by
the urgency to counteract the devastating impact of the global financial
and economic crisis, including the food crisis, especially on the poor populationof our countries‖ In their commitment to action the ministers agreed to inter alia:
 ―Commit to adopt a comprehensive approach to social protection, encompassing
preventative, protective and promotional measures that address both individual andcommunity risks and deprivations, while not disregarding traditional systems ofsocial assistance; Recognise the need for expanding the scope and benefits of social protection to
the most neglected and vulnerable sections of society such as, informal workers,
migrants, persons with disabilities, the urban poor and other marginalised groups
facing discrimination and exclusion;
 Emphasise child-sensitive social protection initiatives as an effective strategy to
break the intergenerational cycle of poverty and reduce socio-economicdisparities;
 Build institutional and governance capacities and preparedness in delivery ofsocial protection programmes, and ensure their regular monitoring and evaluation;
 Prioritise financing for social protection measures in national expenditure plans; Strive to move towards a universalised, rights-based, gender sensitive approach in
the extension of social protection, providing dignity and voice to the poor andvulnerable and fostering equity, inclusion and citizenship;
 Advance the agenda for a social protection floor, ensuring universal access toessential social transfers and services, adapted to specific country contexts;
 Strengthen regional cooperation among our countries in enriching the field ofsocial protection research and outreach…‖(Note these are only some of therecommendations
andactions.
Forthefulldeclaration
goto
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0019/001914/191402e.pdf)

Left - Ms Marina Faetanini UNESCO Programme Specialist Social and Human Sciences basedin Delhi and responsible for organising the ministers‘ forum.
Right – AS Shenoy ICSW Regional President for South Asia

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Page 2UNICEF e-learning programme – social-economic policies for child rights
UNICEF and the Economic Research Foundation (ERF) invites interested people toparticipate in a new e-learning programme focusing on socio-economic policies for childrights with equity. This free, self-paced online course is available to all development
partners at UN agencies, governments, universities and civil society organizations.
Course description: The programme is a foundational course on economic and social
policies to promote equity and child rights. The topics include: the human rights-based
approach to development; socially-responsive macroeconomic policies including fiscal,monetary and exchange rate policies; equitable sector policies; public finance and social
budgeting; multidimensional poverty; social protection, migration and climate change.
The e-course aims to provide evidence-based arguments and advocacy skills needed topromote equity and children's rights in public policy in the context of recent economic crises
and other developments including high food prices.
Course duration: The course is self-directed and may be completed at an individual‘s ownpace.
Registration: Free of charge to ensure maximum outreach. Upon completion of each
module, a test is administered. A certificate will be issued to all who reach successful
completion.
Visit policyforchildrights.org to get started.
The course was designed by ERF team led by Jayati Ghosh, Director of the Economic
Research Foundation, and UNICEF team led by Isabel Ortiz, Associate Director of Policy andPractice.

Food crisis continues - UNICEF analysis

UNICEF calls attention to the new food price spike. In January 2011, the international foodprice index surpassed levels reached during the 2007-08 food crisis. Extreme pricemovements of agricultural commodities not only threaten the food security of millions ofpeople but also the economic recovery and social stability of developing countries.
UNICEF‘s working paper, ―Escalating Food Prices,‖ addresses these challenges. The paper (i)briefly reviews possible causes of the food price spike that began in mid-2010; (ii)examines recent local food price movements in 58 developing countries during 2010; (iii)
discusses the adverse impacts of food price increases on households; (iv) presents a rapid
desk review of international and domestic policy responses in 98 developing countries undera three-pillar policy framework—supporting consumption, boosting production andregulating/managing food markets; and (v) calls on national governments and theinternational community for urgent and coordinated policy actions.
The paper finds local food price increases in more than two-thirds of developing countries intheir sample during the latter half of 2010, closely trailing those in global food markets, at aslower but still substantial rate of increase. More importantly, on the aggregate domestic
food price levels have remained alarmingly high compared to pre-2007-08 crisis levels(about 55 percent higher, on average, in November 2010 compared to May 2007), implyingthat poor and vulnerable populations in many developing countries have been relentlessly
coping with high food costs.
http://www.unicef.org/socialpolicy/index_57549.html

From UNRISD

Caring for the Care Workers: State Must Play a Role
Changes in economic, social and demographic structures have spurred the growth of careemployment in recent decades. In both North and South, care workers now comprise alarge and growing segment of the labour force. The vulnerability and exploitation ofparticular categories of care workers (such as migrant domestic workers, nursing aides andproviders of elder care) have also increased. These worrying trends can be attributed toGlobal Cooperation Newsletter

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cost-cutting measures within the public sector and pervasive labour market informality,
along with the continued devaluation of both women‘s work and care work.
http://www.unrisd.org/80256B3C005BF3C2/setLanguageCookie?OpenAgent&langcode=en&
url=/80256B3C005BE6B5/search/58E1D52E263E1FAEC12578490045925F?OpenDocument
The Financial Transaction Tax: A means to aid reform and universal social
protection?
The history of aid shows an inverse relationship between aid on the one hand and the policy
space and the level of economic growth of recipient governments on the other. That is,when aid levels rise, there are more policy conditions imposed on recipient governments bydonors, which reduces "policy space" or the autonomy of governments to design policies
and respond to the policy priorities of citizens.
http://www.unrisd.org/80256B3C005BF3C2/setLanguageCookie?OpenAgent&langcode=en&url=/80256B3C005BE6B5/search/0BB921B750D03239C125782A00460DED?OpenDocument
First Global Poverty Summit examines strategies in poverty reduction
UNRISD Research Coordinator Yusuf Bangura spoke at the first Global Poverty Summit heldin January in Johannesburg. The meeting was organized by Brooks World Poverty Institute,
the Ralph Bunche Institute for International Studies at The City University of New York
Graduate Centre, and the CUTS Centre for International Trade, Economics and Environment(CITEE). The principal aim was to critically assess the role of global institutions in poverty
reduction.
http://www.unrisd.org/80256B3C005BF3C2/setLanguageCookie?OpenAgent&langcode=en&
url=/80256B3C005BE6B5/search/132D0887051DDA70C1257829003BEE0E?OpenDocument

28th Annual Social Work Day at the United Nations
The 28th Annual Social Work Day at the United Nations was held on 28th March 2011. The
theme was ―Promoting Human Rights through Social Work and Social Welfare." Prior to theUN Day a Global Social Work Student Conference was held. Social Work Day at the UN is agathering place for people around the world who are working to make a difference. For 27
years students, practitioners, and educators have been convening at the UN to learn more
about the UN, innovative projects and issues related to International Social Work and thecritical role Social Work plays in the international arena.
http://bluehawk.monmouth.edu/swork/UN/

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