GLOBAL COOPERATION NEWSLETTERMay 2012
In this edition
Stockholm Joint World Conference Social Work and Social Development
Commission for Social Development
Civil society supports ILO on social protection
Commonwealth paper on social protection
WHO on health-related Millennium Development Goals
Friedrich Ebert Foundation Essays
New restrictions on NGOs are undermining human rights
UNICEF Social and Economic Policy Update
Akihiko Tanaka replaces Sadako Ogata as head of JICA
NGO Committee on Social Development (UN New York)OECD

Stockholm Joint World Conference Social Work and Social Development
Registrations are up to 2000. Don’t miss out. Go to http://www.swsd-stockholm-2012.org/ toregister. The Conference webpage lists the main speakers http://www.swsd-stockholm2012.org/Invited-Plenar-Speakers.aspx

Commission for Social Development
ICSW received a letter (quoted here in part) from Daniela Bas Director of the UN Department of
Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) regarding the 2012 meeting of the Commission for SocialDevelopment. Ms Bas expressed her “deepest appreciation for the spirit of productive collaborationthat prevailed during the session.”
The fiftieth session of the Commission concluded its work with the adoption of a set of draft
resolutions for the approval of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). These included draft
resolutions on the priority theme, poverty eradication (E/CN.5/2012/L.7); Preparations for andobservance of the twentieth anniversary of the International Year of the Family (E/CN.5/2012/L.3);
mainstreaming disability in the development agenda (E/CN.5/2012/L.6); and Social Dimensions ofthe new Partnership for Africa’s Development (E/CN.5/2012/L.5).
Ms Bas in referring to the draft resolutions indicated her wish to explore opportunities with civilsociety for their efficient and collaborative implementation.
In conclusion Ms Bas drew our attention to the priority theme for 2013 and 2014 – Promoting
empowerment of people in achieving poverty eradication, social integration and full employment
and decent work for all
ICSW is an active participant in the Commission each year. For Commission documents mentioned
above go to http://social.un.org/index/CommissionforSocialDevelopment/Sessions/2012.aspx

Civil society supports ILO on social protection
30 civil society organisations including ICSW are submitting a statement wholeheartedly supporting
the International Labour Organization’s intention to adopt the recommendation on national socialprotection floors at the 101st session of the International Labour Conference in June 2012.
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The implementation of the ILO Recommendation will be a great step towards the reduction ofpoverty and inequality as well as the empowerment of people worldwide. It is a timely response tothe fact that millions of people living on our planet are excluded from the benefits of globalization,
and are often penalised through the implementation of austerity measures. To read the statementin French and English go to http://www.icsw.org/un/un.htm.

Commonwealth paper on social protection
Social Protection: A Question of Delivering on Rights and Resources: Discussion Paper 13
The authors of this paper Dr Anit Mukherjee and Dr Marilyn Waring debate the definitions of social
protection saying definitions are “currently a contested space”. The authors ask “who is making thedecisions about its nature and the responses? Who controls what ‘social protection’ means?” By
asking this question the authors miss a fundamental point that is emphasised by the ILO - it is for acountry to define, design, implement and resource its own social protection floor. “National SPF
strategies should be built to strengthen, complement and build on existing social protection
schemes. SPF policies will be integrated in the overall national social protection architecture.” (ILO)
http://www.thecommonwealth.org/files/246777/FileName/SocialProtectionDP13EB.pdf

WHO on health-related Millennium Development Goals
WHO reports in its Fact sheet N°290 May 2011 on progress in reaching the health related MDGs:
 Fewer children are dying. Annual global deaths of children under five years of age fell to 8.1
million in 2009 from 12.4 million in 1990.
 Fewer children are underweight. The percentage of underweight children under five years
old is estimated to have dropped from 25% in 1990 to 16% in 2010.
 More women get skilled help during childbirth. The proportion of births attended by a skilled
health worker has increased globally; however, in the WHO Africa and South-East Asia
regions fewer than 50% of all births were attended.
 Fewer people are contracting HIV. New HIV infections have declined by 17% globally from2001–2009.
 Tuberculosis treatment is more successful. Existing cases of TB are declining, along withdeaths among HIV-negative TB cases.
 More people have safe drinking-water, but not enough have toilets. The world is on track toachieve the MDG target on access to safe drinking-water but more needs to be done toachieve the sanitation target.
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs290/en/index.html

Friedrich Ebert Foundation Essays"Fixing Finance is Not Enough: The social consequences of monetary and financial
policies" edited by Werner Puschra and Sara Burke. April 2012.
"Issues relating to inequality or social cohesion should not be considered just as an add-on tomainstream economic policy, but such considerations should be embedded in all aspects ofeconomic policy. In other words, the objectives of public policy include not only growth in output,
maintaining employment, and price stability and financial stability, but also social cohesion."-Contributing Author Y.V. Reddy, Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (2003-2008)
The 15 collected essays from heads of governments and central banks, governmental advisors andexperts from the UN, the Bretton Woods Institutions, OECD, International Labour Organization andacademia-raise the level of debate on the role of rising income, wealth and group inequalities andthe need to shape policies for a sustainable international monetary and financial system to foster
shared societies. Download 84 pages (2.4Mb) http://www.fes-globalization.org/new_york/wpcontent/uploads/2012/04/FixingFinanceIsNotEnough-WebVersion.pdf?utm_source=UN+in+Focus+-+April+2012&utm_campaign=UN+in+Focus+Newsbrief+1%2F2012&utm_medium=email

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New restrictions on NGOs are undermining human rights

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay issued a long news release on 25th April onNGOs and human rights. Parts are quoted here. She “expressed deep concern about current or
recent moves in a number of countries to curtail the freedom of non-governmental organizations(NGOs) and other civil society actors to operate independently and effectively”.
The High Commissioner cited recent or proposed new laws and other measures in a number ofcountries which, to varying degrees, place new restrictions on the right to freedom of association.
A draft law on regulation of NGOs in Egypt "will, if passed in its current form, seriously
undermine the spirit of Egypt's revolution, in which civil society played such a pivotal role. It
gives the Government too much power to regulate, monitor and restrict the work of CSOs.”
In February provincial authorities in Zimbabwe ordered the activities of 29 NGOs to besuspended.
A proposed law in Cambodia would allow the Executive to close down certain NGOs if theiractivities were deemed to "harm... national unity, culture, customs and traditions of theCambodian national society." There would be no appeal against such a decision. Pillay
welcomed the Cambodian Government's commitment to consult further on the draft.
In Algeria, a new law states that the object and goals of associations' activities must not becontrary to "national values." Should associations fail to comply with this provision, theirapplications for registration may be rejected. Should they "interfere with domestic affairs," they
may be suspended or dissolved.
In Ethiopia, several human rights organisations have been forced to close due to a 2009 law
preventing associations from receiving more than 10% of their overall resources from abroad.
In Belarus, an amendment to the Criminal Code was adopted in October 2011 by theParliament, establishing criminal liability for receiving foreign grants or donations in violation ofBelarusian legislation. It is believed this will substantively limit the operations of NGOs.
"NGOs must be able to operate free from executive interference," the UN Human Rights chief said.
"They must be consulted and included in policy decisions, particularly when a state is undergoing
major transformational or transitional processes. And they must not be penalized for criticizing orquestioning state policies and processes. Governments need to understand that collaboration withcivil society is not a sign of weakness. It is the way to build a better, more inclusive, society something all governments should be trying to do, and something they cannot manage on theirown."
For
much
more
detailinallUNlanguages
goto:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=12081&LangID=EAkihiko Tanaka replaces Sadako Ogata as head of JICA
Earlier this year Sadako Ogata resigned as head of the Japan
International Cooperation Agency. Mrs Ogata hadcontemplated leaving her post at the end of her second term,
but signed on for a third tenure in October as JICA reportedly
had a hard time finding a replacement. Akihiko Tanaka,a scholar of international politics and vice president of theUniversity of Tokyo took up the post in March. He served asvice chairman of the board of the Japan Association ofInternational Relations.

Photo by: Remy Steinegger
Tanaka obtained his doctorate in political science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in
1981. His specialties are, theories of international politics, contemporary international relations inEast Asia and issues concerning Japan-U.S. relations.
(Posted by Jenny Lei Ravelo from DEVEX http://www.devex.com/en/blogs/the-developmentnewswire/academic-replaces-ogata-as-jica-president)
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UNICEF Social and Economic Policy Update
UNICEF Social Protection Framework
UNICEF has become an influential actor in social protection worldwide. UNICEF Social Protection
Framework supports governments to develop social protection systems for children and women,
and advocates for a social protection floor. http://www.unicef.org/socialprotection/framework/
UNICEF Global Consultation on Social Policy, Equity, Rights and Development
The IV Pratolino global consultation was held on 21-24 February. Participants included Sir Richard
Jolly, Directors of Save the Children, Oxfam, UNRISD, ILO, World Bank, academics and senior staff
from UNICEF country, regional offices and HQ. Presentations and recommendations on the future ofUNICEF policy work. http://www.unicef.org/socialpolicy/index_meetings.html
UNICEF Publication
Vandermoortele, J. 2012. “Equity Begins with Children”. Social and Economic Policy Working Paper.
UNICEF. http://www.unicef.org/socialpolicy/index_61328.html

NGO Committee on Social Development (UN New York)ICSW is please to advise that Sergei Zelenev, ICSW Special Representative to the UN in New Yorkhas been elected to the NGO Committee on Social Development. The Committee is the primaryorganiser of civil society participation in the UN Commission for Social Development.
Other members of the committee are Margaret Mayce, Chair; Ming Chong, Vice Chair; Brigid
Driscoll, Treasurer; Michele Morek, Secretary; and Jim Collins member At-Large.
http://www.icsw.org/un/un.htm

OECD
Aid in Support of Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment 39pp free at
http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/57/38/49732892.pdf
Tackling inequality: OECD Observer article by Angel Gurría
http://www.oecdobserver.org/news/fullstory.php/aid/3717
Tackling poverty and inequality: OECD Observer article with a focus on Brazil
http://www.oecdobserver.org/news/fullstory.php/aid/3715
International Women's Day: New times, old perspectives? OECD Observer Article
http://www.oecdobserver.org/news/fullstory.php/aid/3732/New_times,_old_perspectives___.html
and http://www.oecd.org/site/0,3407,en_21571361_38039199_1_1_1_1_1,00.html
Who pays if you are sick? Emerging economies have made good progress on health coverage
recently, but the share of out-of-pocket payments in total health expenditure remains significantly
higher than in most advanced countries.
http://www.oecdobserver.org/news/fullstory.php/aid/3716
The content of this Global Newsletter may be freely reproduced or cited provided the source isacknowledged. Views do not necessarily represent policies of ICSW.
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