Conceptual Framework Addressing Social and Economic Inequality: The Need for a New Development Paradigm

Transcription

1 Conceptual Framework Addressing Social and Economic Inequality: The Need for a New Development Paradigm 1416 June 2014, Beirut, Lebanon Background and context The upsurge of social and economic disparity amongst populations overshadows most world countries. The Oxfam Organization, in its latest report, revealed that 1% of the world s population own half the planet s wealth 1. The UN Secretary General believes that if the expansion of disparity persists, developmental goals shall not be achieved. Therefore, equality must be central in the Post 2015 framework negotiations 2. The World Economic Forum held early 2014 emphasizes further that income inequality is one of the most crucial concerns confronting the world. The Arab region resembles the epitome of disparity. The Human Development Report 2013 also conveys that the Arab Region suffers from inequality amidst the wealthy and indigent, both regionally and domestically 3. Seeing as the region is witnessing a precarious turn of events, consultations for adopting comprehensive national plans are of utmost importance. The debate regarding the Post 2015 development agenda, on international and Arab levels, constitutes examining new development models grounded upon human rights approaches, and reinforcing democracy and involvement, centered on realizing justice as a cornerstone. The Arab region requires a new development paradigm composed of four dimensions of crucial importance to all stakeholders involved. These include the following: 1. A redefinition of the role of the different developmental stakeholders: The State, Civil Society and the private sector. This rebalancing of power relations necessitates rethinking the rentier nature of states in the Arab region, and moving to democratic developmental states. In this model, actors (i.e. public and private sector and Civil Society) are accountable to one another and their respective roles in the developmental process are concisely defined, and Civil Society is effectively empowered to better participate in decision making processes. This empowerment is also essential to render Civil Society able to monitor and hold policy makers accountable. 2. Enacting structural reforms would contribute to a better and fairer redistribution of wealth and income. In this sense, redesigning taxations policies and strengthening tax collection

2 is essential in providing resources on one hand, and determining wage policies on the other. The latter play a crucial role in restoring balance to local markets, according to the Trade and Development report issued by the UNCTAD in The alternative development paradigm at hand here must also be equipped with a social dimension. Policies aiming at realizing social justice must be central. These include effective social protection regime. These should render individuals, especially marginalized ones, able to withstand social and economic effects of crises. 4. In addition, trade and investment frameworks should be reformulated to enhance indigenous productive capacities. Last but not least, the new development framework also requires ensuring international cooperation in order to create an enabling environment that would in turn enable developing countries to achieve their sustainable development goals. Post 2015 Development Plan: That being said, the ongoing international debate around the Post2015 development agenda includes searching for new development models that essentially go by the human rights approach from all its facets; promote democracy and participation; and are centered on the realization of justice as a prime goal. Such debate falls within a number of international processes, principally in the context UN bodies such as the "United Nations Conference on Trade and Development" (UNCTAD), as well as in the framework of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (Rio+20); not to mention that the SecretaryGeneral has launched this discussion during the annual General Assembly back in September in order to include thoughts on how to address the challenges. At the level of the Arab region, a number of consultation meetings around the Post2015 agenda was organized, and included the Arab Social and Economic Summit that was held in Riyadh in January Furthermore, the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), partnered with Arab NGO Network for Development (ANND), has organized a regional consultation in March 2013 which discussed the features of the Post2015 framework; one that based on a set of foundations that essentially address the issues pertaining to the development of productive capacities, equitable redistribution of wealth and comprehensive social protection. International and regional upcoming processes addressing developmental changes: 1. On the occasion of its 50 th anniversary, the UNCTAD is organizing, in cooperation with Civil Society actors, a symposium in Geneva, on the 24 th and 25 th of April. At the symposium, macroeconomic policies and their impact on the social reality and developmental efforts will 4 2

3 be subject to an open discussion that will bring together government, private sector and civil society representatives. 2. The UNGA will hold its 69 th reunion in September 2014 to discuss the SG report that will include a summary of the progress in the international debate on MDGs and the Post2015 agenda. It is noted that the previous SG report, presented at the 68 th session, acknowledged the failure in achieving the MDGs, thus suggesting the intensification of national and international efforts to address the absence justice and good international governance, as well as to confront the impediments to sustainable development in light of the worsened global crises at the political, social, economic and environmental fronts. 3. On a different note, the Fourth round of the Economic, developmental and Social Summit of the League of Arab States (LAS) is scheduled to be held in January, The previous summit that was held in January 2013 has concluded with the need to enable Arab Economies to absorb shocks resulting from global economic crises; and has also recognized the need formulate an economic plan for the region in order to cope with the developmental challenges related to the Post 2015 process. In this regard, preparing for these regional and international occasions is of utmost importance for the Arab region, particularly by way of activating civil society participation in the policy- making processes, and thus enabling it to influence policies through upgrading their intellectual contributions as well as enhancing its role in drawing development strategies that would deal with the region s most pressing issues such as unemployment, marginalization and poverty. In this framework, the Arab NGO Network for Development (ANND) and the Arab Organization for Administrative Development (ARADO), in cooperation with ESCWA and the Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation, seek to organize an Arab forum to discuss the challenges to the Post2015 process and the potential obstacles against addressing the social and economic hardships that the region suffers from. The forum also aims at bringing about policy recommendations for the three abovementioned regional and international processes. Organizers: Arab NGO Network for Development (ANND) Arab Organization for Administrative Development (ARADO) Economic and Social commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) Participants: Partakers of this forum include representatives of nongovernmental organizations, international organizations, private sector and various segments of civil society and relevant experts. 3

4 Objectives and agenda The meeting will aim at discussing international challenges and how they affect the region and to come up with recommendations to the three international/regional processes mentioned earlier. This aims at activating Arab CSO contributions on the one hand, and on the other, it aims at profiting from these discussions to come up with potential solutions to the region s problems, more precisely problems related to social and economic reforms and the search for a new developmental paradigm. The meeting will be focusing on three main themes: 1. Investment policies in relation with development objectives in the region. 2. Tax systems and policies, while focusing on propositions that enable a fairer redistribution of income. 3. Social protection policies and regimes. The one day regional meeting at hand here will bring together relevant regional actors, CSO activists, experts on specific matter and official representative. The meeting will provide a space to: Share and discuss with the participants the documents related to the post 2015 Discuss the post 2015 conceptual framework and what it needs to include. Discuss the challenges related to development alternative models promoted so far, with a focus on trade and investment policies, tax policies and social protection policies. Suggesting recommendations for the upcoming international and regional events around to the post 2015 process. 4

5 Preparatory Session: Post2015 Agenda Coordinator: Wael Jamal, Egypt Programme Saturday: 14 June :00 17:00 Outcomes of the Regional High Level Forum on sustainable development held in Amman, Jordan Ms. Roula Majdalani, Director of the sustainable development policies division (ESCWA) Post2015 development process Mr. Amr Nour, Director of the Regional Commissions, New York Office Definition and presentation of the Post2015 development process Ms. Anita Nayar, Director of Regions Refocus 2015 A civil society critical overview of the Post2015 UN process Mr. Roberto Bissio, Social Watch Welcome and Opening DAY 1: Sunday: 15 June 2014 Welcome and Opening Remarks Ms. Amina Mohammed, special advisor of the Secretarygeneral on post2015 development and planning (recorded message) 9:00 9:30 Ms. Alia Ghannam, Director of the administration of civil society organizations in the League of Arab States Mr. Frederico Neto, Director of the Social Development Division at the ESCWAUN Dr. Basman Al Faisal, Consultant at the Arab Administrative Development Organization Mr. Ziad Abdel Samad, Executive Director of the Arab NGO Network for Development 9:30 10:00 Key Notes: Mr. Charbel Nahas Economic expert and advisor Former Lebanese Labour minister 10:00 10:30 Coffee Break 5

6 SESSION 1: Investment Policies & SDGs in the Arab Region Moderator: Mr. Rabie Nasr, Syrian Center for Policy Research 10:30 12:00 An Arab Perspective on the Post 2015 Agenda: National targets, regional priorities and global goals Mr. Niranjan Sarangi, First Economic Affairs Officer at ESCWA Trade and investment policies and development challenges in the Arab region Ms. Kinda Mohamadieh, Arab NGO Network for Development Investment protection and strengthening the productive economy (manufacturing) Mr. Mohamed Said Saadi, Institut Superieur de Commerce et d Administration des Entreprises (Morocco) Discussion Conclusion and recommendations by session s rapporteur: Mr. Sami Aouadi SESSION 2: Tax Policies & Fair Redistribution of Income Moderator: Mr. Frederico Neto, Director of the Social Development Division at ESCWA 12:00 13:30 TAX policies in the Arab region (from a UN perspective) Ms. Gisela Nauk, Chief of the Social Policy Section in the Social Development Division at ESCWA Taxation within the new development paradigm Mr. Abdel Jalil Badoui, Tunisian Platform for Economic and Social Rights (Tunisia) Tax policies in Arab countries Ms. Heba Khalil, Egyptian Center for Economic & Social Rights (Egypt) Discussion Conclusion and recommendations by session s rapporteur: Mr. Iyad Riyahi 13:30 14:30 Lunch Break 6

7 SESSION 3: Social Protection Policies in the Arab Region Moderator: Ms. Ghada Abdel Tawab, Ford Foundation 14:30 16:00 Social protection grounds: General principles Ms. Ursula Kulke, International Labor Organization Current state of social protection policies in the Arab region Mr. Azzam Mahjoub, University el Manar (Tunisia) Social protection and gender policies Ms. Majida El Masri, (Palestine) Discussion Conclusion and recommendations by session s rapporteur: D. Hassan Abdel Ati DAY 2: Monday : 16 June 2014 SESSION 4: Challenges to Social Inclusion in the Arab Region Moderator: Ms. Lana Baydas, Center for Women ESCWA 9:30 11:00 Challenges to women participation Ms. Saida Rached, Association Tunisienne des Femmes Démocrate (Tunisia) Challenges to youth participation Mr. Alaa Talbi (Tunisia) Challenges to disabled people s participation Mr. Imaddeine Raef, Disabled People's International Discussion Conclusion and recommendations by session s rapporteur: Ms. Joumana Merhi 11:00 11:30 Coffee Break 7

8 SESSION 5: Inclusive Labor Policies & Social Development Moderator: Ms. Fahmia SharafelDin 11:30 13:00 Decent work standards in development policies Mr. Mustapha Tlili, International Trade Union Confederation (regional ITUC) Challenges of labor policies: Arab trade unions perspective Mr. Salman ElMahfouz, Secretary General of the General Federation of Bahrain's Trade Unions Jobs, equality and social justice in the Arab region Ms. Marie Kawar, International Labor Organization (ILO) Discussion Conclusion and recommendations by the session s rapporteur: Mr. Ahmad Awad 13:00 14:30 Lunch Break 14:30 16:00 Discussion & Recommendations Mr. Ziad Abdel Samad Mr. Oussama Safa Mr. Slaheddine Jourchi 8