GCSPF e-Newsletter #93 - October 2023

The Global People’s Assembly (GPA) 2023 was held on September in New York – at the UN SDG Summit and the UN General Assembly. The GPA brought together people’s representatives together and creates a strong voice at the SDG Summit for the midpoint of Agenda 2030. Read the declaration

IMF Social Spending Floors and the Covid-19 Pandemic
This report by Human Rights Watch analyzes 39 IMF loan programs approved between March 2020, the official start of the Covid-19 pandemic, and March 2023 under three lending facilities that include conditionalities—the Extended Credit Facility (ECF), Extended Fund Facility (EFF), and Stand-By Arrangement (SBA)—to understand how the IMF is approaching the current crisis in practice and to assess the extent to which it aligns with international human rights standards. Read more

Lessons from the diverse experiences of global health, agriculture and climate funds
The ILO published this study that aims to understand the experiences of setting up global funds across the health, climate and agriculture sectors and identify lessons to be learned from them that can guide further thinking about the implementation of a prospective global fund for social protection. This paper examines the idea of a global fund for social protection which has emerged as a potential solution to these structural failings. By drawing on the experiences of seven global funds across the health, climate, and agriculture sectors, the aim of this working paper is to identify key lessons that can guide the possible implementation of a prospective global fund for social protection. Through a careful analysis of the governance structures, norms and standards of these funds, the paper makes certain recommendations to be taken into consideration if a global fund for social protection is to be developed and implemented in the future. Read more

The idea of a global fund for social protection has taken hold over the last decade as a potential solution to structural gaps in the global financial and development architectures.
Based on a study produced by a team of researchers, led by Professor Nicola Yeates at the Open University in the UK, and published by the ILO, this webinar aims to present experiences of setting up global funds across the health, climate and agriculture sectors and the lessons to be learnt from them that can guide further thinking about the implementation of a prospective global fund for social protection.
Webinar 26 October, 2023 - 14:00 - GMT+2 / CEST Read more

A new approach to combating global poverty
The eradication of poverty has traditionally relied on growing the economy, combined with redistribution: GDP growth, in this approach, is essential to the fight against poverty, a condition for financing public services and social policies.
Prof Olivier De Schutter argues that we now need to move beyond this approach, and to expand our toolkit in the fight against poverty.
9 November 2023 - Online on Zoom Read more