e-Newsletter # 61 - November 2021

The Policy Brief aims to contribute to the discussion around the Global Fund for Social Protection. The Policy Brief was written by the Global Coalition for Social Protection Floors’ working group on a global financing mechanism for social protection. Read more

The Future is Public: Global Manifesto for Public Services was developed collectively by dozens of organisations and actors to serve as a rallying cry for public services for civil society, providing a concrete alternative to the dominant neoliberal narrative that has failed to ensure a dignified life for all. The manifesto positions public services as the foundation of a fair and just society and of the social pact that implements the core values of solidarity, equality and human dignity. It advances a series of ten principles for universal quality public services in the 21st century, and outlines how funding universal quality public services is possible. Read more

By Marty Alter Chen
Globally, pre-COVID-19, 260 million women and men produced goods or provided services from in or around their homes: 86 per cent (224 million) were in developing and emerging countries and 14 per cent (35 million) in developed countries. During the COVID-19 pandemic, countless other workers – mainly white-collar workers – began working remotely from home using the internet.
The key difference is that many “old” home-based workers lost their work and income during the COVID-19 pandemic recession as the demand for their goods and services declined, while the “new” home-based workers could continue to work and collect paychecks. Read more

In a public letter drafted in advance of the G20 Summit in Rome, Human Rights Watch, the AFL-CIO, the American Apparel & Footwear Association, and Fontheim International, called on the Biden Administration to use the opportunity to advance efforts for an international Global Social Protection Fund.
If the Biden Administration is serious about leading the charge towards an equitable and comprehensive economic recovery and mitigate the extreme impacts of future crises, it should: ensure adequate social spending domestically; increase its ODA internationally; and endorse the proposal for a Global Social Protection Fund. Read more

The mandate of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Olivier De Schutter, is conducting a worldwide study on non-take-up in the context of social protection. This study covers over 50 countries across all world regions. It seeks to identify the perceived reasons why non-take-up occurs, the impact of non-take-up, and possible ways of reducing this phenomenon. Survey 1 targets CSOs, NGOs, ministries, administrations and experts who have a good overview of social protection and non-take-up in their country. It is accessible here. The deadline for filling in Survey 1 is November 14th.
Survey 2 seeks to collect information from individuals in or at risk of poverty and/or social exclusion who may have experience with non-take-up. Please fill Survey 2 here. The deadline for filling in Survey 2 is November 28th. If you have questions please contact Agathe Osinski, at agathe.osinski@srpoverty.org

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said on Monday that the impact of the COVID-19 crisis, and the changing world of work, makes the right to social security for all, “a matter of the utmost urgency.”
Michelle Bachelet was participating in the first ever intersessional panel discussion on the right to social security hosted by the Human Rights Council.
For Mrs. Bachelet, there could not be a better time to discuss social security and social protection. Due to the pandemic, 255 million jobs have been lost in 2020 alone. Read more.

Ahead of the G20 Leaders’ Summit, ILO warns on stalled global labour market recovery and significant disparities between advanced and developing economies.
The eighth edition of the ILO Monitor: COVID-19 and the world of work, warns that without concrete financial and technical support, a “great divergence” in employment recovery trends between developed and developing countries will persist. Read more.