23/54 Report of the 2012 Social Forum (Geneva, 1–3 October 2012)

GE.13-12532

Human Rights Council Twenty-third session

Agenda item 5 Human rights bodies and mechanisms

Report of the 2012 Social Forum (Geneva, 1–3 October 2012)*

Chairperson-Rapporteur: Alya Al-Thani (Qatar)

Summary

The present report contains a summary of discussions and recommendations of the 2012 Social Forum, which was held in Geneva from 1 to 3 October 2012, in accordance with Human Rights Council resolution 19/24.

Action-oriented recommendations of the 2012 Forum relate to the theme of people- centred development and globalization including democratic governance, participation and social movements, financing for development, the global partnership for development, sustainable development and solidarity.

* Annex II is circulated in the languages of submission only.

Contents Paragraphs Page

I. Introduction ............................................................................................................. 1–3 3

II. Opening of the Social Forum .................................................................................. 4–8 3

III. Summary of proceedings ......................................................................................... 9–63 5

A. People-centred development and globalization .............................................. 9–14 5

B. Participatory development .............................................................................. 15–20 6

C. Democratic governance .................................................................................. 21–25 7

D. Social movements ........................................................................................... 26–31 8

E. Social movements and women’s rights ........................................................... 32–36 9

F. Coherent mobilization of all sources of financing for development ............... 37–41 10

G. The international financial system and enhancing a globally enabling environment for development .......................................................... 42–46 12

H. Round table: Strengthening the global partnership for development .............. 47–53 13

I. Promoting sustainable development in the era of globalization ..................... 54–58 15

J. Innovative approaches to development and globalization .............................. 59–63 16

IV. Conclusions and recommendations ......................................................................... 64–78 18

A. Conclusions .................................................................................................... 65–68 18

B. Recommendations ........................................................................................... 69–78 19

Annexes

I. Provisional agenda ........................................................................................................................... 21

II. List of participants ............................................................................................................................ 22

I. Introduction

1. The Human Rights Council, in its resolution 6/13, decided to preserve the Social Forum as a vital space for dialogue between the representatives of Member States and civil society, including grass-roots organizations and intergovernmental organizations, on issues linked to the promotion of the enjoyment of all human rights by all. Consequently, the Social Forum has met annually since 2008.1

2. In accordance with resolution 19/24 of the Council, the 2012 Social Forum was held in Geneva from 1 to 3 October 2012. The President of the Council appointed Alya Al- Thani, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary and Permanent Representative of Qatar to the United Nations Office at Geneva, as Chairperson-Rapporteur of the 2012 Social Forum. As requested by the Council in resolution 19/24, the 2012 Social Forum focused on “people-centred development and globalization”, particularly: (a) people- centred development and global governance in an era of multiple challenges and social transformation; (b) promoting measures and actions for participatory development and democratic governance, including through the role of civil society and social movements at the grass-roots, local and national levels; and (c) enhancing a globally enabling environment for development, including through the international financial system, which should support sustained, inclusive and equitable economic growth, sustainable development, and hunger and poverty eradication in developing countries, while allowing for the coherent mobilization of all sources of financing for development.

3. The programme of work2 for the 2012 Social Forum was prepared with guidance from the Chairperson-Rapporteur and inputs received from Member States and other relevant stakeholders. In addition, the background report to the Social Forum, (A/HRC/SF/2012/2) submitted by OHCHR pursuant to paragraph 8 of Council resolution 19/24, informed the discussions. The present report contains a summary of the proceedings of the 2012 Social Forum, as well as its conclusions and recommendations.

II. Opening of the Social Forum

4. In her opening remarks, the Chairperson-Rapporteur highlighted the importance of taking a forward-looking and action-oriented approach to promoting people-centred development and globalization. She emphasized that “people-centred development” requires the development process to focus on people as beneficiaries and drivers of development. This was particularly critical in the era of globalization, where the growing interdependence of States, companies and people has important human rights implications. While globalization expands our horizons in science and technology, creates wealth and prosperity, and promotes the exchange of information and communications, it can also threaten individual identity and cultural diversity, foster economic and social inequality, and facilitate financial instability. In this context, a people-centred and human rights-based approach to development and globalization will help realize the full enjoyment of all human rights.3

1 For further details on the Social Forum, see

http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Poverty/SForum/Pages/SForumIndex.aspx. 2 Available from http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Poverty/SForum/Pages/SForum2012.aspx. 3 The full versions of the statements and presentations made available to the Secretariat are posted on

the OHCHR website at http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Poverty/SForum/Pages/StatementsPresentationsSForum2012.aspx.

5. On behalf of OHCHR, Marcia V. J. Kran, Director of the Research and Right to Development Division, delivered welcoming remarks. She underlined that global development and global governance had to be bound by the international human rights obligations to which all States have committed. Therefore, the primary concern of development should be to ensure freedom from fear, freedom from want and a life of dignity for all people. A people-centred approach to development and globalization would promote the realization of human rights and the improved well-being of all people by, inter alia, their active, free and meaningful participation in development, the equitable distribution of benefits from development and the advancement of an enabling national and international environment for development.

6. In her remarks, Human Rights Council President Laura Dupuy Lasserre (Uruguay) observed that human rights advances had to accompany economic development. In an increasingly globalized world, many contemporary challenges to human rights transcend national borders, undermine the objectives of social justice, peace and security, and call for holistic, international solutions. Under these circumstances, it was significant that the vision of development embodied in the United Nations Declaration on the Right to Development was not limited to economic aspirations. Rather, the Declaration envisioned a holistic development paradigm, founded on the enjoyment of all human rights, furthered through the creation of an enabling national and international environment, and nurtured through the application of the human rights principles of accountability, equality, non- discrimination, participation, empowerment and transparency.

7. In a video address to the Social Forum, 2011 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Tawakul Karman described the rallying force of universal human rights during the Arab Spring revolutions. She highlighted the growing interconnectedness of States and peoples, including through social media, as a primary driver of the rapid transmission of the democratic values and human rights principles that fuelled the Arab Spring. She also emphasized the link between the inequitable distribution of benefits from development and the Arab Spring revolutions. The ultimate goal of these revolutions was to eradicate poverty, illiteracy and corruption, achieve good governance and sustainable development, and make globalization into a positive phenomenon that benefits all people. In this regard, the downfall of dictatorships in many countries only marks the beginning of a revolutionary process that will remain unfinished until nepotism and corruption have been eliminated and human rights realized.

8. During the general statements segment, the representatives of Algeria, Cuba, the Maldives and Nepal, as well as North-South XXI, took the floor. Speakers noted that multiple global crises posed unprecedented challenges to the enjoyment of human rights and the realization of the Millennium Development Goals, particularly in the least developed countries. A comprehensive development package was needed to bring about economic transformation in these countries, and global sustainable development requires development of the poorest and the weakest. The preservation of the Earth for succeeding generations and respect for human rights and universal values was critical to the success or failure of people-centred development and small island developing States. The right to development should unite developed and developing countries in promoting a people- centred, rights-based approach to development that allows the meaningful participation of marginalized and vulnerable people, business enterprises, civil society and smaller governments. A speaker urged the Human Rights Council to seriously consider the recommendations of the Social Forum in light of its important role as a vehicle for civil society participation, and recommended that the Forum address the need for a democratic and equitable international order as a basis for development.

III. Summary of proceedings

A. People-centred development and globalization

9. Johan Galtung, Rector of Transcend Peace University, stated that this was a multipolar and evolving world, with emerging countries and declining ones. His presentation described six development models: Western liberal, Western Marxist, Buddhist, Islamic, Japanese and Chinese. He argued that local communities should be the central focus of development, and that community-level development would lift up poor and marginalized people. He highlighted the need for increasing mobilization of resources and political will to achieve development through democratic processes and dialogue. He further called for a new, more flexible and participatory development paradigm that incorporated the best elements of the six models he introduced in line with human rights, including the right to development. According to Johan Galtung, this new development paradigm was necessary for the establishment of a more equitable people-centred society.

10. Myrna Cunningham, member of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, emphasized the importance of tackling development and human rights in a holistic way that accounted for cultural diversity, harmony with nature and the full realization of all human rights. She described balance, solidarity, sustainability, sharing, autonomy and self- governance as principles common to most indigenous world views that should be incorporated in development planning. One means of doing so was through systematized mechanisms for the good faith consultation and participation of indigenous peoples respectful of the principle of free, prior and informed consent. She described the concept of vivir bien or “living well” as an example of an indigenous development that respected cultural diversity, emphasized education and promoted sustainability. People-centred development should incorporate intercultural education, traditional knowledge, respect for cultural identity and diversity, intergenerational solidarity and collective rights.

11. Delphine Djiraibe, Principal Advocate of the Public Interest Law Centre in Chad, described the challenge of developing processes and institutions that were responsive to the needs of the poor. She observed that the poor had not benefited from oil revenues in Chad, and without effective, participatory and accountable governance, this would not change. Oil revenues in Chad supported militarization rather than development, and control over these resources was a source of internal conflict. Noting the involvement of the World Bank in pipeline financing in Chad, she recommended that international financial institutions subject development projects to increased scrutiny with regard to human rights implications. In conclusion, she called for democratic governance, an independent judiciary, a reversal of discriminatory policies, and international solidarity to help the people of Chad in their struggle for peaceful and sustainable development.

12. Martin Khor, Executive Director of the South Centre, argued that people-centred development should drive globalization and not the other way around. This would require continuing efforts to reform national economies and the international economic order. Promoting people-centred development would require, inter alia, restoring the financial sector to service of the real economy; reviewing liberalized cross-border financial movements, implementing the United Nations recommendations adopted in the aftermath of the financial crisis; ensuring balanced follow-up to the Rio+20 outcome in the economic, social and environmental pillars; equitably curbing carbon emissions; broadening the scope of the post-2015 development framework to include the environmental perspective and strengthen the economic pillar; and addressing job creation, income distribution and global factors that affect national development. He argued that human rights should be part of the development agenda, but not to the exclusion of economic development. Instead, development issues should be approached holistically in order to clarify the right balance

between growth, employment and sovereign debt, the developmental role of the state, the basic needs of people and the role of local communities in development planning.

13. Representatives of China, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, the Defensoría del Pueblo de Venezuela, North-South XXI, the Indian Movement “Tupaj Amaru” and the Ligue marocaine pour la citoyenneté et les droits de l’homme took part in the ensuing dialogue that addressed the right to development, anti-poverty policies, representative participation in decision-making processes, neoliberalism, multiple global crises and structural adjustment programmes. It was suggested that developed countries should assume greater responsibility for the consequences of their actions, abolish the debt burden of developing countries and provide compensation for former colonial countries.

14. In concluding remarks, the panellists responded to specific questions raised and comments made. Myrna Cunningham addressed the significant impact of global crises on the human rights of indigenous peoples and described “good living” indicators elaborated by the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. Delphine Djiraibe emphasized that oil revenues in her country had been misappropriated as a result of corruption and increasing militarization. Martin Khor stressed the importance of clarifying State human rights obligations with regards to policies that negatively impact other States. On the issue of sovereign debt, he argued for policies that promote responsible lending and borrowing and a sovereign debt arbitration mechanism. Johan Galtung emphasized the importance of harnessing the positive elements of capitalism for development, while avoiding increased inequality and social pathologies by keeping development planning open to a variety of development models and the totality of human experiences.

B. Participatory development

15. Virginia Dandan, the Independent Expert on human rights and international solidarity, described a human rights community development project jointly sponsored by the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines and the New Zealand Human Rights Commission in indigenous communities in the Philippines and New Zealand. The Independent Expert related her experience as leader of the project in the Philippines, working with Bajau indigenous communities. She highlighted the significant progress achieved by the project in promoting positive development outcomes and human rights awareness within the Bajau community through culturally appropriate project design and self-determined development. She emphasized that human rights practitioners should not focus exclusively on preventing rights violations but should also seek to empower people and communities to maximize their own well-being. In this context, human rights should determine how we live together as one human family.

16. Maria Mercedes Rossi, Representative of the Associazione Comunità Papa Giovanni XXIII, stressed that development was an integral process that had to respect and promote all aspects of human well-being, including the spiritual; therefore, it could not be measured by purely economic growth. In order to promote holistic growth, people, particularly the most vulnerable, should be the protagonists of their own development. Maria Mercedes Rossi presented two of her organization’s projects in Zambia (the Rainbow Project and the Chichetekelo Youth Project) as examples of people-centred, participatory development in which community participation was critical to successful development outcomes. In her view, development entailed providing individuals and communities with opportunities to express themselves and empowering them to pursue their own objectives.

17. Robert Moulias, President of Allô maltraitance des personnes âgees et/ou des personnes handicapées, discussed the importance of the active participation of older persons in society. He emphasized that populations were ageing worldwide and described examples of efforts to promote active ageing. Keeping physically and mentally active and

participating in society were the main factors for promoting mental and physical well-being and preventing age related diseases. Astrid Stuckelberger, Chair of the NGO (non- governmental organization) Committee on Ageing, argued that growing populations of older persons required profound and immediate attention from the United Nations. Population ageing and the human rights of older persons should be world priorities both of their own right, and in order to address the impacts of transgenerational poverty on development. She called for increased participation of older persons in development processes and the protection of their rights through the adoption of international policies on ageing, the appointment of a Special Rapporteur on ageing and the drafting of a convention on the rights of older persons.

18. Ramona Constantin, a community worker at the Big Life Company, told her story as a Roma woman from Romania who had immigrated to the United Kingdom in search of better opportunities for herself and her child. She emphasized the difficulties she had faced in adapting to a new culture, learning a new language and securing housing and employment. Given these difficulties, the training and employment opportunities offered to her by the non-profit Big Life Company had been truly life-altering as she succeeded in moving from a desperate situation to becoming a community worker who helped other Roma women in need. She highlighted the importance of empowering people through opportunity, education and participation.

19. In the interactive dialogue that followed, representatives of the International Movement ATD Fourth World and North-South XXI emphasized that participation was key to development, referring to the guiding principles on extreme poverty and human rights, which identified concrete procedures for guaranteeing the participation in development of individuals living in extreme poverty. They also questioned how to balance the aspirations for greater participation of older persons with the need to ensure the participation of youth, particularly with regards to economic opportunities.

20. In concluding remarks, Robert Moulias argued that increasing the participation of older persons and youths were not competing goals because older people could benefit youth by sharing their experience and caring for them. Maria Mercedes Rossi shared the view that community participation should include all people, including the voiceless, and described the efforts undertaken by her association in this regard. Virginia Dandan emphasized the need to respect indigenous cultures, while at the same time encouraging all indigenous persons, particularly women and youth, to speak up.

C. Democratic governance

21. Alfred de Zayas, the Independent Expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order, stressed the need for the objective and consistent application of international law to promote his mandate. The Charter of the United Nations should be seen as a global constitution that established an international legal order by which Member States were bound. Democracy at the international level was a critical element of this international legal order that depended on the meaningful participation of all peoples and States in global governance. As constituent components of the international legal order, States had to operate in compliance with principles of democratic governance and representativeness to promote a democratic and equitable international order. The Independent Expert highlighted that education, freedom of opinion and the right to information, among other things, were critical pillars of State support for a democratic and equitable international order.

22. Obiora Okafor, member of the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee, argued that poverty often originated with inadequate local democratic governance related to divisions between decision-makers and local stakeholders. He emphasized the potential of

the interpretation by the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights of the right to development (article 22 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights) in the Endorois case, to bridge this divide and facilitate poverty reduction. The Endorois decision, by vesting the right to development in a sub-State group (the Endorois People), set a precedent for rethinking the organization and governance of African States, especially with regard to control over natural resources. Implementation of this decision would increase local control over resources and participation in decision-making processes, thereby resulting in improved development outcomes.

23. Koen De Feyter, a professor at the University of Antwerp, discussed his research on the invocation of human rights by marginalized social groups. He studied the origins of human rights claims in some communities, the impacts of these claims on the communities, and the development of community knowledge about human rights. He found that NGOs were often responsible for translating community demands into human rights language. However, the concept of human rights understood by claimants might be influenced by local traditions and might not necessarily reflect international understandings of the same rights. Still, by employing a common human rights language, these groups engaged the international community with significant impacts. The degree to which local communities brought human rights into play at the international level was often critical to the success of their claims. This meant that both local authorities and international institutions played an important role in guaranteeing human rights, and the synergistic coordination of their efforts, guided by cultural understanding, was critical.

24. In the ensuing interactive dialogue, representatives of North-South XXI and the Ligue marocaine pour la citoyenneté et les droits de l’homme discussed inadequate democratic governance at the international level, including in international financial institutions and the United Nations Security Council. The discussion emphasized the importance of access to information, freedom of the press, transparency, integrity and accountability for democratic governance.

25. In concluding remarks, Alfred de Zayas agreed that institutional reform of the United Nations and access to information were critical to the promotion of a more democratic and equitable international order. Obiora Okafor expressed concern that non- democratic governance at the World Bank could lead to policies that exacerbate poverty, and called for the meaningful and equitable participation of civil society and all States in decision-making. Koen De Feyter argued that proponents of democratic reforms to international mechanisms should consider the potential impacts and form of a human rights approach to the reform of the Security Council and the World Bank.

D. Social movements

26. Gustavo Massiah, member of the International Council of the World Social Forum, discussed social movements as a corrective response to multiple crises. He argued that the global financial crisis was a symptom of underlying ecological, ideological and regulatory crises. Occupy Wall Street, the World Social Forum, the indigenous peoples’ rights

movement and other movements were responding to structural and systemic causes of crises. Therefore, the international community should pay heed to social movements as they could help identify possible solutions to global crises.

27. Pascale Delille, researcher at the Université Blaise Pascal, maintained that social and solidarity economies were organized around providing social benefits to people. This contrasted with traditional economies where competition, efficiency and profit were the main driving forces. In traditional economies, reduced economic diversity could lead to economic imbalance and undermine self-sufficiency. In social and solidarity economies, local self-sufficiency and community involvement provided greater resilience to crises.

There were no shareholders to demand consistent growth and consumers made socially conscious, informed decisions. Growing support for fair trade, eco-tourism, microcredits, recycling and ethical banking was a response to flaws in the traditional economy. Pascale Delille also described a community banking project in a favela in Fortaleza, Brazil that created a new community currency and produced significant community-based development as a potential alternative to the traditional economy.

28. Alain Yvergniaux, Special Adviser for International Affairs to the Office of the President of the Brittany Region (France), highlighted the potential of regional and local economic development models to address structural flaws in the global economy. He described Britanny’s cooperation in local development projects in Burkina Faso and Mali.

These projects promoted greater self-sufficiency amongst local farmers by providing them with the technical and organizational assistance necessary to access global markets in fair trade cotton, form cooperatives and decrease their dependency on imported foods. He emphasized empowering people to pursue their own economic development by helping them at the start-up stage. This type of assistance, powered by regional and local social and solidarity economies, could transform communities even in the absence of international consensus. The Special Adviser argued for the creation of networks that brought together different peoples and skills to realize positive development results.

29. Euchang Jun and Hyewon Jeon, student activists from the Republic of Korea, presented the youth rights movement in their country, its activities, organizational structure, major challenges and some of its achievements, notably the passage of a students’ rights ordinance.

30. During the interactive dialogue, the Independent Expert on human rights and international solidarity and representatives of Ariel Foundation International, the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse, Webster University and the Ligue marocaine pour la citoyenneté et les droits de l’homme discussed several issues such as ensuring the engagement of all actors – especially States – in economic development processes, the role of the State in social and solidarity economies, and solidarity with social movements facing repression.

31. In concluding remarks, Gustavo Massiah agreed that States should play an active role in development, but noted that independent social movements often transcended State lines and catalyzed political change. Alain Yvergniaux held the view that the regional approach to development involved multilevel governance aspects and required active collaboration between State and local governments, not rivalry. Pascale Delille shared the view that State and local laws could and should coexist and mutually reinforce each other.

E. Social movements and women’s rights

32. Shreen Abdul Saroor, founder of the Mannar Women’s Development Federation in Sri Lanka, addressed women’s rights, development policy and peacebuilding in a post-war situation. She explained that the civil war in Sri Lanka had had devastating impacts on family structures as many families lost members, predominantly men, during the conflict. Many single and widowed women were now the primary income earners for their families. The impacts on women in the war-torn North and East of the island had been particularly severe. Women in these regions suffered from inadequate access to natural resources, basic amenities and services necessary for their livelihoods. Typical obstacles for women, which were often compounded by discrimination and customary practices, included domestic violence, denial of effective access to and control of land, and the inability to access essential services. While the economic and security situation in the country had improved since the end of the war, there remained an urgent need to ensure equal rights for and the economic empowerment of women. The Mannar Women’s Development Federation

capitalized on the strength and resilience of its members by collectively organizing them to secure their land rights, pool resources for rebuilding and advocate post-war development policies that addressed discrimination and inequality in society and reconstruction.

33. Manal Alsharif, a women’s rights activist and blogger in Saudi Arabia, discussed the use of social media and information and communication technologies to promote women’s

rights. She observed that social media was a powerful tool for change in Saudi Arabia, particularly with regards to women’s empowerment, and also continued to play a critical role in the Arab Spring. In her campaign to overturn the prohibition against women drivers in Saudi Arabia, she had used Youtube and Twitter to post pictures of herself driving, garner international media attention and galvanize support. The women’s rights movement

in Saudi Arabia continued to use social media to fight for women’s dignity and full citizenship.

34. Priti Darooka, Executive Director of the Programme on Women’s Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in India, argued that society had to surpass the false narrative of women as victims and recognize women as economic actors, workers and producers that support their families and communities, often by providing basic necessities such as food, water, fuel, health care and social security. She asserted that the unpaid work typically undertaken by women was undervalued by society in spite of its critical importance. Priti Darooka advocated the recognition of a right to livelihood that encompassed more than the right to work, the right to property or the right to income-earning assets, and was founded on fundamental human dignity. She argued that dignity should be further explored as an operational concept, as it would lead to greater recognition of the social and economic value of women’s work.

35. In the interactive dialogue that followed, Myrna Cunningham from the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, the Independent Expert on human rights and international solidarity, and representatives of Sri Lanka, Saudi Arabia, the Association of World Citizens, the People’s Health Movement, Webster University and the Ligue marocaine pour la citoyenneté et les droits de l’homme intervened. Speakers addressed the unequal access of women to social media, the exploitation of women in rural areas, the role of livelihoods in eradicating poverty amongst rural indigenous women, the need to comprehensively address violence against women and its structural and institutional causes, the importance of participation in guaranteeing women’s collective and individual rights, the role of civil

society in promoting women’s rights, Sri Lanka’s efforts to safeguard the rights of women

and children and to integrate gender perspectives in assistance programmes, and government measures taken to improve the enjoyment of rights by women in Saudi Arabia, including access to social media.

36. In concluding remarks, Manal Alsharif emphasized the importance of rights awareness, education and economic empowerment for realizing women’s rights in Saudi

Arabia and the world. Shreen Abdul Saroor noted that Sri Lanka’s assistance to women often took the form of monetary reparations that were inadequate and did not restore human dignity or account for pre-existing inequalities. Priti Darooka highlighted the importance of learning from different cultures and called for the balancing of collective and individual rights through participatory processes.

F. Coherent mobilization of all sources of financing for development

37. Gemma Adaba, Advisory Board Member of Social Justice in Global Development and Representative of the People’s Movement for Human Rights Learning, discussed official development assistance, aid effectiveness and South–South cooperation. She described the evolution in development assistance from the aid effectiveness agenda of the Paris Declaration (2005) to the Accra Agenda for Action (2008) and finally, the Busan

Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation (2011), which articulated an increasingly comprehensive vision of development partnership that was inclusive of South– South cooperation and civil society. In July 2012, in follow-up to Busan, a number of development partners agreed to a governance and monitoring framework to maximize effective development cooperation. The Busan Partnership called for recipient countries to direct development efforts, the streamlining of conditionalities, enhanced parliamentary scrutiny, women’s empowerment and local and transparent procurement processes. According to Gemma Adaba, development effectiveness should be judged in terms of compliance with the core principles of people-centred, rights-based development, a view which was increasingly shared by the international community.

38. Jean Saldanha, Policy and Advocacy Officer on Resources for Development at Coopération internationale pour le développement et la solidarité, advocated the use of financial transactions taxes (FTTs) to meet the financial demands of satisfying human rights obligations. She argued for a more progressive, redistributive fiscal policy both nationally and globally to promote an enabling environment for development. Value added taxes and taxes on labour were the most common source of government revenue and the financial sector was comparatively undertaxed. She described FTTs as a potential solution to this inequity, noting that many countries already employed different variants of FTTs without significant negative consequences. New FTTs could raise considerable revenue, reintroduce a measure of equality and progressivity in taxation systems, and help Governments meet their legal obligation to commit the maximum available resources to respect, protect and fulfil human rights. In order for this to work, funds derived from FTTs should be designated for fulfilment of human rights, including the right to development, and allocated pursuant to a participatory process. Jean Saldanha concluded by recommending the integration of an FTT within the post-2015 development framework.

39. François Mercier, Desk Officer for Financing for Development and Programme Officer on the Democratic Republic of Congo at Fastenopfer (the Swiss Catholic Lenten Fund), described the negative development impacts of illicit financial flows, including the proceeds of bribery, theft, trafficking, trade mispricing and tax evasion. The majority of illicit financial flows out of developing countries were the result of tax evasion and mispricing rather than bribery, theft, and other causes. He presented a study of Glencore, a company involved in mining activities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as an example. The study showed that Glencore activities contributed to severe environmental damage and social conflict, and that a large portion of Glencore’s profits were shifted to tax havens with resulting losses of revenue by the Democratic Republic of Congo. Francois Mercier argued that tax evasion threatened progress toward the Millennium Development Goals and recommended the promotion of initiatives such as the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative and other measures to improve transparency and accountability. Finally, he called for the strengthening of the Committee of Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters.

40. In the ensuing interactive dialogue, representatives of Social Justice in Global Development, the Association of World Citizens, the People’s Health Movement, North- South XXI and Espace Afrique International discussed strengthening the Committee of Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters, the impact of intellectual property laws on South–South cooperation, funding development through FTTs and the role of diasporas, migrant workers and remittances in contributing resources for development.

41. In concluding remarks, François Mercier agreed that the Committee of Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters should be strengthened, but noted that this was a political matter dependent upon Member States. Gemma Adaba discussed the need to continue to expand the role of South–South cooperation in providing access to low-cost generic drugs and also emphasized the importance of improving tax cooperation. Jean

Saldanha reiterated her argument in favour of using an FTT to generate revenues for the post-2015 development agenda and proposed as a first step that the Human Rights Council initiate a study of the issue.

G. The international financial system and enhancing a globally enabling

environment for development

42. Isabel Ortiz, Associate Director of the United Nations Children’s Fund, summarized two recent publications she had worked on: A Recovery for All: Rethinking Socio-Economic Policies for Children and Poor Households and “Be outraged: there are alternatives”. The publications analysed the social impacts of the financial and economic crisis and suggested socially responsible approaches to recovery. In her presentation, the Associate Director illustrated the dramatic inequality between the richest and poorest quintiles of the world population, rising unemployment and cuts to public expenditures. She argued that prevailing macroeconomic policies, which valued labour flexibility and reflected the demands of international financial institutions, threatened people’s livelihoods. For example, implementing austerity measures in response to crises reduced social protections when they were most needed and exacerbated inequalities. Instead, Governments should consider alternatives including reallocating expenditures, increasing tax revenues, lobbying for aid/transfers, tapping into fiscal and foreign exchange reserves, borrowing, restructuring existing debt and transforming the financial sector to respond to the needs of the real economy. She emphasized that there were viable, rights-based alternatives to the current austerity response to financial crises that could address inequality, promote an equitable recovery and maintain and improve social protections.

43. Collins Magalasi, Executive Director of the African Forum and Network on Debt and Development, discussed excessive sovereign debt as a problem of developed and developing countries alike. The Euro zone crisis revealed the social and political consequences of excessive sovereign debt and the increased vulnerability of all States to debt crises as a result of the financial crisis. He argued that current lending practices were biased toward creditors, permitted irresponsible lending, failed to adequately consider human rights and development implications and had contributed to a significant rise in sovereign debt disputes, including disputes between developing countries. These concerns illustrated the need for an international mechanism to comprehensively and effectively address sovereign debt problems. He recommended setting up an independent, fair and transparent sovereign debt arbitration mechanism and adopting principles for responsible borrowing and lending in line with those recommended by the African Forum and Network on Debt and Development, the European Network on Debt and Development, or the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development in this area.

44. Manual Montes, Senior Adviser on Finance and Development at the South Centre, claimed that current financial rules were inimical to economic development in poor countries. Dependence on volatile private financial flows restricted the policy space of developing States, as entrenched commercial interests advantaged by existing financial rules obstructed policy changes. The global system encouraged competition among nations over trade and private investment even though trade and private investment were volatile and inadequate as sole bases for development. In the context of global competition, developing country Governments were seriously constrained in efforts to mobilize domestic resources for their own development. Manual Montes recommended financial reforms to reduce excessive competition among and between corporations and Governments and the reform of international organizations, such as the International Monetary Fund, to better protect developing countries. He asserted that the international community had to overcome crises in politics, policy and morality to undertake systemic financial regulatory reform.

45. In the ensuing interactive dialogue, representatives of the Associazione Comunità Papa Giovanni XXIII, Social Justice in Global Development, North-South XXI and Webster University discussed, among other issues, the creation of a coordination mechanism among relevant Special Rapporteurs, Independent Experts and the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee to discuss issues of globalization, global governance, international solidarity and sustainable development; the appointment of a Special Rapporteur on globalization and global governance; ensuring that human rights were taken into account at meetings of the Group of 20; international mechanisms for improving tax collection; and corruption as a cause of debt problems.

46. In concluding remarks, Collins Magalasi reiterated his call for the establishment of a sovereign debt workout mechanism, proposing that the United Nations and its relevant agencies and human rights mechanisms should design and host such a mechanism. Isabel Ortiz emphasized the need to galvanize political will in favour of alternative macroeconomic policies. Manuel Montes called for neutral international mechanisms to promote solidarity, good governance and transparency in the international financial system. In summarizing the discussion, Jean Saldanha called for placing human rights at the centre of the global development paradigm and the response to the financial crisis by restructuring the banking system, promoting equitable and effective taxation, and improving global financial governance.

H. Round table: Strengthening the global partnership for development

47. Cécile Molinier, Director of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Geneva, stressed that the global partnership for development should be based on inclusive dialogue among all relevant stakeholders. In this respect, achieving human rights, reducing inequalities and hearing the voices of people and civil society were fundamental. At UNDP, the majority of resources for development were at the country level; therefore, UNDP encouraged local ownership. Cécile Molinier highlighted the need to reflect on global governance and to continuously improve the programming work of the United Nations because much remained to be done to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, particularly Goal 8. She noted, for example, declining levels of official development assistance and called for the fulfilment of development commitments. She also emphasized the need to improve the quality of existing aid. In this regard, domestic factors like the strength of civil society, democratic processes, the rule of law and rights compliance were important. Finally, she called upon OHCHR and UNDP to continue working together on the post-2015 development agenda and on the identification of means to strengthen accountability, policy coherence and governance in development efforts.

48. Ali Jazairy, Head of the Innovation and Technology Transfer Section of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), highlighted the contributions of innovation and intellectual property to the global partnership for development. Modern information technology had improved speed, quality, coherence and referenceability, reduced costs, made intellectual property a means for promoting global partnership, and permitted increasingly innovative partnerships between large research and development teams from corporations, States and academia working together through network processes. Expanding access to information and communication technologies had promoted the rapid dissemination of knowledge and a shifting paradigm of innovation where contributions increasingly came from new regions. In this sense, the notion of intellectual partnership might gradually replace the notion of intellectual property and innovation and serve to integrate people in development processes. WIPO had recommended the development of collaborative networks and innovation platforms to connect multiple actors and resources in the production of mutually beneficial solutions to common problems.

49. Stephen Pursey, Director of the Policy Integration Department and Senior Adviser to the Director-General at the International Labour Organization (ILO), linked the strengthening of the global partnership for development with a rights-based approach to development. He stated that, for most people, a decent job was the key to a decent life as their sense of identity and self-respect, their economic and food security, and the realization of their capabilities might all depend on their employment. This meant that improved access to decent employment could be one lens through which to approach the global partnership for development. The 2008 ILO Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization was a fundamental reference in this regard. The tripartite structure of the ILO could address working conditions and social justice through negotiation. Stephen Pursey also stressed the importance of a social protection floor and of the 1998 ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work which committed Member States to respect and promote freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining, to eliminate forced labour and child labour, and to eradicate discrimination in employment. He concluded by calling for more attention to be paid to the right to work and human rights at work in the context of the global partnership for development.

50. Hans-Peter Werner, Counsellor in the Development Division of the World Trade Organization (WTO), stated that the WTO contributed to development by promoting predictable and non-discriminatory trade agreements, reducing trade barriers and ensuring equal access to markets. He emphasized that many developing countries were members of the WTO, which had taken steps to address the special needs of least developed countries, facilitate access to affordable medicines and promote technology transfer. The WTO, as part of the United Nations Task Team for the post-2015 development agenda, was an active member of the global partnership that collaborated with multiple agencies to articulate a comprehensive approach to development. Although this work was valuable, Hans-Peter Werner stated that member States retained the ultimate responsibility for defining and promoting an effective global partnership based on common positions and goals.

51. Sarah Cook, Director of the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development, discussed the importance of research in addressing challenges to social development in a globalizing world. She highlighted the importance of taking a holistic approach to social development and improved human well-being, particularly with regards to social institutions. Integrating economic and social aspects, adopting people-centred approaches complementary to basic economic rights, and looking at the functioning of institutional arrangements and their social constructions were fundamental to strengthen the global partnership for development. While trade unions and social movements played an essential role in the historical recognition of human rights, the continuing role of these institutions as forces for development had been neglected. Instead, Sarah Cook asserted that liberalization had given significant power to institutions that might not be accountable for social justice and human rights. She called for the restoration of social institutions, the development of social indicators and the prioritization of employment policy.

52. During the interactive dialogue, the independent expert on human rights and international solidarity, Isabel Ortiz, Xigen Wang (Professor and Vice-Dean of the Wuhan University Law School in China) and representatives from North-South XXI, Associazione Comunità Papa Giovanni XXIII, Social Justice in Global Development, the Ligue marocaine pour la citoyenneté et les droits de l’homme and Espace Afrique International discussed, inter alia, the proliferation of bilateral trade and investment agreements that circumvented international obligations, the need for alternatives to the WTO trade model, the importance of rights-based development, and potential improvements of Millennium Development Goal 8 and the global partnership for development (e.g. the elaboration of further indicators to measure the implementation of Goal 8). Goal 8 was criticized for failing to address partnership on the basis of equality and narrowly focusing on development aid considerations instead of the ultimate goal of fulfilling human rights. It

was suggested that development cooperation should be based on equal partnership and the global partnership for development should be reformulated as an “international solidarity” goal. Finally, it was recommended that specialists in different areas, including economists and lawyers, should address social impacts and human rights aspects of economic decisions by working together.

53. In concluding remarks, Hans-Peter Werner referred to the flexibilities of the Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights as one means of ensuring access to essential medicines. He also clarified that the WTO did not monitor bilateral agreements for which States had the primary responsibility. However, the trade policy review mechanism did allow member States to question a State’s actions or inactions regarding human rights issues. Cécile Molinier underlined the narrow scope of the current Goal 8 indicators related to trade, debt, access to medicine and transfer of technology and called for the post-2015 framework to promote human rights, equality and sustainability. She observed that significant progress has been made regarding human rights mainstreaming at the country level, where the United Nations continued to improve inter- agency collaboration and promote ownership. Ali Jazairy emphasized the role of WIPO in facilitating technology transfer through different research platforms. He indicated that WIPO had a programme on reducing patent-related fees for least developed countries, and that many intellectual property rights in the domain of technology relevant to climate change had expired. WIPO was also working on a mechanism to protect traditional medicine and on a definition of technology transfer that incorporated the transfer of relevant technical expertise. Stephen Pursey emphasized the importance of the social protection floor, particularly with regards to the half of the global workforce that was informally employed. According to him, guaranteeing the four critical components of the social protection floor – an old age and disability pension; access to basic health care; support for children’s nutrition, education and health; and support for the unemployed – would only cost 2–4 per cent of gross domestic product and would have far-reaching economic and social benefits. Sarah Cook called for a new approach to development founded in solidarity.

I. Promoting sustainable development in the era of globalization

54. Angelica Navarro, Permanent Representative of the Plurinational State of Bolivia to the United Nations Office in Geneva, stated that global crises resulted from capitalist, materialist thinking and called for a paradigm shift in development approaches. She highlighted the concept of vivir bien (“living well”) as an alternative to the capitalist paradigm of “living better”. The latter concept implied self-interested improvement through the exploitation of Mother Earth and regardless of the cost to others. This approach failed to benefit the majority of people. Living well meant living in harmony with the cycles of Mother Earth, the cycles of history and all forms of life. It required listening and sharing. This holistic approach to living appeared in all indigenous languages and cultures. It included principles such as collective work, reciprocity, solidarity, respect, dignity, social justice and harmony. The Permanent Representative argued that by incorporating this traditional approach to development within its official policies and embracing legal pluralism, the Plurinational State of Bolivia had achieved great development successes. To illustrate this, she presented statistical data which highlighted poverty reduction, increased economic growth and improved education outcomes in her country.

55. Stephen Hale, Deputy and Advocacy Campaigns Director at Oxfam International, described the difficult context for global development efforts including the negative impacts of the economic crisis, the inequitable distribution of power and weaknesses in the multilateral system that make it difficult to seek global solutions to global problems. He highlighted the need to promote coherence and build alliances for change. Humanity

already consumed more than the world could produce in a sustainable manner, and therefore, making sustainable development a reality would require a new approach. Stephen Hale presented the nine planetary boundaries constraints framework for sustainability which was employed by Oxfam and included factors like biodiversity loss and climate change. He argued that we had to determine how we should live within these boundaries and identify the connections between social challenges and planetary boundaries. Oxfam aimed to promote inclusive and sustainable economic development, based on eleven priorities, namely food, water, income, education, resilience, voice, jobs, energy, social equity, gender equality and health within the planetary boundaries. This framework addressed the issue of coherence between sustainability and development goals and identified a policy space for the realization of sustainable, rights-based development.

56. Dashdolgor Dolgorsuren, Head of Foreign Relations of the Health Agency in Bulgan Province (Mongolia), described the traditional lifestyle of nomadic peoples in Mongolia as one of harmony between human beings, nature and livestock. However, a number of internal and external changes, most recently the transition from a centralized economy to a market economy and globalization, had both positively and negatively impacted the nomadic way of life. Mineral exploitation, for example, had led to the destruction of pastoral land and pollution that affected humans and animals alike, presenting unique public health problems. It was difficult to ensure access to health services for nomadic peoples and herders who, as part of the informal economy, were excluded from traditional health care insurance schemes. In this context, the promotion of sustainable, rights-based development required a multi-faceted approach that integrated the human rights concerns of nomadic peoples, ensured their active, free and meaningful participation in development, and fairly distributed the benefits of development.

57. During the interactive dialogue, representatives from International Movement ATD Fourth World, the Association of World Citizens and the People’s Health Movement discussed the need for active participation in development by all persons, the connection between people’s health and the environment, and the inclusion of human rights in the post- 2015 development agenda. The concept of sustainable livelihoods was proposed as a potential theme for the 2013 Social Forum.

58. In her concluding remarks, Angelica Navarro stated that foreign investors seeking to exploit natural resources in Bolivia had to do so in compliance with national laws and as development partners. She also called for the coherent and consistent promotion of human rights. Dashdolgor Dolgorsuren elaborated on the challenges and significance of facilitating participation by nomadic herders. Stephen Hale discussed the importance of outreach to make the voices of the poorest heard.

J. Innovative approaches to development and globalization

59. Yoandra Muro Valle, Vice-Rector of the Latin American School of Medicine in Havana, described Cuba’s international development cooperation efforts in the area of health. Her presentation traced Cuba’s history of international medical cooperation from its inception to the present, describing numerous health cooperation activities, projects and achievements. For more than 50 years, the Cuban National Public Health System had provided care to people of different countries through its Health Cooperation Programmes which, in the spirit of international solidarity, sent medical professionals equipped with medicine, materials and expertise to developing countries in need. Cuba had also assisted in the training of numerous foreign medical professionals. Yoandra Muro Valle emphasized that this example of South–South cooperation based on the model of solidarity, not competition, was the type of development assistance needed today.

60. Jorge M. Dias Ferreira, representing the NGO New Humanity, described his vision for a development paradigm based on solidarity and integrity. Profit, efficiency and productivity should not be the primary aims of development as they reduced people into means of production and did not always improve their well-being. The elevation of these values above others by the neoliberal agenda had led to multiple crises, including a psychological crisis, that had to be dealt with in a comprehensive interdisciplinary fashion. He claimed that the basic purpose of States as political communities was to enable the societies and peoples that composed States to be masters of their own destinies. In order to realize this purpose, he solicited a new development paradigm that promoted solidarity and integral development and prevented serious human rights abuses. In this regard, he called for prioritizing human beings over possessions, and ethics and human rights over economics.

61. Xigen Wang, Professor and Vice-Dean of the Wuhan University Law School in China, spoke about challenges and prospects for implementing the right to development in the aftermath of the global financial crisis. He described several obstacles to the realization of the right to development including exchange rate volatility, reduced overseas investment and trade, excessive debts, rising poverty rates, higher unemployment, reduced economic growth and increased social inequality. In order to address these obstacles, he suggested interpreting the right to development as people-centred development with social justice, and developing a comprehensive strategy for its implementation, including in the financial sector. He further argued for additional emphasis on the links between the right to development and other human rights. Finally, he called for the elaboration and passage of a convention on the right to development as part of a comprehensive development obligation system that included endogenous obligations (ethics and institutions) and instrumental obligations (contracts and a convention).

62. In the ensuing interactive dialogue, Myrna Cunningham and representatives of China, ONG Hope International, North-South XXI, the Association of World Citizens, the People’s Health Movement and the South Asian Feminist Alliance took the floor. Speakers discussed issues such as land grabbing, farmers’ rights, the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities of States, country-specific implementation of the right to development, innovative approaches to promoting traditional indigenous knowledge, South–South cooperation, the equitable distribution of the benefits of commerce, democratizing international institutions, international solidarity, the importance of education and equality of opportunity for health and development, and the recognition of women as economic agents and individual rights holders. It was also proposed that the Human Rights Council consider establishing a mechanism to address the concrete recommendations of the Social Forum.

63. In concluding remarks, Yoandra Muro Valle stressed that morals had to come before economics. While drawing up budgets, it was important to take into account the moral impact and the societal benefits of expenditures. The overall goal should be a better quality of life. Jorge M. Dias Ferreira highlighted the humanist dimension of the right to development, and the interdependence and interdisciplinary nature of the challenges of today. He stressed that the spiritual dimension of development had not been subject to adequate consideration. Xigen Wang elaborated on the effects of the financial crisis on China and made recommendations on how to overcome the impact of the crisis through people-centred development.

IV. Conclusions and recommendations

64. To conclude the Social Forum, Martin Khor offered a summary of the proceedings which was followed by the Chairperson-Rapporteur’s closing

recommendations. These recommendations are reflected in the sections that follow.

A. Conclusions

65. In the era of globalization, society must develop a new people-centred development paradigm founded in principles of human rights, equality, solidarity and

sustainability. People-centred development should address the entirety of the human

condition and promote mental, physical and spiritual well-being in addition to

economic growth. The continued discussion and elaboration of concepts addressed by

this Social Forum, including sustainable development, integral and humanist

development, participatory development, buen vivir and financing for development,

offer guidance along this path. People-centred development requires both local

control over development priorities and a globally enabling environment for

development. Adequate participation of all persons at all levels of governance, and

access to information, education, credit, work and adequate support networks are

critical to the spread of ideas, the empowerment of persons and movements, and the

success of people-centred development.

66. People-centred development requires recognition of the value of human dignity, livelihoods and work as foundations for human well-being. Measures should be taken

to guarantee that all persons have access to the basic resources necessary for the

constant improvement of their well-being. Particular attention should be devoted to

potentially marginalized or underrepresented groups such as women, children,

minorities, indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities and older persons. They

should be engaged in decision-making processes at all levels that impact their lives,

and concrete measures should be taken to prevent structural inequalities and

discrimination from impeding their development.

67. The basic principle of solidarity, which applies equally to people and States, establishes that by working together we can accomplish more than if we work apart.

The financial and economic crisis of 2008 has highlighted our interdependence and

threatened the enjoyment of our human rights. It has never been more important that

we draw upon our common humanity to pursue a shared vision of a future in which

the enjoyment of all human rights, including the right to development, is realized for

all persons without discrimination. Social movements to promote women’s rights,

intergenerational solidarity, fair trade, financial regulatory reform, social justice and

human rights embody solidarity in people-centred development and play a critical

role within our society that should be recognized and, where appropriate, honoured as

a valuable form of speech and participation. Millennium Development Goal 8, which calls for a global partnership for development, also articulates the concept of

solidarity, but participants agreed it must be strengthened in order to promote, inter

alia, effective, locally controlled development assistance; information and technology

sharing; innovation; and good governance.

68. Failure to meet development goals is unacceptable because such failures stem from the inequitable distribution of resources rather than lack of resources, a

problem which is also linked to the inadequate representation of developing States,

civil society and marginalized groups in international financial institutions and similar

failings in governance at the national and local levels. Therefore, good governance and

the coherent mobilization of all sources of financing for development are critical.

Participants emphasized the potential of innovative sources of financing for

development, including South–South cooperation and financial transaction taxes, and

called for measures to promote international tax cooperation, combat tax evasion,

prevent the flow of illicit funds and combat corruption. The right to development offers a development paradigm which can meet the challenges of a globalized and

multipolar world facing multiple crises, and a framework in which to address gaps

and failures in responsibility, accountability and regulation in both national and

global governance.

B. Recommendations

69. States, international organizations and other development actors should act to promote people-centred development aimed at improved human well-being by

making human rights, including the right to development, the basis of development.

70. States and all other stakeholders must act together for the promotion of sustained, inclusive and equitable development, good governance and participation at

all levels of decision-making, a national and international enabling environment for

development, and an accommodating macroeconomic framework. This must include

the reform of international institutions, particularly in the economic field, to promote

the democratic representation of developing States, civil society and marginalized

groups.

71. Economic and social policies must recognize women as individual rights holders and not just as members of a family, household or group, and their marital status

should not have an impact on their entitlements. Women should be engaged in

decision-making processes at all levels that impact their lives, including in post-war

development and peacebuilding efforts. The lively engagement of young and old

people should also be supported in order to promote solidarity through the active

participation of all persons in society.

72. Development policies must address discrimination and systemic and structural inequalities, and steps must be taken to engage marginalized or underrepresented

groups and peoples in decisions that affect them.

73. Effective actions should be taken to mitigate the damages caused by the global crisis and prevent its repetition, including by strengthening the social safety net,

restructuring the banking system and improving global financial governance.

74. In order to promote the coherent mobilization of all resources for development, States should establish an international arbitration mechanism to resolve excessive

debts, and they should transform the Committee of Experts on International

Cooperation in Tax Matters into an intergovernmental body that can make decisions

and issue action-oriented resolutions, cooperate to restore illicit financial flows to

States of origin and promote equitable and efficient tax systems, including through the

adoption of financial transaction taxes to fund development priorities.

75. States should promote genuine participatory development by, inter alia, improving access to microcredit, information, education, decent employment and

justice, and encouraging social movements and community-level development. The

Social Forum should continue to devote particular attention to the rights of potentially

marginalized or underrepresented groups such as women, children and youth,

minorities, indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities and older persons, including

through discussion of sustainable livelihoods.

76. Additional mechanisms should be explored to promote mainstreaming of the right to development, including draft operational guidelines for implementing the

Declaration on the Right to Development; a mechanism to connect the right to

development, international human rights treaties, economic and trade laws; and a

high-level academic forum on the right to development.

77. The Social Forum should inform and contribute to the post-2015 development agenda and the establishment of Sustainable Development Goals. Studies should be

conducted to examine the impact of the economic and financial crisis on the ability of

States to respect, protect and fulfil human rights.

78. States should promote increased participation of underrepresented States, groups and civil society organizations in international institutions, including

international financial institutions. For example, the Human Rights Council should

establish a mechanism to follow up on the recommendations of the Social Forum in

order to further strengthen the voices of civil society organizations and those they

represent in international affairs.

Annexes

Annex I

Provisional agenda

1. Opening of the session.

2. Implementation of Human Rights Council resolution 19/24 entitled “The Social Forum” on the theme of “People-centred development and globalization”, and in particular:

(a) People-centred development and global governance in an era of multiple challenges and social transformation;

(b) Promoting measures and actions for participatory development and democratic governance, including through the role of civil society and social movements at the grass-roots, local and national levels;

(c) Enhancing a globally enabling environment for development, including through the international financial system, which should support sustained, inclusive and equitable economic growth, sustainable development and hunger and poverty eradication in developing countries, while allowing for the coherent mobilization of all sources of financing for development.

3. Closure of the session.

Annex II

[English/French/Spanish only]

List of participants

States Members of the Human Rights Council

Austria, Bangladesh, Chile, China, Cuba, Czech Republic, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritania, Mexico, Qatar, Romania, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, Uruguay.

States Members of the United Nations represented by observers

Afghanistan, Algeria, Argentina, Bahrain, Bolivia (Plurinational State of), Brazil, Cambodia, Colombia, Cyprus, Democratic Republic of Congo, France, Germany, Haiti, Japan, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Mongolia, Morocco, Nepal, Nicaragua, Oman, Pakistan, Paraguay, Republic of Korea, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of), Viet Nam.

Non-Member States represented by observers

The Holy See.

Intergovernmental organizations

Council of Europe, South Centre.

United Nations

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, United Nations Development Programme, United Nations Research Institute for Social Development.

Specialized agencies and related organizations

International Labour Organization, World Intellectual Property Organization, World Trade Organization.

Non-governmental organizations

African Forum and Network on Debt and Development; Ariel Foundation International; Association of World Citizens; Associazione Comunità Papa Giovanni XXIII; African Commission of Health and Human Rights Promoters; Bahá’í International Community; Conseil international des femmes; Coopération internationale pour le développement et la solidarité; Culture of Afro-Indigenous Solidarity; Espace Afrique International; Fastenopfer (the Swiss Catholic Lenten Fund); Fédération des agences internationales pour le développement; Génération, recherche, action et formation pour l’environnement; Geneva

International Network on Ageing; Hawaii Institute for Human Rights; Indian Movement “Tupaj Amaru”; Indigenous Peoples’ Centre for Documentation, Research and Information; International Association for Religious Freedom; International Federation of University Women; International Movement ATD Fourth World; International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse; International Services for Human Rights; Liberation; Ligue marocaine pour la citoyenneté et les droits de l’homme; Mannar Women’s Development Federation (Sri Lanka); New Humanity; Nord-Sud XXI; ONG Hope International; International Organization of la Francophonie; Oxfam International; People’s Health Movement; Programme on Women’s Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (India); Research and Development Centre Nepal; Social Justice in Global Development; Soka Gakkai International; South Asian Feminist Alliance; Südwind; Tchad Agir Pour l’Environnement; The Hunger Project.

National human rights institutions

Defensoría del Pueblo de Venezuela.

Academic institutions

Collège Sainte Croix de Fribourg, University of Zurich Competence Center for Human Rights, Webster University (Geneva).

Independent experts and activists

Manal Alsharif, activist and blogger; Ramona Constantin, community worker; Myrna Cunningham, member of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues; Virginia Dandan, Independent Expert on human rights and international solidarity; Pascale Delille, researcher at the Université Blaise Pascal (France); Koen De Feyter, professor at the University of Antwerp (Belgium); Alfred de Zayas, Independent Expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order; Delphine Djiraibe, Principal Advocate at the Public Interest Law Centre (Chad); Dashdolgor Dolgorsuren, Head of Foreign Relations at the Health Agency in Bulgan Province (Mongolia); Johan Galtung, Rector of Transcend Peace University; Hyewon Jeon, student activist in the Republic of Korea; Eunchang Jun, student activist in the Republic of Korea; Gustavo Massiah, member of the International Council of the World Social Forum; Robert Moulias, President of Allô maltraitance des personnes âgées et/ou des personnes handicapées; Yoandra Muro Valle, Vice-Rector of the Latin American School of Medicine (Cuba); Obiora Okafor, member of the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee; Isabel Ortiz, Associate Director of the United Nations Children’s Fund; Xigen Wang, Professor and Vice-Dean of the Wuhan University Law School (China); Alain Yvergniaux, Special Adviser for International Affairs to the Office of the President of the Brittany Region (France).