Issues

Issues

WE THE PEOPLES: A RENEWED SOCIAL CONTRACT FOR PEOPLE AND PLANET

Globalization and current economic policies have benefited a few. The UN (1995 Summit, 2004 ILO Commission) talked about compensating the social consequences of economic globalization, but this is insufficient. It is time to propose a “social globalization” and policies for people and planet, founded on human rights and a renewed international solidarity, including the issues below:

Reducing inequality within and between countries

Policies at national and international level to promote the wellbeing of the many in the face of the concentration of power and resources by the few.

While corporations have escaped national regulations and benefited from globalization, welfare is kept at national level, determined by the level of resources and degree of political will, further limited by austerity policies, and paid for disproportionately by the working and middle classes, who contribute the bulk of human economic productivity and the largest part of government revenue. Austerity reforms must be avoided, there are alternatives. Macroeconomic policies must better serve women and men.

Global social public goods and services 

Bringing prosperity for all children, adults and older persons, all women and men, starts by ensuring universal coverage with adequate benefits.

  • Global Health – access to health care for all, in the context of global health security.
  • Global Education (respecting local content but ensuring global standards, financing, teachers’ training, textbooks, computers…).
  • A Global Social Security System, ensuring social protection floors for all.
  • Enforcing international labor standards.
  • Global Water Management

A Global New Deal (Green New Deal)

A globally coordinated strategy is needed, led by the public sector and with a focus on job creation, people’s prosperity, structural transformation towards a green transition for environmental sustainability. 

A world awash with money: there are many options to finance rights and development 

Governments have many options to fund human rights and sustainable development, even in the poorest countries. More progressive sources of finance are also needed at the global level, options include new SDRs and a Global Tax System, with a Global Asset Registry to fight illicit financial flows and provide funding for global and national social policies – corporations and the financial sector benefiting from globalization with must pay adequate taxes. 

Cut military spending and power, promote peace

Defense spending has been increasing in recent years (while there have been austerity cuts to social spending!). It is necessary to tame military power, redeploy the military for civil protection (natural disasters etc.), to use defense spending for human development, to prevent wars through diplomacy, and to promote peace. The UN Security Council must be reformed and empowered. 

Promoting social cohesion, stronger democratic systems and public policies

Public services are weakened after decades of austerity and minimizing the State. Protests and social conflict are rising, people feel that democracies are unaccountable, and that voting/politics do not determine the fate of countries. People are lured into voting for new radical right parties with inadequate solutions like a wall with Mexico or emigrants sent to Rwanda. It is necessary to strengthen, not weaken, public policies to promote jobs with good wages and universal public services. Privatization of formerly public services has cost more than promised across the board and needs to be reversed.

Combat disinformation, misinformation

Our democratic and societal choices depend upon the information we receive. The weaponization of information and disinformation undermines our ability as a society to perceive and pursue the common good. To combat this, we must promote, among others, integrity in public information, build trust in science and in democratic institutions, and a Global Digital Compact. 

Meaningful measurement of progress

Progress must focus on people’s prosperity. Important work was developed by The Commission on the Measurement of Economic Performance and Social Progress (the Stiglitz-Sen-Fitoussi Commission). Prosperity should be based on Human Rights and environmental protection, and it must include real-time social indicators.

Renewed multilateralism

“We the peoples of the United Nations, determined to save future generations from war…” the inspiring beginning of the UN charter. But the UN is very much at risk, defunded and weakened. The world has forgotten about WWII and is rearming. The world has changed, with staggering inequality, and elites are undermining social progress. The post-war order is turning into a multipolar disorder. It is necessary to strengthen multilateralism (the UN) to implement this agenda. 

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