POLICY ADVISOR ON DEBT

The Policy Advisor will lead the design, planning and implementation of theAFRODAD program on Debt. The key objectives of this program are: to contribute to finding sustainable solutions to Africa’s debt crises; and to contribute to aversion offuture debt crises. During the period 2009 -2011 this program will undertake research,
lobby and advocacy activities related to Loan contraction processes and Debt Management in African countries, Domestic Debt, Ecological Debt, Emerging Lenders(BRIC) and African Debt Profiles.Qualifications & Experience

The Executive Director will be accountable to the Board of Directors for planning and
implementation of all AFRODAD program activities; sourcing and management of
human and financial resources and will among other things represent the organization
at high-level meetings.

At the closing of the UN Conference on the Financial and Economic Crisis and its Impact on Development, governments adopted an outcome document reflecting months of negotiations. The following analysis looks at 7 key issues that civil society deemed crucial for the success of the conference.

27 June, 2009

The director will manage a busy small team, ensuring high quality research outputs, good communication of key messages to target audiences in official institutions and NGOs. The work will involve planning, fund-raising and reporting as well as writing and editing. The post involves representing the network at meetings with senior decision-makers, and facilitating meetings of network members to agree joint positions and actions. ...more »

By: Jana Silverman, Social Watch

June 24, 2009 NEW YORK - Today, in an open dialogue with representatives of civil society, Prof. Joseph Stiglitz, Chair of the Commission of Experts of the President of the UN General Assembly on Reform of the International Monetary and Financial System, detailed many of the recommendations proposed by that Commission and in particular called for a “new intellectual framework” which can lay the basis for a new global financial architecture.

Over 200 leaders of local, national, and international civil society organizations involved in the UN Conference on the Financial and Economic Crisis and its Impacts on Development presently taking place at UN Headquarters in New York, participated in this exchange of ideas with Prof. Stiglitz and seven other members of the Commission of Experts.

 ...more »

Special Event (video from United Nation's webcast):

Round table under the overall theme “Examining and overcoming the deepening world financial and economic crisis and its impact on development” Round Table 1 - The role of the United Nations and its Member States in the ongoing international discussions on reforming and strengthening the international financial and economic system and architecture.

extract Intervention of Roberto Bissio, Social Watch 

New York, June 23, 2009  - In the midst of the global economic crisis, ongoing negotiations at the UN over the Outcome Document for the conference on the Financial and Economic Crisis, June 24-26th, 2009 are betraying age-old power fault lines.  Rich, industrialized countries are attempting to underplay the legitimate role of the United Nations in the ongoing process of global economic system reform.

According to the Global Social Economy Group (GSEG) industrialized country governments are fudging the hard issues at the UN and instead utilizing forums such as the G8 and the G20 to make decisions affecting millions of people, rendering those worst affected by the crisis voiceless.

The GSEG, which is hosting the Civil Society Forum, a major gathering of civil society organizations  wants to see major reform of the World Bank and IMF. They insist that strong commitments on debt reform and additional resources for the immediate and long-term financing needs of developing countries take center stage in the upcoming conference discussions.

This week the World Bank released its most gloomy forecast for developing countries yet, predicting a $1 US trillion economic slump in their economies, making the case for civil society demands even greater.

“Rich countries have a responsibility to show us they are serious about implementing the major reforms necessary to lift us out of this crisis and put us on a path of redistributive economic justice and sustainable development. As citizens living with the everyday reality of the havoc this recession is wreaking on our countries, we fully support the far-reaching reforms proposed by the Stiglitz Commission,” commented Bhumika Muchhala, Senior Policy Advisor for the Third World Network. “We want to see these proposals incorporated in the Outcome Document of the Conference.”

 ...more »

BEIJING, Jun 24 (IPS) - China has lent its support to a U.N. finance summit where developing countries are pressing to air their grievances over how the global economic crisis has affected the world’s poorest. Yet, for the largest developing country the crisis remains a debacle with a silver lining - a matchless opportunity to accomplish its dream of regaining the regional and global clout it once held, and fast forward its ambitions.

"The Chinese government attaches great importance to the conference," Liu Zhenmin, China’s deputy ambassador to the U.N., said of the Jun. 24-26 Summit on the World Financial and Economic Crisis and its Impact on Development in New York.

"We believe that that the conference should pay special attention to the difficulties the crisis has brought to developing countries," Liu told reporters at U.N. headquarters. He expressed hopes that the meeting will provide a platform for all countries to discuss measures on weathering the crisis.

Bucking expectations that participants at the meeting should be at the "highest political levels," meaning heads of state and government, Beijing is dispatching its foreign minister Yang Jiechi. Yang is expected to deliver a speech at the plenary session and hold bilateral meetings with top U.N. officials.  ...more »

This afternoon (June 22) we began receiving reports from colleagues inside the UN that negotiations on the draft outcome document (DOD) of the UN Conference on the Financial and Economic Crisis and its Impact on Development had come to a close with a decision on a “clean” document to bring to the UN Conference. The moment was described as a bit confusing, with the two co-facilitators arriving to the negotiations with new proposed text. They asked that delegates not comment paragraph by paragraph, but rather look over the entire document. They then asked whether there was any opposition from the floor. The room was quiet and when no opposition arose, the gavel came down with a decision to go forward with the text. The session was then closed, leaving some wondering as to why the G77 or other governments did not intervene. No negotiations are scheduled for tomorrow. The new document will be brought forth to the UN Conference beginning this Wednesday, June 24th. ...more »

Dear Friends,
Representatives of Non-Governmental Organizations and Civil Society Networks,
Brothers and Sisters All,

1.    It is truly a pleasure to join you here in the Church of the Holy Trinity on the eve of the United Nations Conference on the World Financial and Economic Crisis and Its Impact on Development. I know that I am among friends and family here, and it warms my heart to feel the enormous energy and solidarity that you have brought with you from all parts of the world.

2.    I am grateful to all of you for your hard work on behalf of the Conference, and more importantly, on behalf of the billions of people whose voices have yet to be heard as we try to build a more equitable and just world. Let me thank, in particular, Roberto Bissio of Social Watch and Elisa Peter of NGLS and their teams for working so hard to organize this event and inviting me to participate. They have worked patiently with my office on behalf of civil society and assisted us in the arrangements so that many of you will have access to UN headquarters during the three-day meeting next week.

3.    I imagine that many of you are anxious to hear news about the prospects for the Conference. As you know, it has been surrounded by controversy from its very inception last December at the Review Conference on Financing for Development in Doha. There, Member States asked me to organize a meeting at the highest in response to the global economic meltdown that was unfolding around us.

 ...more »