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	A call for transformative leadership in a fractured world by C20, C7, Forus International, agencies   South Africa’s G20 Presidency begun in December, with only 12% of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG targets) on track and significant backsliding on more than 30%.   As we write this today, there is an urgent need for a paradigm shift and practical solutions for a progressive, people-centred, and development-driven agenda in a fractured global landscape that needs collective healing.   This sense of urgency was pinned down at the recent G20 Summit in Brasil, where South Africa assumed the Presidency amidst calls from global civil society at the Civil20 (C20) Summit to address today’s most pressing challenges: climate change, gender inequality, social inequalities, economic injustice and attacks on civic space.   This year, the Brasilian Association of NGOs (Abong), chaired the C20, amplifying the demands of social movements and civil society for global justice, highlighting the importance of gender in public policies, anti-racist economies, climate justice, the fight against hunger and the urgent need for a reform of international governance.   “Civil society is not merely a participant; it is a driving force for justice, equity, and sustainability. Without our voices at the table, solutions risk being incomplete, inequitable, and disconnected from the realities of the most vulnerable,” says Henrique Frota, Executive Director of Abong.   Yet, while the G20 leaders addressed major global crises, from climate change to economic inequities, the voices of those most affected by these challenges—grassroots movements, communities that have been historically marginalised, and civil society actors—still struggle to resonate within the halls of power.   In fact, gaps persist in ambition and action, exposing a troubling disconnect between commitments made in international forums and the lived realities of citizens from across the globe.   Civil Society as Equal Partners: Moving Beyond Symbolism   The G20 Rio de Janeiro Declaration, emphasizes inclusivity and acknowledges civil society’s role , but it omits the issue of shrinking civic space in many member countries.   The G20 should adopt concrete measures to protect civic freedoms and support CSOs in challenging environments. Futhermore, while the Declaration noted the inclusion of civil society groups in dialogues like the G20 Social Summit, it stopped short of guaranteeing institutionalised access for CSOs.   Aoi Horiuchi, Senior Advocacy Officer at the Japan NGO Center for International Cooperation (JANIC) shared that despite opportunities for C20 to meet, decision-makers and submit recommendations, “access is still limited”.   The meeting with President Lula happened just days before the Leaders’ Summit. He emphasizes, “civil society as an official stakeholder group, should have access to all preparatory meetings and have space for speaking up. To truly “leave no one behind”, we need to maintain the momentum and push for more progressive policies on taxing and economic justice.”   Meaningful engagement with civil society cannot be an afterthought. Governments must ensure that civil society has the autonomy, resources, and protected spaces necessary to contribute fully to global governance processes.   Expanding civic engagement is crucial, especially at the national level. Data shows that 87% of the global population lives in countries where civic freedoms are restricted.   As we approach the first G20 Summit on the African continent in 2025, “breaking silos, shifting power, and amplifying Global South movements must become central priorities for global governance reform,” says Anselmo Lee, Lead from the Asia Civil Society Partnership for Sustainable Development.   “We must move beyond a purely event-driven approach and establish clear, systematic mechanisms for reviewing decisions and ensuring their effective implementation,” adds Harsh Jaitli, Chief Executive Officer of the Voluntary Action Network India (VANI). Over the years, along with other national platforms, VANI has worked towards strengthening the voice of civil society in this space.   Inequality and Systemic Change: Missing the Mark   The Declaration rightly identified inequality as a root cause of global challenges but failed to propose bold measures to dismantle the structures that sustain the giant inequality pyramid.   The creation of the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty is a step forward. Specifically on access to food, the declaration identifies hunger as a pressing global issue, affecting over 733 million people in 2023, and emphasizes the G20’s commitment to eradicating hunger. The vague language and lack of binding commitments undermine these efforts. Specific timelines and accountability frameworks are missing.   We need clear action to address inequalities and extreme wealth concentration, fair financing and reforms of multilateral development banks (MDBs) and public development banks (PDBs) to provide financing that directly benefits marginalised communities and an increase in support to local actions, notably investing in community-driven solutions that prioritise equity and sustainability.   In the narratives and the actions, there is insufficient detail on the mobilization of resources for grassroots and community-led initiatives, a critical element of Forus’s advocacy for inclusive and sustainable financing.   Policy Coherence: Balancing the Scales and Building a Holistic Approach to Sustainability   While the G20 Declaration highlighted policy coherence as essential for achieving the SDGs, it leans heavily on private sector-driven solutions. Blended finance and private capital mobilization dominated the agenda, sidelining civil society and community-led initiatives and reinforcing the systemic inequities that perpetuate inequality.   A just and sustainable world cannot be achieved through fragmented efforts. Instead, a holistic approach that leverages the collective expertise and experiences of all stakeholders, public, private, and civil society. From a CSO perspective, a critical gap persists in aligning economic growth objectives with environmental, social, and human rights priorities. Without such alignment, conflicting objectives risk perpetuating systemic inequalities and ecological harm, undermining the promise of the SDGs.   Moreover, the recent trend of certain governments, such as Argentina’s proposed withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, highlights a dangerous backslide from climate commitments and a disregard for sustainable development goals.   Gender Equality: From Rhetoric to Reality   The G20 Declaration’s recognition of gender equality and commitments to combating gender-based violence are important steps forward. However, the absence of concrete action plans undermines their potential impact.   Women and girls continue to face systemic barriers, including unequal access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities, as well as the pervasive threat of gender-based violence.   To achieve meaningful progress, policies must go beyond rhetoric and actively dismantle discriminatory norms while creating leadership opportunities for women across all sectors.   The C20 group, has emphasised the need to address exclusion in all its forms. Expanding spaces for groups that have historically been marginalised and ensuring their full, equal, and meaningful participation in governance processes is not only a matter of justice but also a prerequisite for the type of development that We want. This includes acknowledging the intersecting challenges faced by rural and Indigenous women and those experiencing multiple forms of discrimination.   “Beyond commitments, we need frameworks that address intersectional inequalities and create leadership opportunities for all women, including rural, Indigenous, and LGBTIQ+ communities,” says Alessandra Nilo, C20 Sherpa, Director of Gestos, Brasil.   Reforming Global Governance for a Just Future   The G20 Declaration acknowledges the urgent need to reform global governance systems to address the complex crises of our time—geopolitical tensions, economic inequities, and climate emergencies.   Commitments to the UN reform and enhancing transparency in global governance are promising. The emphasis on anti-corruption measures and progressive taxation aligns with civil society’s struggles.   A critical starting point is amplifying the voice of World Majority countries in global decision-making. The inclusion of the African Union as a full G20 member is a welcome development, signaling progress toward inclusivity. However, current power imbalances, where wealthier nations disproportionately influence global policy agendas, must be dismantled to ensure fairness and inclusivity.   As the G20, a premier global forum, assumes increasing responsibility for shaping the global agenda, it is imperative that it takes a strong stance on these issues and “shift powers”.   As the C20 Declaration reminds us, the solutions to today’s challenges lie in inclusive governance that empowers those most affected by global crises. We urge governments and G20 stakeholders to institutionalise civil society participation, prioritise rights-based solutions, and deliver on commitments to equity and sustainability.   By weaving together the principles of rights, equity, sustainability, and collaboration, we can begin to build a future where “no one is left behind” not just in theory but also in practice.   http://www.forus-international.org/en/news http://www.ipsnews.net/2024/12/south-africas-g20-presidency-call-transformative-leadership-fractured-world/ http://www.ipsnews.net/2024/12/year-saw-world-repressed-civil-society-hope/ http://www.hrw.org/news/2025/01/13/nations-should-boldly-redefine-development-approach http://c20brasil.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/C20-Policy-Pack-2024_Digital.pdf http://t20brasil.org/en/communique http://www.t20brasil.org/en/pbs?nucleo_id=1 http://tinyurl.com/4tfzhzfs http://tinyurl.com/bdexbdhz http://tinyurl.com/nztatjtn   June 2025   Civil 7 Reaction to the 2025 G7 Leaders’ Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta under Canadian leadership:   While the Civil 7 (Gloabl Civil Society) acknowledges some positive commitments made by G7 leaders, ultimately the Summit fell short of the ambition and unity needed to meet today’s global challenges.   The Summit unfolded against a backdrop of intensifying humanitarian need, a rapidly changing climate, democratic backsliding, and deepening inequality. The C7 had urged G7 leaders to embrace a justice-centered agenda grounded in international law, equity, human rights, and multilateral cooperation. What emerged instead was a patchwork of statements that failed to confront the structural crises facing people and planet.   While we welcome calls for a ceasefire in Gaza and protection of civilians in the Middle East, the absence of strong commitments to restore humanitarian access and uphold international humanitarian law is deeply troubling. Furthermore, in light of the recent military escalations involving Iran and Israel, we call on the G7 to assume a balanced and principled role in de-escalating tensions through diplomacy. The path to lasting peace lies in impartial mediation and a steadfast commitment to dialogue over confrontation. Support for peace must be universal, not selective.   The G7’s reaffirmed support for Ukraine and its opposition to transnational repression are important signals in defence of international law and civic space. However, silence on other urgent contexts, including Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti, Myanmar, Yemen, ignores the needs of millions facing displacement, violence, and hunger.   Development cooperation was notably absent. In stark contrast to the 2002 Kananaskis Summit, where G8 leaders centred Africa and development, this year’s gathering failed to respond to shrinking aid budgets and growing global need. This is not fiscal prudence. It is a strategic failure that undermines global stability and ignores the transformative potential of bold, people-centered partnerships.   The reference to debt relief lacked specificity and ambition. With many countries facing or nearing debt distress, the G7 must champion structural reform of the international financial architecture and support unconditional debt cancellation. The C7 reiterates its call for a permanent sovereign debt workout mechanism under the auspices of the United Nations.   G7 cooperation with the Global South must move beyond resource extraction and geopolitical competition. It must prioritize equitable value chains, decent work, gender equity, and meaningful economic autonomy to ensure trade and investments uphold, rather than undermine, development, climate, and human rights goals.   Moreover, the G7 Critical Mineral Action Plan should not undermine the needs and interests of the Indigenous Peoples and lands in source countries and should support development of value chains which allow communities in the source countries to benefit fairly from their resources and build their own green and sustainable energy economies.   There was a notable lack of dialogue and commitments on gender equality and the protection and promotion of women’s rights. At a time when the rights of women and LGBTQI+ people are being rolled back in many parts of the world, this is very disappointing. Given the clear links between progress on gender equality and progress on peace, security and sustainable economies, this is a missed opportunity.   On climate, the gap between rhetoric and action remains wide. While the G7 acknowledged wildfire and environmental management, it failed to present a credible roadmap to phase out fossil fuels, scale climate finance, or meet existing commitments. The C7 calls on G7 countries to end fossil fuel subsidies, contribute new and additional finance to the Loss and Damage Fund, and increase funding for adaptation, especially for the most vulnerable communities.   We welcome the G7’s recognition of Indigenous leadership, particularly in wildfire response and the Critical Minerals Action Plan. However, such inclusion must be part of broader commitments to upholding the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, including the principle of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent, alongside  environmental justice.   The C7 urges G7 leaders to translate political will into action on fossil fuel phaseout, tax justice, debt relief, trade equity, and humanitarian action.   Civil society is not on the sidelines.  We are at the heart of real, people-powered solutions. We stand ready to work with those who lead with courage and principle.   As the world moves onto other global summits, including the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development, we call on leaders to uphold the values of justice, equity, and multilateral solidarity. We look forward to further engagement with G7 governments to ensure that these values drive transformative action.   http://civil7.org/en/civil-7-reaction-to-the-2025-g7-leaders-summit http://www.bond.org.uk/news/2025/06/the-g7-leaders-summit-our-verdict/ http://www.oxfam.org/en/press-releases/biggest-ever-aid-cut-g7-members-death-sentence-millions-people-says-oxfam http://www.careinternational.org.uk/news-stories/care-response-global-report-food-crises-2025/ http://civil7.org/c7-2025-communique-global-justice-together-web.pdf Visit the related web page
	People in poverty continue to pay the high price of a debt crisis not of their making by Olivier De Schutter Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights   The international financial system is failing to address the catastrophic debt crisis that is engulfing developing countries and causing misery for hundreds of millions of people, the UN’s poverty expert said today.   “The debt crisis is not just a fiscal issue; it is a full-blown human rights crisis,” said the UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Olivier De Schutter, on the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.   “In the poorest countries of the world people are struggling to eat, access health services or send their children to school, while their governments shell out billions of dollars to pay back loans to wealthy creditors.   “Making a bad situation worse, countries with the highest levels of debt also tend to be those most vulnerable to climate change, but are being forced to prioritise debt repayments over addressing the severe consequences of the climate crisis.”   The expert warned that rocketing interest rates since the Covid-19 pandemic were sinking countries in the Global South further into debt.   In 2023, a record 54 developing countries allocated 10% or more of government revenue to paying off the interest on their debt, leaving “little room for countries to spend on poverty-busting public services such as education or social protection”. 3.3 billion people live in countries that spend more on interest payments than on either education or health. Interest rates demanded from developing countries are also much higher than those paid by rich countries. African countries borrow money at almost four times the rate paid by the United States, despite the astronomical level of US debt.   “This perverse scenario has been playing out in the Global South for years, accelerating the freefall into poverty seen since the pandemic,” De Schutter said.   “Creditors have responded too little, too late. The G20’s ‘Common Framework’, agreed in 2020 to bring international financing institutions (IFIs), individual states and private lenders together to speed up debt restructuring, is simply not working.”   De Schutter called for immediate debt relief for countries in crisis and urgent reform of the international financial system to align with human rights.   “Banks and hedge funds have become huge players in the world of sovereign debt and should not be exempt from their human rights responsibilities. It is abhorrent that debt repayments to the world’s richest corporations are being paid at the expense of children’s education or healthcare. Governments must introduce legislation to compel private creditors under their jurisdiction to participate in debt relief for low income countries.   “Comprehensive reform of the international financial architecture, as advocated by the recently agreed Pact of the Future, is also needed. The current system within the IFIs, characterised by unequal representation between high and low-income countries, unfavourable lending conditions, and unfair debt restructuring is trapping too many countries in a cycle of poverty.”   The Special Rapporteur lamented the conditions attached to bailout packages from IFIs which, with their demands for austerity measures, sale of state assets and, at times, surcharges already denounced by UN human rights experts, make it near impossible for states to comply with their human rights obligations and lock countries into unsustainable growth patterns that have only worsened poverty and inequality.   “With Pakistan recently agreeing to its 24th bailout from the International Monetary Fund, which hinged on the country accepting what the Prime Minister called ‘conditions beyond imagination’, it is clear that people in poverty will continue to pay the high price of a debt crisis that is not of their making,” the expert said.   “The solution to the debt crisis is neither to stimulate economic growth at all costs, nor to impose austerity policies. It is to cancel or restructure debt, and to focus on public investment, particularly in social protection, that will restore the prospect of long-term prosperity.”   http://www.srpoverty.org/2024/10/17/statement-international-financial-system-not-fit-for-purpose-to-address-catastrophic-debt-crisis-un-poverty-expert/ http://www.srpoverty.org http://www.ohchr.org/en/special-procedures/sr-poverty http://www.ohchr.org/en/statements-and-speeches/2025/02/asg-brands-kehris-current-international-debt-architecture-unfair http://www.cesr.org/leading-voices-call-for-a-new-development-human-rights-centered-approach-to-sovereign-debt-at-paper-series-launch/ http://iej.org.za/category/resourcing-for-rights-realisation/resourcing-for-rights-realisation_debt-justice/ http://www.ipsnews.net/2025/01/developing-countries-choked-debt-year-breaking-free/ http://debtjustice.org.uk/press-release/lower-income-country-debt-payments-hit-highest-level-in-30-years http://debtjustice.org.uk/news http://cafod.org.uk/campaign/the-new-debt-crisis http://tinyurl.com/y45jmkdd http://www.eurodad.org/g20_imf_world_bank_fail_debt_crisis   Mar. 2025   Debt crisis threatens progress in the response to AIDS   The significant health progress made over the past decade in Central, Eastern, Southern and West Africa—where many countries were on track to ending their AIDS epidemics—is now at risk of being reversed due to inadequate financing. One of the major causes of the funding shortfall is rising debts.   In 2020, as the Covid-19 pandemic halted economies and overwhelmed emergency rooms, many African countries borrowed from creditors to provide emergency services to their citizens. But four years later, the terms of those loans are forcing governments to make debt payments at the expense of health and other social services. Nearly two thirds of people living with HIV reside in countries that have not received significant debt relief post-Covid.   In West and Central Africa, debt to GDP ratios increased by 9 percent between 2018 and 2023. Countries such as Burkina Faso, Burundi, the Republic of the Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Liberia, Senegal and Sierra Leone have seen significant rises in their debt burden, now reaching at least 15% of GDP.   In East and Southern Africa, the situation is even more dire: in Angola, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Uganda and Zambia, governments spend over 50 percent of their tax revenues on debt servicing. Many of these debts are from external private creditors seeking unreasonable profits – for example, one creditor in Zambia would make a 110 percent profit if the country paid back its debts. (As context, even highly profitable companies like Apple do not have profits that surpass 48 percent.)   Despite Zambia successfully reaching a debt restructuring deal with official creditors, effectively getting some debt relief last year, it’s still slated to pay two-thirds of its budget towards debts over the next two years largely due to not yet reaching a deal with private-creditors. On the ground, crises are already proliferating; hospitals lack essential medicines and equipment. Labor unions and health activists have rallied across Lusaka demanding debt cancellation.   “Countries are facing life and death decisions,” said Charles Birungi, who leads UNAIDS’ work on macroeconomic and fiscal policy. “Do I pay for hospitals, medicines and education – or do I pay my debt? What if paying my debt means that my hospitals go without drugs?”   Two recent UNAIDS reports focusing on Eastern and Southern Africa and on Western and Central Africa outline that the future of funding for the HIV response in many African countries, as well as broader health and social welfare, rests on innovative measures to ensure governments can invest their own tax revenue for citizens.   “Progress is being made in the fight against HIV in both regions,” said one of the report authors and development finance specialist Gail Hurley. “Of course there were setbacks, including those related to Covid-19, but external funding and strong political commitment has provided a solid foundation to build on. Countries now need partial or even whole scale debt relief in order to achieve global health goals.”   Debt relief is especially critical for countries that want to move away from relying on international donors to finance their HIV responses. In East and Southern Africa, for instance, most HIV financing comes from two donors: the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (which is also heavily supported by the US government). But without debt relief, countries cannot invest tax revenue in health systems.   Based on extensive consultation with economists and policy experts, UNAIDS has called for lenders and international institutions to re-negotiate debt payments to comprise at least less than 15 percent of respective countries’ annual budgets. Such a policy for the heavily indebted countries of Angola, Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, South Sudan, United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe would free up $41 billion a year for health, education and social welfare. The strategy has a precedent: the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative, launched in 1996 by the IMF and World Bank, aimed to ensure that states did not struggle under an unmanageable debt burden. It took a similar approach and relieved 37 countries of more than $100 billion in debt.   UNAIDS also recommends that governments increase tax revenue through measures like raising the income tax of the ultra-wealthy, wealth taxes, reducing tax exemptions and clamping down on tax-dodging. Amnesty International estimates that Zambia, for example, loses over USD 4.5 billion annually through tax evasion and tax avoidance.   Another option not included in the reports but recommended by UNAIDS’s partner WHO is a ‘health tax’ on products that lead to or exacerbate health issues, including sugary beverages, tobacco and alcohol. In 2023, WHO called on all countries to increase taxes on alcohol and sugary drinks (and has previously suggested taxes on tobacco). These monies could then be re-invested in health systems.   But UNAIDS cautions that even raising tax revenue will not be enough to address funding gaps unless it goes hand in hand with debt reduction. Without swift changes to enable African governments to invest in health, Birungi fears what the future could hold. “What happens if we wake up tomorrow and the donors are gone?” he asked. “Will we go back to the 80s and 90s when people were dying in massive numbers?”   In 2025, for the first time, the G20 is chaired by an African nation: South Africa. President Cyril Ramaphosa has set debt as one of the priorities for action of the G20 Ministers of Finance. Former South African Finance Minister Trevor Manuel has been appointed to chair the newly established G20 Africa Expert Panel, an international commission of experts to advance proposals. UNAIDS will join efforts with other UN agencies and experts such as Nobel Prize laureate Joseph Stiglitz, co-chair of UNAIDS sponsored “Global Council on Inequality, AIDS and Pandemics”, to advocate for fair financing and debt resolution mechanisms to be advanced in the G20 this year.   http://www.unaids.org/en/resources/presscentre/featurestories/2025/march/20250320_debt-crisis http://www.un.org/ohrlls/content/opinion-piecesop-eds/building-resilience-least-developed-countries-pathway-sustainable-transformation http://www.srpoverty.org/2025/01/17/financing-social-protection-floors-contribution-of-the-special-rapporteur-to-ffd4/ http://reliefweb.int/report/world/human-cost-public-sector-cuts-africa-april-2025 http://actionaid.org/publications/2025/human-cost-public-cuts-africa Visit the related web page
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