Let Your Voice Be Heard

"Each
year in early February the United Nations Commission for Social Development
(CSocD) meets for 10 days.  This year all
eyes are on that Commission as it is the first one to meet since the adoption
of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in September,
2015. It is seen as setting the tone for the other Commissions.  The priority theme for this year’s 54^th
meeting, CSocD54, is “Rethinking and strengthening social development in the
contemporary world.”  As a lead-in to each
CSocD, the NGO Committee for Social Development, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, NY
Office, and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs Division for
Social Policy and Development hold a 1–2 day forum called the Civil Society
Forum, preceding the Commission.  The
purpose is  to educate and engage NGOs
and to give us a voice in this process. The outcome of the Forum is the Civil
Society Declaration which is presented to the Commission.

Day 1: (half day)

Ms. Margaret Mayce, Chair NGO Committee for
Social Development, began with an orientation to the 2030 Agenda and its
relationship to CSocD.  The group then
split into thematic breakout groups related to specific Goals. Each group had a
Facilitator and a Rapporteur.  After 45
minutes, participants could switch to another group to continue the
discussion.   This dialogue was valuable
when followed by a discussion to generate recommendations for the Civil Society
Declaration.  We wrapped up the day with
a reception and cultural event–a poetry jam. 
The poem “Why Black Men Fear the Police” was very moving.

Day 2: (full day)

The day began with Eileen Reilly, Executive Committee Member, NGO Committee for Social
Development, giving a very informative Orientation to the Commission for Social
Development.  We then heard presentations
from a distinguished panel.

From
left to right:  Mr. Daniel Perell, Representative,
Baha’I International Community’s UN Office, Chair 2016 Civil Society Forum, and
Vice-Chair NGO Committee for Social Development ; Ms. Bettina Luise Rurup,
Executive Director, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, NY Office; H.E. Mr. Wu Hongbo,
Under Secretary General for Economic and Social Affairs; H.E. Mr. Ion Jinga,
Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of Romania to the UN, Bureau Chair,
Commission for Social Development.

 

Image: Ms.
Sakiko Fukuda-Parr, Professor at The New School, International Affairs Program
spoke about the role of Civil Society and how the SDGs differ from the MDGs in
purpose, concept, and politics.  The SDGs
are consultative, have a broader agenda, and are more complex than the MDGs which
focused on meeting basic needs.  A
significant aspect of the 2030 Agenda is that it includes Methods of
Implementation (MOIs).  Civil Society is
important in this process as it will help determine which goals get attention.

We
then experienced a lively “Fishbowl” style panel, moderated by Ms. La Neice Collins, Communications
and Advocacy Adviser at the UN.  She
posed the question “Inclusive development: 
who needs to do what?”  Daniela Bas, Director Division for
Social Policy and Development UN-DESDA stressed the importance of
empowerment.  Maryann Broxton, Activist, International Movement ATD Fourth World
spoke about inclusion.  Who is sitting at
the MOI table?  Do they have real life experience? Sakiko Fukuda-Parr reiterated the
global element of inclusive development and the impact of a global economy
driven by rules of trade and investment. 
Those aspects must not compromise human rights.  Profits shouldn’t be made at the expense of
human rights.  Jasmine Burgermeister, German Youth Delegate for ECOSOC Youth
Forum, spoke about the unfairness of “destiny of birth.”  Education is key to helping change that
“destiny.”  Michel Cichon, Professor of Social
Protection, Graduate School of Governance, UNU MERIT, made the point was that we
need to move from discussion to governance. 
Civil Society has a watchdog role – we must “go beyond barking and get
new teeth!”  Eleven of the seventeen goals
are related to social protection.  We
should look at what governments budget. 
After the panelists spoke, members of the audience were invited to take
a seat in the “fishbowl.”  One of those
was Beulah Walker, of the Detroit
Water Brigade who spoke passionately of the issues as someone actually living
with them.

This
was just the morning session!!

When
the Forum reconvened in the afternoon, the first thing we addressed was the CS
Forum Recommendations.  Input from the
participants was annexed to the official CS Declaration 2016 in the form of
Reflections from the group.   Most of the afternoon was devoted to Regional
Breakout groups to share learning and discuss advocacy.  As a result of these breakouts, many informal
networks and listservs were formed to stay in touch throughout the year.  There was also great interest in more
Regional meetings next year in advance of CSocD55. 

Speaking
not only as a member of the Forum planning group but also as a participant, the
Forum delivered on its promise".

by

Marie
D’Amato-Rizzi
SI Representative to the UN, NY