Reimagining Global Governance2014 Welcome to the CIVICUS State of Civil Society Report 2014
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state of civil society report Reimagining Global Governance2014 Welcome to the CIVICUS State of Civil Society Report 2014. This year’s edition brings our attention to the state of global governance. As always, the State of Civil Society Report is written by civil society, for civil society. This report draws on contributions from more than 30 of the world’s leading experts on civil society as well as on inputs from our members, partners, supporters and others in the global CIVICUS alliance. This diverse group of contributors are thought leaders in their own right and eminent voices at the forefront of reimagining global governance and cit- izen action. The varied contributions highlight changing global political dynamics, an emerging disillusionment with global frameworks of governance and a fundamental lack of accountability within international decision-making. The report also contains the findings of a pilot project, based on research conducted with more than 450 civil society organisations, which assesses how well intergovernmental organisations (IGOs) engage civil society. We believe that the report represents a body of critical thinking on the changing state of contemporary civil soci- ety and global governance. We would like to thank everyone involved for their efforts and continuing support. CIVICUS wishes to express our gratitude to the contributors, donors, editors, staff members and designers. Contributors IGO scorecard team ACKNOWLEDGE- Aldo Caliari (Center for Concern); Andreas Barry Driscoll, Dhananjayan Sriskandarajah, Bummel (Committee for a Democratic UN); Dominic Perera MENTS Chad Dobson (Bank Information Center); Christina Laybourn (One World Trust); Dixie Foreword authors Welcome to the Executive Summary of the Hawtin (Global Partners Digital); Gavin Hayman Amina Mohammed, Dr Mo Ibrahim CIVICUS State of Civil Society Report 2014. This (Global Witness); Harris Gleckman (Center year’s edition brings our attention to the state for Governance and Sustainability, University Editorial team of global governance. As always, the State of of Massachusetts); Ivana Savić (Belgrade Andrew Firmin, Ciana-Marie Pegus, Mandeep Civil Society Report is written by civil society, Child Rights Centre); Jaclyn Streitfeld-Hall Tiwana for civil society. (Responsibility to Protect Coalition); Jan-Gustav Strandenaes (Stakeholder Forum); Jefferson Copy-editor This report draws on contributions from more Nascimento and Raísa Cetra (Conectas); Julia Carrie Anne Schwartz than 30 of the world’s leading experts on civil Wolhandler (Disability Rights International); society as well as on inputs from our members, Kirsty Welch (Commonwealth Human Rights Creative direction partners, supporters and others in the global Initiative); Kumi Naidoo and Daniel Mittler Meghan Judge, Zubair Sayed CIVICUS alliance. This diverse group of contrib- (Greenpeace International); Mario Joseph utors are thought leaders in their own right (Bureau des Avocats Internationaux and Design and eminent voices at the forefront of reim- Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti); Meghan Judge, Tamzon Woodley agining global governance and citizen action. Nick Buxton (Transnational Institute); Pan- The varied contributions highlight changing global political dynamics, an emerging disillu- African Human Rights Defenders; Paul Hilder CIVICUS communication and outreach team sionment with global frameworks of govern- (Change.org); Sheela Patel (The Society for the Dorothée Guénéheux, Kiva La Touché, ance and a fundamental lack of accountability Promotion of Area Resource Centers and Shack/ Oluwakorede Asuni, Zubair Sayed within international decision-making. Slum Dwellers International Secretariat); United Nations Volunteers; Ziad Abdel Samad and Joel CIVICUS donors The report also contains the findings of a pilot Ghazi (Arab NGO Network for Development). Australian Government Department of Foreign project, based on research conducted with Affairs and Trade, Charles Stewart Mott Founda- more than 450 civil society organisations, Citizen perspectives tion, Danish International Development Agency which assesses how well intergovernmental Amal Albaz, Denis Russo Burgierman, Feliciano (Danida), Ford Foundation, Nduna Foundation, organisations (IGOs) engage civil society. Reyna, James Turner, Jesse Chen, Kene Esom, Oxfam Novib, and Swedish International Devel- Konstantinos Tsitselikis, Maryam Al-Khawaja, opment Cooperation Agency. We believe that the report represents a body Oleksandra Matviychuk, Saira Rahman Khan, of critical thinking on the changing state of con- Sebastian Vielmas, Sharif Higazy. Published by CIVICUS: World Alliance for temporary civil society and global governance. Citizen Participation We would like to thank everyone involved for IGO scorecard advisory panel their efforts and continuing support. CIVICUS Cyril Ritchie, Emele Duituturaga, Farooq Ullah, wishes to express our gratitude to the follow- Feliciano Reyna, Hannah Forster, Harris Gleckman, ing contributors, donors, editors, staff mem- Michelle Evans, Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda, bers and designers. Rajesh Tandon, Ziad Abdel Samad contents SG introduction Guest forewords the year that was 1 Towards a democratic multilateralism 46 Civil society perspectives on global governance 70 Section 1: The great challenges of the 21st century 70 Section 2: Citizens demanding accountability in the international arena 98 Section 3: Strengthening regional mechanisms 118 Section 4: The search for an equitable economic order 140 Section 5: From Rio+20 to Beyond 2015 156 Section 6: The way forward 182 IGO Scorecard 201 Introduction 202 Results 208 Conclusion and recommendations 223 IGO profiles 228 Recommendations 276 Message from the CIVICUS SecrEtary -General In 2013, I flew tens of thousands of miles. Most of these trips were effectively. This report shows that global governance remains remote to represent CIVICUS at intergovernmental meetings in places like and often disconnected from the people whose lives it impacts. There Geneva, New York and Washington DC. As the year went on, these is an urgent need to democratise global governance, to support “consultations” started to feel like “insultations” in which civil society greater participation of citizens in decision-making and to engender was there just to tick a box. an environment that enables civil society to substantively engage in these processes. Having read this year’s State of Civil Society Report, which documents a new wave of discontent around the world and some serious In addition to surveying the year that was for civil society and our shortcomings in global governance, I fear that the world is wasting thematic contributions on global governance, this report also includes a lot of time, money and carbon without making a dent in the issues a pilot study in which we have tried to design a Scorecard to evaluate that matter most. how well intergovernmental organisations engage civil society. We hope that, with refinement, this Scorecard will become a useful tool for In this report, we argue that we need to redress a “double democratic measuring how accountable and responsive these organisations are. deficit”. At the national level, growing numbers of people – including in countries that look democratic on paper and show excellent economic I would like to express my thanks to our colleagues from within the growth rates – are angry about a lack of voice, inequality, corruption CIVICUS alliance who contributed pieces to this report, and to the and environmental destruction. This “second wave” of citizen uprisings small but very talented CIVICUS team that put the report together. – from Brazil to Turkey – is here to stay unless something is done to improve governance and accountability at the national level. I look forward to working with our members and partners to usher in a new era of accountability in the international arena. Meanwhile, in a world facing multiple crises, global governance is not working. Many of our international institutions and processes are out of date, unaccountable and unable to address present-day challenges Dr Dhananjayan Sriskandarajah foreword The post-2015 development agenda We stand today at the threshold of significant opportunity – to real- ment for transformative change, CIVICUS and other civil society ise our quest to end extreme poverty and put our planet on a sus- stakeholders can play a vital role in giving a voice to people living in tainable path. Work to develop a post-2015 development agenda has poverty and in helping craft, realise, and monitor this new agenda. begun through a truly open and inclusive process – involving By making sure that government at all levels and businesses act governments, civil society, the private sector, academia, and the responsibly, civil society can help create a high standard of transpar- voices of more than 2 million people. There is a broad consensus ency, monitoring, accountability and representation. that a business-as-usual approach is neither desirable nor feasible. In negotiating and finalising the post-2015 sustainable development In today’s increasingly integrated world, the most important trans- agenda, diplomats and world leaders will need to appropriately formative shift is perhaps towards a new rights-based spirit of soli- respond and stay true to the aspirations of “We the darity, cooperation, and mutual accountability. The post-2015 devel- Peoples” – the first words of the founding charter of the United opment framework must be conceived as a mutually reinforcing Nations.