Global Policy Forum Europe (e)

International Workshop: Social and Human Rights Budgeting
9 December 2008
Berlin, Permanent Representation of Bremen

In recent years, civil society organisations, particularly in the South, have launched initiatives to examine national budgets with regard to human rights and gender issues. Under the keywords “Human Rights Budgeting” or “Gender Responsive Budgeting”, they are analyzing whether fiscal policies promote or violate economic, social and cultural rights as well as women’s and children’s rights.

With our international workshop, we would like to gain an overview of the broad range of budget monitoring and human rights budgeting initiatives. We want to share experiences with partner organizations from Asia, Africa and Latin America in analyzing and influencing national budgets. What are success stories and what are obstacles and difficulties in their monitoring and advocacy work?

We will do this in cooperation with the international network Social Watch. In its 2008 Report national Social Watch coalitions highlight how their governments promote or violate human rights through their economic and fiscal policies. The report will be presented at the workshop.

Finally, we would like to discuss what we in Europe can learn from the various civil society initiatives in the South and whether the time has come to launch an initiative in Germany to monitor public budgets from a human rights perspective. Can fiscal policy thus become an effective human rights policy?

Conference language is English.

International Seminar
Money may not be everything but...
Civil Society Perspectives on Financing the International Development goals
15-16 October 2007
Bonn, Germany Joint conference by GPF Europe, Social Watch and terre des hommes

Workshop on The Precarious State of Public Finance
29th March 2007, 11.00 am - 6.30 pm
Joint workshop by the DGB-Bildungswerk, GPF Europe and terre des hommes in Berlin

Conference on Global Public-Private Partnerships – Privatisation of Multilateralism?
23rd January 2007, 5.30 - 8.00 pm
Joint workshop by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation and Global Policy Forum Europe
at the World Social Forum 2007 in Nairobi

Conference on Corporate Accountability: Analysis and Evaluation
28th and 29th of November 2005
Berlin, Germany
Co-organised by terre des hommes, Global Policy Forum Europe, DGB Bildungswerk and weed.

Over the last few years, numerous conferences, studies, political initiatives and international campaigns have taken up the topic of corporate social responsibility and the rights and duties of multinational companies. This energy has now begun to dissipate, as attempts to establish binding rules for multinationals have suffered set-backs. Increasingly, governments and international organizations concentrate instead on emphasizing the positive contribution the business world can make towards solving global problems ranging from violent conflicts to the realization of the Millennium Development Goals.

Invitation (German only) - includes programme and venue details
Report (pdf – 1,7 MB, German only)

Media and Information Conference: Before the UN Reform Summit
1st of September 2005
Berlin, Germany

This conference was hosted by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für die Vereinten Nationen (The German United Nations Association) and by the Stifting Entwicklung und Frieden (Foundation for Development and Peace) in collaboration with Global Policy Forum Europe. It was a forum for journalists and politicians to hear expert analyses and comments on the topics and problems likely to arise within the negotiations at the UN Millennium+5 conference in September 2005.

Towards a Global Package Deal?
International Workshop in preparation of the UN Millennium+5 Summit
13th and 14th of June 2005
Berlin

This workshop was organised in co-operation with the Friedich Ebert Foundation.

The International Finance Facility (IFF) –
Doubling Aid to Halve Poverty?
31st of May 2005
Berlin

This event was organised in cooperation with VENRO (Verband Entwicklungspolitik Deutscher Nichtregierungsorganisationen).

Toward a More Secure World?
The Report of the UN High-Level-Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change
2nd of February 2005
Berlin

Organised in co-operation with the Friedrich Ebert Foundation and INEF.

Strengthening Coalitions for Social Justice in Europe.
1st European Social Watch Conference
20th - 21st of November 2004
Berlin