THE PARALLEL INITIATIVE TO THE ANNUAL MEETINGS OF THE WORLD BANK AND THE IMF 2023 - MARRAKECH, MOROCCO
Considering that human rights should be at the core of global economic and financial agendas, it is crucial that civil society joins efforts to pressure international financial institutions to respect human rights and comply with all the relevant United Nations decisions. Thus, the World Bank and the IMF have an obligation to promote and protect human rights in the countries where they operate. This entails ensuring that the projects and policies financed, in accordance with the strategic choices of each country, do effectively uphold human rights, and promote social inclusion and gender equality.
It is a well-established fact that unsustainable growth accelerates the depletion of resources, exacerbates economic, social and gender inequalities and injustices, increases environmental degradation, magnifies climate change challenges and has adverse effects on health, access to water and sanitation, food, housing and land rights, and endangers the lives of the poorest and most vulnerable populations, particularly women, children and migrants.
The spiralling debts overwhelm developing countries, and constitute major obstacles to their decision-making capacity, as they hinder the processes of control over their natural resources and their provision of public services, and thus debt repayment is a flagrant violation of the right of these countries to development.
Since the obligations of States and private companies require them to ensure that commercial activities do not impede access to human rights;
Considering that economic growth through the export of raw materials and agricultural products engenders irreversible damage to the environment, fuels conflicts and compromises the survival of future generations;
Based on the principle that countries are obliged to participate in their development in a free, active and meaningful way, the Moroccan civil society composed of trade unions, associations, networks and informal groups launch an initiative parallel to the annual meetings of the World Bank and the IMF to be held in Marrakech, and coordinates in this sense with the international civil networks to engage in a serious debate on the responsibility of creditors and debtors;
As a reminder, the Annual Meetings bring together central bank governors, finance and development ministers, private sector leaders, civil society representatives, the media and academics to discuss the most pressing issues facing the global economy, including economic outlooks, financial stability, poverty eradication, inclusive economic growth and job creation, climate change, and digital transformation.
TIME LEFT TO MEET:
STATEMENTS AND REPORTS
THE MEETING
The Annual Meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are a major event in the international economic and financial community. They bring together representatives of member states, economic and financial players, civil society organisations and experts to discuss the world’s most pressing economic and financial issues. The 2023 Annual Meetings, which will be held in Morocco, will focus on several key themes, including post-Covid-19 economic recovery, financial and digital inclusion, sustainable development, reforms of the International Financial Institutions, entrepreneurship and innovation, social safety nets and tolerance and living together. All these issues under the new paradigm of “resilience”.
Both Moroccan and international civil society, invited to the annual meetings of the World Bank and the IMF, can seize this opportunity to participate in the dialogues directly and/or through parallel activities. This is an opportunity to debate the development visions they advocate for their countries. They can analyse and discuss issues such as indebtedness, migration, precariousness, the situation of vulnerable groups, climate change and their links with the commitments of the various players, including institutions, to respect and protect human rights and promote democratic processes.
In this sense, the right of civil society to participate must be guaranteed in complete freedom and autonomy, so that its components can express their positions on the role of financial institutions and the impact of their orientations on the design and implementation of economic and financial policies undertaken by States.
Whether the meetings take place inside the official meeting rooms or outside (in the form of parallel meetings, peaceful demonstrations, conferences, workshops for drafting reports and analysis documents, mobilisation of civil society through the media and social networks), civil society, in all its responsibility, is seeking to use its collective intelligence to address the grave situation at all levels faced by the populations, particularly the most marginalised, in developing countries, conflict zones and war zones.
Whatever form civil society chooses to take on this occasion, it must focus on guaranteeing the independent participation of organisations in dialogues on democratic, economic, financial, social and environmental issues at national, regional, continental and international levels. This is not only a right, but also a duty for civil society to make a constructive contribution and put forward alternative proposals.
REGISTRATION
OUR TEAM
INITIATIVE SECRETARIAT
Hamouda SOUBHI – Yassin BAZZAZ – Yasmine BOUTAIB – Yassin AABBAR – Ahmed DAHMANI – Kamal Lahbib
Programming Committee
Yasmine BOUTAIB
yasmineboutayeb2@gmail.com
Yassin AABBAR
Yassine.aabbar@gmail.com
Mobilization Committee:
Yassine BAZZAZ
Yassin.bazzaz@gmail.com
Hamouda SOUBHI
hsoubhi@alternatives.ca
Local Coordination Committee Marrakech
Yassin AABBAR
Yassine.aabbar@gmail.com
Azzedine AABBAR
aabbar.azeddine@gmail.com
Logistics and Communication Committee: Coordinators
Mohamed Leghtas
lmohaster@gmail.com
Mohammed Amine Ait Moumma
amine.aitmoumma@gmail.com