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Newsletter - Road To Marrakech: Annual Meetings 2023 |
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Arab Watch Coalition is a regional organization with a mission of empowering and activating the role of civil society in the Arab region, with a specific focus on influencing the policies, programs, and projects of international financial institutions operating in the region. Our aim is to achieve effective, inclusive, participatory, equitable, and sustainable development. |
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January-May 2023 Edition ©️ |
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The year 2023 proved to be a significant milestone for the Arab Watch Coalition, as we actively led, collaborated, and engaged in crucial dialogues with international financial institutions. Our relentless efforts were focused on key issues: ending the financing of fossil fuels, combating climate change, end austerity policies, and raising awareness about the responsibility these institutions bear for safeguarding human rights in the global south, especially in the MENA region.
A remarkable highlight was the Arab Watch Coalition's participation in the Civil Society Policy Forum held in April, a key influential event during the World Bank Group-IMF Spring Meetings. We took charge by organizing and co-sponsoring impactful sessions that shed light on the institutions' responsibilities regarding ongoing impoverishment, austerity measures, and climate concerns that profoundly affect the MENA region.
These extraordinary endeavors were spearheaded by a diverse group of our members and partners from MENA civil society. In this newsletter, you will discover the multifaceted actions we undertook, paving the way for the upcoming annual meetings scheduled to take place in Marrakech from 9th to 15th October 2023. |
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PREPARATIONS FOR MARRAKECH ANNUAL MEETINGS WITH CIVIL SOCIETY IN TUNISIA AND MOROCCO |
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In early March 2023, the Arab Watch Coalition, in collaboration with Friedrich Ebert Foundation MENA, organized the initial preparatory meeting for the highly anticipated IMF and WB annual meetings in Marrakesh. This crucial workshop provided a platform for in-depth discussions on various avenues of influence and actionable possibilities.
The event served as a pivotal moment, marking the beginning of a broader coalition of civil society organizations from the MENA region and our international partners who will play a leading role in developing strategies and driving impactful actions during the annual meetings. |
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On March 31, 2023, the Arab Watch Coalition, in partnership with our Moroccan member, La Siesta Association for Environmental Protection, organized a preparatory workshop to plan our active participation in the anticipated International Monetary Fund and World Bank meetings in Marrakech. This workshop served as an essential platform for exploring the meaningful engagement of civil society organizations during the October meetings in Marrakech.
Moreover, CSOs gained valuable insights into the context and significance of the annual and spring meetings of the World Bank and IMF. The session concluded with fruitful discussions on potential avenues for collaboration with Moroccan civil society actors and the exploration of diverse means of impactful action. |
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MENA CSOs working group statement |
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These preparatory workshops made the basis for the creation of a working group focused on the Marrakech annual meetings. This group consists of 30 civil society organizations from the MENA region. The working group put together a statement calling the Bretton Woods Institutions to cancel the debt and stop imposing austerity policies and to act immediately on a just response to the climate crisis. |
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Follow our website and social media for the launching of the statement anticipated this June. |
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CSOs LETTER TO IMF BOARD OF DIRECTORS ON SURCHARGES POLICY- #STOPIMFSURCHARGES |
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After sending a letter by the UN Independent Expert on the effects of foreign debt to the IMF board of directors, the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of climate change and several other United Nations Independent Experts and Special Rapporteurs, sent to the IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva in August 2022, asking for clarification on the “impact of the surcharge policy on the enjoyment of the human rights in affected countries” — which received no response. Read the letter here.
Arab Watch Coalition and over 350 CSOs sent a series of letters and statements, called the Executive Board to end the counter-productive, harmful and unnecessary policy and to instruct the Managing Director to respond to the legitimate and well-founded concerns raised by the letter of allegation
On the 4th of April 2023, Arab Watch Coalition and more than 300 CSO’s from around the globe sent a new letter to the International Monetary Fund Executive Board of Directors to call upon Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva to respond to the concerns of the UN Human Rights Council and put an end to the human rights-damaging Surcharge policy.
In this context, Arab Watch Coalition also launched the #StopIMFSurcharges campaign with its partners to shine a spotlight on the campaign against IMF surcharge policy and, in particular, to highlight the new letter to the IMF Executive Board. We have made available a Media Toolkit for the public to participate in the campaign.
We also made available to the public our video #StopImfSurcharges which can be found here. |
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ARAB WATCH COALITION PARTICIPATION IN IMF AND WORLD BANK SPRING MEETINGS |
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April 2023 marked Arab Watch Coalition's participation in the Civil Society Policy Forum held in April, a key influential event during the World Bank Group-IMF Spring Global Meetings. We took charge by organizing and co-sponsoring impactful sessions that shed light on the institutions' responsibilities regarding ongoing impoverishment, austerity measures, and climate concerns that profoundly affect the MENA region. |
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Key Sessions organized by AWC |
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- The role of Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) in times of debt and austerity in the MENA
- How can the global south achieve climate justice under debt burden and austerity?
- In the margin of the CSPF: The road to Marrakech - preparatory meeting
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Key sessions sponsored by AWC |
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- Ensuring the World Bank Group’s ‘evolution’ delivers for people and planet: Reframing development impact indicators
- Achieving debt crisis resolution that delivers today and in the future
- Remedy From Those Who Need It: Communities Respond to IFC Proposed Remedial Framework
- Examining the World Bank president selection process in the light of the World Bank’s Evolution Roadmap
- Why Paris Alignment must be part of the Evolution Roadmap and what this should look like
- Uses and impacts of Special Drawing Rights in developing countries: how they fit within climate action and the 2030 development agenda?
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- IMF and World Bank governance reform: Enabling the international system to meet the challenges of the 21st century.
- World bank Action Day
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CIVIL SOCIETY CALLS ON WORLD BANK AND IMF TO SAFEGUARD CIVIC SPACE AND PREVENT RETALIATION AROUND MARRAKECH ANNUAL MEETINGS |
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In her article for Bretton Woods Project, Shereen Talaat the Co-Executive director of Arab Watch Coalition, voiced her concern for civil society organizations’ participation during the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Annual Meetings in Marrakech, Morocco, this October.
She deems the participation of CSO’s as vital and this constructive engagement will only be possible if the Bretton Woods Institutions (BWIs) proactively work with the host country to ensure it publicly guarantees that the gross mistreatment meted out to civil society during the Annual Meetings in Bali, Indonesia, in 2018 – when authorities used force to silence activists and critical voices – will not take place in Marrakech this year. |
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LAUNCHING THE REMEDY AND RESPONSIBLE EXIST CAMPAIGN |
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During a roundtable Discussion with CSOs and the Board of the World Bank during the Spring Meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund this year, an alliance of civil society organizations, including AWC, hand-delivered the thousands of signatures in a petition to the IFC Board. The call echoes a similar statement from organizations delivered this year.
In March, the IFC and MIGA, members of the World Bank Group, released a draft framework on remedial action and responsible exit. However, the framework fell short of expectations as it failed to acknowledge the institutions' human rights obligation to address harms caused by their investments and lacked a comprehensive plan for providing remedy to affected communities.
In the presence of silence and escapism of the board from accountability, our co-executive director, Amy Ekdawi, delivered the following statement:
“When the IFC divests from an active case with the Office of the Compliance Advisor/Ombudsman, its Management Action Plan is simply leaving the community paying a hefty price for the IFC to “learn free lessons” for future investments. The community files complaints because they want remedy, not because they want to give the IFC free lessons at the expense of their suffering.”
In this context, the Arab Watch Coalition announced the official launching of our Remedy and Responsible Exit Campaign. The conversation on remedy at the International Finance Corporation (IFC) is groundbreaking and is already influencing other institutions that have adopted similar policies in the past.
The development of a human rights-compatible remedy framework at the IFC could provide crucial guidance for other development finance institutions and their clients.
On April 20, 2023, an alliance of civil society organizations, including the Arab Watch Coalition, submitted two policy papers to the International Financial Corporation and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency. |
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LAUNCHING OF THE AUSTERITY STORIES INITIATIVE |
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On 11 May 2023, Arab Watch Coalition announced
the launching of the “Austerity Stories Initiative” in the context of the global “End Austerity” campaign. The initiative aims at sharing stories and experiences from individuals in our communities regarding the impact of austerity policies on their lives.
We invite you to actively participate in this important initiative by submitting your own stories and experiences with Austerity to the email: austerity@arabwatchcoalition.org
We encourage you to share any kind of media: visual or audio or writing such as videos, photos, podcasts, music, blogs and others. This initiative is aimed at encouraging action and participation to shed light on the impact of austerity policies on people’s lives, especially in the MENA region.
To give you a better idea of the initiative and its objectives, we invite you to watch our video in which we interviewed individuals and civil society actors who have been directly affected by austerity policies in the region. |
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THE URGENCY TO REFORM THE IMF: ILLUSTRATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA |
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On 11 May 2023, Arab Watch Coalition announced
the launching of the “Austerity Stories Initiative” in the context of the global “End Austerity” campaign. The initiative aims at sharing stories and experiences from individuals in our communities regarding the impact of austerity policies on their lives.
We invite you to actively participate in this important initiative by submitting your own stories and experiences with Austerity to the email: austerity@arabwatchcoalition.org
We encourage you to share any kind of media: visual or audio or writing such as videos, photos, podcasts, music, blogs and others.
This initiative is aimed at encouraging action and participation to shed light on the impact of austerity policies on people’s lives, especially in the MENA region.
To give you a better idea of the initiative and its objectives, we invite you to watch our video in which we interviewed individuals and civil society actors who have been directly affected by austerity policies in the region. |
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EIB BOARD SEMINAR WITH CIVIL SOCIETY 2023 |
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This May, Arab Watch Coalition represented by its co-executive director, Shereen Talaat, participated in a global event organized by the European Investment Bank.
The event brought together Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to discuss the vital topics of climate & biodiversity. As participants, we emphasized the importance of increased partnership, corruption prevention, transparency, and inclusive dialogues in developing countries, involving various stakeholders.
Our engagement in this event demonstrates our commitment to fostering dialogue for justice in development. |
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ARAB WATCH COALITION PARTICIPATION AT THE AFRICA LIBERATION DAY 2023 |
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Arab Watch coalition, member of Fight Inequality Alliance, participated in the Africa Liberation Day 2023 on the 25th of May. On this day we remind our community that debt is still a mechanism of control that keeps Africa in a state of subordination and Austerity.
Watch this clip by Break Through News that explains this instrumentalisation of debt against the countries of Africa and the global south. |
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