Global Social Policy I

1. Global Social Policy I 101103 Birgitta Jansson

2. Globalisation of social policy – since 1980 • e.g. EU • Socialisation of global politics • G8 • G 20 • G 77

3. Social Policy • Redistribution • Regulation • Rights • Social policy as social issues: • Social justice • Social citizenship • Universality and diversity • Autonomy and guarantees • Agency of provision • Who cares

4. Welfarestates (Esping-Andersen) • Conservative • Liberal • Social democratic

5. Globalisation • Increased flows of capital • Increased movements of people for labour purpose, both legal and illegal. • Neo-liberal versus social democratic • Social agenda?

6. Figure 1

7. Figure 2

8. Figure 3

9. World bank • IMF • WTO • OECD • UN and its social agencies

10. World Bank • Founded 1944 • The US minister of finance invited to a conference to “formulate a proposal for organising an international monetary fond and may be a bank for reconstruction and development”. • The conference took place in BrettonWoods, USA. • Harry Dexter White – head of the research at ministry of finance in USA and J M Keynes.

11. 44 countries sign the agreement • Voting rights according to the size of the deposit - if the deposit was to small - not vote. • Number of votes 100 • USA had 35 voting rights. • 80 per cent of the votes had to be in favour for the proposal.

12. Today – 15 percent to block a proposal • USA have 16 per cent. • 184 countries are members • The G 8 • (USA, UK, Japan, Canada, France, Russia, Germany, Italy) countries have 54 per cent of the voting rights.

13. Group 20 • Established 1999 • Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Republic of Korea, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States of America and European Union • the importance of its constituency in the agricultural production and trade • represents almost 60% of the world population • 70 % of world’s rural population • 26 % of worlds agricultural exports

14. capacity to translate a vast range of developing countries interests into concrete and consistent proposals • ability to coordinate its members and to interact with other grouping in the WTO. • http://www.g20.org/about_index.aspx

15. Group 77 • Founded 1964 – 77 countries • Today 131 countries are members • The Group of 77 is the largest intergovernmental organization of developing states in the UN • provides the means for the countries of the South to articulate and promote their collective economic interests • enhance their joint negotiating capacity on all major international economic issues within the United Nations system, and promote South-South cooperation for development. • http://www.g77.org/doc/index.html

16. World Bank • Mainly neo-liberal – market oriented • 1950s • Infrastructuredevelopment • 1970s • Finance issue • 1980s • Human capital formation – create economic growth • Structural adjustment – cut excessive public spending to balance their books and develop private economies. • Strategy of export-led growth

17. 1990s • Environmental assets • 1999 a social dimension – • Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) • Distinction between the civil society agenda and the finance agenda

18. Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper • The five principles of PRSP: • Country-driven – • the initiative should come from the countries themselves and based on a broad participation from the civil society and the private sector. • Result-oriented – • should concentrate on the effects of poverty reduction • Comprehensive – • Should include al aspects on poverty not only the economic

19. Partnership-oriented – • the involvement of many different partners both bilateral donors and multilateral institutions and private organisations and NGO international as well as national. • Based on the long run – • poverty reduction in the long run – it takes time and the policy should also have the opportunity to work for a long time and do not shift.

20. Helping the poor to “manage risk” – not protecting the poor. • Opportunities, security and empowerment. • Still more neo-liberal than social democratic.

21. Other issues • Pension – from intergenerational solidarity to individualising risk management • Chile • Social policy • The capacity of social groups to exercise agency, transform their relationship with other groups and participate in the development processes. • Health and education • Basic health insurance and primary education • Including the middleclass?

22. International Monetary Fond • Founded 1944. • IMF lends money for development • In dept countries – problem paying back • Corruption • 1990s like WB more interests in social issues. • PRSP together with WB • Emphasis safety net – • to achieve significant real growth in social expenditures including primary education and health.

23. Provided assistance in the design of new social security scheme • Algeria, Bolivia, Brazil, Greece, Hungary, Indonesia and most former Soviet republics. • Contradiction between IMFs short-term concerns with macroeconomic stability and longer-term poverty reduction goals. • IMFs rules • Public sector wage to GDP ratio must not exceed 8 per cent • budget deficit not exceeding 3 per cent.  

24. World Trade Organisation • WTO created 1994 • From GATT –agreements on trade. • Complement to WB and IMF • Increased global trade and liberalisation of capital flows – the key to increased world prosperity. • Principle of non-discrimination in trade (?) • But if race to the bottom and the erosion of European or other northern social and labour standards?

25. Labour standards? • The right of association • Wages for a reasonable standard of living • An eight-hour day and 48-hour week • No child labour • Equal remuneration for men and women • Equal rights for migrant workers • A social clause inserted in trade agreements?

26. Privatising public services? • General Agreement on Trade in Services GATS • Health, Social protection, Education and Public utilities • TRIPS – global agreement on intellectual property rights (1995) • Patent on both pharmaceutical processes and pharmaceutical products for 20 years • New drugs anti-AIDS, TB, malaria. • Exceptions: • Compulsory licences • parallel importing

27. OECD • Founded 1961, today 33 members • “For a stronger, cleaner, fairer world economy” • Support sustainable economic growth • Boost employment • Raise living standards • Maintain financial stability • Assist other countries' economic development • Contribute to growth in world trade • More mainstream European social and economic policy • http://www.oecd.org/home/

28. Globalisation reinforce the need for some social protection • But: • Education enhancing employability • Proposals to add private tire to pension schemes • Mixed funding in health care • But also: • Legislation that entitles parents to change their working hours so that they are more compatible with their care commitments. • Demographic challenges • Ageing and low fertility

29. International Labour Organisation • Created 1919 • Tripartism: • Industry • Workers • Government • Regulation of the hours of work including the establishment of a maximum working day and week • Regulation of labour supply, prevention of unemployment and provision of an adequate living wage • Protection of the worker against sickness, disease and injury arising out of his/her employment

30. Protection of children, young persons and women • Provision for old age and injury, protection of the interests of workers when employed in countries other than their own • Recognition of the principle of equal remuneration for work of equal value • Recognition of the principle of freedom of association • Organization of vocational and technical education, and other measures. • http://www.ilo.org/global/lang--en/index.htm

31. Report: Economic security for a better world (ILO 2004) • Address the issue of income insecurity • Social pension • Minimum-income-with schooling schemes • E.g. Brazil • Capital grants • Baby bond in UK • Care work grants • Care is a work – help to people working in the sector. • Basic income as of right • Brazil, South Africa and Peru

32. World Health Organisation • Created 1948 • WHO is the directing and coordinating authority for health within the United Nations system. • It is responsible for • providing leadership on global health matters • shaping the health research agenda • setting norms and standards • articulating evidence-based policy options • providing technical support to countries • monitoring and assessing health trends. • http://www.who.int/en/

33. UNESCO • United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organisation - established 1945 • World Declaration on Education for All (EFA) 1990 • Six goals: • Expanding comprehensive early childhood education • Ensuring access to free compulsory primary education by 2015 • Ensuring the meeting of the learning needs of young people and adults

34. Achieving a 50 per cent improvement in levels of adult literacy by 2015 • Eliminating gender disparities in primary and secondary education by 2015 • Improving all aspects of the quality of education • Increasing external financial assistance • Improving donor co-ordination • Ensuring earlier debt relief

35. UNDP • Main issue: Poverty elimination • 1996 Poverty Strategies Initiative (PSI) • Prime responsibility for the MDG • In 1995 Social Summit concluded with the commitments: • the Millennium Development Goals

36. Millennium Development Goals • Goal 1 – eradicate extreme poverty and hunger. • Target 1 – Halve, between 1990 and 2015 the population of people whose income is less than one dollar a day (1,25 dollar) • Goal 2 – Achieve universal primary education   • Goal 3 – Promote gender equality and empower women • Goal 4 – Reduce child mortality

37. Goal 5 – Improve maternal health • Goal 6 – Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases • Goal 7 – Ensure environmental sustainability • Goal 8 – develop a global partnership for development • Also World Bank, IMF, the OECD and others are involved.

38. Human Development Reports • Produced since 1990 • From fundamentalist liberalism towards some kind of socially oriented adjustment and development policies. • Human, not economic, development! • Children's rights