Paul Quintos, IBON International Photo credit: CNS: citizen-news.org |
Paul was speaking in a session at Asia Pacific Civil Society Forum on Sustainable Development before the regional intergovernmental meetings begins in Thailand. He said: "We need to plug the leaks which rob us of public resoruces (such as illicit financial flows, tax evasions and tax avoidance, unfair trade, unjust debt, etc). Instead discussions are overwhelmingly emphasizing the various ways of enticing private sector investments in the name of "Blended finance" (the practice of linking grants provided by official development assistance (ODA) with loans from publicly owned institutions or commercial lenders), or public private partnerships that take the form of agreements that shift the risks associated with private investment to the public sector."
Photo credit: CNS: citizen-news.org |
Paul advocated strongly for an "international tax cooperation so as to avoid race to the bottom and address tax avoidance and tax evasion, and shut down tax havens. We also need global taxes, particularly on harmful activities including speculation, extractive industries, arms trade, carbon emissions etc. We need to commit adequate public financing for public goods and services, and ensure that essential public services, like healthcare, education, housing and water and sanitation, remain exclusively under public control."
Do not leave people with disabilities and migrants behind!
Kathy Al Ju'beh, CBM Photo credit: CNS: citizen-news.org |
Kathy made references to evidence and commitment that exists to make progress on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) related issues for people with disabilities. "The World Disability Report of 2012 has a section on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) related issues of people with disabilities. Also there is a Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities which is critical as it calls for ensuring the rights of people with disabilities to have families, to be saved from violence, among other measures. Imagine a situation where a person has disability and thus already marginalized - how difficult it will be for this person to come out regarding her or his sexuality and risk being even more marginalized! This is why young women and men who may be LGBTIQ, yet are not able to come out and join LGBTIQ commuity due to fear of losing social inclusion, stigmatisation, etc."
Pervez Siddique, BRAC Photo credit: CNS: citizen-news.org |
Bobby Ramakant, Citizen News Service - CNS
18 May 2015