MUSAWA joins the call for justice and social protection in calling for debt relief for poor countries

Date 2020-05-11

LOCATION West Bank and Gaza Strip

Category Human Rights Defenders / position paper

MUSAWA joins the call for justice and social protection in calling for debt relief for poor countries

150 networks, coalitions and community organizations, and 322 personalities from 14 Arab countries join the "Call for Justice and Social Protection" and demand debt relief for poor countries

Whereas, the emerging crisis of the Coronavirus showed, once again, that the decades-old neoliberal policies represented by austerity, restrictions, privatization of the public vital sectors, and corruption are unable to protect us from diseases and epidemics. Those without access to free health care and social protection are the prime victims of the current pandemic worldwide. Today, the poor, workers in the informal sector, the homeless, the marginalized, and people with disabilities are deprived of any protection from the virus and its social and economic repercussions. Based on the growing awareness of the need to develop strong, comprehensive and universal social protection in recent years, as attested by the report on the sustainable development goals of the United Nations and the social protection grounds of the International Labor Organization, and although these initiatives are still timid, they, nevertheless, reflect increased awareness of the need for effective social services systems that protect people against the vagaries of nature and life all over the world. Therefore, it is time to take all necessary measures to bring the relevant recommendations of the international community into immediate effect, in appreciation of the work of the World Social Forum for Health and Social Security, we shall provide all necessary resources to support and development of these international initiatives; and in recognition of the importance of collective action towards the adoption of alternative public policies that prioritize people and the environment. In consonance with the aforementioned details, and while we, as active players in our societies, insist on the demand for the adoption of alternative social policies to the Neoliberal brutal Policies, we also:

Stress the need to provide a comprehensive health system that provides free health care for all, without exception, and regardless of any cause of discrimination, including discrimination on grounds of nationality or social status.
Note that these alternative policies should guarantee both the right to health and other social protection conditions, including the right to clean water, free education, decent housing, proper food, the right to adequate work, fair income, and a sound environment.
Call for the establishment of a universal social protection charter, based on the system of rights and freedoms, and in view of the broad global solidarity required to defend it, we call on all movements to join this Charter and to strive for establishing liberal and participatory mechanisms to ensure respect for the charter.
In addition to this fundamental work, which shall ensure the protection of people against disease and epidemics, we propose a program aimed at building a future that ensures the dignity of the nations of the world, which includes the following elements

First: Addressing this pandemic must be linked to all other political, economic, and social demands such as nuclear, chemical and biological disarmament, ending armed conflicts, debt, improving so-called productive work, basic research, patents on medicines and vaccines, biodiversity, space exploration, and human rights-friendly budgets.

Second: Considering the right to social protection a basic right linked to other social rights, which imposes that the development of public policies must be carried out with the active participation of the nations from the beginning in order to ensure that these policies meet their real needs.

Third: Promoting the responsibility to support the nations of the world at the local, national, and global levels, and involving international organizations and local associations in the development and implementation of relevant programs.

Fourth: Emphasizing that effective solutions to the interrelated social problems, including the Covid 19 crisis, go beyond the framework of social protection systems and require social and democratic changes worldwide to build a new world order that takes into account the lives of human beings, nature and building a community of common destiny of humankind.

Fifth: Calling the governments of the world to ensure that their constitutions adopt the principle of solidarity between nations on social issues and the principle of protecting public social facilities, especially health, education, water and electricity services, the Internet, and fuel, from the privatization policies of the public sector around the world.

Sixth: Calling the governments of the world to forgive the debts of poor countries, to stop wars, to end all forms of embargo and sanctions, to end the occupation, and to resolve conflicts through peaceful means, which shall contribute to promoting social protection in the countries concerned.

To this end, the Moroccan Association for Human Rights, an active member of the World Social Forum for Health and Social Protection, in partnership with the Amman Center for Human Rights Studies, a consultant at the United Nations Economic and Social Council, with the objective to activate the principle of global solidarity between nations, call on all civil, trade union, labor, professional, political, academic, cultural, legal, women, youth, children's organizations and other actors and stakeholders in our countries to sign this open appeal and to raise their voice against neo-liberal regimes and their destructive, inhuman policies.

The undersigned organizations:

1.     Agricultural Development Association (Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committees / Palestine)
2.     Ajial Center for Social and Cultural Development / Sudan
3.     AL Khiyam Rehabilitation Center for Torture Victims / Lebanon
4.     Al-Awasar Forum for Dialogue / Mauritania
5.     Al-Badil Center for Studies and Research / Jordan
6.     Alliance of Families of Forced Disappearance, Algeria / Algeria
7.     Amelِ Association International / Lebanon
8.     Amman Center for Human Rights Studies(ACHRS) / Jordan
9.     Ana Insan  Society for the rights of persons with Disability /Jordan
10.   Arab Commission for Human Rights / Paris
11.  Association for Improving the Status of Women and Children / Egypt
12.  Association of Economic and Social Forum for Women / Jordan
13.  Awareness  Association for Culture and Sustainable Development / Egypt
14.  Babel Center for Human Rights / Iraq
15.  Burj Khadija Association for Culture and Citizenship / Tunisia
16.  Cairo Foundation for Development and Law / Egypt
17.  Center for Applied Research in Educational - CARE / Palestine
18.  Center for Defense of Liberties and Civil Rights "Hurryyat"/Palestine
19.  Citizenship and Liberties Association / Tunisia
20.  Civil Center for Studies and Legal Reform / Iraq
21.  Civil Development Organization(CDO)/ Iraq
22.  Coalition of Moroccan human rights bodies(includes 22 human rights organizations)/Morocco
23.  Committees for the Defense of Democratic Freedoms and Human Rights in Syria/ Syria
24.  Damascus Center for Theoretical Studies and Civil Rights / Sweden
25.  Darfur Bar Association / Sudan
26.  Development Action Center, Ma'an / Palestine
27.  Development Call Organization / Sudan
28.  Egypt Youth Development Association / Egypt
29.  Egyptian Media Association / Egypt
30.   Egyptian Society for Development and Environment / Egypt
31.  Electronic Press Syndicate / Mauritania
32.  Federation of Associations for Persons with Disabilities / Lebanon
33.  Freedom Martyr Organization Nabil Al-Barakati / Tunis
34.  Freedom of Information and Expression - Hatem / Morocco
35.  Friends of Disabled Association / Lebanon
36.  Future Partners Foundation for Development and Human Rights / Yemen
37.  Gender Studies and Information Organization / Iraq
38.  General Council for Coordination of Civil Society Organizations / Yemen
39.  Habitat Organization for Rights and Development / Yemen
40.  Human Rights Activists / Canada
41.  Human Rights Organization in Syria - MAF
42.  Ibn Rushd Association for Development and Democracy / Iraq
43.  International Center for Supporting Rights and Freedoms / Switzerland
44.  Iraqi Child Rights Network (includes 31 organizations) / Iraq
45.   Iraqi Minority Coalition Network (includes 20 organizations)/ Iraq
46.  Iraqi Network for Human Rights Trainers /Iraq
47.  Iraqi University & Institute Graduates Club / Jordan
48.  Jerusalem Center for Legal Aid and Human Rights Aid / Palestine
49.  Jordan Alliance for Human Rights and Freedoms (Promotion) / Jordan
50.  Jordan Jurists Association / Jordan
51.  Jordan Photographic Society / Jordan
52.  Jordanian Network for Human Rights (includes 10 organizations) / Jordan
53.  Jordanian Society for Human Rights / Jordan
54.  Jordanian Writers Association / Jordan
55.  Kifah Organization Against Violence and Terrorism / Yemen
56.  Kurdish Organization for Human Rights in Syria (DAD)
57.  Kurdistan Human Rights Organization / Iraq
58.  Lebanese Council of Women (includes 150 women's associations) / Lebanon
59.  Lebanese Democratic Jurists League / Lebanon
60.  Lebanese Democratic Women Gathering / Lebanon
61.  Libyan Academic Organization / Libya
62.  Manar Scientific Foundation for Studies and Research / Yemen
63.  Masalah for Human Resources / Iraq
64.  Mauritanian Association for the Promotion of Rights / Mauritania
65.  Moroccan Association of Human Rights / Morocco
66.  Moroccan Forum for Truth and Justice / Morocco
67.  Movement for Equal Democracy / Morocco
68.  Mwatana Association for a Better Tomorrow / Tunisia
69.  National Association for Mental Disability / Lebanon
70.  Observatory for Media in North Africa and the Middle East / Tunisia
71.  Olive Branch Youth Organization / Iraq
72.  Pakistani University & Graduate Institute Alumni Club / Jordan
73.  Palestinian Center for Media Freedom and Development / Palestine
74.  Palestinian Center for Peace and Democracy / Palestine
75.  Palestinian Center for the Independence of the Judiciary and the Legal Profession (MUSAWA) / Palestine
76.  Palestinian Working Women Society for Development / Palestine
77.  Palestinian Youth Union Society/ Palestine
78.  Press and Media Welfare Association / Iraq
79.  Sahel Commission for the Defense of Human Rights / Mauritania
80.  Shams Election Observation Network (includes 113 organizations) / Iraq
81.  Sharek Association / Jordan
82.  Sisters Forum for Human Rights / Yemen
83.  Swiss Academy for Human Rights / Geneva
84.  Syrian Coalition Against the Death Penalty / Syria
85.  Sudan Life Development and Human Rights / Sudan
86.  The Algerian League for the Defense of Human Rights / Algeria
87.  The Amman Society Forum for Human Rights / Jordan
88.  The Arab Bridge Center for Development and Human Rights / Jordan
89.  The Arab Coalition against the Death Penalty(includes 11 coalitions and organizations from 10 Arab countries organizations) / Jordan
90.  The Arab Foundation for Civil Society Support and Human Rights / Egypt
91.  The Arab Organization for Human Rights in Syria
92.  The Arab Program for Human Rights Activists / Egypt
93.  The Arab Society for Political Science / Egypt
94.  The Arab Women Media Center / Jordan
95.  The Arab Women Organization ((AWO) / Jordan
96.  The Arab World Observatory for Democracy and Elections / Palestine
97.  The Bahrain Transparency Society / Bahrain
98.  The Center for Human Rights and Democracy Information (Shams) / Palestine
99.  The Cultural Association for Democracy / Iraq
100.        The Defense of Women in Syria network (includes 57 Syrian feminist bodies and 60 independent Syrian female personalities)/Syria
101.The Egyptian Association for Development and Institutional Support / Egypt
102.The Egyptian Federation for Development and Social Protection Policies (includes 48 civil society organizations) / Egypt
103.The General Union of Cultural Centers / Palestine
104.The Independent Trade Union Confederation / Jordan
105.The International Commission for the Support of the Rights of the Palestinian People (Hashd) / Palestine
106.The International Union for the Defense of Arab and Children's Rights and Libya / Libya
107.The Iraqi Association for Defending the Rights of Journalists / Iraq
108.The Iraqi Council for Peace and Solidarity / Iraq
109.The Iraqi Institute for Human Rights / Iraq
110.The Iraqi Network for Iraqi Human Rights Organizations (includes 54 human rights organizations) / Iraq
111.The Jordan Coalition against the Death Penalty/Jordan
112.The Jordan Society for Political Science/ Jordan
113.The Jordanian Progressive Democratic Current / Jordan
114.The Justice Foundation for Development and Human Rights / Egypt
115.The Justice Network for Prisoners (includes 29 organizations) / Iraq
116.The Kurdish Committee for Human Rights in Syria (Al-Rasid) / Syria
117.The Maghreb Coordination for Human Rights Organizations (comprising 26 Maghreb organizations, including Maghreb organizations in France)/ Morocco
118.The Moroccan Parliamentary Action Observatory / Morocco
119.The National Committee to Defend the Rights of the Unemployed / Algeria
120.The National Forum for Defending Public Liberties and Human Rights / Jordan
121.The National Organization for Human Rights in Syria
122.The National Society for the Welfare of the Blind / Iraq
123.The NGO Gathering  (includes 61 NGOs) / Lebanon
124.The Palestinian NGO Network (includes 142 in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and works in various legal, development and political fields) / Palestine
125.The Qalam Family Cultural Club / Jordan
126.The Regional Union of NGOs / Egypt
127.The Sudanese National Civil Forum (includes 52 civil society organizations) / Sudan
128.The Syrian Civilization Foundation (a non-governmental organization) / Syria
129.The Syrian Federation for Human Rights Organizations and Authorities (includes 91 organizations,centers and bodies inside Syria) / Syria
130.The Syrian National Network for Civil Peace and Community Security / Syria
131.The Syrian Network for Human Rights Trainers / Syria
132.The Tunisian League for the Defense of Human Rights / Tunisia
133.The Vigilance Committee for Democracy in Tunis / Tunis
134.The Women Alliance for Justice and Equality “will”/Palestine
135.The World Council for Rights and Freedoms / Yemen
136.The Yemeni Association for Academic Rights and Freedoms / Yemen
137.The Yemeni Center for Historical Studies and Future Strategies - Manarat / Yemen
138.The Yemeni Foundation for Combating Human Trafficking / Yemen
139.Together in the service of humanity / Sudan
140.Tunisia Center for Press Freedom/Tunisia
141.Tunisian civil solidarity / Tunisia
142.Union of Agricultural Work Committees / Palestine
143.Union of Health Work Committees / Palestine
144.Unlimited Center for Training and Human Resources / Jordan
145.Women Cultural Gathering for Democracy / Iraq
146.Women Visions Association / Jordan
147.Yazidi Organization for Documentation / Iraq
148.Yemen Organization for Defending Democratic Rights and Freedoms / Yemen
149.Yemeni Coalition against the Death Penalty / Yemen
150.Yemeni Organization for Dialogue of Religions and Cultures / Yemen