Call for UN expert group on financial and economic crisis

Tax Justice Network has signed up along hundreds of other organisations and experts from around the world to a letter (published in full below) calling on member states of the United Nations to endorse the draft resolution to establish an ad hoc panel of experts on the world financial and economic crisis and its impact on development.

12th July 2011

Your Excellency

We, the undersigned non-governmental organizations are writing to request that, at the upcoming deliberations of the Economic and Social Council 2011, your government endorses the draft resolution E/2010/L.37 for the establishment of an “Ad hoc panel of experts on the world financial and economic crisis and its impact on development”. We share the concern of countries of the global South about the impact on development of the world financial crisis and of the need for adequate responses so as to avoid its recurrence, restore global economic stability and promote underlying institutional reforms required to ensure sustained global economic development for the benefit of all. There is a general need to strengthen and broaden the participation of developing countries in global economic governance. Therefore, we strongly support this draft resolution on the establishment of an expert panel within the United Nations.

In line with the mandates of the Conference on the World Financial and Economic Crisis and Its Impact on Development, the expert panel could produce independent technical analysis and provide recommendations on global financial, economic and systemic issues. Such a panel of experts would foster constructive exchanges among UN member states and include dialogue among policymakers, academics, institutions and members of civil society. Recommendations would be made available to the Economic and Social Council and to the General Assembly.

We appreciate the role of the United Nations as the inclusive and legitimate global body and think it is time that the UN takes bold steps for reform to improve global economic governance. The representatives of the following NGOs thank you for your consideration of our concerns in this matter.

Sincerely yours,

Kevin Dance, CEO, Passionists International, Representative; Chair of the NGO Committee on Financing for Development
Germaine Price, Main Representative, Company of The Daughters of Charity of St.Vincent De Paul, USA
Fatima Rodrigo, Main NGO Representative, International Presentation Association of the Sisters of the Presentation (PBVM)
Eva Hanfstaengl, Director, Social Justice in Global Development, international, based in Germany
Manuel Manonelles, Director, UBUNTU Forum, Spain

Signatories:

Soren Ambrose, International Policy Manager, ACTIONAID international, Kenya, UK, USA
David Ugolor, Executive Director, African Network for Environment and Economic Justice, (ANEEJ), Nigeria
Josephine Kamel Youssef, African Women's Economic Policy Network (AWEPON)
Mark Herkenrath, Policy Officer, ALLIANCE SUD – The Swiss Coalition of Development Organisations, Switzerland
Ziad Abdel Samad, Executive Director, ARAB NGO NETWORK for Development, Lebanon Lydia Alpizar, Association for Women's Rights in Development (AWID)
Andreas Missbach, Joint Managing Director, Private Finance Programme, BERNE DECLARATION, Switzerland
Jesse Griffiths, Coordinator, BRETTON WOODS PROJECT, United Kingdom
Joanne Green, Head of Policy, CAFOD, UK
Renate Bloem, Main Representative, CIVICUS UN Geneva, World Alliance of Citizen Participation
Md Shamsuddoha, Chief Executive, Center for Participatory Research and Development – CPRD, Bangladesh
Pankaj Sharma, Chief Trustee, Centre for transforming India, India
Aldo Caliari; Director, Rethinking Bretton Woods Project, CENTER OF CONCERN (CoC), USA
Bernd Nilles, Secretary General, CIDSE INTERNATIONAL, based in Brussels, Belgium
Mary Corbett, cnd, Representative to the NGO Forum of the UN Congregation of Notre Dame (CND) of Montreal, Canada
Amy Echeverria, Director, Columban Center for Advocacy and Outreach, USA
Griselda Martinez Morales, CSJ, Main representative, Congregations of St Joseph, USA
Mary Ellen Gondeck, CSJ, Caroline Benken, CSJ, Marilyn Nickol, CSJ, Germaine Tackett, CSJA and Mary Ellen Loch, CSJ, Peace and Justice Team, The Congregation of St. Joseph, USA
Norayda Arabella Ponce Sosa, External Cooperation Executive, Coordinación de ONG y Cooperativas (CONGCOOP), Guatemala, Central America
P.A. Surendran, General Secretary, Consumers Association, Palakkad, Kerala, India
Rudy De Meyer, Head of Policy Department, 11.11.11 Coordination of Flemish North South Movement, Belgium
Antonio Tricarico, Coordinator, CRBM, Italy
Alex Cobham, Chief Policy Adviser, Christian Aid, United Kingdom
Gigi Francisco, General Coordinator, Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era (DAWN)
Eika Rosario, Programme Officer, Philippines and Executive Committee, Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era (DAWN)
Margaret Mayce - Main Representative for Dominican Leadership Conference, USA
Jeroen Kwakkenbos, Policy Officer, European Network on Debt and Development, EURODAD international, based in Brussels
Hélène Debbari, Policy Advisor, EUROSTEP Secretariat, international, based in Brussels
Jürgen Kaiser, Policy Coordinator, ERLASSJAHR, Germany
Markus Brun, Head of Policy, FASTENOPFER, Switzerland
Rosa Lizarde, Feminist Task Force of the Global Call to Action against Poverty
Mama Koité Doumbia, WWG/FDF, The African Women's Development and Communication Network FEMNET
Sergio Marelli, Secretary General, FOCSIV (Federazione Organismi Cristiani Servizio Internazionale Volontario), Italy
Damiano Sabuzi Giuliani, Policy and Advocacy officer, FOCSIV (Federazione Organismi Cristiani Servizio Internazionale Volontario), Italy
Juan Carlos Nuñez, Executive Director, Fundacion Jubileo, Bolivia
Kenneth Nana Amoateng, Project and Programs Director, Abibimman Foundation, GCAP - Ghana
Rajesh Latchman, Convenor, Global Call To Action Against Poverty/ GCAP - South Africa
Mareatile Polaki, Global Call To Action Against Poverty/ GCAP - Lesotho
Ali AlBarmaky, Deputy Manager of Civil Society Organizations Network-Yemen, Member of the GCAP -Yemen, Member in Yemeni coalition against corruption
Dennis Nyati, National Coordinator, Civil Society MDG Campaign - GCAP Zambia, Zambia
Francine Mestrum, Global Social Justice, Belgium
Hansha Sanjyal , Global South Initiative, Nepal
Helene Connor, Ph.D., President, HELIO INTERNATIONAL, France
Mary Turgi, CSC, Director, Holy Cross International Justice Office, Notre Dame, IN, United States
Matyas Benyik, President, Hungary Association of ATTAC, Hungary
Paul Quintos, Program Manager, IBON International, Philippines
Don K. Marut, Executive Director, International NGO Forum on Indonesian Development (INFID), Indonesia
Gopal Krishna Siwakoti, President, INHURED International, Deputy-Chair, Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network (APRRN), National Election Observation Committee (NEOC), Nepal
Laura Berry, Executive Director, Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR), USA
Cristina Blanc Szanton, PhD, Main Representative at the U.N., International Union of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences (IUAES), USA
Eva Friedlander, President, International Women's Anthropology Conference (IWAC), USA
Nick Dearden, JUBILEE DEBT CAMPAIGN, UK
Francois Gobbe, Coordinator, KAIROS EUROPE WB, Belgium
John Dillon, Global Economic Justice Coordinator, KAIROS: Canadian, Ecumenical Justice Initiatives, Canada
Michael Gatt, Board Member and Treasurer, KOPIN, Malta
Ara Jo, Korea Civil Society Forum on International Development Cooperation (KoFID), Republic of Korea
Janice G. Foerde, KULU Chairperson, K.U.L.U.-Women and Development, Denmark
Mary Peter Bruce, SL, Loretto Community, USA
Sally Dunne, NGO UN Representative, Loretto Community, USA
Steven O'Neil, SM, Marianists International, USA
Kathleen McNeely , Program Coordinator – Faith Economy Ecology Project , Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns, USA
Marie Dennis, Director, Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns representing two NGOs: Maryknoll Sisters of St. Dominica and Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers
Celine Paramunda, UN Representative, Medical Mission Sisters, AKA Society of Catholic Medical Missionaries, USA
Daniel LeBlanc O.M.I., Main NGO representative to the UN and Secretary of NGO Committee on FfD, Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation (GS-JPIC), Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, USA
Edwin M John, Director, Neighbourhood Community Network (NCN), India
Jo Marie Griesgraber, Executive Director, New Rules for Global Finance Coalition, USA
Curtis Doebbler, Representative, Nord-Sud XXI, Geneva, Switzerland
Lucianne Siers, Executive Director, Partnership for Global Justice, USA
Pamela Haines, Quaker Witness on Economy and Ecology, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Patricia Stella Jaramillo Gerra, REPEM COLOMBIA, IGTN Punto Focal Colombia
Joan P. Mencher, Chair of The Second Chance Fd, NYC, USA
Marta Benavides, SERR - El Salvador, Siglo XXIII - El Salvador
Jean Stoner, SNDdeN, NGO Representative at the UN, Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, USA
Faith Colligan, DC, UN Representative, Sisters of Charity Federation, USA
Caroljan Willie, NGO Representative, Sisters of Charity Federation, USA
Ann Oestreich IHM, Congregation Justice Coordinator, Sisters of the Holy Cross Notre Dame, USA
David Hillman, Director, Stamp Out Poverty, UK
Herbert Sahlmann, Stiftung Nord-Süd-Brücken, Germany
John Christensen, Tax Justice Network international, based in UK
Kate Twohy, The Grail, USA
Bhumika Muchhala, Finance and Development Programme, THIRD WORLD NETWORK (TWN)
Marco Berlinguer, President, Transform! Italia, Italy
Patricia A. Daly, OP, Executive Director, Tri-State Coalition for Responsible Investment, USA
James E. Winkler, General Secretary, General Board of Church and Society, The United Methodist Church, USA
Catherine Fergusen, Coordinator, UNANIMA International, USA
Mark W. Harrison, Director, Peace with Justice Program, United Methodist General Board of Church and Society, USA
Zelia Cordeiro and Felix Jones, Executive Team, VIVAT International
John Hilary, Executive Director, War on Want, UK
Rogate R. Mshana Dr, WCC Program on Poverty, Wealth and Ecology, Switzerland
Peter Wahl, Senior Official on Financial Reforms, WEED - World Economy, Ecology & Development Association, Germany
Josep Xercavins, World Democratic Governance project association – WDGpa, Spain
Jakob von Uexkull, Chair, World Future Council, Germany/UK
Supporting individuals:
Gerald Epstein, Professor of Economics, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA
Barry Herman, Graduate Program in International Affairs, The New School, New York
Gabriele Koehler, Development Economist, Munich, Germany
John Langmore, Professor, School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Melbourne, Australia
Frances Stewart, Professor, United Kingdom
Oscar Ugarteche, Dr. Investigador titular, Instituto de Investigaciones Económicas, UNAM, Mexiko
Matías Vernengo, Associate Professor, University of Utah, USA