Social Watch Annual
Report 2004
Fear and Want
Obstacles to Human Security
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Preface. The cost of not daring
It is impossible to give final, uncontroversial
answers to hypothetical questions about current events and yet much international debate
these days is centred around just such a question: is the world a better place without
Saddam Hussein in power? This kind of question inevitably begs another: wouldn’t the
world be better off if the money and efforts invested in the war in Iraq had been directed
elsewhere, for example to helping the poor? 2004 |
| THEMATIC REPORTS: |
Obstacles to human security. Analysis of the 2004 Social Watch national
reports
From the Social Watch national reports it emerges
clearly that in industrialised or developed countries the main obstacle to human security
is linked to the economic dimension. The main problems are recession, weak growth,
economic crises, and deterioration in the quality and conditions of people´s lives. The
outstanding obstacles are the lack of equitable parameters in the distribution of social
benefits and the provision of access to basic services for all sectors of society. These
reports offer a vision of human security which will enable all human beings to live in
dignity. 2004 |
Judge and jury: the World Bank’s scorecard for borrowing governments
The World Bank uses a controversial
“one-size-fits-all” scorecard - the Country Policy and Institutional Assessment
(CPIA) to rate each borrowing government. The CPIA ratings are prepared annually and
consist of 20 criteria (grouped in four clusters) related to a government’s policy
and institutional performance. The CPIA rating system may represent a new and more
powerful kind of conditionality that interferes in a country’s domestic affairs.
Rather than reward governments for promises to adopt loan conditions, CPIA helps make it
possible to reward those that have already conformed to donor and creditor policy
preferences. Many poor and/or heavily indebted governments see compliance with these
policy preferences as essential to maintaining their lifeline to external aid and debt
relief. 2004 |
Tax evasion: hidden billions for development
The tax burden is shifting from the rich to the poor.
Developing countries are losing at least USD 50 billion per year, a loss equivalent to the
annual official aid of the OECD countries to developing countries. This is the amount
required by the World Bank and the UNDP to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. It is
also equivalent to six times the estimated annual costs of achieving universal primary
education. And it is almost three times the cost of universal primary health coverage. The
only successful way to counter harmful tax practices and international tax competition is
through global initiatives. Swiss Coalition of Development Organizations. Bruno Gurtner
2004 |
Stopping
mass murder: action against AIDS
UNAIDS estimates that USD 10.5 billion will be needed
by 2005 just to support a “bare bones” effort against AIDS. This huge sum is
thrown into dramatic relief by what one country alone can manage when it comes to war. By
the end of 2003, the cost of the war on Iraq to US taxpayers was more than USD 200
billion. One “mad” cow in North America can command sustained headlines in the
land of the rich and powerful, while millions of humans die silently abroad. 2004 |
No human security without gender equality
Women’s empowerment is essential to human
development and poverty eradication. Human security, a promising platform and framework
for the United Nations to promote peace, human rights and human development, will become
one more lofty idea that does not translate into action if it is not used to improve the
situation of women in their families and communities. 2004 |
Women’s agency in the midst of crises
When macroeconomic policy is viewed together with its
microeconomic effects a broader picture of the economy emerges. In this way the linkages
between them become clear - linkages that should be borne in mind in the pursuit of
“growth with equity” and “downturn with security.” The emphasis on
“human freedoms and human fulfilment” under the umbrella of human security
ensures that, whether in times of growth or crisis, women’s agency is recognised,
preserved and strengthened. 2004 |
The most unequal of the unequal
If for most of the population of Latin America and the
Caribbean human security is a long way from becoming a reality, this is especially true
for women, for whom human security is only a dream. In the region, women have suffered
historically from discrimination and social exclusion in the non-recognition of their
specific rights as women and the violence to which they are subjected. The region faces a
huge challenge in the next few years: to provide and guarantee the conditions that will
make it possible for all its citizens, men and women, to live in dignity and peace. 2004 |
European Union security concerns vs. human security aspirations
The strengthening of the European Union’s role in
the world must respect the principles enshrined in the first European Constitution that
provides a clear and solid independent legal basis for development co-operation and
humanitarian aid. Europe must provide strong institutional and financial backing for these
two policies if it wants to be a responsible actor contributing to the eradication of
world poverty. The increasing emphasis on security issues, the fight against terrorism and
concerns over weapons of mass destruction threaten to overshadow all European foreign
policy, leaving little or no room for policies geared towards human security. 2004 |
The
linkages between international, national and human security
Human security is not an alternative to national
security, rather they are complementary concepts in that the former is one of the means of
achieving the latter. It is important to highlight the effects on human security of the US
occupation of Iraq as well as its influence on politics, the economy and culture in Arab
countries. It is clear that two things are indispensable for addressing the roots of human
security problems in the region: action by civil society organisations and a
transformation in institutional policies. Arab NGO Network for Development Ziad Abdel
Samad 2004 |
- MEASURING PROGRESS:
|
Countries by critical development areas
Thematic areas: • Poverty and distribution •
Food security • Health security - Morbidity and mortality - Women’s reproductive
health - Water and sanitation • Education • Information, science and technology
• Gender equity - in Education - in Economic activity - in Empowerment • Public
expenditure • Development aid • International commitments and human rights |
| Country gender ranking |
| General
classification of countries: situation by thematic area and Quality of Life Index (QLI) |
| The present situation of poverty in the world |
| Food security |
| Children’s immunisation |
| Health |
| Women’s reproductive health |
| Habitat |
| Education |
| Information, science and technology |
| Gender equity |
| Public expenditure |
| Trends
in Official Development Assistance |
| Status of ratifications of the principal international human rights
treaties |
| Status of ratifications of fundamental ILO conventions |
| Status of ratifications of international treaties mentioned in the
Millennium Declaration |
| Status of official countries’ reports to the UN human rights treaty
bodies |
| Reports to be submitted to the UN treaty bodies during 2004 - 2005 |
| Glossary |
| Compilation of articles on human rights mentioned in the statistics tables
|
- NATIONAL REPORTS:
|
- Africa:
|
ALGERIA
Terror, poverty, crisis and earthquakes. Algeria
is experiencing widespread and increasing poverty, and frequent terrorist attacks. Natural
disasters - droughts, earthquakes and floods - have also ravaged the country. Together
these are the main threats to human security. A series of economic reforms and a political
crisis dating from the early 1990s have only made the situation worse. Association El Amel
pour le Développement Social. 2004. |
ANGOLA
Peace under-mined. The signing of the Luena Accords on
April 2002 between the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) Government and
the insurgent National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), paved the way
for a tense post-war period. Obstacles to human security abound. In the aftermath of the
war, characterised by destruction and poverty, with thousands of people killed or
mutilated by mines, the Government’s response is repression and terror. Sindicato
Nacional de Professores (SINPROF) Miguel Filho 2004 |
EGYPT
Time for Democracy. Egypt, as well as other Arab
societies, is afflicted by a significant amount of poverty and illiteracy resulting in a
lack of knowledge and awareness of human rights and it suffers from a set of tightly bound
values and traditions exemplified by submission and dependency. This clearly precludes any
democratic process and stands in the way of creativity and free thought, thereby
preventing improvement and development. There are many societal and cultural obstacles to
human security (among them, the prevalence of tribal, ethnic and family allegiances), but
the Government and its policies are the main political threat. National Association for
Human Rights and Development Amir Salem2004 |
GHANA
The frightening picture behind the pin-up. Against the
background of a region racked by civil wars Ghana is highly regarded as an enclave of
“peace and stability”. However, mass formal unemployment, growing landlessness
and insecurity of tenure and the upsurge in crime are growing threats to Ghanaians’
human security. A leading Ghanaian organisation has described aspects of the situation as
“frightening.” Ghana Social Watch Coalition. 2004 |
KENYA
“Hot peace” and landlessness. With the end
of the Cold War and the apparent halt to the nuclear arms race many Kenyans expected that
the world (and their country in particular) would be a safer place. But poverty continues
to grow and responsibility for the provision of basic needs is being abdicated by the
State. The rise of organised crime has exacerbated insecurity at the social, economic and
political levels. The end of the Cold War has given place to what people call a “Hot
Peace”. Kenyan Social Watch Coalition (KSWC) 2004 |
NIGERIA
Widespread violations. Obstacles to human security in
Nigeria are widespread. Governments have been high-handed, secretive and corrupt, and not
accountable to the electorate. Discrimination on grounds of sex, ethnicity, tribe, colour,
race, religion or political belief is rife. Massacres and forced evictions are common,
while the fight to control or manage resources accruing from oil and other minerals has
led to loss of hundreds of lives. The only conditions for peace and development are
respect for human rights, the rule of law and the possibility to change governments
through democratic and peaceful means. Socio-Economic Rights Initiative Concerned
Professionals of Nigeria Rural Women Empowerment Network Legal Defence & Assistance
Project Gender & Human Rights/Social Watch-Nigeria South East Budget Network Ray
Onyegu / John Onyeukwu / Mma Odi Itolo Eze-Anaba / Gina Iberi / Cletus Onyegu 2004
|
SENEGAL
Corruption, poverty and other weapons.Thousands of
light arms are in the hands of the population; the political system is weak and
ineffective; poverty is rife and corruption is the norm. Given these conditions, in spite
of efforts by civil society, it is impossible to build social, cultural and economic
systems that guarantee human security in Senegal and bring it within reach of the
Millennium Development Goals. ADESEN Abdoul Souleye Sow 2004 |
TANZANIA
The scourge of corruption, violence and robbery. As
corruption becomes the surest way for people to access certain rights and services,
Tanzanians are increasingly forced to dispose of their assets in order to obtain cash to
bribe officials. As a result, corruption is exposing both households and individuals to a
constant erosion of income or assetrelated resources. In this context, violence, robbery
and insecurity are prevalent even within households, where women are now at greater risk
than in public places. Concern for Development Initiatives in Africa (ForDIA) Legal and
Human Rights Centre (LHRC) Tanzania Gender Networking Programme (TGNP) Tanzania Women
Lawyers Association (TAWLA) Women Advancement Trust (WAT) Women in Law and Development in
Africa (WiLDAF) Youth Partnership Countrywide (YPC) Women Legal Aid Centre (WLAC) 2004
|
TUNISIA
Deteriorating living conditions and job instability.
The last couple of years have witnessed the emergence of two contrasting trends in
Tunisia. On the one hand, the Government is enforcing policies aimed at limiting the
negative outcomes of structural adjustment programmes implemented since the early 1980s,
while on the other hand, it is becoming increasingly more evident that the adoption of
market-oriented policies poses serious threats to the economy. Tunisian League for Human
Rights Salah Edeen El-Jourchi 2004 |
UGANDA
Forgotten crisis, irreversible damage. For the past
seventeen years the north and east of the country have suffered an armed conflict that has
been described by the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs as “a
forgotten crisis”. In the context of the war between government troops and the
Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) guerrillas the most brutal atrocities have been
committed and the human rights of over two million people have been violated. The
resolution of this conflict demands urgent international intervention. DENIVA David Obot
2004 |
ZAMBIA
No war but many victims.Inhumane policies inflicted on
Zambian society by Western institutions and states have combined with ill-fated local
policies, escalating poverty levels and HIV/AIDS to make it virtually impossible for
ordinary citizens to live in dignity. Life in Zambia is a far cry from human security, an
expensive paradigm for most children, women and men. Women for Change - Social Watch
Project Michelo Hansungule 2004 |
- Asia:
|
BAHRAIN
Progress and setbacks in a period of transition. Since
the reforms initiated in the early 1990s, the country has taken steps towards repealing
legislation and measures that adversely affect human rights and dignity. Although
Bahrainis today enjoy more freedom than ever, the right of citizens to have a say in the
country’s affairs remains restricted, and the Government has still not addressed the
pressing problems of unemployment, discrimination, women’s rights and housing, nor
for that matter, the human rights and conditions of thousands of Asian workers. Bahrain
Human Rights Society (BHRS) 2004 |
BANGLADESH
The drawbacks of poor governance. The failure in
governance in Bangladesh, one of the poorest countries in the world, is accompanied by a
score of other specific threats to human security, including the pressures of
globalisation, poverty, unemployment, an outdated legal system, a weak civil society, lack
of political commitment, an insensitive approach to gender issues, etc. Both the
Government and NGOs are trying to improve the situation. Their separate actions, however,
have not yet managed to strengthen human security rapidly enough. Unnayan Shamannay,
Social Watch-Bangladesh. Atiur Rahman / M Ismail Hossain Mahfuz Kabir / Arifur Rahman 2004
|
CAMBODIA
The race to meet the Millennium Development Goals.
Despite the heavy flow of foreign aid into the country, only a small portion went into the
national budget. Most of the funds were allocated to projects implemented by a third
party, either NGOs or private contractors. So far, reform has gone at a snail’s pace.
Serious administrative and structural reform will have to be implemented in order to meet
the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015. Strengthening the judiciary and the rule
of law should be prerequisites for large loans and Official Development Assistance. NGO
ESCR Monitoring Committee/Social Watch Cambodia SILAKA Thida Khus 2004 |
INDIA
Neglected by the State. The paradox embedded in the
Indian development model: on the one hand increasing mobilisation of civil society groups
and attempts at empowering the marginalised at various levels with seemingly positive
influences on policy pronouncements, while on the other, withdrawal of the State from its
essential roles and functions especially in its constitutionally mandated function of
ensuring social equity. The results are appalling, particularly regarding human security.
Deprivation and increased repression of marginalised groups have led to communities being
pitted against each other. National Social Watch Coalition Bobby Kunhu1 2004 |
INDONESIA
Longing for peace. Endemic violence and ingrained
government corruption are the main concerns in relation to human security. These problems
have caused social and economic conditions in the country to deteriorate. People will only
finally be freed from fear if there is a thorough and complex reform of the whole system.
The forthcoming general elections may provide just such an opportunity. Centre for
Development of Women’s Resources (PPSW) Women Heads of Households Empowerment
Programme (PEKKA) Nani Zulminarni 2004 |
JORDAN
Globalisation and the impact of war. In 2002 the
Government implemented a national strategy for eliminating poverty. It has also managed to
make improvements in areas such as health and education. However, much remains to be done
in a country threatened by a scarcity of water resources, foreign debt, political
instability and threats to security, lack of gender equity, poverty and unemployment.
Jordanian Women’s Union Ghosoun Rahhal 2004 |
IRAQ
Insecurity for all. Eight months after the
“official” end of war, the general feeling among Iraqis was that the US forces
were doing nothing but obsessing about their own security. In the mind of the public the
US presence in the country is as illegitimate as Saddam’s regime. Iraqis today almost
unanimously believe that the Bush administration wants to perpetuate the military
occupation by maintaining chaos, exacerbating violence and promoting divisions among
Iraqis. The facts seem to confirm this perception. Iraqi Al-Amal Association1 Shiar Yousef
2004 |
KOREA,
Republic of
Suicides, credit default, natural catastrophes and the
threat of war. Korea, the last remaining divided country, is in a state of high military
tension, and the threat of war is a source of fear to all Koreans. South Korea’s
economic troubles and structural social problems have led to an unprecedented spate of
suicides. In addition, the lack of effective countermeasures to respond to large-scale
accidents and natural catastrophes has deepened South Koreans’ feeling of insecurity.
Citizens’ Coalition for Economic Justice (CCEJ), Policy Research Dep. Daehoon Kim
2004 |
LEBANON
No guarantees, no security. Political, institutional,
and psychological factors have led to the loss of any sense of security due to the lack of
official and public legal and institutional guarantees. NGOs will not be able to face the
challenges without the participation of other major civil society groups such as political
parties, trade unions, and the private sector. Arab NGO Network for Development (ANND)
Adib Nehmeh / Zena Halabi 2004 |
MALAYSIA
Development at any cost.Malaysians have been vocal in
advocating for better human security, taking stands against policies and development
projects that impact on their health, social well-being, livelihood and environment. The
current National Security plan adopted by the Government (conceived within the framework
of the global War on Terrorism), has not helped to alleviate the sense of political
insecurity affecting the country. Consumers’ Association of Penang Mageswari
Sangaralingam / Shamila Ariffin Theivanai Amarthalingam / Meenakshi Raman 2004 |
NEPAL
Adding insult to injury. The main obstacle to human
security in Nepal is poverty, with 38% of the population, or 9 million Nepalese, living
below the poverty line. The absence of the rule of law, the on-going Maoist insurgency and
the resultant pattern of gross human rights violations (killings, torture, disappearances,
abductions, arbitrary arrests) and persistent discrimination based on caste, class,
ethnicity and sex are other factors that pose a threat to human security. Rural
Reconstruction Nepal Arjun Karki / Mukunda Kattel / Rakhee Lohani 2004 |
PALESTINE
Israel’s wall: less security for all.By imposing
collective punishment, seizing and destroying private property, demolishing homes, making
access to health and education difficult, separating families, annexing occupied land, and
violating Palestinians’ rights to work and freedom of movement, Israel is violating a
long list of human, social, cultural, and economic rights as well as international laws.
Bisan Center for Research and Development Izzat Abdul Hadi / Nadya Engler 2004 |
PHILIPPINES
A question of (in)security. The Philippines is
something of a paradox, since it is a democratic society (some say the most democratic in
this part of the world) enjoying a large margin of freedom, and yet at the same time
experiencing a great deal of human insecurity. As long as the Government talks peace but
makes war, and as long as the economic model does not recognise the need to battle
inequality and poverty, human security will remain a remote possibility. Social
Watch-Philippines Isagani R. Serrano 2004 |
THAILAND
Two different worlds. The effects of globalisation on
government policies, particularly in the field of natural resources management, has been
even more devastating than the effects on human security of economic shortcomings and
natural disasters. The construction of a gas pipeline in partnership with Malaysia and the
monopoly of telecommunications in the hands of corporations owned by members of the
political elite are the most alarming issues in a society where economic growth has
widened the gap between the rich and the poor. Social Agenda Working Group Ranee
Hassarungsee 2004 |
- Latin America:
|
ARGENTINA
Post-crisis reconstruction. The changes in the
political and institutional system after the crisis of 2001 have caused large sectors of
the population to again consider politics as a viable tool for improving the people’s
material conditions of life. However, the seriousness of the social crisis calls for
urgent measures to guarantee the full exercise of economic, social and cultural rights for
all Argentines. This means attaining sustained economic growth and a change of approach in
the design and implementation of economic and social policies and in the relationship
between the Government and the multilateral credit organisations. Centro de Estudios
Legales y Sociales (CELS) - Programa de Derechos Económicos, Sociales y Culturales.
Jimena Garrote / Luis Ernesto Campos 2004 |
BOLIVIA
Endemic poverty and state violence. Unemployment,
extreme poverty and growing inequality are structural ills that plague Bolivian society.
They set the stage for bloody conflicts in 2003. The outcome: President Sánchez de Lozada
fled the country in October, leaving 80 dead in his wake. Such upheavals are the result of
the economic model imposed on the country for decades that is making human security and
human development impossible to achieve. Proyecto Control Ciudadano - CEDLA Tom Kruse 2004
|
BRAZIL
Urban violence, public safety policies and responses
from civil society. In 2000, 45,233 Brazilians were murdered, a national rate of 27
homicides per 100,000 inhabitants, which places Brazil among the most violent countries in
the world. For young people in impoverished urban areas, the rate is 230 killings per
100,000 inhabitants, which almost amounts to genocide. Civil society has been responding
more and more to this violence with demonstrations, projects, programmes and local
initiatives as ways to tackle the problem and promote human security. Centro de Estudos de
Segurança e Cidadania da Universidade Candido Mendes (CESeC) Observatório da Cidadania -
Brasil Silvia Ramos / Julita Lemgruber 2004 |
CHILE
Low-intensity democracy. Despite its economic
stability and the substantial improvements that the Government has achieved in the rates
of poverty and education, 52% of Chileans “feel they are losing out, and 74% have
negative feelings about the country’s economic system”. This is no paradox,
since according to the World Bank, Chile is among the 15 countries with the worst income
distribution in the world. Things are not much better in politics, where the principle of
“one person, one vote” is not viable in the “protected democracy”
inherited from the military dictatorship. Centro de Estudios de la Mujer (CEM) Solidaridad
y Organización Local (SOL) Programa de Ciudadanía y Gestión Local Fundación de
Superación de la Pobreza ACTIVA Ana María Arteaga / Carlos Ochsenius 2004 |
COLOMBIA
Eradicate poverty, negotiate war. Enjoyment of full
human security cannot be guaranteed while the war escalates, and the poverty and
inequality generated by neoliberal policies continue. Human security and human rights
cannot be viewed as contradictory. Corporación Región Alberto Yepes / Rubén Fernández
2004 |
COSTA RICA
A risky business. The Free Trade Agreement (FTA)
recently signed between Central American countries and the United States will have a
marked effect on the region’s economies, legislation and social policies, and will
influence governance and, therefore, human security. Social organisations are pessimistic
about any positive results accruing from the FTA for the benefit of ordinary citizens;
they are more inclined to envisage considerable difficulties arising in the medium term.
Centro de Estudios y Publicaciones Alforja Carlos Pentzke / Mario Céspedes Ávalos 2004 |
EL SALVADOR
Between poverty and violence.Poverty, increasing
inequality and a culture of violence are threatening the human security of the Salvadorean
people. The acts and omissions of the Government, far from protecting people in the
current critical situation, have deepened their insecurity. Actions taken by civil society
are still fragmented, and have not managed to revert government inefficiency. Control
Ciudadano El Salvador1 Rosío Villatoro Pineda / Ana Murcia / Armando Pérez Salazar
Jeannette Alvarado / Mario Antonio Paniagua 2004 |
GUATEMALA
Hungry for peace. The high rates of corruption,
insecurity and violence; the low levels of state investment in education, health and
social security; insecurity about food; the devaluation of life and the denial of human
rights; the slowness of the legal system; all these factors contribute to the insecurity
affecting the people of Guatemala. The recently elected Grand National Alliance Government
represents an opportunity to attain a real democracy that will foster and guarantee the
security of the people. INIAP - Iniciativa Social Luisa Eugenia Morales 2004 |
HONDURAS
An insecure and corrupt model. Honduras’ economic
model, driven by transnational investment, tourism and the concession of natural resources
to foreign interests is causing an increase in poverty, inequity, criminality, gender
violence and discrimination, all of which pose a serious threat to human security. The
final ingredient in this scenario of insecurity is a corrupt and out-of-touch political
system that is closed to dialogue with civil society. Centro de Estudios de la Mujer
(CEM-H) Mirta Kennedy / Suyapa Martínez Ana María Ferrera / Filadelfo Martínez 2004 |
MEXICO
Rights and human security to break the vicious circle.
Neo-liberal economic policies generate multiple vicious circles of human insecurity. One
of these circles (involving indiscriminate trade liberalisation, the crisis in rural areas
and migration) illustrates the extent to which economic, social, cultural and
environmental rights are being violated. In December 2003, following recommendations made
in the Diagnosis of the Human Rights Situation in Mexico, President Vicente Fox made a
commitment to set up a National Human Rights Programme. It is essential that the State
addresses the question of rights by taking a holistic approach that recognises their
interdependence, in order to start creating “virtuous” circles of human
security. DECA Equipo Pueblo, A.C. FIAN Sección México Espacio de Coordinación de
Organizaciones Civiles sobre DESC Frente Democrático Campesino de Chihuahua Areli
Sandoval Terán 2004 |
PANAMA
High spending, poor results. The greatest challenge
for human security in a country where 40.5% of the people are poor and 26.5% are extremely
poor is to fight poverty, especially in the rural areas and particularly among indigenous
peoples. The high level of social spending has failed to have the expected impact due to
an inadequate budget and to corruption. Fundación para el Desarrollo de la Libertad
Ciudadana José Emilio Champsaur / Manuel Ferrer 2004 |
PARAGUAY
The redundant military. The Paraguayan State is still
clinging to an outdated model of security based on military security rather than social
development. In the last national budget, expenditure on the armed forces and the police
increased while social spending went down. This means that Paraguay will not meet its
Millennium Development Goals (MDG) in 2015, since the Government’s policy will lead
to higher rates of poverty and will limit still further the human security of the people.
DECIDAMOS - Campaña por la Expresión Ciudadana Juan Carlos Yuste 2004 |
PERU
Towards a new founding pact. After the most intense
and prolonged period of violence in the country’s history (during which the State
showed its inability to guarantee human security), a process of national reconciliation is
needed. This involves establishing a new founding pact between the State and society aimed
at the construction of a country which must recognise itself as multiethnic, multicultural
and multilingual. This report synthesizes the conclusions of the Truth and Reconciliation
Commission (CVR).1 Conferencia Nacional sobre Desarrollo Social (CONADES) Milagros Varela
2004 |
SURINAME
Want in a rich country.Suriname ranks seventeenth
among the world’s richest countries in development potential. At the same time, the
vast majority of the population live under the poverty line, and economic inequality
almost doubled over the last 30 years. Decades of ethnical divide and rule, political
patronage, and a stifled civil society have left governance institutions open to both
national and international destructive influences. Stichting - Ultimate Purpose Maggie
Schmeitz 2004 |
VENEZUELA
In search of food security. The Commission for Human
Security maintains that one of the keys to attaining economic security and eradicating
poverty is that markets should function properly and that institutions should be set up
outside them. It is necessary to redouble efforts to ensure sustainable standards of
living and security for everybody through the creation of new jobs. This report outlines a
series of measures the Government is taking to try to promote economic and food security
for the whole population. Frente Continental de Mujeres Comité de Base “Juana
Ramírez, la Avanzadora” Red Popular de Usuarias de Banmujer 2004 |
- Industrialised and
former central planned:
|
BULGARIA
Belligerent but poor. Bulgaria has the highest poverty
rates in Europe, both in terms of overall numbers and as a proportion of the
country’s population. Without a referendum being held, or at the very least a public
survey, Bulgarians have become involved in an illegitimate war, the war against Iraq, for
which the National Annual Budget was readjusted, allocating an undisclosed figure to mount
the “peace-keeping” operation. It is clear that the money for this operation was
either relocated from other budget areas - possibly education, or social assistance - or
borrowed, in which case it will make the burden of foreign indebtedness even heavier than
before. Bulgarian Gender Research Foundation Bulgarian European Partnership Association
Plamenka Markova / Genoveva Tisheva / Ivan Petkov 2004 |
CANADA
Trading off human security for fiscal balance. After
posting a string of budgetary surpluses for the past six years, Canada is the only G7
nation to forecast budgetary surpluses. Looking back on this period of economic and fiscal
luxury, will the country be judged as having squandered this unique fiscal opportunity?
Canada appears poised to under-invest in its own people and in developing nations - the
future of the globe - for the sake of “small government”. A once-in-a-lifetime
chance to invest in human development could be squandered for a little more debt
reduction, and a little more consumer spending. Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.
Armine Yalnizyan 2004 |
GERMANY
Social security under threat. Since public funds are
tight, due not only to the country’s sluggish economic performance but also to a drop
in revenue following the introduction of tax reforms, the Federal Government seems
determined to initiate a phase of more rapid cuts in welfare spending. Although economic
and social insecurity that threatens livelihood will be the exception, a growing number of
Germans will experience social exclusion and unpredictability in planning for the future.
Social Watch Germany1 Uwe Kerkow 2004 |
ITALY
Sliding into insecurity. Over the last four years,
decades of social achievements have been lost due to structural reforms and privatisation,
benefiting a small proportion of the population. There is a clear decline in the quality
of life together with an increase in inequalities (through the re-establishment of
privileges for the few). Insecurity is growing, favoured by a government that shows
increasing disdain for democratic rules, institutional and social dialogue, and the civil
rights of those who are (politically, socially or culturally) “different”. ARCI
ACLI Fondazione Culturale Responsabilità Etica Manitese Movimondo Sbilanciamoci Unimondo
Alessandro Messina / Sabina Siniscalchi / Jason Nardi 2004 |
NETHERLANDS
Richer than ever - and tougher. Although the issue of
physical security is high on the public and political agenda in the Netherlands, it is
insufficiently visible in the broader context of human security for all. The fact that the
national economy has become richer did not lead to more space for humane policies and more
tolerant attitudes towards migrants, refugees, the elderly or other vulnerable groups in
society. On the contrary, more obstacles for human security have been put in place. On
global human security, there has been continuity in Dutch foreign policies, but these
policies are under increasing political pressure. National Committee for International
Cooperation and Sustainable Development (NCDO) Novib/Oxfam Netherlands 2004 |
PORTUGAL
A culture of irresponsibility. Unemployment,
corruption, and problems linked to immigration, health and consumption; these are some of
the factors that the Portuguese perceive as obstacles to their human security. In a
context of economic crisis, general dissatisfaction and bleak future prospects, it is
essential that democracy be strengthened through the exercise of a critical and
responsible citizenship. OIKOS Rita Veiga / Catarina Cordas / Patrícia Melo Isabel Costa
/ Bruno Nune 2004 |
SPAIN
Ineffective aid and emerging risks. The Government is
projecting to the international community an image of inefficiency in matters of human
security. This is reflected in the way that Official Development Assistance is allocated.
The distribution of aid is tied to political and media strategies rather than to the
people’s needs, which postpones the fight against poverty and the humanitarian
response in most crises. On the home front, terrorism is being tackled with repressive
military and police measures, and responses to the problems of unemployment, domestic
violence and immigration have been totally inadequate. Intermón Oxfam Eva Quintana /
María Truñó 2004 |
SWITZERLAND
At the crossroads. The country has reached a defining
moment. On the one hand, the solidarity-based minimum retirement benefit and equal access
for all to a high-quality healthcare system are firmly anchored in the public
consciousness. On the other, these social rights are being gradually undermined. The fact
is that tax cuts are making it increasingly difficult to achieve social improvements and
inequality has grown. Furthermore, social inequality will grow steadily worse. The year
2004 will bring landmark discussions and decisions in social policy. Swiss Coalition of
Development Organisations Swiss Coalition of Social Organisations Pepo Hofstetter /
Matthias Wächter 2004 |
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
The poor are poorer and more insecure. In the United
States, the concept of human security is often subsumed under that of “national
security”. The country has the highest degree of human insecurity among
industrialized nations. For all the government’s talk of national security, US
citizens have rarely felt less secure. Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy Center
of Concern Steve Suppan with Alexandra Spieldoch 2004 |
| Sources and resources |
