NEW YORK, January 13 (IPS) – This week, world leaders meet in Davos to discuss cooperation in addressing multiple crises, from COVID-19 and escalating inflation to economic growth economic slowdown, mounting debt and climate shocks.
Just three months earlier, finance ministers had gathered at Washington DC for the same reason. The mood was somber. The need for ambitious actions could not be greater; However, there were no dealdemonstrate the fragility of multilateralism and international cooperation.
Worse, policymakers – advised by the International Monetary Fund – are resorting to old, failed and retrogressive policies, such as austerity (now known as “financial constraints” or “financial consolidation”), rather than the much-needed debt relief and corporate/asset tax initiatives, to ensure an equitable recovery for all.
Recently global report warned of the dangers of a post-pandemic wave of austerity, much earlier and more severe than the one that followed the global financial crisis a decade ago. While governments begin cutting public spending in 2021, a tsunami of budget cuts is expected in 143 countries by 2023, which will affect more than 6.7 billion people. or 85% of the world’s population.
Analysis of austerity measures considered or implemented by governments worldwide have shown their significant negative effects on humans, particularly harm to women. These austerity policies are:
- social protection goalsexclude vulnerable populations that need assistance by cutting programs for families, the elderly and people with disabilities (in 120 countries);
- reduce or limit the public sector salary billIt is reducing the number and wages of civil servants, including frontline workers such as teachers and healthcare workers (in 91 countries);
- Eliminate subsidies (in 80 countries);
- privatization of public services or reform of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in areas such as public transport, energy, water;
- hard-earned pension reform by adjusting benefits and parameters, resulting in lower income for retirees (in 74 countries);
- (6) labor flexibility reform (in 60 countries);
- reduce the use of labor social security contributionsunsustainable social security (in 47 countries);
- and even cut medical costs although COVID-19 is not over yet.
Asceticism and all the human suffering it causes are inevitable, yes alternative choice. There are at least nine financial options, available even in the poorest countries, is fully supported by the United Nations and international financial institutions, from progressive tax increases to debt relief. Policymakers must urgently consider these. Many countries have implemented them.
In recent years, citizens have protested against austerity around the world. A recent study on world rally shows that nearly 1,500 protests between 2006-2020 were anti-austerity. Citizens demand better public services, social protection, decent work, tax and financial justice, fair distribution of land and a better standard of living, among many others. Protests against pension reform and high food and energy prices are also common. Recently, jobs and Cost of living crises have been highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to more protests despite the lockdown.
Much of the global protests against austerity and economic justice have demonstrated public outrage at severe inequalities. The idea of ”1% vs 99%,” which emerged a decade ago during protests against the 2008 financial crisis, has spread around the world, fueling discontent with elites and corporations manipulating policies. benefits to them, while most people continue to suffer from low standards of living, exacerbated by austerity cuts.
Remember that trillions of dollars have been spent to support group during the pandemic and to support military spending. Now people are being asked to endure austerity cuts, at a time when they are suffering from a cost-of-living crisis. The 2023 meetings in Davos are facing new rally and tax the rich.
Unless policymakers change course, we shouldn’t be surprised to see a growing wave of protests around the world. Street clashes are likely to increase if governments continue to fail to respond to citizens’ demands and continue to implement harmful austerity policies.
Governments need to listen to the demands of citizens who are legally protesting the denial of social, economic and civil rights. From jobs, public services and social security to tax and climate justice, the vast majority of protesters’ demands are fully in line with proposals by the United Nations and the Bill of Rights. Leaders and policymakers will only create further unrest if they fail to act on these legitimate demands.
Isabel Ortiz is Director of the Global Social Justice Program at the Joseph Stiglitz Policy Dialogue Initiative at Columbia University, and former Director of the International Labor Organization (ILO) and UNICEF.
Sara Burke is a Senior Policy Analyst at Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) New York
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