Hundreds of Civil Society Organizations Worldwide Denounce World Economic Forum´s Takeover of the UN

240 civil society organizations and 40 international networks have called on the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General to end the recently signed UN’s Strategic Partnership Agreement with the World Economic Forum (WEF). The call, made in an open letter, condemned the agreement for ‘delegitimiz[ing] the United Nations and weaken(ing) the role of states in global decision-making.

Signed in June, the agreement promises to “accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” by deepening institutional coordination and collaboration between the UN and the WEF. Furthermore, the agreement grants transnational corporations preferential and deferential access to the UN System at the expense of States and public interest actors.

This “preferential access,” would undermine the mandate of the UN as well as its independence, impartiality, and effectiveness when holding businesses to account. “This agreement between the UN and WEF formalises a disturbing corporate capture of the UN. It moves the world dangerously towards a privatized and undemocratic global governance” said Gonzalo Berrón of Transnational Institute in presenting the letter.

Although corporate meddling is not unheard of in the UN system, under the new terms of the UN-WEF partnership, the UN will be permanently associated with transnational corporations. In the long-term, this would allow corporate leaders to become ‘whisper advisors’ to the heads of UN system departments.

The UN system is already under a significant threat from the US Government and those who question a democratic multilateral world. Additionally, this ongoing corporatization will reduce public support for the UN system in the South and the North, leaving the system, as a whole, even more vulnerable.

To prevent a complete downfall, the UN must adopt effective mechanisms that prevent conflicts of interest consistently. Moreover, it should strengthen peoples and communities which are the real human rights holders, while at the same time build a stronger, independent, and democratic international governance system.

According to Sofia Monsalve, FIAN International Secretary-General “Any policy on this subject should bear in mind the different roles of private interest and of rights-holders that look after common goods and benefits.”

In this regard, all the organizations and movements endorsing the letter, pledge to continue fighting against the privatization of democracy in the world.

OPEN LETTER

Corporate capture of global governance: The World Economic Forum (WEF)-UN partnership agreement is a dangerous threat to UN System

Open letter to Mr António Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations

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We the undersigned call on you to terminate the recently signed United Nations-World Economic Forum strategic partnership agreement.

We are very concerned that this WEF-UN partnership agreement will de-legitimize the United Nations and provide transnational corporations preferential and deferential access to the UN System. The UN system is already under a big threat from the US Government and those who question a democratic multilateral world. However, this corporatization of the UN poses a much deeper long-term threat, as it will reduce public support for the UN system in the South and the North.

It is our strong belief that this agreement is fundamentally at odds with the UN Charter and with intergovernmental decisions on sustainable development, the climate emergency, and the eradication of poverty and hunger. This public-private partnership will permanently associate the UN with transnational corporations, some of whose core essential activities have caused or worsened the social and environmental crises that the planet faces. This is a form of corporate capture. We know that agribusiness destroys biodiversity and sustainable and just food systems, oil and gas corporations endanger the world’s climate, Big Pharma weakens access to essential medications, extractive corporations leave lasting damage to countries’ ecologies and peoples, and arms manufacturers profit from local and regional wars as well as repression of social movements. All these sectors are significant actors within the World Economic Forum.

The provisions of the strategic partnership effectively provide that corporate leaders will become ‘whisper advisors’ to the heads of UN system departments, using their private access to advocate market-based profit-making ‘solutions’ to global problems while undermining real solutions embedded in public interest and transparent democratic procedures. The WEF agreement with the UN, and all other forms of corporate capture, seriously undermines the mandate of the UN as well as the independence, impartiality and effectiveness of this multilateral body, particularly in relation to the protection and promotion of human rights. For example, in the current discussions on a Treaty to regulate business activities, corporate capture of the UN – or undue interference by corporations on the UN – is weakening and compromising its ability as a multilateral body of government to hold businesses to account. Similarly, companies are increasingly making financial threats on governments and the UN when mandates are working on corporate accountability, the OHCHR mandate of the UN database on business in/with Israeli settlements is one example.

The UN’s acceptance of this partnership agreement moves the world toward WEF’s aspirations for multistakeholderism becoming the effective replacement of multilateralism. WEF in their 2010 The Global Redesign Initiative argued that the first step toward their global governance vision is ‘to redefine the international system as constituting a wider, multifaceted system of global cooperation in which intergovernmental legal frameworks and institutions are embedded as a core, but not the sole and sometimes not the most crucial, component.” The goal was to weaken the role of states in global decision-making and to elevate the role of a new set of ‘stakeholders’, turning our multilateral system into a multistakeholder system, in which companies are part of the governing mechanisms. This would bring transnational corporations, selected civil society representatives, states and other non-state actors together to make global decisions, discarding or ignoring critical concerns around conflicts of interest, accountability and democracy.

We call instead for strengthening peoples’ sovereignty, deepening democratic multilateralism and countering the further expansion of multistakeholderism. Public interest civil society organizations and social movements have played crucial roles in upholding human rights and environmental agreement and in the development of intergovernmental positions on a wide range of global crises over the past 75 years. To strengthen public support for the UN system for its next 75 years, we believe that your office as well the executive offices of the specialized agencies should host public consultations on the future institutional role and engagement mechanism with the most affected communities and organizations of the people, including among others women, workers, peasants, fisherfolk, indigenous peoples, LGBTQ , human rights defenders, educators, youth, and scholars. These communities which are human rights holders and are committed to preserving the common wellbeing of people and the environment; as well as to building a stronger, independent, and democratic international governance system must be treated differently from “stakeholders” who only have profit at stake.

UN should adopt effective mechanisms that can prevent cases of conflict of interest consistently throughout the entire system. Any policy in this regard should bear in mind the different roles of private interest and of rights-holders that look after common goods and benefits. Those private interests whose activities are in conflict with UN goals and objectives should not be involved with intergovernmental bodies or the Secretariat, whose focus should be always be on protecting common goods and providing global public benefits.

Mr Secretary-General, electing to build an alliance between the Secretariat and transnational corporations to save the UN system from those hostile to multilateralism and decreasing public funding, will destroy the UN system, not save it.

List of endorsers:

International

Action Aid Global
Arab Watch Coalition (MENA)
Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD)
Association of Women’s Rights in Development (AWID) International
Centro Internazionale Crocevia International
Christian Councils and Churches in West Africa (Togo)
CNS (Citizen News Service) – India/South Asia
COPAGEN – Afrique de l’Ouest
Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) Europe
ESCR.net – International
ETC group international
Eurodad Europe
European Coordination Via Campesina Europe
FIAN International International
Friends of the Earth International International
Global Forest Coalition Global
IBFAN ( International Baby Foods Action Network)
Inclusive Development International International
Jornada Continental por la Democracia y contra el Neoliberalismo America Latina
La Via Campesina Global
LACCASO – Consejo LAC de Organizaciones con Servicios en VIH-SIDA (LAC)
Medical Mission Sisters Global
Oficina para América Latina de la Coalición Internacional para El Hábitat
People’s Health Movement International
Plataforma América Latina mejor sin TLC
Project on Organizing, Development, Education, and Research (PODER) Latin America
Public Service International – PSI International
Red Latinoamericana por el Acceso a Medicamentos- RedLAM
Red WATERLAT-GOBACIT (www.waterlat.org) Internacional
RIPESS Intercontinental Social Solidarity Economy Network Worlwide
Sisters of Mercy of the Americas – Justice Team USA / Intl
Society for International Development
Southern and Eastern Africa Trade information and Negotiations Institute (SEATINI) Uganda East Africa
SYNTAP Afrique de l’Ouest et du centre
Third World Network
Transnational Institute
Transnational Migrant Platform Europe Netherlands/Europe
UNICAM SURI/ Universidad Campesina. Sistemas Universitarios Rururbanos Indocamericanos. Sudamerica
Urgenci International Community Supported Agriculture Network
Women’s Major Group Global

National

Abnaa Alnizein Organization In Missin Iraq
ACTUAR – Association for Cooperation and Development Portugal
Action Contre l’Impunité pour les Droits Humains (ACIDH) France
African Centre for Biodiversity South Africa
AFRICAN CENTRE FOR GLOBAL HEALTH & SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION (ACHEST) KAMPALA
AID/WATCH Australia
Aitec France
ALLIANCE CONTRE LA PAUVRETE AU MALI
Allianz gerechter Handel – Alliance for equitable trade Austria
Alofa Tuvalu France
Alternative Information and Development Centre (AIDC) South Africa
Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM) Philippines
Amansan Skill Training Institute Ghana
Amigas de la Tierra España
Amigos da Terra Brasil Brasil
Amis de la Terre France / Friends of the Earth France France
AMSK/Brasil Brazil
Articulação para o Monitoramento dos Direitos Humanos no Brasil
Asamblea Argentina mejor sin TLC Argentina
ASAMBLEA DE ANDALUCÍA (AdA) Andalucía.
Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD Asia Pacific
Asia Pacific MY WORLD 2030 SDG MYANMAR Myanmar
Asociación de Permacultura ATTA Alimenta También Tu Alma T Catalnya
Asociación Morelense de lucha contra el Cáncer A.C. Ciudad de México
Asociación Nacional de Empleados Públicos y Privados (ANEP) Costa Rica
Asociación Nacional de Empresas Comercializadoras de Productores del Campo (ANEC) México
Assembly of the Poor Thailand
Association For Promotion Sustainable development India
Association for Proper Internet Governance Switzerland
ATTAC Argentina
Attac Austria
ATTAC España
Attac France
ATTAC Italia Italy
Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance Australia
Baby Milk Action IBFAN UK UK
Beruffsverband vun de Laktatiounsberoderinnen zu Lëtzebuer Luxembourg
Bioasesores Asociación Civil México
Biofuelwatch UK/US
BLOOM Association France
BPNI/Parbati Sengupta. India
Brazilian Campaign for the Right to Education Brazil
Bread for all Switzerland
Bread for the World/Brot für die Welt Germany
Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India India
Cabildo Abierto Artiguista Asamblea Popular Uruguay
Campaña No a los Tratados de Comercio e Inversión España
Caritas France
Casa Cem – Vías Verdes A. C. Mexico
CAU-CI Côte d’Ivoire
CCFD-Terre Solidaire France
Cedetrabajo Colombia
CEFEMINA Costa Rica
Center for Environment/ Friends of the Earth Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina
Center for Peace Education and Community Development Nigeria
Central de Trabajadores de la Argentina Autónoma (CTA Autónoma) Argentina
Central Social Juanito Mora Porras-ANEP Costa Rica
Central Unitaria de Trabajadores (CUT) Chile
Central Unitaria de Trabajadores de Colombia (CUT) COLOMBIA
Centre Europe Tiers Monde (CETIM) Switzerland
Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience Coventry – UK
Centre for Budget and Governance Accountability India
Centre for Health Equity Research, Training and Evaluation Australia
Centro de Documentación en Derechos Humanos ‘Segundo Montes Mozo SJ” (CSMM) Ecuador
Centro de Estudios Legales y Sociales (CELS) Argentina
Centro Regional Universitario de San Miguelito Panama
CESTA Amigos de la Tierra El Salvador EL Salvador, C.A.
Ciranda.net – Red de Communicación Compartida Brasil
CNS (Citizen News Service) and Asha Parivar India/ South Asia
Coalición México SaludHable México
COAST Trust Bangladesh
Coddeffagolf Honduras
Coletivo Popular Direito à Cidade – Porto Velho – Rondônia Brasil
Comision Nacional en Defensa del Agua y la Vida – CNDAV Uruguay
Comité Permanente por la Defensa de los Derechos Humanos Ecuador
Confederación de Trabajadores/as Convergencia Sindical Panamá
Consejo de Investigaciones en Desarrollo cid Guatemala
CONTAGUAS Argentina
Coopetarcoles R. L Costa Rica
COPAGEN Afrique de l’Ouest
Corporacion La Caleta Chile
Corporate Accountability USA
Cultivate! Países Bajos
Cumbre de los Pueblos Chile
CUT-Brasil Brasil
Defensa de los mares al sur del mundo Chile
Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era
DUBOIS france
EB Technologies Zambia
EcoChi.org.uk Great Britain
Ecologistas en Acción Spain
ECOMUNIDADES Mexico
EcoNexus / Helena Paul UK
Ecumenical Academy Czech Republic
EDUCACIÓN CULTURA Y ECOLOGÍA AC MERIDA, MÉXICO
ELA Pais Vasco
Emmaus Aurinkotehdas ry Finland
ENTRAIDE ET FRATERNITE BELGIQUE
EQUIT Institute – Gender, Economy and Global Citizenchip Brazil
Escuela para Defensoras en Derechos Humanos y Ambientales Benita Galeana A.C. MEXICO
Espace de Solidarité et de Coopération de l’Oriental Oujda (Maroc)
Faor – Fórum da Amazônia Oriental Brasil – Amazônia Oriental
FASE – Solidariedade e Educação Brasil
Federación Nacional de Servidores Públicos (FENASEP) Panamá
Federación Trabajadores del Agua Potable del Peru – FENTAP Peru
Federation Nationale des Organisations Paysannes Burkina Faso
Fellowship of Christian Councils and Churches in West Africa Togo/Africa
FIAN Belgium Belgium
FIAN Colombia Colombia
FIAN Germany Germany
FIAN India (Network) India
FIAN Indonesia Indonesia
FIAN Mexico Mexico
FIAN Sri Lanka Sri Lanka
FIAN Sweden Sweden
FOCO INPADE Foro Ciudadano de Participación por la Justicia y los Derechos Humanos Argentina
Focus on the Global Sourh Thailand
Focus on the Global South Philippines
Food Security Network- Khani, Bangladeh Bangladesh
FoodMatters – Zimbabwe
Fran Baum Flinders University/People’s Health Movement Australia
Frente Amplio Santiago Centro Chile
Frente Auténtico del Trabajo México
Friends of the Earth Finland
Friends of the Earth Sweden
Friends of the Siberian Forests Russia
Fundacion Aguaclara Venezuela
Fundación Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (FARN) Argentina
Fundación Grupo Efecto Positivo Argentina
Fundación Gustavo Carvajal Moreno, mensajero de la Paz México
Fundación Hábitat y Desarrollo Argentina
Fundación para el Desarrollo de Políticas Sustentables Argentina
Fundacion Promocion Humana Argentina
Gabycarmen Navarrete Rodríguez México
GardenAfrica UK
Genetic Engineering Network UK
Geneva Infant Feeding Association
Gestos– Soropositividade, Comunicação e Gênero Brasil
Global Social Justice Bruxelles
Growth Partners Africa Embakasi, Nairobi
Grupo de Trabajo de la Sociedad Civil para Agenda 2030 – GT SC A203 Brasil
HEÑÓI Paraguay
Hermanas de la Misericordia de las Americas_ comunidad de Argentin
Homa Brasil
IBFAN ( International Baby Foods Action Network) Israel
IBFAN Italia Italy
Indian Social Action Forum – INSAF India
Indigenous Peoples Forum Odisha, India
Indonesia Fisherwomen Sisterhood (PPNI) Indonesia
Informationsgruppe Lateinamerika (IGLA) Austria
Initiative for Social and Economic Rights (ISER) Uganda
INKOTA-netzwerk Germany
Institute for Health Development Vietnam
Instituto de Estudos Socioeconómicos-Inesc Brasil
International Campaign for the Rohingya United States
Jothi SJ India
Justiça nos Trilhos Brasil
Justicia i Pau Barcelona España
Karen Environmental and Social Action Network – KESAN Burma
Kedir Mohammed A man/Action for Integrated Sustainable Development Association Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Kesatuan Nelayan Tradisional Indonesia/Indonesia Traditional Fisherfolk Union Indonesia
Latinamerikagrupperna/Solidaridad Suecia-América Latina (SAL) Sweden
Lleida Social Lleida (Catalunya)
MANUSHYA FOUNDATION Thailand
Mazingira Institute Kenya
Meliponario familiar Balam Cab México
MNCP – Movimento Nacional das Cidadãs Posithivas Brasil
MOCASE LVC Argentina
Movimento dos Atingidos e das Atingidas por Barragem (MAB) Brasil
Movimentos dos Trabalhadores Sem Teto Brasil
Movimiento Nacional de Mujeres Todas Somos Micaela Peru
Movimiento por la Defensa del Agua, la Tierra y el Medio Ambiente (modatima) Chile
Mrinal Kanti Tripra Bangladesh
NA India
National Fisheries Solidarity/ Herman Kumara Sri Lanka
National Food and Nutrition Centre, Ministry of Heath and Medical Services Fiji
National indigenous women and Girls solidarity Alliance The Formosa Islands
New Wind Association Finland
Nigerian Women Agro Allied Farmers Association Nigeria
No + AFP, Santiago Centro Chile
Observatorio Ciudadano Chile
Observatorio de Multinacionales en América Latina (OMAL) – Paz con Dignidad España
Observatorio Universitario de Seguridad Alimentaria y Nutricional del Estado de Guanajuato (OUSANEG) México
Oficina Subregional ISP Costa Rica
PAPDA Haiti
Participatory Research Action Bangladesh
Phenix Center for Economic and Informatics Studies Jordan
Plataforma América Latina mejor sin TLC América Latina
Plataforma Boliviana frente al Cambio Climatico Bolivia
Plataforma de Sevilla contra los Tratados de Comercio e Inversión Sevilla España
Polaris Institute Canada
Prasant Paikray, Spoke Person-PPSS Odisha, India
Press freedom advocacy association in iraq Iraq
Proyecto Crecer con Esperanza Argentina
Public Eye Switzerland
RAPAL Uruguay
Red de Acción en Plaguicidas de América Latina RAPAL MARCOS PAZ
Red de Acción sobre Plaguicidas y sus Alternativas en México (RAPAM) Mexico
Red de Coordinación en Biodiversidad Costa Rica
Red Latinoamericana por el Acceso a Medicamentos- RedLAM Latino América
Red Mexicana de Acción frente al Libre Comercio (RMALC) México
Rede Brasileira de Conselhos Brasil
Rede Brasileira de Integração dos Povos Brasil
Rede Jubileu Sul Brasil
Rural Initiatives for Community and Ecology Association (RICE) Thailand
Rural Women’s Assembly Lesotho
Salud Justa Mx México
SEdRA Chile Chile
Sherpa France
Sideytms Honduras
Sierra Leone Network on the Right to Food (SiLNoRF ) Sierra Leone, West Africa
Sindicato Nacional de a trabajadores de EnfermeríaSINATRAE República Dominicana
Sinttracuavalle Colombia Interamericas
Sisters of Charity Federation United States
Solidaritas Perempuan (Women’s Solidarity for Human Rights) Indonesia
SOLIFONDS Suiza
SOS Faim Luxemburg
SOTERMUN España
SpoKojení, z. s. Czech Republic
Sustainable Fish Farming Initiative (SFFI) Nepal
Terra Nuova Italy
Thai Poor Act (TPA) Thailand
The Best Father Project Uganda Uganda
The Equality Trust United Kingdom
The Hunger Project México Mexico
The People’s Coalition for Fisheries Justice (KIARA) Indonesia
Uganda Consortium on Corporate Accountability (UCCA) Uganda
Unidad de la Fuerza Indígena y Campesina Mexico
UNION DE AFECTADOS POR TEXACO UDAPT ECUADOR
Unión de SIndicatos de Trabajadoras y Trabajadores en Andalucía (USTEA) Andalucía
Union des Amis Socio Culturelsd’Action en developpement (UNASCAD) Haiti
Unión Nacional de Empleados (UNE) Nicaragua
Unión Popular Valle Gómez México
Unión sindical emcali- USE Colombia
Unión Sindical Obrera (USO) España
Urgewald/ Ute Koczy Germany
Verein zur Erhaltung der Nutzpflanzenvielfalt, German Association for Plant Variety Conservation Germany
WEED – World Economy, Ecology & Development Germany
WESPAC Foundation, Inc White Plains
Working Group on International Financial Institutions India
Zimbabwe United Nations Association Zimbabwe