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

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

Individuals

  • Abel  Santamaria…. SINTUP. Panama
  • Adri Verster South Africa
  • David Abbott UK
  • Dion J P de Oliveira Brasil Curitiba Paraná
  • Dr Julia Anaf Australia
  • Dr Mallikarjuna H B INDIA
  • Dr Mélissa Mialon – Brasil
  • Dr Rita Gupta India
  • Dr Tomaso Ferrando bristol
  • DR VANDANA PRASAD INDIA
  • Dr. Anant Phadke, All India Drug Action Network India
  • Fayyaz Baqir Canada
  • Ferrier Christian Bonneville
  • Fiorella Bomé – Italia
  • Hildebrando Vélez Galeano Colombia
  • Irene Green
  • Jessy George India
  • Lawrence Sisitka South Africa
  • Margarita Petrona Gómez Argentina
  • Maria Laura Sánchez Rojas Costa Rica
  • Marita Hennessy (NUI Galway) – Ireland
  • Mireille BERNEX
  • S Faizi India
  • Samuel A. Germany
  • Tonguç Özcan – Türkiye
  • Vinay Jha India
  • Zdravka Dimitrova Bulgaria