19 Oct | Join eight current and former UN Special Rapporteurs for an exceptional event on privatisation & public services

Join us for an online discussion on 19th October 2020 bringing together for the first time eight current and former UN Special Rapporteurs and a former UN Independent Expert to reflect on the impacts of privatisation and on renewed momentum and strategies for the public provision of services related to economic, social and cultural rights such as health, education, water sanitation and housing.

When?

19 October | 8am EDT, 12pm UTC, 2pm CEST, 8pm PHST

This event will be available in English, French and Spanish.

With whom?

• Philip Alston, former UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights 

• Juan Pablo Bohoslavsky, former UN Independent Expert on Foreign Debt and Human Rights

• Koumbou Boly Barry, UN Special Rapporteur on the right to education   

• Olivier De Schutter, UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, and former UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food

• Leilani Farha, former UN Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living, and on the right to non-discrimination in this context

• Léo Heller, UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation

• Tlaleng Mofokeng, UN Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health 

The event will be moderated by Magdalena Sepúlveda, former UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, and Executive Director of the Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

This event is co-organised by ActionAid, The East African Centre for Human Rights (EACHRights), the European Network on Debt and Development (Eurodad), the Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (GI-ESCR), the Initiative for Social and Economic Rights (ISER), Oxfam, the Society for International Development (SID), Public Services International (PSI), and the Translational Institute (TNI).

How?

This online seminar will be held by Zoom, with interpretation in French and Spanish.

Why?

After decades of de-regulation and privatisation policies around the world, private actors are playing an increasing role in many sectors, from education and health, to water, food and housing.  However, concerns that privatised systems are gravely threatening the realisation of human rights are rising. 

In recent years, dozens of human rights experts and bodies have rung the alarm bell, including four UN Special Rapporteurs who have written reports on the topic. The issue is becoming all the more critical in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, high and rising inequalities, and the ecological emergency. More than ever, the current trends towards privatisation and the dismantling of public services are proving to be untenable. The time has come to review human rights concerns across sectors and discuss alternatives to the dominant discourses.

This event will be the first ever to bring together a range of current and former UN Special Rapporteurs and explore how human rights can help build a joint analysis of privatisation and bring support to resilient, rights-aligned, gender- inclusive public services and innovative approaches to realise the common good in a changing world.

If you wish to follow the trends and be part of the change, welcome to the event!

#TheFutureIsPublic

This event is supported by the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, Washington, DC.