Appeal from civil society to G7 leaders: “We need a new peace agenda”

The perspective of the organizations part of Civil7, a network with representatives in around 70 countries around the world

BARI – In times of war, we need “a new peace agenda”, based on “multilateral cooperation”: this is the appeal addressed to the heads of state and government of the G7 by the network of civil society organizations Civil7, which he followed the works of Borgo Egnazia. The position of the NGOs, called to dialogue with the forum of seven representing activists and organizations from around 70 countries, was communicated through a note. According to Civil7, “the profound inequalities, the violation of human rights, the threats to the planet, the fragility of global peace require the utmost urgency and concrete actions of multilateral cooperation”. The NGOs continue: “A ‘new peace agenda’ is needed to overcome the current polycrisis which especially affects women, children, young people and the most marginalized; an agenda capable of guaranteeing a future of rights and development social and personal for all, built on respect for shared rules, such as international law, international humanitarian law and human rights, the 2030 Agenda”. Civil7 again: “A peace agenda capable of consolidating the role of international multilateral bodies called to enforce these rules, avoiding double standards and attacks on institutions”.
According to the organisations, “collective security must be seen as a pillar of ‘positive peace’, starting from the idea that States must pursue mutual security rather than that at the expense of another State”.

Civil7 adds: “The G7 should invest in trust, solidarity, universality and global disarmament (both nuclear and conventional) rather than ‘muscle confrontation’.” According to the organizations, “resources should be allocated to address structural and systemic challenges, to pursue justice and sustainability for all”. Civil7 concludes: “This is why the G7’s almost unconditional support for Ukraine must be oriented from this perspective.”

THE KNOT OF THE DEBT THAT WEIGHS ON VULNERABLE COUNTRIES

The G7 recognizes “the increase in the debt burden” for the most vulnerable countries but does not do enough to address the problem: this is in summary the position of Civil7 (C7), an alliance of civil society organizations called for dialogue with the forum of powers. The position was communicated after the release of the final declaration of the summit of heads of state and government in Borgo Egnazia, in Puglia.
“No progress on debt reduction” denounce the representatives of Civil7. “The G7 communiqué recognizes the increasing debt burden, but merely promotes the implementation of the Common Framework, a process that has proven insufficient for debt resolution; furthermore, the aforementioned Global Roundtable on Sovereign Debt (Global Sovereign Debt Roundtable, Gsdr) is still an exclusive space, in which not all countries are at the same table”. The organizations continue: “The C7 reiterates the invitation to go beyond the Common Framework, towards a multilateral legal framework on debt with a process that is not coordinated by creditors; this must be a key element of a renewed international financial architecture, capable of responding to a comprehensive needs analysis, including, but not limited to, climate resilient debt clauses (CRDCs), based on the national and global 2030 Agendas, a more fair and involving civil society participation to promote public monitoring and transparency”.