A webcast recording of the proceeding of the whole day are uploaded here. Learn more about the Social Protection Floor Initiative and the views of Civil Society. The webcast is in two parts – the morning sessiona and fternoon session.  The programme for the day is presented here for your convenience.

Civil Society Forum
Commission for Social Development
The Social Protection Floor Initiative – Bridging the Gap to Poverty Eradication 

Tuesday, January 31, 2012, 10.00 a.m. – 4.30 p.m.

United Nations HQ, NLB-Conference Room 3

The Civil Society Forum has been planned by the NGO Committee for Social Development in joint sponsorship by United Nations DESA’s Division for Social Policy and Development & Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung.  This Forum has been organized to prepare civil society participants to participate during the 50^th Session of the Commission for Social Development (Feb 1-10, 2012 at UNHQ in New York) and the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (June 20-22, 2012 in Rio de Janeiro).  Speakers will present the Social Protection Floor Initiative (SPFI) as an essential and universal solution to break the cycle of poverty and reduce inequality and social exclusion while accelerating action toward achievement of Millennium Development Goals, 2015.

Upon completion of this Forum, participants will be able to:

• Describe SPFI as a universal framework for achieving equity and sustainable change.
• Discuss the importance of developing innovative strategies for providing social protection floor to high-risk populations.
• Identify the positive experiences and challenges of providing the Social Protection Floor Initiative

10:00-11:00 Opening Session     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZPp4WnIkd4&feature=youtu.be  

Welcome:

Ms. Winifred Doherty, Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd; Chair NGO Committee Social Development; Co-Chair, Working Group on Girls.

10:00-10:15 Ceremony “Million Signature Campaign Delivery” –  NGO Committee for Social Development

Guest Recipient of Signatures: H.E. Mr. Miloš Koterec, Sixty-eighth President of the Economic and Social Council, Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of Slovakia to the United Nations

Special Presentations:                 

H.E. Mr. Miloš Koterec, Sixty-eighth President of the Economic and Social Council, Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of Slovakia to the United Nations

H.E. Mr. Ambassador Jorge Valero, Chair of Bureau; Chairman of the 50^th Commission for Social Development; Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of Venezuela to the UN 

Mr. Jomo Kwame Sundaram, Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development, UN-DESA

Ms. Daniela Bas, Director, Division for Social Policy & Development

Mr. Werner Puschra, Director of the New York Office of Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung

11:00-1:00 Keynote Panel

 ”The Social Protection Floor Initiative– Bridging the Gap to Poverty Eradication”      

Moderator:    Ms. Eva-Maria Hanfstaengl, Director, Social Justice in Global Development

Invited Speakers:

Mr. Michael Cichon, Director, Social Security Department, International Labour Organization

Ms. Isabel Ortiz, Associate Director, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)

Ms. Braema Mathiaparanam, Regional President for SE Asia and the Pacific, International Council on Social Welfare; Chairperson/Coordinator, Singapore Working Group for an ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism

Ms. Laila Iskander Kamel, Chairperson, Community and Institutional Development Consulting, Egypt

The afternoon panel –

2:30-4:15 “From Passion to Action”   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWLRxr2EDTU&feature=youtu.be 

This interactive session will offer attendees an opportunity to discuss relevant UN plans and programs of action pertaining to the situation of social groups: persons with disabilities, youth, ageing and the family as one anticipates maximizing the impact of the SPFI in their own organizations. Universal access to basic social protection and social services is necessary to break the cycle of poverty and reduce inequality and social exclusion. “The Global Social Crisis: Report on the World Social Situation 2011” UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs’ Publication, 2011 notes, “The Social Protection Floor Initiative is affordable; its benefits need to be weighed against the potentially high human, social and economic costs of not investing in social protection.” 

Moderator:    Ms.Eva-Maria Hanfstaengl, Director, Social Justice in Global Development

Speakers:

Ms. Braema Mathiaparanam, Regional President for SE Asia and the Pacific, International Council on Social Welfare

Ms. Griselda Martínez Morales, Congregations of St. Joseph

Ms. Sylvia Beales, Strategic Alliances HelpAge International

Ms. Marwa Sharafeldine, Board Member of Musawah International Movement for the Reform of Muslim Family Law

Mr. Baquer Namazi, Independent CSO Activist Coordinating the Pro-Poor CSO Initiative; Founding Member of Iran Local Development NGO Resource Center

4:15 – 4:30       Closing Remarks by Ms. Winifred Doherty  Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd; Chair NGO Committee Social Development; Co-Chair, Working Group on Girls.

Have you signed the Social Protection Floor Initiative –  if not now is a good moment to do so English  http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/signature-campaign-social-protection-floor/signatures.html  Add your name to the list.         Spanish http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/en-apoyo-del-piso-de-protecci%C3%B3n-social.html
French   http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/appuyer-le-socle-de-protection-sociale.html    Portuguese  http://www.ngosocdev.net/index.php/anexo-protecaon-social/