Economic Sovereignty and Economic Rights, and New Development Frameworks in a Changing Global Order
Date: Friday 17 April
Time: 14:00 - 15:00
Venue: Room XI, building A, Palais des Nations
Organizers: International Civil Society Working Group (ICSWG)
Background and RationaleQuestions of economic sovereignty are more urgent now than ever. The global geopolitical landscape is shifting rapidly, and the economic interventions being advanced must respond to the changing nature of the global order. Across regions, including recent developments in the Sahel and the emergence of the Alliance of Sahelian States, there are growing efforts to chart new pathways for economic cooperation, regional integration, and sovereignty beyond historically imposed colonial economic structures.
Communities across the African world are increasingly demanding that national resources be used in service of the people rather than directed toward servicing unsustainable and often illegitimate debt burdens tied to international financial systems that have perpetuated structural inequality and dependency. These demands reflect a broader call for economic justice, resource sovereignty, and development grounded in dignity and collective well-being.
For too long, economic rights have been treated as secondary within global human rights discourse. Civil society movements are now calling for the centering of economic rights as foundational to achieving justice, equality, and sustainable development for Africans and People of African Descent. At the same time, the global reparations movement continues to grow, raising important questions about how to ensure that reparatory justice processes remain grounded in the priorities of affected communities and are not reduced to technocratic or state-centered exercises disconnected from grassroots realities.
This side event provides a space for civil society/grassroots to engage in strategic reflection and dialogue and offer pathways to move forward on the economic transformation and interventions necessary to ensure relevance, autonomy, and advancement for Africans and People of African Descent in a rapidly changing global context.
ObjectivesThe side event aims to:
-Advance dialogue on economic sovereignty as a core pillar of self-determined development for Africans and People of African Descent.
-Promote reflection on the need to center economic rights within global human rights discourse.
-Examine structural inequalities, debt dynamics, and economic arrangements that continue to constrain equitable development and resource sovereignty.
-Identify pathways for community-rooted economic transformation, reparatory justice, and sustainable economic autonomy grounded in civil society/grassroots priorities.
Potential Guiding Questions-What does economic sovereignty mean for Africans and People of African Descent in the context of a rapidly shifting global order?
-How do debt structures, global financial systems, and historical/colonial economic arrangements continue to shape present realities?
-How can economic rights be centered more meaningfully within global human rights frameworks?How can reparatory justice and economic transformation remain grounded in grassroots priorities rather than state or elite-driven processes?
FormatThis side event will take the form of a facilitated civil society/grassroots dialogue bringing together movement leaders, organizers, scholars, economic justice advocates, and policy actors. The discussion will prioritize collective reflection, strategic exchange, and forward-looking approaches to advancing economic sovereignty and self-determined development.
Expected Outcomes-Shared civil society reflections on advancing economic sovereignty and centering economic rights within global justice and development frameworks.
-Identification of strategic priorities for strengthening community-anchored, sustainable, and self-determined economic transformation.
-Strengthened dialogue and alignment among actors working to advance economic justice and reparatory frameworks for Africans and People of African Descent.
Target AudienceCivil society organizations, members of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent (PFPAD), grassroots leaders, scholars, policymakers, economists, development practitioners, UN stakeholders, and partners engaged in advancing economic justice and self-determined development.
