UNRISD Podcasts

With a new office in Bonn, launched on 6 February, UNRISD aims to create new interagency collaborations and strengthen research uptake linkages to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. We sat down after the launch event for a short interview with Isabell Kempf, the newly appointed Head of UNRISD’s Bonn Office, who told us about her vast experience with knowledge challenges at the United Nations, the role of research in the face of the current climate crisis, how science and action can work together, and much more.

Based on analysis from his recent book "Plunder of the Commons: A Manifesto for Sharing Public Wealth", Guy Standing introduces a new appraisal of the commons and how much of it has been privatized, from land and state housing, health and benefit systems, to justice systems, schools, newspapers and even the air we breathe. He proposes a charter for a new form of commoning, of remembering, guarding and sharing that which belongs to us all, to slash inequality and soothe our current political instability.

The remarkable economic growth of sub-Saharan Africa in the first 15 years of the 21st century did not always go hand in hand with greater equality. While income inequality during the 2000s decreased in 17 countries, it went up in 12 countries. What were the determinants and consequences of these divergent trends?

In this seminar, Lucas Chancel presents new empirical research findings on global economic and environmental inequalities. He highlights the close link between social and environmental (in)justice, and discusses policy options that can address the unsustainability of economic inequality.

Reducing inequality (SDG10) requires progressive and substantial shifts in fiscal policy and an essential equality-enhancing instrument with the potential to do three things: (1) raise necessary revenues for public spending which tackles vertical and horizontal inequalities; (2) stem market incentives for accumulation of income and wealth at the top; and (3) forge a credible fiscal compact between citizens and the state. But how can such progressive policies be implemented while those in power benefit from the status quo? Experts from the United Nations, the IMF, Oxfam and the research community discuss these and many more questions on fiscal policy and socioeconomic disparities, in the context of the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF), the United Nations main platform to review progress and provide guidance and recommendations on implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. → Welcome remarks 00:00:14 Luise Rürup, Director, FES New York → Opening remarks Ambassador Luis Bermúdez, Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of Uruguay Mr. Inge Herman Rydland, Special Envoy for the 2030 Agenda, Norway Ministry of Foreign Affairs → Panel Discussion Paul Ladd, Director, UNRISD Katja Hujo, Senior Research Coordinator, UNRISD

Based on examples from Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, and Jakarta, Indonesia, the speakers at this seminar discussed how issues of land rights and informality shape uneven vulnerability to climate change in coastal zones, and highlighted the need for more integrated and transformative approaches to adaptation.

In the framework of the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF), the United Nations main platform to review progress and provide guidance and recommendations on implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, UNRISD organized a side event on 17 July 2018 to present and discuss new research evidence and local government experience of Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE). For more information and resources on localizing SDGs, social economy and sustainable development, please visit: http://www.unrisd.org/sse-sdgs-seoul

What is needed to safeguard trans* people's rights? At this Side Event of the 38th Session of the Human Rights Council, policy makers, influencers and practitioners discussed good practices and lessons from policy formulation and implementation at the national level, the role of civil society, the impact of social research and the effects of the 2030 Agenda on human rights discourse, the rights of LGBTQI+ populations and policy change.

Since 2008, many countries in Europe have been hit by a series of crises—economic, political, migratory. According to Maria Maxi (Institute of Citizenship Studies, University of Geneva) even more intractable than these, and exacerbating them, is one caused by a profound lack of solidarity. In this podcast, she introduces a new research project and outlines its potential insights for fostering solidarity in and outside the European context.

Many would be sceptical at the idea of fashion brands as a strategy for helping mitigate the migratory crisis in Mediterranean Europe. Heidi Christ, Artisan Value Chain Expert at UNHCR, walks us through experiences that show that employment opportunities can be created by combining artisanal work, creative humanitarian programmes and the cultural richness that refugees bring with them.

Most international migrants are migrant workers, many of whom find themselves in vulnerable situations, up against the risks and insecurity of the informal economy. Simel Esim (ILO) has investigated how cooperatives can help enable a decent work environment for migrant workers, hence opening pathways toward improved livelihoods.

A robust body of evidence shows that Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) can foster the economic, social and cultural rights of individuals and communities. Ibrahim Said, UNRISD Research Analyst, argues that the emancipatory and developmental potential of SSE could make responses to humanitarian emergencies, such as Europe’s refugee crisis, empowering and transformative.

Three things could better equip us to overcome refugee precarity, according to UNRISD Senior Research Coordinator Katja Hujo: (i) a clearer understanding of what we mean by "precarity" and “vulnerability” in the context of involuntary (forced) migration, (ii) moving from migration management to a rights-based approach to migration governance and (iii) unlocking the potential of the 2030 Agenda to help realize and harness the development potential of those who migrate.

Refugees and migrants face enormous threats and impediments to the enjoyment of their human rights. Ambassador Anna Korka from the Permanent Mission of Greece in Geneva tells us how recent legislative endeavours in Greece aim to create an environment that enables new types of economic activity, combat long-lasting socioeconomic problems—such as unemployment—and protect the fundamental human rights of vulnerable populations arriving in the country.

Links between gender-based violence and the world of work, and how policies are changing to address them, are the subject of this interview with Jane Aeberhard-Hodges, former Director of the ILO's Bureau for Gender Equality and currently an UNRISD Senior Research Associate. Jane discusses recent policy innovations in Australia in which employers are recognising the impact of domestic violence on the workplace. She looks at how these changes have come about and how they might inform a new international standard on violence in the world of work, as well as discussing the potential impact of global policy making.

Matthias Rüetschi presents the work he and his team lead at Services Industriels de Genève (SIG) in engaging with the current Swiss energy transition strategy. Matthias offers an overview of local programmes that aim to optimize energy efficiency while reducing CO2 emissions in Geneva, a city that as of 2017 runs entirely on renewable energy. Nora Kronig Romero, Counsellor, and Head of the Office of Specialized Institutions, at the Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the UN in Geneva, closes the seminar reflecting on the Swiss popular vote that will allow citizens to choose the source of the country’s energy.

Dunja Krause (UNRISD) explains why energy transition is a social issue as much as a political, environmental and a technological one. Drawing from UNRISD’s most recent research, Dunja considers the energy transition through an eco-social lens, and sees social barriers and challenges as well as policy responses and exemplary innovations from Africa and Europe.

Marek Harsdorff walks us through the implications and opportunities of the energy transition in the field of work. Marek, an economist in the Green Jobs Programme at the International Labour Organization (ILO), shares some guiding principles for a just transition to sustainable economies.

SDG 7 holds the promise of access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all, as well as a substantial increase in the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix. But what are these commitments likely to translate to, in practice? In this UNRISD seminar, we teamed up with local and global thinkers and actors to discuss the types of transformations required to produce energy sustainably, and what that means for the economies, societies and environments in which global energy systems function.

Urbanization, migration and displacement, climate change and development are all inextricably linked. In this podcast, Elizabeth Maclean analyses how sexual and reproductive health and rights can be integrated with environmental justice as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Elizabeth is Research Coordinator at the International Center for Migration, Health and Development.

In this podcast, David Chipanta discusses social protection in the context of sexual and reproductive health and rights. His presentation touches on the rights of key groups such as trans men and women, prisoners, sex workers and people who use intravenous drugs. David is Senior Social Protection Advisor at UNAIDS.

In this podcast, Agnes Odhiambo presents the policy and practices related to adolescents’ sexual and reproductive health and rights in Kenya. Agnes is Senior Women’s Rights Researcher at Human Rights Watch in Nairobi.

In this podcast, Paola Daher explains how sexual and reproductive health and rights can be protected in conflict situations. She also analyses the effects of international policy changes curtailing funding for abortion. Paola is Global Advocacy Advisor at the Center for Reproductive Rights.

In this podcast, Meghan Doherty discusses current global trends in safeguarding and advancing sexual and reproductive health rights. Megan is Global Policy and Advocacy Officer at Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights.

How can people’s sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHRs) around the world be better protected and promoted? A human rights-based approach to development means that national policies must be designed in a way that protects individuals' dignity, autonomy and the right to choose which family planning methods are best for them. Listen to the introduction of an official side event of the 34th Session of the Human Rights Council, where representatives from governments, civil society and international organizations discussed challenges and good practices in ensuring full access to SRHRs, as well as what current global trends mean for implementation of the SDGs (and their achievement by 2030).

Closing remarks of "Innovation and Sustainable Development", an UNRISD Seminar in collaboration with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS).

In this podcast, Yanghua Huang, walks us through China’s industrialization pattern, the country’s main achievements in poverty reduction and employment, the effects and challenges of an industrialization-driven model, and possible solutions towards sustainable production. Yanghua Huang is Research Fellow at the Institute of Industrial Development at CASS and is presentation was part of "Innovation and Sustainable Development", an UNRISD Seminar in collaboration with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS).

In this podcast, Dian Yang gives us a historical outlook on China’s social policy scheme as well as a presentation of policy innovations designed to alleviate poverty in China. Dian Yang is Research Fellow at the Institute of Sociology at CASS and his presentation was held at "Innovation and Sustainable Development", an UNRISD Seminar in collaboration with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS).

In this podcast, hear the three key messages of the UNRISD 2016 Flagship Report, "Policy Innovation for Transformative Change" presented by UNRISD Research Coordinator, Katja Hujo, complemented by examples of what eco-social policies are and what they should be, as well as what is needed to maximize their potential and thus enable sustainability presented by UNRISD Associate Expert, Dunja Krause. Their presentations were given at "Innovation and Sustainable Development", an UNRISD Seminar in collaboration with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS).

What are the key policy, institutional and technological innovations that can be harnessed to realize the 2030 Agenda, especially in the context of developing economies such as China? In this podcast, hear Paul Ladd (UNRISD Director) and Zhang Yuyan (Director-General, Institute of World Economics and Politics, CASS) open the UNRISD Seminar "Innovation and Sustainable Development", organized in collaboration with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS).

In this podcast, recorded at the Geneva launch of the UNRISD 2016 Flagship Report (http://www.unrisd.org/flagship2016) “Policy Innovations for Transformative Change”, panellists discuss how to put the vision of the 2030 Agenda into action, exploring how innovative policies that integrate and balance the social, environmental and economic dimensions can lead to inclusive societies that leave no one behind. Drawing on numerous policy innovations from the Glabal South, the UNRISD Flagship Report goes beyond buzzwords and brings to the development community a definition of transformation which can be used as a benchmark for policy making towards the 2030 Agenda, and explores what transformative change really means for societies and individuals.

How can we understand the events, individuals and institutions that change the world? Can we use this to change things for the better? During this Geneva stop on his global book tour, Duncan Green introduced the arguments of his new book, "How Change Happens", which combines research with practical experience to explore the topic of social and political change. Drawing on many first-hand examples and insights from studying and working on international development, the book offers the latest thinking on what works to achieve progressive change.

In this podcast, Lauren Whitehead explains how the graduation programmes led by BRAC increase productivity and household income while aiming to strengthen livelihoods of those who are often left behind by development policies and do not benefit from non-inclusive economic growth.

In this podcast, Stephen Kidd (Development Pathways), presents a critical view of the graduation approach in the context of social protection schemes. In his view, research evidence mines both the effectiveness and the sustainability of the approach in being instrumental to help people escape poverty.

Is a universal (or unconditional) basic income (UBI) an effective way for states to meet their social protection commitments in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development? Is it a utopian vision within reach of only the richest countries, or as several pilot schemes have shown, a realistic option for developed and developing countries alike to reduce poverty and increase social justice? The Swiss popular vote on 5 June 2016 on the introduction of a UBI give UNRISD the opportunity to explore these issues with a panel of experts familiar with key experiences from countries in the Global North and the Global South.

Agenda 2030 is ambitious in its vision, "transforming our world", broad in its 17 goals and 169 targets, and universal in its application to all countries. Women's rights are explicit in the preamble, and in Goal 5 "Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls", and are mainstreamed in several other goals. In this event, part of the UNRISD Seminar Series, experts from the UN and academia reflect on the SDGs’ potential, strengths and weaknesses from a gender perspective, and the challenges of their implementation. This was the Geneva launch of the open access Oxfam journal Gender & Development devoted to the Sustainable Development Goals, co-edited by Valeria Esquivel and Caroline Sweetman.

In addition to SDG2, which aims to end hunger, food security and food trade have implications for other goals related to energy, equity and global partnerships. But there would seem to be some disconnect between the vision of the SDGs and the current global food trade architecture. In this podcast, Sophia Murphy, UNRISD Visiting Fellow, discusses: (1) whether countries can create and enforce trade rules that respect other global commitments to sustainable and inclusive human well-being, (2) how the international community can rebuild confidence in international food markets and the rules that govern them, and (3) how governments should reform multilateral trade rules to limit future risks to food security while ensuring everybody’s food needs are met in a sustainable way. After her presentation, Susan Mathews, Human Rights Officer working at the Thematic Engagement, Special Procedures and Right to Development Division at the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, brings another perspective to the discussion of trade from a social development and human rights angle. She explains why and how OHCHR is engaging on trade as a human rights issue, highlight some lessons learned from past experiences with human rights impact assessments of trade agreements, and describes current efforts to initiate a human rights impact assessment of the Continental Free Trade area agreement in Africa, focusing on agriculture, including food security and livelihoods, as well as employment.

In this podcast, members of national governments, international agencies and non-governmental organizations discuss challenges and best practices of implementing rights-bases access to WASH in a social protection framework.

In this podcast, members of national governments, international agencies and non-governmental organizations discuss existing frameworks in implementing the right to water and sanitation.

Partnerships, and their accompanying networks, are now presented as an essential ingredient for fair SDG implementation, to mirror the participatory spirit in which the Goals were created. But what happens in practice? Network analysis reveals how development ‘partners’ may in fact informally depart from established rules and relationships, with the end result that networks may amplify the very disparities of power they were intended to reduce. In this podcast, Moira Faul argues that with a better understanding of how partnership works, network members could rewire relationships for more inclusion, and ultimately better policy and practice solutions.

In September 2015, heads of state adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, an ambitious set of goals that will change the global approach to development. If all our planet's inhabitants are to be able to enjoy the dividends of the Sustainable Development Goals, everyone will have to contribute, participate and adapt their behaviour. But many countries and stakeholders will need to increase their capacity before they can engage effectively. At this event, organized by the UNOG Library, UNRISD Director Paul Ladd speaks on a panel of UN experts in training and research, and member state representatives, discussing what capacity is needed to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and what the UN is planning to do to research and design tools to help countries generate this capacity.

In this podcast, discover more about how women’s movements mobilize for policy change on the key areas of violence against women, land rights, domestic workers’ labour rights and unpaid care work. What are the effective strategies women advocates use to influence policy change? How do different women’s groups reach a consensus and build alliances? Why do certain claims remain on the margins? When do states respond to women’s claims? Based on finding from the UNRISD research project When and Why Do States Respond to Women’s Claims? Understanding Gender-Egalitarian Policy Change in Asia, Nitya Rao, external project coordinator, will discuss the conditions and factors that allow women’s movements to successfully trigger policy change and participate in negotiation processes behind such change.

This podcast features an interactive panel discussion with international policy makers and practitioners from UN agencies and non-governmental organizations. Panelists analyze migrant precarity, looking in particular at the linkages between migration and social protection from a rights perspective.