Civil Society Declaration Delivered to the G20

"Both the North and the South need alternative development strategies to overcome the financial and economic crisis, and give people the protection they are entitled to."

So declared civil society leaders at the 2nd Development Forum for the G20: Exploring Alternative Development Strategies, which took place in Paris on 24-25 October 2011 with the support of the Rosa Luxembourg Foundation, Pax-Romana, Caritas France and UNRISD.

Discussions during the two-day event centred on the kinds of alternative development strategies that can respond to the urgent and interdependent issues of today's world -- such as unemployment and universal social protection; debt and innovative financing for development; and climate change and food and water security.

One result of the 2nd Development Forum was a civil society declaration, delivered by Fr Antoine Sondag, who chaired the opening session, to President Nicolas Sarkozy as holder of the G20 and G8 presidencies. The declaration specifies transformative social policy and universal social protection as essential components of viable alternative development strategies.