Human Rights Philanthropy: Past, Present, and Future Challenges Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute, Hunter College, New York

Greetings to all. Thank you to Hunter College for hosting this vital conference. I am honoured to participate.

Today, the world faces an array of intersecting crises that seemingly show no end. A pandemic that is far from over. A climate emergency threatening our very survival. Inequalities standing at record levels.

Amidst this, war and conflict rages in many countries, pushing millions from the safety of their homes and putting dignity and human life at grave risk. In the last six weeks, since the Russian armed attack began in Ukraine, 1,417 men, women and children have been killed and more than ten million have been forced to flee. The people of Syria have been under bombardment for over a decade. Millions live without proper access to food, water or healthcare due to Yemen’s seven-year war. In Myanmar, military and security forces have killed at least 1,600 people in the last year alone.  One-third of Afghans face emergency or crisis levels of food security. In Ethiopia, we are witnessing severe and wide-scale human rights violations linked to conflict in the north of the country.

The world is no longer simply at a crossroads – it is at a tipping point.

But for this long list of interminable crises, the common denominator is clear: human rights can help us emerge from all of them. 

It is more urgent than ever before that discussions like today’s take place. And while we discuss and debate, it is critical that we recall that the most powerful tool we own to address global crisis - and recover from it - is human rights.  

The COVID-19 pandemic has ravaged the fabrics of societies across the globe. Now in its third year, it has stolen the lives of more than six million people. It has destroyed the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of others. It has slammed shut borders, keeping families apart. It has threatened the right of children around the globe to an education.

It has also exposed a plethora of inequalities, and most severely impacted the people whose voices have been historically silenced.

Women and girls. Indigenous peoples. People of African descent. Migrants and refugees. People with disabilities. LGBTI people. Minority groups. People deprived of their liberty. These are just some of the individuals and groups whose lives have been upended from the pandemic’s consequences.

Yet at a time when we most require the world to come together and support the most vulnerable, we instead continue to witness waves of nationalism. Nationalism which favours the citizens of wealthy countries to receive life-saving vaccines.

We are no longer faced with production constraints. Tens of millions of vaccines are expiring unused, and they are not reaching people in low-income countries, who are being sentenced to endure the pandemic’s consequences far longer than those in the developed world.

These selfish and immoral policies are setting the pandemic’s finish line even further out of sight. In all countries, hospitalization and deaths keep occurring predominantly among unvaccinated people.

Governments have a clear responsibility – they need to amplify their support to COVAX for example, to ensure effective access to vaccines for all countries.

But, dear friends, it is not only Governments who are bound to these obligations. This is also where private sector, philanthropic and civil society actors can all commit to working together in a more collaborative and effective way.

As you know, in the face of many challenges over recent years, several large foundations have reduced or eliminated their human rights programs. Having witnessed first-hand the tangible impacts of philanthropic activities on human rights and dignity around the world, I can only encourage such foundations to urgently reconsider their decisions.

Now is a window of opportunity to renew and revitalize human rights funding.

Friends,

The impacts of the COVID-19 crisis are amplified by and interlinked with the climate emergency, an emergency which is upending lives and livelihoods in every corner of the world. Environmental degradation is putting human rights – including to life, health, a healthy environment, housing, decent work, water, culture, development and self-determination – under profound threat.

Environmental degradation increases the risk of animal to human transmission of viruses. the actions we take to address one crisis can impact or support our ability to address the other.

We are in a race against time. How future generations live with the effects of climate change depends strongly on the action that we take now. For every day that we delay, it is our children who will suffer the most severe consequences.

I cannot underscore enough the importance of public  participation in climate change policy-making – particularly by those most affected by its impacts. Their voices are critical to ensuring human rights are placed front and centre of countries’ responses to the crisis.

In this regard, collective action to address climate change is crucial. We have already seen the powerful movements of people’s voices around the world on this issue, and we must continue to support their fight.

The pandemic, the climate crisis, rising inequalities, increasing conflict – to tip the world back into a semblance of balance requires transformational change.

It requires major, ambitious philanthropic investment in human rights.

It requires innovation, vision, leadership and solidarity.

With the depth of expertise in this room today, with the benefit of hindsight and lessons learned, and with a rigorous focus on human rights, we have the key to unlock progress.

 

My Office continues to join forces with foundations and philanthropists from around the world to amplify our human rights advocacy, and to rally support for human rights defenders.

Last year, as one example, we launched a new public-private partnership to fight climate change. The Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance brings together leading scientists, businesses, influencers and human rights advocates to fight for rights-based climate action for people and the planet.

I take this opportunity to extend my deep gratitude to all philanthropic donors who have contributed to the work of my Office. We cannot conduct our work without you.

It is clear that societies around the world are stronger and more resilient when they are supported with solidarity. International, cross-sector ties and links are critical to alleviate suffering, poverty, inequalities and human rights violations that are occurring at an exponential rate.

We need to step out of our silos. We need the active participation of all sectors of society.

Amidst times of extreme global crisis and upheaval, I cannot stress enough the importance of philanthropy directed towards protecting and promoting human rights.

Philanthropy can play a key role in helping the world recover better from the pandemic. It can support in the ongoing efforts to mitigate climate change and to adapt to its impacts. It can help ensure countries have the necessary means to address development gaps and guarantee no one is left behind.

And in a world where we are seeing rising attacks on freedom of speech and expression - directly targeting organisations and individuals who courageously fight for human rights - philanthropical organisations and individuals can direct significant efforts to reverse the shrinking of civic space.

Human rights must serve as our blueprint.

With the flexibility to use capital to create social change, philanthropy allows for big and bold moves, for long-term social impact, and for provocative and innovative grant-making approaches.

I encourage you to continue to display this flexibility and agility in your human rights philanthropy. It is crucial also to strengthen focus on the smaller, grass-roots community-based organisations who may not have global recognition, but who fight tirelessly and effectively to uphold human rights.

Philanthropic efforts must be hard-wired to leave no one behind.  We need to be aware of unequal distribution of resources and attention on crises and conflicts which take the media’s centre stage. Philanthropy must not forget the chronic crises which go under the radar, and the world’s most marginalized and vulnerable who are not in the news spotlight.

I also urge you to take a participatory approach in your grantmaking efforts. Engaging with National Human Rights Institutions, civil society organizations and the people your funding directly supports will increase impact and avoid duplication. And I reiterate the importance of the voices and insights of communities and people with lived experience in decision-making processes.

Robust human rights-based projects require solid evidence and data. Similar to initiatives by the Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute, the philanthropic community can leverage strategic partnerships with academia to deliver up-to-date, multi-sectoral and interdisciplinary research to better guide donor investments.

Finally, I remind you also of the critical importance of measuring impact, which your efforts can support. We face a persistent gap in the understanding of how funding human rights work directly benefits the people it is aimed to reach. Through the active promotion of research and analysis on human rights indicators, the philanthropic community is uniquely placed to advance the implementation of human rights standards and commitments. This supports policy development, and increases transparency.

Friends,

We are now at the halfway point in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which laid out 17 goals for the world to achieve by the end of this decade. Some of these targets include ending poverty and hunger, achieving gender equality, ensuring access to quality education for all and guaranteeing employment for everybody, no matter where they live or where they were born.

Unfortunately we are facing serious setbacks in achieving these goals. Collective action is becoming ever more urgent.

The UN Secretary-General’s Call to Action for Human Rights lays out his transformative vision for human rights. It also provides new grounds for public-private partnerships. As we recover from the pandemic, such partnerships will be key to advance towards more inclusive and equal societies.

I have also spoken previously about the importance of a human rights economy.

At its simplest, a human rights economy is an economy that not only prioritises inclusive, sustainable economic growth, but that has people and their human rights as its core focus.

Economies which put human rights at their centre are the most resilient and inclusive economies. They are economies which choose to invest in social spending essential to protect and promote fundamental human rights, such as the rights to health, social protection, education, food, water, housing, development and a healthy environment.

Now, more than ever, human rights economies are what we need to advance.

Friends,

At a time of unprecedented global economic and social upheaval, we need the support of everybody to eliminate human tragedy and advance towards a world with human rights and human dignity at its core.

Human rights benefit and protect us all, and they require urgent and collective action.

Now is the time to work together to advance the human rights agenda and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

Now is the time to implement your leadership, your vision and your dedication to human rights. My Office commits to support your efforts.

Thank you for your engagement and your innovation and for helping us pave the path to a more peaceful, just and sustainable future.

I wish you an inspiring and productive discussion ahead.

Thank you.