In his forceful July 2020 statement on “Tackling the Inequality Pandemic: A New Social Contract for a New Era”, the UN Secretary General (SG) called for the UN’s support to COVID-19 response and recovery to be based on “a New Social Contract and a New Global Deal that create equal opportunities for all and respect the rights and freedoms of all”. This will be critical to strengthen social cohesion and rebuild trust as set out in the SG’s Common Agenda and in the CEB’s UN System Framework for Action on Equality.

On 5-7 May 2021, OHCHR, the Development Coordination Office (DCO), UN Women, and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) organized a three-day workshop to share and learn from experiences at the country level of how the UN is working to support the COVID-19 response and recovery and operationalizing SG’s vision. It was an opportunity to brainstorm on how the recovery can address inequalities, bring transformative, inclusive and sustainable economies, and operationalize a ‘new social contract’. There was also space to reflect on challenges and opportunities, analyze gaps, identify pathways for overcoming obstacles, and build synergies between UN entities to strengthen our joint impact – with a particular focus on how to influence macroeconomic policy as the UN steps up its role in the economic sphere. It was also an opportunity to share strategies, guidance and tools that are or can be used by UN entities, including exploring how to leverage the UN’s normative standards on human rights, labour and social protection rights, decent work, gender equality and the environment, in the socio-economic response and recovery to COVID-19, in line with the SG’s Call to Action on Human Rights.

The key outcomes of the meeting are: 

1. A workshop report that captures impactful practices of how UN entities are addressing inequalities and engaging on macroeconomic policies to operationalize the social contract, including by bringing a gender sensitive and human rights-based approach to the macroeconomic pillar of the UN’s country level work, 
2. The gathering of suggestions on how to strengthen collaboration and integration of approaches at the country level 
3. The establishment of an informal network of economists, policy advisers and gender and human rights specialists interested to keep exchanging practices and work together on macroeconomic policy issues for transformative economic change.

Resources

• Final Concept Note
• Final Programme
• Useful Resources on a Human Rights Approach to Macroeconomics
• Summary Brief – Day 1
• Summary Brief – Day 2
• Summary Brief – Day 3