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As the pandemic and escalating climate crisis has exacerbated inequalities and reminded us of the centrality of care in our societies, ESCR-Net held a CSW66* parallel event entitled “Centering Care In a Feminist Intersectional Approach to Loss and Damage” (24 March 2022). During the event, women's rights advocates and feminist activists from across regions reflected on advancing action to ensure the rapid, equitable, ecologically sustainable, and just transition away from fossil fuels to a zero-carbon, regenerative care-based society focused on the well-being of people and the planet.

Between 13-29 March 2022, intersessional meetings were held in Geneva ahead of COP15, an upcoming major United Nations biodiversity summit. Ahead of these preparatory talks amongst States, ESCR-Net members sent a collective letter calling on all Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) to adopt a human-rights based approach overall, and in particular to recognize, respect, protect and promote the overarching right to self-determination, including free, prior and informed consent, the right to land and tenure rights in the post-2020 global biodiversity framework (GBF), which is currently being negotiated and likely to be adopted at COP15. It further called on governments to adopt a ‘land tenure indicator’ as well as emphasized the importance of strengthening protections for human rights defenders.

The ability of governments to provide basic public services, and ensure the fulfillment of economic, social, and cultural rights has been increasingly hampered by indebtedness; leaving them virtually unable to respond to major crises. Powerful countries that control international financial institutions, like the IMF, can allow these economies to meaningfully respond; they just need the will.

The COVID-19 crisis has shown why a social pact on care is urgent to end the structural inequalities and the growing feminization of poverty in Latin America, which according to the the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) would would affect 118 million women in 2021, 23 million more than in 2019.

We the undersigned organizations strongly condemn the recent killings within the span of three days of Human rights defenders Ayanda Ngila in the eKhenana settlement and Siyabonga Manqele in the eNkanini settlement in Cato Manor, in Durban, South Africa. Both were members of the Abahlali baseMjondolo movement, which promotes the rights of shack dwellers in the informal settlements in South Africa.