The Asian Peoples’ Movement on Debt and Development (APMDD), its member organizations, its colleagues in the Jubilee South network, and its partners in the international community stand together with the people of Nepal as they struggle to survive in the aftermath of the April 25 and May 12 earthquakes and deal with unimaginable devastation, suffering and loss.
Once again, it has taken a disaster of massive proportions to highlight and remind the world of the intense vulnerabilities that people living in impoverishment and deprivation bear. Nearly 8,000 have died because of the first earthquake alone, and many more are missing, injured, starving and homeless.
One of the Least Developed Countries, Nepal ranks close to the bottom of the UN’s Human Development Index, 145th out of 187 countries. The slight improvement from 2014 means that the little gains made have but all been wiped out by the quake. Nepal is one of many countries in Asia where over a billion people are known to be living barely above the extreme poverty line between US$1.25 to US$2.50 a day. Already under several layers of socio-economic deprivations, they are at great risk of regressing into deeper impoverishment than before in the face of catastrophe and crises.
In 2013 alone, Nepal had to pay US$213 million to creditors as part of servicing a US$3.8 billion foreign debt that apparently has done little to lift the Nepalese people out of poverty. Among its creditors are the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, whose lending has only gone into projects that have displaced communities, damaged the environment, privileged private sector investments in social services and kept the Nepalese people in conditions of economic dependence on debt and aid. ADB’s “concessional” lending for water projects, for instance, has been passed on several times from the central to the local government, with interest rates increasing at every turn.
The devastation in Nepal supposedly passes for access to the International Monetary Fund’s Catastrophe Containment and Relief Trust. Granting that this may alleviate the Nepalese people’s suffering, the depravity of having distressed peoples “qualify” for relief should be pointed out. If relief is to be substantive, the IMF should immediately and unconditionally cancel the US$10 million that will fall due for Nepal in 2015 as well as the entire amount of the principal.
If anything, the IMF continues to bring devastation across the Asian region with increasing fiscal conditionalities implemented through client states. These have ranged from the imposition of consumption taxes that unfairly burden the poor, to slashing public spending, public sector layoffs, privatization of social services and other forms of economic restructuring. The tragic consequences of more acute poverty and inequality, and the widespread violations of human rights today, are all too real for the peoples of the South.
We call for the immediate, total and unconditional cancellation of all debts claimed from Nepal – multilateral, bilateral and commercial – by all lenders including international financial institutions, governments and their development finance institutions, and private and commercial banks and investors.
We stand in solidarity with Nepal in these critical moments, committing our resolve and collective efforts as peoples’ organizations and social movements to help mobilize immediate aid and pursue the struggle towards building equitable, humane and sustainable societies.
13 May 2015
INITIAL SIGNATORIES:
Regional and International Movements and Networks
- Asian Peoples’ Movement on Debt and Development (part of the Jubilee South network)
- Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development
- Asia Pacific Research Network
- Bretton Woods Project
- Committee for the Abolition of Third World Debt (CADTM)
- European Network on Debt and Development (Eurodad)
- Focus on the Global South
- ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability – South Asia
- IBON International
- International Forum on Globalization
- Jubileo Sur Americas
- LDC [Least Developed Countries] Watch
- Migrant Forum in Asia
- NGO Forum on ADB, Manila
- Oxfam
- Society for International Development
- South Asia Alliance for Poverty Eradication
- Third World Network
National Organizations and Movements
AFRICA
The Gambia
- Worldview – The Gambia
Ghana
- Foundation for Grassroots Initiatives in Africa (GrassRootsAfrica)
Nigeria
- Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice
Mali
- Alliance contre la Pauvreté au Mali
ASIA
Bangladesh
- Bandhu Social Welfare Society
- Bangladesh Krishok Federation
- Business and Welfare Initiatives Ltd
- Center for Participatory Research and Development
- Coastal Association for Social Transformation Trust (COAST)
- Community Development Library
- Equity and Justice Working Group–Bangladesh (EquityBD)
- Global Call to Action against Poverty–Bangladesh
- GreenWatch Dhaka
- Jatiyo Sramik Jote
- Light House
- Peoples Development Community
- Society of Development and Education for Small Households (SoDESH)–Satkhira
- Sushasoner Jonny Procharavizan (SUPRO)
- Voices for Interactive Choice and Empowerment (VOICE)
Cambodia
- Positive Change for Cambodia
India
- Centre for Human Rights and Development
- EMPOWER INDIA
- Environics Trust
- Freedom Foundation
- Gram Bharati Samiti
- Indian Social Action Forum
- Kerala Independent Fishworkers Federation
- Nadi Ghati Morcha
- National Confederation of Dalit Organizations (NACDOR)
- Public Advocacy Initiatives for Rights & Values in India
- SEEDS-India
- South Asia Women’s Watch
Indonesia
- Aksi! – For Gender, Social and Ecological Justice
- Koalisi Rakyat untuk Hak Atas Air (KRuHA) [People’s Coalition for the Right to Water]
- debtWATCH Indonesia
- Inspirator Muda Nusantara
- Solidaritas Perempuan
Japan
- Association pour la Taxation des Transactions pour l’Aide aux Citoyens (ATTAC) Japan
Korea
- Energy and Climate Policy Institute Korea
Malaysia
- Monitoring Sustainability of Globalization
Nepal
- All Nepal Women’s Alliance
- Beyond Beijing Committee
- Campaign for Climate Justice–Nepal
- Center for Socio-Economic Research and Development Nepal
- Civic Concern Nepal
- Jagaran Nepal
- National Federation of Youth NGO Nepal
- Right to Food Network–Nepal
- Rural Reconstruction Nepal
- Women Welfare Society
Pakistan
- Awami Workers Party
- Advocacy, Research, Training and Services (ARTS) Foundation
- Naz Male Health Alliance
- Pakistan Development Alliance
- Pakistan Kissan Rabita Committee
- Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum
- Rural Development Organization
- Youth Association for Development
Philippines
- Alyansa Tigil Mina
- Aniban ng Manggagawa sa Agrikultura
- Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC)
- FDC Iloilo
- Global Call to Action against Poverty–Philippines
- Kalipunan ng Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas (KATRIBU)
- KATARUNGAN
- Koalisyong Pabahay ng Pilipinas
- Philippine Movement for Climate Justice
- Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement
- RightsNet
- Sanlakas
Sri Lanka
- Centre for Environmental Justice/Friends of the Earth Sri Lanka
- Community Development Services
Thailand
- Migrant Assistance Program (MAP) Foundation
- Sustainable Development Foundation
EUROPE
- Both ENDS Netherlands
- Christian Aid UK
- Debt and Development Coalition Ireland
- Global Justice Now–UK
- Jubilee Debt Campaign–UK
- National Justice and Peace Network–England and Wales
- Jubilee Scotland
- Jubilee Germany
- Debt Justice Network Norway (SLUG)
- Ecologistas en Acción – Spain
- Observatori del Deute en la Globalització–Barcelona, Spain
LATIN AMERICA
Haiti
- Plateforme Haïtienne de Plaidoyer pour un Développement Alternatif (PAPDA)
Bolivia
- Fundación Jubileo
Argentina
- Dialogue 2000 – Jubilee South Argentina
NORTH AMERICA
United States
- Biofuelwatch
- Friends of the Earth US
- Institute for Policy Studies
- Jubilee USA Network
- National Conference on Weights and Measures
- New Rules for Global Finance
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[ Spanish Version ]
Cancelación total e incondicional de la deuda reclamada a Nepal!
El Movimiento de los Pueblos de Asia sobre Deuda y Desarrollo (APMDD), sus organizaciones miembros, sus colegas en la red Jubileo Sur, y sus socios de la comunidad internacional se solidarizan con el pueblo de Nepal en su lucha por sobrevivir luego de los terremotos del 25 de abril y 12 de mayo y hacer frente a la devastación inimaginable, el sufrimiento y las pérdidas.
Una vez más, ha faltado un desastre de proporciones masivas para resaltar y recordar al mundo las intensas vulnerabilidades sufridas por las personas que viven en el empobrecimiento y la privación. Casi 8.000 personas han muerto a causa del primer terremoto, y muchos más están desaparecidos, heridos, hambrientos y sin hogar.
Nepal es uno de los países clasificados como “menos adelantados”; el Índice de Desarrollo Humano de la ONU lo ubica en el lugar 145 de los 187 países. La ligera mejora desde 2014 significa que los pequeños logros alcanzados, han sido practicamente todos arrasados por el terremoto. Nepal es uno de muchos países de Asia, donde se sepa que más de mil millones de personas están viviendo apenas por encima de la línea de pobreza extrema, con ingresos de entre US$1,25 a US$2,50 al día. Ya bajo varias capas de privaciones socioeconómicas, están en gran riesgo de sufrir una profundización del empobrecimiento frente a la catástrofe y la crisis.
Sólo en 2013, Nepal tuvo que pagar US$213 millones a los acreedores como parte del servicio de una deuda externa de US$3,8 millones que aparentemente ha hecho poco para levantar el pueblo nepalés de la pobreza. Entre sus acreedores se encuentran el Banco Mundial y el Banco Asiático de Desarrollo (BAD), cuyos préstamos sólo han apoyado proyectos que han desplazado comunidades, dañado el medio ambiente, favorecido las inversiones del sector privado en los servicios sociales y mantenido al pueblo nepalés en condiciones de dependencia económica de la deuda y la ayuda. Préstamos concesionales del BAD para proyectos de agua, por ejemplo, han pasado en varias ocasiones desde el gobierno central hacia los gobiernos locales, con tasas de interés crecientes en cada vuelta.
La devastación en Nepal supuestamente lo “califica” para acceder al Fondo Fiduciario del Fondo Monetario Internacional para la contención y Alivio de Catástrofes. Concediendo que esto puede aliviar en algo el sufrimiento del pueblo de Nepal, la depravación de tener pueblos en dificultades “calificar” para el alivio debe ser señalado. Si el alivio va a ser sustancioso, el FMI debe cancelar de inmediato y sin condiciones los US$10 millones de vencimientos que Nepal enfrentará en 2015, así como la totalidad del importe del principal.
En todo caso, el FMI continúa trayendo devastación en toda la región asiática con el aumento de las condicionalidades fiscales implementadas a través de estados clientes. Estos van desde la imposición de impuestos al consumo que injustamente se cargan a los más empobrecidos, a recortes del gasto público, despidos en el sector público, la privatización de los servicios sociales y otras formas de reestructuración económica. Las trágicas consecuencias de la pobreza y la desigualdad más aguda, y las violaciónes generalizadas de los derechos humanos hoy en día, son demasiado reales para los pueblos del Sur.
Hacemos un llamado a la cancelación inmediata, total e incondicional de todas las deudas reclamadas a Nepal – multilaterales, bilaterales y comerciales – por todos los prestamistas, incluyendo instituciones financieras, gobiernos internacionales y sus instituciones financieras de desarrollo y bancos privados y comerciales y los inversores.
Nos solidarizamos con Nepal en estos momentos críticos, comprometiendo nuestra voluntad y esfuerzos colectivos como organizaciones populares y movimientos sociales para ayudar a movilizar la ayuda inmediata y llevar a cabo la lucha por la construcción de sociedades equitativas, dignas y sustentables.
13 de Mayo 2015