We're off for summer! 

The Eurodad team and newsletter will be taking a well-deserved summer break in August. To keep you informed and ready for our return in September, we have put together a short reading list of some of our most pertinent outputs from 2021!

Reports

Sleep now in the fire: Sovereign Bonds and the Covid-19 Debt Crisis

Public debt levels have been on the rise over the past decade and this dynamic has been exacerbated further by the Covid-19 pandemic. This report aims to shed light on the lack of transparency in the case of sovereign bonds of middle- and low-income countries.

‘Rebuilding better', but better for whom?

In March 2020, the World Bank Group pledged to provide US$ 160bn to client countries in the 15 months to June 2021. In this briefing we analyse the Bank's response and ask, given private finance's central role, who is truly benefitting from their Covid-19 response package?

How lessons from development finance can strengthen climate finance

Climate finance is a vital and powerful sustainable development tool. This briefing highlights lessons learned from long-standing work on development finance that need to be taken into account in climate finance discussions taking place in 2021.

Blogs & Analysis

Talking straight on SDRs: What’s needed for fair and transparent distribution

In the space of a few months, Special Drawing Rights have gone from being a topic for IMF geeks to the talk of the town, but as this blog highlights, there are two main issues at stake.

Read more on the same topic:

• What difference will the IMF’s new SDRs allocation make to the world’s poorest?
• Special Drawing Rights: A three trillion dollar question (Infogram)

Liquid illusions: Who really benefits from the Liquidity and Sustainability Facility?

The Liquidity and Sustainability Facility has been presented as a mechanism to support countries in Africa in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. But which countries and investors really stand to benefit? Read our expert analysis

The relentless quest to mobilise private investment in infrastructure: more de-risking is not the answer

Despite "aiming for a step change" in their approach to infrastructure financing, a market-led approach is still at the heart of the G7’s plan to "build back better" for the world. In this blog, three experts analyse the proposals, the risks and an alternative way of thinking about infrastructure.

Debt and Covid-19

Over the past several months, Eurodad has collaborated with global partners to produce a blog series assessing the debt situation in several countries in the global south, issues related to the implementation of the Debt Service Suspension Initiative and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Read more below:

Bangladesh |  Colombia | Ecuador | Grenada | Kenya | Nepal | The Philippines | Zambia

Webinars

Debt Wednesdays: Understanding debt today

What is sovereign debt and why is it relevant today? All the sessions from the Debt Wednesdays training course are now available to be re-watched on our YouTube channel.

Don’t forget to fill in the post course survey

Induction session on Public-Private Partnerships

What are PPPs and why are they problematic? Eurodad’s Océan Blavot and Farwa Sial explain more in this induction session, including how to join PPP-related civil society campaigns and advocacy activities.

Upcoming events & useful resources

Strategy meetings on public services and human rights

Following the European strategy meeting on 12 July, allies in MENA and Asia will be holding similar meetings in the coming weeks. This series of meetings aims to bring together activists and organisations working on a variety of social justice issues, with the support for quality and gender-responsive public services as a connecting node.

29 July | Public Services and Human Rights workshop: MENA Region

5 August | Asia strategy meeting on public services and human rights (Follow @AsiaPeoplesMvt for registration details)

Letter: It’s time the G20 addressed debts of poorer states (paywall)

By Myriam Vander Stichele, SOMO

G20 finance ministers and central bankers should urgently use their legislative, regulatory, supervisory and monetary means to contribute to an orderly and co-ordinated resolution of unsustainable debt in which private creditors pay their due share.

The Pandemic Papers

Covid-19 has unleashed a crisis of unimaginable proportions. The Pandemic Papers is a compilation of reports and briefings released throughout 2020, reviewing the impact of the pandemic on debt and development finance. Request a physical copy of The Pandemic Papers in English via this form.

Job vacancy

Communications Officer

Eurodad is hiring a Communications Officer to communicate its research, policy proposals and campaign messages effectively.

Deadline: Sunday 15 August 2021 at 23h59 CET.

This newsletter has been produced with co-funding from the European Union, Bread for the World and Norad. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of Eurodad and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the funders.