Calendar

From Commitment to Action: Feminist Foreign Policy of the G7

24 November 2022 from 13-14.30pm CET, via Zoom

“In the spirit of feminist development, foreign and trade policies and to empower women and girls, we will strengthen the rights, resources and opportunities for women and girls in all their diversity in every sphere.”

This commitment given by the G7 in Elmau in June 2022 is a significant task, that must now be turned into effective action. In this discussion, we will explore challenges and opportunities of Feminist Foreign Policy (FFP) in the context of sustainable development with special regard to its impact on low- and middle-income countries.

In the first part, we discuss the concept from the perspective of advancing the SDGs. Is it a game changer or just a repackaging of gender equality? Can FFP benefit low- and middle-income countries and if yes, how?  How must the implementation be designed, so that it becomes effective and not just a political catchphrase? In the second part, we will take a deeper look on the actual state of implementation by G7 states. We will seek to understand changes on a more practical level and envisage the ultimate value and power of this approach. We invited a diverse group of stakeholders, who provide their perspectives on the concept itself, its importance in the context of global sustainable development and pre-conditions for an impactful implementation.

You can find the agenda here. The sessions will be in English. Participation is free of charge. Please register online until 23 November 2022.

For more info contact Sophie Knabner: [email protected]

STRENGTHENING PROTECTIONS FOR CIVIC SPACE WORLDWIDE – G7 ROLE AND OPPORTUNITIES

1 November 2022 from 10-12am CET, via Zoom

G7 in their special statement on resilient democracies recognised the threats posed to the operating environment for civil society organisations and activists and committed to “speaking out against threats to civic space, and respecting freedom of association and peaceful assembly.”

Indeed, the civic space has been restricted by many countries. Climate activists, human rights defenders, investigative journalists, grassroot organisations campaigning for more transparent and inclusive political processes are affected. Those who stand up for their convictions and advocate for more participation and representation of civil society are increasingly faced with challenges or even threats to their lives and livelihoods.

But how can the G7 take this commitment forward? We would like to invite you to the workshop “Strengthening Protections for Civic Space Worldwide – G7 Role and Opportunities” on 1 November 2022 from 10.00 to 12.00 CET via Zoom. The workshop aims to increase understanding around the concept of restricted civic space and how civil society working in different fields are impacted from the trend. It will also discuss what C7 groups have been asking from the G7 to do. It will provide the opportunity for an informal discussion on what else can be done to further the civic space agenda in light of the upcoming G7 foreign ministers meeting and the G7 Japan presidency.

Please note that the workshop is not limited to members of the C7 Working Groups. We would like to encourage all interested civil society actors to join!

You can find the agenda here. The sessions will be in English. Participation is free of charge. Please register online.

For more info contact Sophie Knabner: [email protected]

C7 HANDOVER KICKOFF – PASSING THE BATON

27 October 2022, 8-10am CEST, via Zoom

This workshop is a kickoff event for a smooth handover form the German C7 Presidency to the Japanese C7 Presidency in 2023. The aim is to introduce the process to G7 leaders’ summit, to present structures and learnings of the German Civil 7 project and to discuss the state and next steps for civil society of C7 Japan. First, we would like to take the floor to show the process towards G7 Leaders’ Summit in May 2023 and how C7 can follow up. Then representatives from the German C7 project will present the project structures, learnings and strategies of the Civil7 project 2022 with insights on the process and work of working groups towards recommendations and the final communiqué. The third part of the workshop will cover the state of Japan C7 with special regard to thematic Working Groups.

It is an interactive workshop with room for Q&A and discussion.

The workshop will be simultaneously translated in English and Japanese.

For more info contact Sophie Knabner: [email protected]

Please see the programme for more information.

Workshop Holding the G7 accountable

The Progress Report 2022 and Mechanisms of Accountability from a Gender Perspective

21 September 2022 from 13:00-14:15 CET via Zoom

The G7 is an informal forum whose implementation depends largely on the state holding the presidency. As G7’s declarations are not legally binding, there are no legal forms of accountability. The informal nature of the G7 structures has made it challenging to establish standardized monitoring procedures. For civil society, it is therefore difficult to monitor G7 states’ performance and to hold them accountable in fulfilling their commitments.

Every three years, the state holding the G7 presidency provides a comprehensive report on the progress made in recent years. This process was implemented this year by the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and resulted in the Elmau Progress Report 2022. Upon the publication of the report, we would like to critically reflect on the results as well as on forms of accountability in the context of the G7.

In the first part of the workshop, Dr Timo Behrens, Head of the Accountability Working Group (BMZ), will present the results of the Elmau Progress Report 2022. Questions of methodology, comparability of data and limitations of reporting G7 outcomes will be covered as well. Pam Rajput, W7 Advisor and Co-Chair of the Accountability Mechanisms Working Group at Women7, will then look at the report from a gender perspective. After insights into the importance and state of accountability mechanisms, she will critically reflect on this year’s report and findings.

Please note that the workshop is not limited to members of C7 Working Groups. We would like to encourage all interested civil society actors to join.

You can find the agenda here. The sessions will be in English. Participation is free of charge. Please register online.

For further questions please contact Sophie Knabner (s.knabner(at)venro.org).

Workshop Getting through to make a difference

Devolping an advocacy and communication strategy

24 March 2022 from 2-4pm CET via Zoom

This workshop focusses on advocacy and communication strategies on how to actively shape summit outcomes. The aim is to provide ideas and tools for effective lobbying and to share best practices. We will focus on two levels: On the one side, how to develop a general advocacy strategy for G7 Summits. This will be complemented by best practice example from G7 as well as G20 presidencies. On the other side, we will use the workshop to discuss with participants how the remaining weeks until the G7 Summit 2022 in Elmau can be used to effectively communicate civil society’s asks and recommendations.

Please note that the workshop is not limited to members of C7 Working Groups. We would like to encourage all interested civil society actors to join.

You can find the agenda here. The sessions will be in English. Participation is free of charge. Please register online until 20 May 2022.

Please contact Moritz Böttcher for further questions ([email protected]).

Workshop In the Spotlight: G7 and C7 – History, Challenges and the Way Forward

15 March 2022 from 13.00 – 14.30 CET via Zoom

This workshop gives an overview of the history of the G7 – its formation, modes of action, major challenges – with a particular focus on civil society engagement. The aim is to give participants background information on the G7/C7 processes and to provide examples and insights on civil society advocacy activities: Where has the work of NGOs been reflected in the final G7 declarations? What can we learn from other processes such as the C20? What strategies proved to be successful? There will be Questions and Answers and discussion time available.

This workshop will be led by Kel Currah, founder of What World Strategies and initiator of the Global Advocacy Taskforce.

You can find the agenda here. The sessions will be in English. Participation is free of charge. Please register online until 13 March 2022.

Please contact Daniela Dicks for further questions ( d.dicks(at)venro.org).

Workshop Advancing Climate Finance

10 March 2022 from 13.00 – 15.00 CET via Zoom

The G7 has a particular responsibility to not only deliver its fair share in the globally needed mitigation effort but also to support both necessary social-ecological transformation and management of climate risks and impacts in developing countries. The G7 process in 2022 offers the opportunity to take important steps towards a new paradigm for climate finance.

The aim of the workshop is to give participants an overview of the current state of climate finance and the specific role of the G7 in this context. For this purpose, we will have two inputs based on a recent policy brief by CARE, Germanwatch and Oxfam. Drawing on this, the participants will discuss specific areas for advancing climate finance. The outcomes of these discussions will be shared the C7 Working Group on Climate and Environmental Justice for further consideration.

You can find the agenda here. The sessions will be in English. Participation is free of charge. Please register online until 7 March 2022.

Please contact Moritz Böttche for further questions ( [email protected])