IBON International gathered its Foundation members in its Fourth General Assembly, held as a hybrid meeting in its main offices in Quezon City, Philippines last November 25, 2023. In the context of wars, and economic and climate crises, the organisation affirmed its commitment to advance people-powered democracy by supporting people’s capacities to assert their rights and sovereignty.
The Board of Trustees appointed Policy, Communications, and Training Team (PCTT) Head Rodolfo Lahoy Jr. as the new Deputy Director. Lahoy also currently leads the organisation’s Development for the People Programme, which covers its work on international financial institutions and development finance.
The mandate of Executive Director Jennifer del Rosario-Malonzo was also renewed by the BoT until 2026. Malonzo has served as the IBON International Executive Director since 2021. During the Fourth General Assembly, Malonzo shared the achievements of IBON International’s work from 2020 to 2023 (see the 2023 highlights below).
The General Assembly also elected the organisation’s Board of Trustees. Hong Kong-based academic Paul Quintos was welcomed as a new member of the BoT, replacing outgoing member Prof. Roland Simbulan of Center for People Empowerment in Governance (Philippines). Quintos previously worked with IBON International as a former head of its Policy and Communications Unit, and was former Executive Director of the Manila-based Ecumenical Institute for Labor Education and Research (EILER).
The IBON International BoT is now led by Dr. Roselynn Musa of Agenda for Change (Nigeria) and Demba Moussa Dembele of Africaine de Recherche et de Cooperation pour l’Appui au Developpement Endogene or ARCADE (Senegal) as Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson, respectively. Meanwhile, Atty. Edwin Dela Cruz of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (Philippines) and Sylvia Mallari of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas or Peasant Movement of the Philippines, serve as Secretary and Treasurer, respectively. Joining them are BoT members Krister Holm of CONCORD Sweden, Amirah Lidasan of the Moro-Christian Peoples Alliance (Philippines), Beverly Longid of the International Indigenous Peoples’ Movement for Self-Determination and Liberation, Sarojeni Rengam of PAN-Asia Pacific (Malaysia), and Paul Quintos.
Moving forward, IBON International embarks on the remaining two years of its 2021-2025 Strategic Plan on People-Powered Democracy. The organisation reaffirms its role on working with social movements, people’s organisations, and civil society on capacity development and building alliances for campaigns and policy advocacy. It will further develop its work on climate justice, development for the people, trade and investment, and democracy, and with women’s rights and gender justice as a cross-cutting framework. At the same time, it will continue to respond to conditions of multiple crises, militarism and war, and the deteriorating conditions of people’s rights especially in the global South, including in the Philippines. #
Highlights of IBON International's work in 2023
January
Expressed support for the International Labour Organisation’s High-Level Tripartite Mission (ILO HLTM) in the Philippines
February
IBON Europe webinar brought together European allies to discuss 4th Cycle of the Universal Periodic Review of the human rights situation in the Philippines
March
- Delivered input on women and digitalisation at the 67th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW67) in New York, USA
- Delivered input on development co-operation and climate resilience at the 2023 UN Development Cooperation Forum (DCF) in New York, USA
April
- Forwarded critique of World Bank Evolution Roadmap and climate policies at the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group’s Spring Meetings in Washington, D.C., USA
- CSO Partnership for Development Effectiveness engaged 2023 UN Financing for Development (FfD) Forum
May
- Launched international situation paper at a forum, with the International League of Peoples’ Struggle (ILPS), the Ecumenical Institute on Labor Education and Research (EILER), and the National Network of Agrarian Reform Advocates-Youth (NNARA-Youth), in Manila, Philippines
- Forwarded critique on corporate capture of development, including of energy transition, at the 56th Annual Meeting of Asian Development Bank in Incheon, South Korea
June
- Launched Reclaim Our Future Campaign towards IMF-WBG accountability for harms and rights violations, while amplifying peoples’ resistance
- II and hosted networks participated at Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)-Development Assistance Committee (DAC) Civil Society Days in Paris
- Reality of Aid Global Network held “Pushing Beyond Three Decades: The Reality of Aid’s Global North-South Caucus” parallel to the OECD-DAC Civil Society Days
- Forwarded messages on climate finance aligned to Southern needs and Northern accountability, at the 58th Meetings of the Subsidiary Bodies (SB58) organised by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Bonn, Germany
July
- CPDE launched sixth edition of its annual study on the Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs), for the UN High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development
- Expressed support for the International Criminal Court (ICC) decision to continue probe on former President Rodrigo Duterte’s “drug war” killings
August
- IBON Africa convened its partners in a regional workshop and policy dialogue to tackle intersecting trade and climate issues
- IBON Africa launched CSO Platform on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)
September
- Engaged the UN High Level Dialogue on Financing for Development, in New York, USA
- Participated at the Global Climate March to End Fossil Fuels in New York, USA
- CSO Partnership for Development Effectiveness co-organised the CSO-led Global People’s Assembly (GPA), parallel to UN General Assembly, supporting a session on civic spaces
- II provided inputs at GPA sessions on the international financial architecture and feminist economy
October
Organised the Reclaim Our Future Conference in Marrakech, Morocco parallel to the IMF-WBG’s Annual Meetings, with over 80 participants from various people’s organisations and CSOs across the world
November
- Held IBON International Foundation’s 4th General Assembly in Manila
- II was elected as Global Council member in the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) General Assembly in Bangkok, Thailand
December
- Forwarded the Decolonise to Decarbonise campaign call at the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Dubai, United Arab Emirates to highlight Southern demands for equitable fossil fuel phaseout and climate justice
- CPDE convened members in governance meetings and a workshop on the Fourth Monitoring round (4MR) of the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation (GPEDC) in Brussels, Belgium
