The Santiago Declaration: a result of the Our Future is Public Conference co-organised by GI-ESCR

The declaration is a result of a gathering we co-organised, and which calls for universal access to quality, gender-transformative and equitable public services as the foundation of a fair and just society.

The commercialisation and privatisation of public services and the commodification of all aspects of life have driven growing inequalities and entrenched power disparities, giving prominence to profit and corruption over people’s rights and ecological and social well-being. It adversely affects workers, service users, and communities, with the costs and damages falling disproportionately on those who have historically been exploited.

By helping bring together social movements, trade unions and civil society organisations from all over the world which gathered in Santiago, Chile for a 4-day Conference we aimed for the outcome to be to develop strategies and narratives to strengthen public services for the realisation of economic, social and cultural rights and tackle the effects of climate change. The conference was attended by more than 400 people and many others participated virtually.

This meeting and its outcome, follow years of growing mobilisation around the world, at the grassroot and at the national level, locally and across borders, in rural and urban areas. This led to the organisation of a series of groundbreaking events bringing together thousands of people online, and the adoption in 2021 of the Global Manifesto for Public Services.

The Santiago Declaration is a result of these organisations coming together to address the harmful effects of commercialising public services, to reclaim democratic public control, and reimagine a truly equal and human rights-oriented economy that works for people and the planet.

The text of the Declaraion is available in Spanish and in French