Press releases

Oxfam International is participating at the 9th World Social Forum in Belém, Brazil to help tackle the combined effects of the global economic crisis, rising food prices, and the effects of climate change in developing countries.

As UNGA77 kicks off, Oxfam experts are engaging with a delegation in New York along with remote participation. Oxfam experts will be focused on issues including Hunger and the Global Food System, Climate Justice, the crisis in Yemen, Ukraine, COVID-19 recovery, Inequality, Education, and more. 

The poorest half of the world’s population - 3.5 billion people - is responsible for just 10 percent of carbon emissions, despite being the most threatened by the catastrophic storms, droughts, and other severe weather shocks linked to climate change.  

As hopes for a legally binding deal faded in the last negotiating hours of the climate summit, Robert Bailey, Senior spokesperson for Oxfam International said: “It is shameful that after two years of blood, sweat and tears, we didn’t finish the marathon on time.

The situation looks grim as Oxfam awaits the release of a revised and likely second-to-last draft of a global climate change agreement, expected to be released on Wednesday afternoon. Our experts are concerned that negotiators might be settling for the lowest common denominator in several critical areas.

Oxfam welcomes today’s orientation debate on the EU Emissions Trading System as some Member States spoke out in favor of the ETS being a more predictable source of funds for climate action in poor countries.

World Bank President Jim Yong Kim has yet again failed to profile his commitment to tackling climate change and inequality as central to his aim in eradicating poverty by 2030.

The World Bank and the IMF must seize their early chance in what could be a watershed year to end extreme global poverty by putting the battle against inequality, climate change and tax dodging at the very top of its Spring Meetings’ agenda this week. 

On the newly published UN Synthesis Report on the post-2015 framework, which sets the global development agenda for the next 15 years: Oxfam is disappointed that the UN has not made far stronger proposals to address extreme economic inequality and climate change in its new report.

Europe is turning its back on poor countries just when they need help most. At a crucial time just ahead of the G20 Summit in London, the EU is empty-handed and in no fit state to lead the world on the two biggest issues we face today – the economic and climate crisis.