icnb 2021 Session 8

The long-term economic consequences of the COVID pandemic have exacerbated the political and social crises that were already underway and this has created demand for a new social and political contract. The crisis has led to millions of people losing their jobs, and many more to fall into poverty. Young people, minorities and women have been particularly affected. This is devastating on an individual level but also has broader societal, political and economic impacts, affecting social cohesion, access to social services, labour market participation, productivity, inequalities and economic growth. Such events and their aftermath can sometimes lead to political upheaval if governments cannot manage the consequences of crisis well. The crisis has also been accompanied by strong calls to put considerations of equity and sustainability at the centre of policy response, both in the immediate instance and in moving towards the recovery and rebuilding phases. At the centre of these needs for change is the call to rethink and reframe the social and political contract as well as the role of redistribution to build a society that works for all. This session deals with:

• What should be the new social contract that truly benefits all people and moves in the right direction to sustainable recovery?
• What should be the political contract that can build unity in society and ensure political freedom and stability to support crisis recovery?
• How can we use these social and political contracts in a way to strengthen nation-building efforts during crisis recovery?