T20 Task Force 5 Side Event

The Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Indonesia (FEB UI) and the T20 Task Force 5 (TF5) team, in collaboration with the University of Oxford’s Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), are hosting a culminative Side Event, which acts as the final and concluding forum of a series of discussions led by the T20’s Task Force 5, on solutions and policy recommendations to the challenges G20 nations are facing with regard to poverty, inequality, human capital and wellbeing.

T20 TF5 Side Event, in collaboration with FEB UI and OPHI Oxford University on:

Multidimensional Poverty in the Midst of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Commitment to Reducing Poverty in All Its Forms

This concluding side-event seeks to become a knowledge sharing platform, where governments can learn from distinguished academics and leaders in the field of poverty research, in order to find solutions to the challenges the world is facing in the midst of COVID-19. Within this discussion forum, we wish to learn from and be inspired by the extensive experience of our academic guest speakers in incorporating the pivotal Capability Approach, within policy, through the use of multidimensional poverty measurement. Particularly in the midst of COVID-19, where more and more people have become vulnerable to a multitude of deep deprivations, policy makers must not solely base solutions on how much people consume, however, crucially need to evaluate poverty and wellbeing, on the beings and doings that people value and have the chance to enjoy.

This side-event will start with a dialogue with Professor Amartya Sen on the Capability Approach and its applications within policies which aim to address the challenges we are facing in the midst of COVID-19. This session seeks to gather advice and insights from Professor Sen to guide G20 nations on policies which support sustainable and equitable recovery in the aftermath of the pandemic.

This dialogue will be followed by two Keynote Consultative Dialogues. The first seeks to highlight advice from Her Excellency Dr Sri Mulyani Indrawati (Minister of Finance, Indonesia), Dr Teguh Dartanto (Dean of FEB UI and Key Expert in Poverty Research), Dr Asep Suryahadi (Lead Co-Chair of Task Force 5) and Oxford’s Sabina Alkire, on how Multidimensional Poverty measurement can be incorporated into policy. The second Keynote Dialogue highlights guidance from key policy practitioners and leaders of T20; Professor Suahasil Nazara (Deputy Finance Minister, Republic of Indonesia), Professor Bambang Brodjonegoro (Lead Co-Chair of T20), Dr M. Chatib Basri (Lead Co-Chair T20 Task Force 7), alongside key poverty experts, Dr Sudarno Sumarto (SMERU, TNP2K) and Professor James Foster (George Washington University), on poverty alleviation and economic recovery in the midst of COVID-19.

The primary aim of these keynote dialogues is to inform core leaders within the G20 of the importance of broadening our measurement framework, when it comes to poverty, in order to fully capture how the pandemic has affected our lives.

These consultative dialogues will kick-start a series of panel discussions, which aim to highlight research and policy work on multidimensional poverty and inequality, presented by researchers and scientists based in G20 nations. 

About Side Events

Side Event Aims

  1. To bring together experts and academics in the field of multidimensional poverty, inequality and wellbeing, to find solutions to the challenges faced by G20 nations due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  2. To discover concrete solutions to multidimensional poverty challenges and compile them into a possible document/brief/press release that highlights and strengthens the TF5’s communique document, which will be presented to G20 nations.
  3. To foster cross border collaboration in research focusing in particular on multidimensional poverty, which aims to contribute to the formation of robust evidence-based policies that leave no-one behind, in the quest to alleviate multidimensional poverty and reduce inequality.

Side Event Intended Outcomes

  1. Improved cross border dialogue and communication between experts in the field of multidimensional poverty and inequality, and policy makers working on these issues, based across the G20 nations.
  2. Improved links between academic work and research, with concrete and effective policy.
  3. Formation of press releases on side event findings and key messages on multidimensional poverty delivered within the panel sessions.

Formation of a possible document/brief from discussions within Side Event panels on multidimensional poverty, which will inform and strengthen the contribution of TF5 towards the T20 Communique document.

Key Questions to be Addressed

  1. Why is the Capability Approach and measurement methods which arise from this approach crucial in order to understand the myriad challenges communities face in the aftermath of COVID-19? In particular, how can the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), operationalise the Capability Approach, as a measure which reflects the multiple ways poverty may be experienced?
  2. What effective and user friendly solutions can be made in order to apply Multidimensional Poverty measurement into concrete policies within G20 nations? Practical suggestions, would be very much welcomed.
  3. How may we foster dialogue with regard to mapping robust research findings on Multidimensional Poverty into concrete policy?
  4. How to incorporate the democratic aspect of formulating a Multidimensional Poverty Index (particularly with regard to the choice of dimensions and indicators within the measure) into concrete tools which best reflect local needs and priorities, particularly to support the implementation of well targeted policies?

What innovative solutions exist, which may support the application of policy recommendations with regard to Multidimensional Poverty Measurement arrived upon through the TF5 discussion processes.

Side Event Rundown

Contact Information

Dr. Putu Natih
(Side Event Organising Committee Co-Lead)