Loewe, Ma kus; Zin l, Tina
Resea ch Repo
Social con ac s and he UN's "Common Goals":
Concep ualising a new ole o in e na ional o ganisa ions
IDOS Policy B ie , No. 7/2025
P o ided in Coope a ion wi h:
Ge man Ins i u e o De elopmen and Sus ainabili y (IDOS), Bonn
Sugges ed Ci a ion: Loewe, Ma kus; Zin l, Tina (2025) : Social con ac s and he UN's "Common
Goals": Concep ualising a new ole o in e na ional o ganisa ions, IDOS Policy B ie , No. 7/2025,
Ge man Ins i u e o De elopmen and Sus ainabili y (IDOS), Bonn,
h ps://doi.o g/10.23661/ipb7.2025
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Social Con ac s and he UN’s
“Common Goals”
Concep ualising a New Role o
In e na ional O ganisa ions
Ma kus Loewe & Tina Zin l
Summa y
Resea che s, policymake s and he ep esen a i es o
in e na ional o ganisa ions inc easingly use he e m
“social con ac ” o desc ibe ela ions be ween socie al
g oups and a s a e. The Uni ed Na ions (UN) Sec e a y-
Gene al, o example, has decla ed ha “now is he ime
o enew he social con ac be ween Go e nmen s and
hei people and wi hin socie ies” in his epo Ou
common agenda (UN, 2021, p. 5). Likewise, he
Di ec o Gene al o he In e na ional Labou O ganiza-
ion (ILO) has ecen ly issued a epo Towa ds a
enewed social con ac (ILO, 2024).
The ques ion is whe he all hose applying he e m
“social con ac ” ha e a common unde s anding o i s
meaning. We sugges de ining a social con ac as he
“en i e y o explici o implici ag eemen s be ween all
ele an socie al g oups and he so e eign (i.e. he
go e nmen o any o he ac o in powe ), de ining hei
igh s and obliga ions owa d each o he ” (Loewe, Zin l,
& Houd e , 2021). Today, all coun ies wi h some o m
o go e nmen ha e na ional social con ac s, bu he e
a e wide a ia ions be ween hem. Fo ins ance, some
social con ac s a e mo e inclusi e han o he s, gi ing
mo e igh s o socie y. Some ea di e en socie al
g oups di e en ly, depending on hei espec i e
powe and he in e es s o he go e nmen . And,
c ucially, only some social con ac s conside , a leas
o some deg ee, he in e es s o hose who a e, by
de ini ion o because o hei limi ed powe , unable o
oice hei conce ns in any enego ia ion o he social
con ac – child en, u u e gene a ions, he en i on-
men , o eigne s and ma ginalised social g oups.
The UN Sec e a y-Gene al’s epo igh ly complains
ha people in many coun ies eel inc easingly aliena-
ed om he social con ac (UN, 2021, p. 22) and ha
social con ac s igno e he igh s o u u e gene a ions.
In many coun ies, social con ac s gi e igh s o some
in luen ial g oups in socie y o use a ailable esou ces
wi hou conside a ion o less powe ul g oups, u u e
gene a ions and en i onmen al conce ns.
In e na ional o ganisa ions hus ha e ou impo an
oles o play. Fi s , hey can suppo he na ional
p ocess o social con ac enego ia ions: ease he
dialogue be ween all in e es g oups inside membe
coun ies, encou age he in ol emen o less powe ul
ac o s and p o ide neu al and open o a o he
nego ia ions. Second, hey can engage in a dialogue
wi h membe s a es ha a e eluc an o e o m social
con ac s, emphasising ha such e o m can mi iga e o
help o p e en e o ism, iolen p o es and mass
mig a ion. Thi d, in e na ional o ganisa ions can
p epa e hemsel es o ge in ol ed when shocks
happen in pa icula membe coun ies and use he
momen um o os e subs an ial e o ms. Fou h, in e -
na ional o ganisa ions should con inue building sup a-
na ional social con ac s. All oo o en, he pa ies o
na ional social con ac s nego ia e unsus ainable
ules a na ional le el ha , o ins ance, expose
wo ke s o heal h haza ds o ha m he en i onmen ,
wi h he a gumen ha hey ha e o be able o
compe e wi h o he coun ies. In e na ional ag ee-
men s a e he e o e impo an o es ablish minimum
no ms and s anda ds, p e en a ace o he bo om and
ein o ce mul ila e alism.
IDOS POLICY BRIEF
7/2025
IDOS Policy B ie 7/2025
2
In oduc ion
In 2021, he Uni ed Na ions Sec e a y-Gene al
published his ision o he u u e o global
coope a ion in a epo en i led Ou common
agenda (UN, 2021). He decla ed ha “now is he
ime o enew he social con ac be ween Go e n-
men s and hei people and wi hin socie ies” (UN,
2021, p. 5). A whole chap e o he epo deals
wi h he issue wi hou , howe e , elabo a ing in
de ail on he meaning o he e m “social con ac ”.
Likewise, he ILO’s plea o human-cen ed eco-
nomics (2024) en isions “a obus social con ac ”
wi hou clea ly de ining i . In he ollowing, we
(i) p opose a concep o ill his gap in concep ual
cla i y, (ii) discuss he easons why he calls by
in e na ional o ganisa ions o new social
con ac s a e jus i ied, (iii) make sugges ions o
he shape o such a new concep and how i could
come in o being and (i ) conside wha ole he
Uni ed Na ions (UN) sys em and o he sup a-
na ional o ganisa ions can play in such a p ocess.
Concep ualising social con ac s
To ou knowledge, he e m “social con ac ” was
i s used by Eu opean s a e philosophe s in he
17 h and 18 h cen u ies: Thomas Hobbes, John
Locke and o he s. F om hei pe spec i e, a social
con ac is some hing good by de ini ion because
i helps o o e come wha hey call he “s a e o
na u e” wi hou a s a e, which is ma ked by
ana chy and lack o secu i y. People a e willing o
accep a go e nmen ha p o ides o peace and
secu i y, based on a social con ac concluded
be ween ee people. The s a e is hus o med by
pa icipa o y ac ion o ci izens en e ing such a
con ac , which is mean o p o ide p ope y igh s,
public peace and secu i y in socie y (Hobbes,
1651; Locke, 1689). Ye , hese s a e philosophe s
neglec ed he ac ha di e en socie al g oups
ha e di e en conce ns and hence di e en
in e es s in he s a e. A luen people wan he
s a e o deli e , i s o all, p o ec ion o hei li es
and p ope y agains in e nal and ex e nal h ea s.
They a e in e es ed in a powe ul police and a my.
Less p i ileged people, in u n, aspi e mainly o
he p o ision o some deg ee o social jus ice:
inancial suppo du ing c ises and some sha ing
o wel a e. And he s a e philosophe s also did no
s ongly emphasise how impo an poli ical
pa icipa ion is o all social g oups in o de o
asse hei in e es s.
The e m “social con ac ” may ha e been coined
by Eu opean hinke s bu he idea behind i is well
known in many pa s o he wo ld. Fo ins ance,
he Mahā as u, a canonical Buddhis ex om he
second cen u y, iden i ied ha “people […] de-
cided o appoin one man om among hem o
main ain o de in e u n o a sha e o he p oduce
o hei ields and he ds” (Al-Basham, 1954, p. 83).
Con ac a ian hough in he Muslim wo ld goes
back o he holy Qu ’ān i sel , which es ablishes a
sac ed con ac (caqd) be ween Allah and he
muslimīn, who submi o he amī al-mu’minīn
(leade o he belie e s) as Allah’s ep esen a i e
on ea h. This ecip ocal solida i y be ween indi-
iduals and he communi y leade was also
desc ibed by 14 h cen u y Muslim hinke Ibn
Khaldun (K ieg, 2017).
The ques ion oday is much less whe he a
coun y has a social con ac o no . All coun ies
wi h a unc ioning go e nmen ha e some kind o
social con ac . The issue is a he (i) wha he
espec i e asks o go e nmen and socie y a e
in hese di e en social con ac s (Heydemann,
2007; Kaplan, 2015) and (ii) who and wha
decides whe he a gi en social con ac is
e ec i e and bene icial.
Va ious au ho s ha e he e o e ocused on ways
o imp o e social con ac s o eplace hem wi h
be e ones. Howe e , many o hem ha e a e y
speci ic unde s anding o wha a “be e ” social
con ac would be and a e s ongly led by hei
own con ic ions (e.g. Al-Razzaz, 2013; De a ajan
& Mo aghi, 2015; Sha ik, 2021; Weale, 2013; ).
We sugges , ins ead, de ining social con ac s in a
non-no ma i e way as he “en i e y o explici o
implici ag eemen s be ween all ele an socie al
g oups and he so e eign (i.e. he go e nmen o
any o he ac o in powe ), de ining hei igh s and
obliga ions owa d each o he ” (Loewe, Zin l, &
IDOS Policy B ie 7/2025
3
Houd e , 2021). Socie al g oups can be social
classes, e hnic o eligious communi ies, in e es
g oups, g oups o employees, popula ions in
di e en geog aphic egions, gende s o age
coho s, and o he g oupings ha people belong
o, eel pa o o iden i y wi h. In e ms o labou
ma ke s, o example, his can be p i a e and
public en ep eneu s in hei unc ion as
employe s, wo ke s and employees, he sel -
employed, he unemployed and people ou side
he labou o ce. The e m “socie y” would hence
include no only ci il socie y bu also he p i a e
sec o and ci izens as indi iduals.
The in ol ed pa ies judge he quali y o hei
social con ac by he qui e di e en i ems hey
exchange, which can be g ouped in o se e al
ca ego ies. Go e nmen s can deli e he “ h ee
Ps” (see Figu e 1):
– P o ec ion: indi idual and collec i e secu i y
agains in e nal and ex e nal h ea s (such as
mili a y o enses om inside o ou side he
coun y, c iminali y, e o ism o s a e e o ) in
addi ion o legal secu i y (such as he en o ce-
men o human and ci il igh s),
– P o ision: ex ension o economic and social
se ices, including educa ion, heal h ca e,
social p o ec ion, employmen , in as uc u e
(communica ion, anspo a ion, u ili ies), a
good business clima e (including compe i ion
on ma ke s) and esou ces (e.g. wa e , land).
– Pa icipa ion by socie y in poli ical decision-
making: ee, ai and sec e elec ions, open
public deba es, ee mass media and o he
in o ma ion channels (Loewe, Zin l, & Houd e ,
2021).
In exchange, ci izens (socie al g oups):
– ecognise o a leas ole a e he go e nmen in
powe
– pay axes
– in es in public goods (se e in he mili a y,
engage wi h he local communi y e c.).
This gi e-and- ake lends he go e nmen legi i-
macy. In he e e se case, i he go e nmen , he
ci izens o bo h ail o deli e hei du ies, hey
migh u n o ep essi e o iolen means in o de
o s ay in powe o make hei oice hea d,
espec i ely.
The main goal o any social con ac is hus o
es ablish a easonable deg ee o ce ain y as o
he expec a ions o go e nmen and socie al
ac o s ega ding hei espec i e igh s and obliga-
ions owa ds each o he , he eby con ibu ing o
he s abili y o s a e–socie y ela ions. A social
con ac could hus be conside ed as a good one
i i is e ec i e in achie ing his goal (Loewe e al.,
2024).
Al e na i ely, he Sus ainable De elopmen Goals
(SDGs) a e an in e na ionally endo sed
amewo k o o ien a ion and could he e o e also
se e as an objec i e indica o o he quali y o
social con ac s. Acco ding o he UN Sec e a y-
Gene al, “A ib an social con ac gua an ees he
condi ions o people o li e a decen li e, lea ing
no one behind and enabling all o pa icipa e in
socie y, as p omised in he 2030 Agenda.” (UN,
2021, p. 27). Howe e , while he SDGs can gi e
us some o ien a ion, hey a e no e y help ul o
compa isons be ween di e en social con ac s
because some coun ies may do be e wi h
espec o some SDGs while o he s do be e wi h
espec o o he SDGs.
The e o e, we sugges a sys em-immanen logic.
I is based on he pos ula ion ha social con ac s
a e mean o se e, i s o all, he in ol ed pa ies:
he di e en socie al g oups and he go e nmen
o he conce ned coun y. F om an ou side ’s
pe spec i e, we can assume ha any inc ease in
all h ee Ps cons i u es an imp o emen o he
popula ion, and ha compa ing he h ee Ps
ac oss di e en social con ac s (see Figu e 2) can
p o ide an o ien a ion o hei main cha ac e is ics.
Howe e , only people inside a coun y can decide
wha is mos impo an i he e is a ade-o : mo e
p o ec ion, mo e p o ision o mo e pa icipa ion.
Likewise, he con ac ing pa ies ha e o nego ia e
hemsel es how addi ional amoun s o he h ee
deli e ables should be dis ibu ed ac oss he
popula ion.
IDOS Policy B ie 7/2025
4
Figu e 1: Deli e ables in social con ac s
Sou ce: Loewe, Zin l, & Houd e (2021)
This de ini ion and h ee Ps amewo k, which was
c ea ed in 2021, is ully in line wi h he s a ing
poin o he epo published by he UN Sec e a y-
Gene al: “I see h ee ounda ions o a enewed
social con ac i o he wen y- i s cen u y: (a)
us ; (b) inclusion, p o ec ion and pa icipa ion;
and (c) measu ing and aluing wha ma e s o
people and he plane .” (UN, 2021, p. 22). The
“ us ” in he UN Sec e a y-Gene al’s s a emen
allies wi h he ecogni ion/ ole a ion o he
go e nmen by ci izens in ou concep
(ins i u ional o ho izon al us ) as well as he
mu ual ole a ion o ci izens and socie al g oups
(in e pe sonal o e ical us ) as a sign o
inclusiona y social con ac . The “inclusion,
p o ec ion and pa icipa ion” men ioned by he UN
Sec e a y-Gene al (UN, 2021, p. 22) co esponds
o “p o ision, p o ec ion and pa icipa ion” in ou
concep .
Need o a social con ac enewal
While social con ac s nowadays exis in almos all
coun ies wo ldwide, hey di e a lo ac oss ime
and space. The le el o p o ec ion, p o ision and
pa icipa ion g an ed by go e nmen s a ies
acco ding o he nego ia ing powe o he
con ac ing pa ne s. Figu e 2 displays he h ee
Ps o coun ies in di e en wo ld egions acco ding
o a ecen ly es ablished social con ac index,
which is based on indica o s measu ing he inpu s
o go e nmen s in o p o ec ion, p o ision and
pa icipa ion (Loewe, El-Haddad, & Zin l, 2024). I
e eals ha some go e nmen s deli e he h ee
Ps in la ge quan i y and quali y while o he s all
sho wi h ega ds o one o mo e o hem. This
may lead o g ie ances in socie y and hence
poli ical ins abili y known as “s a e agili y” (Loewe
& Zin l, 2021).
IDOS Policy B ie 7/2025
5
Figu e 2: P o ec ion, p o ision and pa icipa ion in coun ies wo ldwide (a ound 2019)
Sou ce: Loewe, El-Haddad, & Zin l (2024)
The UN Sec e a y-Gene al holds ha symp oms
o s a e agili y a e inc easing in many coun ies:
“The e is a g owing disconnec be ween people
and he ins i u ions ha se e hem, wi h many
eeling le behind and no longe con iden ha he
sys em is wo king o hem, an inc ease in social
mo emen s and p o es s and an e e deepe
c isis o us omen ed by a loss o sha ed u h
and unde s anding.” (UN, 2021, p. 22)
These ends can be due o a ious ac o s.
Socie al g oups in some coun ies may ha e he
imp ession ha he social con ac is no wo king
o hem anymo e, and go e nmen s should
e lec wha hey can do o elie e hese conce ns.
In some coun ies, be e p o ec ion is he main
issue because people a e ulne able o g owing
h ea s such as wa s, e o ism, mac o-economic
shocks and ex eme wea he e en s due o
clima e change, and canno ake e ec i e
measu es agains such isks. In o he coun ies,
be e p o ision is mo e impo an because
go e nmen s ha e educed hei spending on
social and economic se ices, o di e en g oups
o he popula ion ha e bene i ed in a selec i e o
disc imina e way. Inequali ies ha e isen wi h he
e ec ha some social g oups eel inc easingly
excluded (Bussolo e al., 2019), in pa icula
g oups such as women (Zin l, 2023), people o old
age o wi h handicaps, people in u al a eas, o
wo king poo o long- e m unemployed wi h li le
educa ion. He e, go e nmen s migh conside
in es ing in mo e equal oppo uni ies such as
access o educa ion, heal h, ma ke s and
esou ces as well as social p o ec ion ha
p e en s people om alling in o o being s uck in
po e y.
In o he coun ies, ye again, be e pa icipa ion is
needed. I is a key s a e deli e able because
people eel aliena ed om he na ional social
con ac i hey do no ha e a say in i – in pa icula
i hey belie e ha only a small eli e has a say.
Some go e nmen s disc imina ely ake he
in e es s o hose in luen ial g oups in o conside a-
ion, which migh be able o o m esis ance and
opposi ion. Equal and meaning ul poli ical
pa icipa ion is also a ehicle o en o ce he
eques o di e en socie al g oups o be e
p o ec ion and p o ision.
IDOS Policy B ie 7/2025
6
Labou ma ke s a e an in e es ing example o a
ield in which he in e es s o all con ac ing pa ies
ha e o be b ough o he o e, and a comp omise
on who deli e s wha mus be ound. The pa ies
a e he go e nmen , public and p i a e com-
panies, wo ke s and employees and hei amilies,
he sel -employed and he unemployed. The
go e nmen is supposed o deli e , once again,
p o ec ion (e.g. sa e y a wo k ules, p o ec ion
agains un ai dismissal), p o ision (e.g. aining o
wo ke s and employe s, unemploymen bene i s,
p o ec ion o ai compe i ion, en e p ise inance)
and pa icipa ion (e.g. social dialogue, esponsi e
indus ial policymaking, eedom o collec i e
ba gaining). Howe e , employe s also ha e a du y
o p o ec hei wo ke s agains heal h isks,
p o ide hem wi h ai pay and wo king condi ions
and g an hem he possibili y o a leas limi ed
pa icipa ion in en e p ise decision making, which
can imp o e he sense o esponsibili y o wo ke s.
Wo ke s, on hei pa , need o accep manage-
men decisions, and o con ibu e by ul illing he
ag eed-on wo k asks. Thei ep esen a i es in
wo ks councils, boa ds o di ec o s and ade
unions, in pa icula , ha e a esponsibili y o he
long- e m de elopmen o hei companies and he
whole economy and should he e o e no
exagge a e hei wage and wo king condi ion
claims. The social pac s a e hus “mini-social
con ac s” ha he ba gaining pa ne s ha e
concluded and, a he same ime, a e an
exp ession o explici social con ac egula ions
o he labou ma ke .
As in o he policy ields, he main p oblem is ha
some ac o s a e no si ing a he able when he
social dialogue akes place. This holds o he
unemployed and people ou side he labou o ce
– bu also some imes he sel -employed, in o mal
employees in gene al and he dependan s o
wo ke s. In some coun ies, one o he nego ia ing
pa ne s akes he in e es s o hese g oups in o
accoun and b ings hem in o he nego ia ions. Fo
example, in some cases, ade unions who
ypically ep esen o mal sec o wo ke s and
employees some imes speak also on behal o he
dependan s o hei membe s o he unemployed.
Some imes, he sel -employed es ablish hei own
associa ions o make su e hey a e hea d.
Go e nmen also should make su e ha he
in e es s o hese g oups a e no o go en – in
addi ion o hose o people ou side he labou o ce
such as s uden s o people wi h handicaps o o
an olde age g oup. Howe e , one g oup is o en
neglec ed e en in coun ies wi h a high le el o
poli ical pa icipa ion: u u e gene a ions.
In many policy ields, he in e es s o u u e
gene a ions a e also no aken in o accoun
because hey canno pa icipa e in ongoing social
con ac enego ia ions. In o he policy ields,
some nego ia ing pa ies in e p e he in e es s o
u u e gene a ions in hei own in e es s, e.g. o
jus i y decisions on spending cu s in in as uc u e
p ojec s in o de o dec ease he na ional deb .
The p oblem is hus sys emic and inhe en in he
ins i u ion o he social con ac . The p oblem is
pa icula ly i ulen in decisions aken on he
design o social insu ance (whe e he ac i e
popula ion o en inances he pensions o olde
gene a ions) o ein es men in in as uc u e,
educa ion sys ems o clima e change mi iga ion
and adap a ion. Pa o he dilemma ha humani y
aces in e ms o clima e change and o he
en i onmen al deg ada ion is ha u u e
gene a ions a e no a pa y in oday’s social
con ac s, and ye oday’s social con ac s ha e
long- e m e ec s on gene a ions ye o be bo n.
The o he pa o he dilemma is he absence o
he en i onmen i sel in he nego ia ions. Animals
and plan s, o example, a e no a pa y in social
con ac s ei he , wi h he e ec ha o he s nego-
ia e solu ions a hei expense and he expense o
he en i onmen in gene al.
This insigh has led UNRISD (2022) o call o he
de elopmen o “eco-social con ac s” ha con-
side en i onmen al goals jus as much as social,
economic and poli ical ones. The idea is o ake a
longe - e m pe spec i e in he dis ibu ion o
limi ed esou ces.
IDOS Policy B ie 7/2025
7
Eme gence o new social
con ac s
Mos social con ac s a e amended om ime o
ime o ake accoun o changes in he amewo k
condi ions o he balance o powe be ween he
con ac ing pa ies. Social con ac s a e mean o
s abilise s a e–socie y ela ions bu his does no
mean ha he ela ions a e s a ic. Social con ac s
do ul il hei unc ion bes i hey a e lexible
enough o ake accoun o such changes in s a e–
socie y ela ions. O he wise, one o he pa ies
migh e mina e he con ac . Fo example, socie y
could ebel agains he go e nmen o e en
o e h ow i . O he go e nmen could supe -
impose a new social con ac on o socie y and
en o ce i by ep ession, p opaganda and o he
means. P opaganda can be a new na a i e (see
Figu e 1), o ins ance p esen ing he case ha
only he go e nmen in o ice can sa e he
coun y.
E e y social con ac should he e o e be egula ly
e iewed o e ec i eness and be amended i
necessa y. Ideally, his p ocess in ol es all
con ac ing pa ies, mo e and less in luen ial ones,
as he UN Sec e a y-Gene al w o e: “I in i e all
coun ies o conduc inclusi e and meaning ul
na ional lis ening consul a ions so all ci izens ha e
a say in en isioning hei coun ies’ u u es.” (UN,
2021, p. 4). Wha eme ges om he nego ia ions
can a y g ea ly om one coun y o he o he as
a esul o di e ences in alues and no ms, he
amewo k condi ions, he challenges ahead and
he composi ion o he con ac ing pa ies. In e -
na ional o ganisa ions and o he o eign dono s
should espec he nego ia ion p ocess and i s
ou come and e ain om imposing a one-size- i s-
all solu ion on di e en coun ies. As al eady
men ioned, social con ac s a e mean o se e he
in e es s o hei pa ies domes ically and should
he e o e only be assessed by hem alone: “The
social con ac o igina es a he subna ional and
na ional le els, and i s exac a chi ec u e is
unques ionably up o each socie y o de e mine.
Howe e , any social con ac also has a global
dimension.” (UN, 2021, p. 22)
Ye , he p ocess ends o su e om wo sho -
comings. Fi s , as al eady men ioned, e en some
o he mos a ec ed pa ies – no ably u u e gen-
e a ions and he en i onmen – canno pa icipa e.
Second, in many coun ies no e en co e con-
ac ing pa ies a e adequa ely in ol ed.
Mos p oblema ically, many coun ies do no
amend hei social con ac o long pe iods o ime
e en hough some o i s pa ies a e inc easingly
dissa is ied wi h i . Possible causes a e (i) a lack
o join ision and ag eemen o he con ac ing
pa ies (such as in Tunisia a e he e olu ion in
2011), (ii) he esis ance o powe ul, in e nal
spoile s (e.g. au ho i a ian go e nmen s ha a e
able o co-op in luen ial socie al g oups and
ep ess all o he s such as in Egyp , sadly bo h
be o e and a e he e olu ion in 2011) o (iii)
p essu e exe ed by ex e nal spoile s (hegemons
o he espec i e coun y such as I an in I aq o
Russia in Libya) (Loewe e al., 2024).
Ne e heless, he social con ac s e en in hese
coun ies change some imes. This change comes
o en unexpec edly and ab up ly because i ends
o be p omp ed by unp edic ed shocks: a global
economic o domes ic c isis, a pandemic, a
na u al ca as ophe (ea hquake, sunami, e c.),
an impo an e en in a neighbou ing coun y
(such as he Yasmin e olu ion in Tunisia ha
igge ed e olu ions in o he A ab coun ies),
in e na ional sanc ions, p essu e exe ed by
o eign dono s (such as he IMF’s condi ionali ies
imposed on Tu key in 2000 o when US P esiden
Geo ge Bush Senio made u he suppo o
Is ael dependen on peace alks wi h he Pales-
inians in 1992–93), o he mili a y in e en ion o
a o eign powe (such as he US in asion in I aq).
These si ua ions a e c i ical junc u es, whe e one
o mo e o he con ac ing pa ies mus eac o he
unp edic ed shock. O en, hey change hei
p e ious cou se and amend he social con ac .
Some imes, hough, obse e s expec such
change bu i does no ake place (such as in
Lebanon a e he explosion in he po o Bei u ).
C i ical junc u es o his kind a e he momen s
when in e na ional o ganisa ions ha e mos
IDOS Policy B ie 7/2025
8
le e age o in luence he decisions o domes ic
ac o s and he eby change he social con ac
(Loewe e al., 2024).
In e na ional o ganisa ions, and mul ila e alism in
gene al, a e pe haps mos e ec i e a eminding
con ac ing pa ies o hei esponsibili y o include
he in e es s o u u e gene a ions and he en i on-
men . Ye , he mos o ganic changes in social
con ac s a e made om wi hin, ensu ing owne -
ship o he s ipula ed gi e-and- ake. Despi e hei
sho comings, oadmaps and s a egies migh s ill
be a p omising ins umen , e en in au oc a ic
sys ems, p o ided hey ul il wo condi ions: (i)
hey dis ibu e he bu den o ( u u e) e o ms
equally be ween all li ing gene a ions and
be ween hem and u u e gene a ions and (ii) hey
a e indeed egula ly e alua ed, e iewed and
adap ed i need be.
Op ions o in e na ional
o ganisa ions
In e na ional o ganisa ions ha a e willing o ease
he p ocess o social con ac amendmen s on he
na ional le el ha e ou op ions: o suppo na-
ional p ocesses o social con ac enego ia ions;
o engage in a dialogue wi h membe s a es ha
a e eluc an o e o m social con ac s; o p epa e
o u ning unexpec ed c ises in o windows o
oppo uni y; and o de elop sup a-na ional social
con ac s.
Social con ac enego ia ions: The i s op ion is
o inspi e and suppo he dialogue be ween all
in e es g oups wi hin membe coun ies, en-
cou age go e nmen s and mo e powe ul socie al
g oups and o ganisa ions o in ol e also all hose
ac o s ha ha e no pa icipa ed in social con ac
nego ia ions ye . In e na ional o ganisa ions
should also acili a e he ac ual nego ia ions. In
pa icula , hey could o e o p o ide neu al and
open o a o he discussions be ween he di e en
pa ies and suppo all o hem in a neu al way in
he building o nego ia ion capaci ies. Tunisia is an
example o a coun y whe e his happened o a
couple o yea s. Di e en agencies ha e sup-
po ed he go e nmen , he poli ical pa ies, he
employe s’ associa ions and he ade unions in
hei p epa a ions o a dialogue on economic and
social e o m. The In e na ional Labou O gani-
za ion (ILO) is in a pa icula ly a ou able posi ion
o ease he social dialogue as a cen al pa o
social con ac enego ia ions. Being a ipa i e
o ganisa ion i sel , i can easily encou age go e n-
men s, employe associa ions and ade unions o
se up social pac s in he in e es s o hei
coun ies ha also incen i ise o p o ide he
model o changes in he la ge social con ac .
O he in e na ional o ganisa ions ha e signi ican
oles o play as well. UNESCO can, o example
os e na ional dialogues on educa ion e o ms
ha in ol e all pa ies: go e nmen s, child wel a e
o ganisa ions, pa en ini ia i es and o he s. In
addi ion, in e na ional o ganisa ions can make
sugges ions on he selec ion o p io i y policy
ields whe e e o m migh be easy and bene icial
o e e ybody. In hese ields, hey can unde pin
local p io i ies wi h in e na ional expe ise.
Dialogue wi h membe s a es: The second op ion
is o ha e a dialogue wi h he go e nmen s o
membe coun ies ha a e eluc an o e o m he
social con ac a all o as enough. In e na ional
o ganisa ions can use he a gumen ha some
e o m can be in he in e es o all in ol ed pa ies
in ha i migh p e en he discon en o dissa is-
ied g oups om e up ing in o ac s o e o ism,
iolen p o es s, demons a ions o e en ci il wa .
I migh also educe he b ain d ain caused by
well-educa ed, en e p ising and agile people
emig a ing – exac ly he people coun ies need
mos .
Ge in ol ed when shocks happen: The hi d
op ion is o be p epa ed o he ac ha any kind
o shock pu s he con ac ing pa ies in a coun y
unde p essu e wi h he e ec ha hey ha e o
eac . In hese momen s, in e na ional o ganisa-
ions ha e a ole o play o emind key decision
make s abou hei esponsibili ies and g asp he
window o oppo uni y o change hei cou se
owa ds sus ainable pa hs o de elopmen and an
inclusi e p ocess o social con ac enego ia ion.
A he same ime, shocks o en place high
demands on esou ces ha he go e nmen
