Political Will, Enlightened Leadership Can Clear Obstacles to Equal Opportunity, Deputy Secretary-General Tells Economic and Social Council Meeting on Inequality

Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson’s remarks at the Economic and Social Council special meeting on inequality, in New York today:

I want to warmly thank the Economic and Social Council, and particularly you, Mr. President, for convening a special meeting on the crucial, critical and central subject of inequality.  I particularly want to thank you for your powerful and passionate plea to confront this fundamental issue for human development and dignity.

Inequalities within and among countries pose an immense challenge to global development efforts.  Large disparities in income, wealth, power and opportunity plague our work for progress, both internationally and nationally.  So do also large gaps in access to education, health care, water, sanitation, food, energy and social protection.

The 2030 Agenda [for Sustainable Development], which, you, as Member States, can be so proud of, pledges to reduce inequality and commits us all to a shared future with equality and equal opportunities for all.  For us to uphold the basic promise of the Agenda — to leave no one behind — we must reach those furthest behind first.

Inequality features prominently in the Sustainable Development Goals.  We have two stand-alone goals — Goal 5 on gender equality and Goal 10 on reducing inequality within and among countries.  But, inequality is also a cross-cutting issue which permeates practically all 17 Goals and their targets.

Inequality is caused by a great number of social, economic, political and environmental factors.  In far too many countries, women, youth, persons with disabilities, older persons, indigenous peoples and minorities continue to face exclusion from mainstream social, economic and political life.  I once worked with the prime minister in my home country, Sweden, who had a very simple answer to how you measure a nation — you look at how it treats the [poorest], the most oppressed.

Let us also recognize that inequality is a challenge faced by least-developed, middle-income and developed countries alike.  It is universal.

At the national level, in both developed and developing countries, the poorest half of the population often possesses less than 10 per cent of total wealth.  In some countries, the divide between rich and poor is even more glaring.

Inequality harms economic growth and poverty reduction.  It undermines social cohesion and undermines people’s sense of fulfilment and self-esteem.  Inequality worsens the quality of relations in the public and political spheres.  It stymies potential in human beings and it wastes a lot of talent.

A recent manifestation of inequality is growingly evident to us through the impact of climate change. Often such impact affects the poor and vulnerable first and worst.

Further, high concentrations of wealth easily become entrenched, thereby transmitting inequality from one generation to the next.  This, in turn, breeds resentment and instability.  We have now a 15-year period where we can raise a new generation.  Shall we do so in equality or inequality?

Yet, there is nothing inevitable about growing inequality.  Inequality is strongly affected by policy-making, by public office and by pressure from our leaders.  Where the political will exists, much can be done to address it.  Many countries have taken concrete steps to contain or reduce inequalities.  They have demonstrated that it is possible to achieve strong economic growth with growing equality.  In fact, there is even an advantage in terms of economic growth.

These steps have included debt restructuring and prudent fiscal stimulus, made easier today not least by historically low interest rates.  There have also been commitments to expand equal opportunity, social protection and universal access to public goods and services, especially benefiting women, children, older persons and other disadvantaged and vulnerable groups.

We have also seen dividends from effective employment policies, from investments in public infrastructure and robust, transparent and inclusive institutions.  Some countries have seized the potential of financial technology.  If brought to scale, this can help promote financial inclusion and help us reach the 2 billion people around the world without access to banks.

Inequality between countries also remains a formidable challenge.  Among the drivers of these gaps are illicit financial flows, financial manipulations, tax evasion and lack of harmonization of tax codes among countries.  All of this has a significant negative effect on societies and markets.  The recent global financial and economic crisis has underscored the devastating ways in which market failures exacerbate inequality.  They leave ordinary citizens feeling as if the global financial and economic systems are working against them, not for them, and we see the political consequences all over the world of such reactions.

International development cooperation can play an essential role in driving forward both public and private resources to go where the needs are greatest and the capacities are weakest.  We must ensure that development cooperation plays an increasingly strategic role in enabling the broader systemic and policy changes.  Such changes could strengthen coherence and support more equitable distribution of development opportunities.

Inequality reduction at the national level requires political will and enlightened leadership to address obstacles and constraints which prevent people from participating in society with equal opportunities.  We must explore steps to align policies and institutions behind the ambitions of the 2030 Agenda.  At the international level, countries can benefit from enhanced collaboration and cooperation.  In particular, they can exchange lessons learned, not least from addressing the drivers of inequality.  This is why ECOSOC’s [Economic and Social Council] initiative is so important.

At the regional level, the regional commissions will have a key role to play for capacity building and for providing a platform for sharing good practices.

The High-Level Political Forum (HLPF), under the auspices of the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council, will have a central role in overseeing follow up and review of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs [Sustainable Development Goals].

It is, therefore, timely and fitting that the HLPF, at its first session after the adoption of the 2030 Agenda, has decided to focus on “ensuring that no one is left behind”.  Let us be inspired by the new development agenda and let us be action-oriented and practical in our work to reduce inequality, this central factor of development.

Let us recognize that inequality is not just a statistic or a value-free measure of economic activity.  It is increasingly harmful, sowing the seeds of division, pushing societies towards polarization and fracture.  It condemns children to lives of hardship before they even have a chance to form their own lives.

Addressing inequality is ultimately about what kind of world we are building.  I trust that we all recognize the need for solidarity as well as enlightened self-interest.  We should see reducing inequality as one of the core benchmarks by which the achievement of the 2030 Agenda will be measured.

Today’s discussion provides an important opportunity to advance the discourse on ensuring that all human beings can fulfil their potential in dignity and equality.  I wish you a successful meeting.