FROM PAHO/EQUIDAD list
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Report on the World Social Situation (RWSS) 2005

The Inequality Predicament

 PEOPLE POORER TODAY THAN 10 YEARS AGO A THREAT TO STABILITY 51; UN REPORT

 The Report sounds alarm over persistent and deepening inequality
worldwide,

 Website:  http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/rwss/rwss.htm


 UN Press Release New York, Aug 25 2005

Division for Social Policy - Development of the Department of Economic and
Social Affairs.

 Increasing poverty and a growing schism between the haves and the have
nots; continue to pose a major threat to developing democracies around the
world, and the resulting economic and social inequality will continue to
breed violence and terror if the trend is not reversed, a United Nations
report said today.

 The report entitled The Inequality Predicament, the UN Department of
Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) warned of growing violence associated
with national and international acts of terrorism,which are the result of
stark economic and social inequalities, and competition over scarce
resources.

 Solutions to inequality outlined in the report include addressing economic
asymmetries not just within countries but also between them: 80 per cent of
the world57;s domestic product belongs to 1 billion people living in the
developed world, while the remaining 20 percent is shared by 5 billion
people living in developing countries.

 This is an especially important because it concentrates on inequality of
income as well as inequality in access to basic social services, as well as
decision-making,61; Under-Secretary-General for the Department of Economic
and Social Affairs, Jose Antonio Ocampo said today as he introduced the
report.

 Noting that the report comes 10 years after the 1995 Copenhagen World
Summit for Social Development -- where world governments pledged to
confront profound social challenges and to place people at the centre of
development ; he said some decade-old social gaps had actually widened,
particularly gender disparities.

 Although more women and girls were being educated, formal employment
figures for women had stagnated or even decreased in some parts of the
world. Even more troubling was the sharp increase of women being employed
by the informal sector, he added.

 The modest gains made in gender equality, education and other areas proved
that social mobilization, particularly civil society engagement, can help
raise awareness to social problems and spur action at national and regional
levels, he said, noting that the report also stresses the critical
importance of boosting access to basic services as one of the most
important instruments States had to impact inequities.

 The report notes that in a world of increasing development when societies
should be reaping the economic benefits of progress, instead many are
experiencing alarming increases in the discrepancies between rich and poor.

 The United States, Canada and Britain have not escaped this disturbing
trend, it said, seeking to nudge both developed and developing countries to
take more vigorous steps in the direction of assuring equality while
responding to the economic urgency for growth.

 In a summary of the report, Mr. Ocampo said that failure to address this
inequality predicament will insure that social injustice and better living
conditions for all people remain elusive,and that this trend will continue
to lead to social instability in the world.

 Socioeconomic strategies should focus on access to resources, social
services and the markets that must be incorporated alongside economic
development programmes. Economic stimulation without the associated social
programmes, is inadequate to eradicate the cycle of poverty: 60;Focusing
exclusively on economic growth and income generation as a development
strategy is ineffective, as it leads to the accumulation of wealth by a
few, and deepens the poverty of many,and does not acknowledge the
intergenerational transmission of poverty,says the report.

 In the final word of his report, Jose Antonio Ocampo says, The failure to
pursue a comprehensive integrated approach to development will perpetuate
the inequality predicament, for which everyone pays the price.

  *      *      *     *

This message from the Pan American Health Organization, PAHO/WHO, is part
of an effort to disseminate
information Related to: Equity; Health inequality; Socioeconomic inequality
in health; Socioeconomic
health differentials; Gender; Violence; Poverty; Health Economics; Health
Legislation; Ethnicity; Ethics;
 Information Technology - Virtual libraries; Research & Science issues.
[DD/ IKM Area]

60;Materials provided in this electronic list are provided "as is".Unless
expressly stated otherwise, the findings
and interpretations included in the Materials are those of the authors and
not necessarily of The Pan American
Health Organization PAHO/WHO or its country members61;.
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