New global development goals must fight inequality and discrimination

New global development goals must fight inequality and discrimination

“There is more than enough wealth in the world to eradicate poverty,
but we must also address inequality,” said UN Human Rights Chief Navi
Pillay at a high-level side event on 4 February, which was held during
the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals’ 8th Session at
the United Nations headquarters in New York.

As
governments met at the United Nations to discuss the future development
goals, Pillay underlined that “the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
must be an agenda for more equitable and sustainable development, built
on the firm foundation of the human rights principles of equity,
equality and non-discrimination”.

Discrimination remains pervasive and inequalities are rising. 
According to a recent report by Oxfam, the 85 wealthiest individuals in
the world now have the same wealth as the 3.5 billion poorest people all
together. “We live in a world that is wealthier than ever before. Yet
millions of people still struggle to feed their families. To eradicate
poverty, we must address inequality,” Pillay said.

The event, “Addressing inequalities in the SDG’s: A human rights
imperative for effective poverty eradication,” was co-organized by the
UN Human Rights Office, UNICEF, and UN Women. The interactive dialogue,
sponsored by the Permanent Missions of Finland and Brazil, brought
together Member States, non-governmental organizations and a
distinguished panel of experts to reflect on the causes, costs, and
consequences of the rising inequalities within and between countries and
the implications for eradicating poverty.  

Pillay shared her own personal struggle with inequality as a child in
apartheid-South Africa, a country where inequality and discrimination
were part of everyday life and embedded in the law. “People of color
were excluded and exploited—and so were the poor,” she said. “I wanted
to fight against it—but I was young, poor, a woman, non-white. I faced
the impacts of multiple and overlapping forms of discrimination—age,
race, gender, the social status of my family—all stood in my way.”