Addressing the Global Inequality Crisis - A High-Level Event on an International Panel on Inequality

Thank you, colleagues. We will now be starting. My name is Ronald Lamola.

I'm the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of the Republic of South Africa.

I believe most of you are already in position of the agenda or the order of proceedings.

I will therefore start by opening the meeting.

And then request, we will then play a video of our two leaders, of our three leaders here.

And then after that, it will be the United Nations Deputy Secretary General. I hope she's here. Oh, OK.

Thank you. Your Excellencies, heads of state and government present and online, the Deputy Secretary General of the United Nation, Ms. Amina Mohammed, your Excellencies, fellow ministers and co-hosts.

My two brothers, Mario Vieira, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Brazil. My other brother, Jose Manuel Albers, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, the Kingdom of Spain. And Asmuth Akkars, the Minister of International Relations and Development of the Kingdom of Norway.

Thank you. Ministers and distinguished delegates, representatives of international organizations and civil society organizations, distinguished guests, it is my great honor to welcome you to this high-level event convened under the auspices of President Cyril Ramaphosa, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sanchez, and the Prime Minister of Norway, Jonas Gahr Støre. Allow me to convey my sincere gratitude for your presence here this morning. This high level event will not have been possible without the unwavering commitment and support of my fellow co-host as well as the United Nations Secretariat. Under the leadership of the Secretary General and the Deputy Secretary General, her excellency Amina Mohammed.

Who will join us or she she's here.

Okay.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

Excellencies and distinguished guests, in 2025, under South Africa's presidency of the G20, His Excellency President Cyril Ramaphosa commissioned the Extraordinary Committee of the Independent Experts on Global Inequality, chaired by Professor Stiglitz, the Nobel Prize-winning economist. This bold initiative culminated in the publication of the first ever G20 report on Inequality in November 2025. This landmark report reaches a conclusion that most of us here today already share, that inequality is a choice and it can be reversed with political will. Inequality within and between countries corrodes democracy, social cohesion and sustainable development. It erodes trust in institutions, fuels instability and undermines human dignity. For South Africa, inequality must be treated as a global emergency. Addressing inequality requires action that is as urgent and coordinated as our response to the climate crisis. It requires coordinated multilateral action rooted in solidarity and shared responsibility. And so today, we are making a different political choice and exercising our political will to tackle one of the burning questions of our time. Among the Inequality Report's key recommendation is the establishment of a new international panel on inequality, the IPI. The IPI represents a concrete opportunity to help the world understand and address inequality. We are now advancing that recommendation by working to establish the IPI as a mechanism to provide periodic policy-relevant assessments of inequality, particularly income and wealth inequality. The IPI will serve as a trusted source of knowledge, a convener of expertise and catalyst for action. It will empower governments and multilateral institutions with the credible evidence to design policies that are not only effective, but also just. We call upon the international community to join us in forging a new consensus that rejects exclusion and disparity and embraces common prosperity and shared humanity. Distinguished guests, We, as the IPI founding committee, wish to underscore our full commitment to a UN member state-led intergovernmental process through the UN's General Assembly resolution that leads to the establishment of this panel, while safeguarding the independence of its work once established. For this reason, we have embarked on an extensive outreach process to consult on its objective, scope, design, financing mechanism, and reporting lines. We have views as member states are invaluable to this process. We call on all UN member states to join us in advancing international cooperation to address widening global inequality by supporting the establishment of the International Panel on Inequality. I will now ask you all to pay attention to the screens for a joint video message from our leaders. Oh, okay. They have requested that we first do a group photo and after that then we will we can stand here in front.

Yeah. And after that we'll watch the video.

State and government, honorable ministers, ambassadors of state and government, honorable ministers, ambassadors and high commissioners, heads of delegation, distinguished guests and ladies and gentlemen, I'm pleased to tell you that President Lula, Prime Minister Store, Prime Minister Sanchez and I welcome you as leaders of nations that are united by a common cause to overcome extreme inequality. As the founding father of South Africa, Nelson Mandela reminded us that for as long as poverty, injustice and gross inequality persists in our world, none of us can truly be free and be fully at peace. In the spirit of Madiba's words, let today be a day of action. The task before us is a formidable one, to build a new multilateral frontier and expand our global coalition against inequality. At its heart, the International Panel on Inequality The decision to establish the panel is one of the most consequential outcomes of the South African G20 presidency last year. It builds on the Brazilian G20 presidency that put inequality at the center of the global agenda. As evidenced by the wide range of representation in this room today, The coalition in support of an International Panel on Inequality is growing. It is time to accelerate the momentum and to get the backing of the UN General Assembly for a resolution on the International Panel on Inequality. As Professor Joseph Stiglitz reminds us, inequality is not and never has been inevitable. It is a problem we can solve with evidence, analysis, political action and cooperation. Let us forge forward in the spirit of cooperation and common purpose. The establishment of an International Panel on Inequality, once a distant ambition, is now firmly within sight and increasingly within our grasp. The time for an international panel on inequality is now. Let us just do it. I thank you.

Inequality is not an abstract concept. Inequality is an awful reality. It is about opportunities where you are born, the family you are born into, or the circumstances you grow up in. Inequality is also about disaffection, about whether people feel that the system is titled against them. And ultimately, inequality is about fairness. And few things are more unfair than the levels of inequality our societies have reached. We cannot accept this, we will not accept this. We must act. But the governments cannot properly address what they do not fully understand. That is why an international panel on inequality is a must. Its idea is actually quite simple. Think of what the IPCC has done for climate change, bringing together the best available knowledge, independently assessing the evidence, and giving governments around the world a common scientific basis on which to act. We need to do something similar for inequality. And we need to do it now, because inequality is one of the great crises of our time. We should welcome the evidence, and then we should use that knowledge to make better decisions. That is what this panel is about. Not ideology, but knowledge. Not another layer of bureaucracy, but a tool for better policymaking. We have an opportunity to make this happen in the coming months, so let's do it. Like we did at the time for the IPCC, we will seek a resolution at the UN General Assembly in support of this panel. We ask for your input, we ask for your support, but more important, we ask for your drive and active engagement, for being a critical part of our coalition going forward. The moment for an international

panel on inequality is now.

Joining us today.

Thank you very much for the video message from the IPI founding committee leaders. I will now call upon her excellency, Ms. Amina J. Mohammed, the Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations to deliver her remarks. Your excellency, you now have the floor.

Thank you very much, Excellency. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, really pleased to join you here on behalf of the Secretary-General to deliver his message to this important gathering and, as the Chair has explained, a global emergency. Excellencies, dear friends, today we are shining a spotlight on the inequality crisis. Sustainable Development Goal 10 calls on us to reduce inequality within and among nations. And yet we see breathtaking levels of income and wealth inequality, with the richest 10% of the world's population now earning 75% of all wealth. We see unequal access to basic needs like housing, health care, nutrition and education. And we see inequality when some countries develop and prosper while others fall behind. This emergency could get worse and fast. The breakneck emergence of frontier technology and the concentration of this technology's wealth and power in a tiny number of hands could unleash global inequality at a scale far beyond anything that we have seen. Unchecked inequality will further corrode democracy as the ultra-wealthy and companies take control, wield outsized influence over the media and information landscape. and a world where only a few powerful countries can exert control over global security and the global economic architecture is a ticking time bomb. Left unchecked, these deep structural power imbalances are a surefire recipe for economic, social and political strife. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, we need national and global solutions. The proposed International Panel on Inequality would bring together governments, economies, civil society, and academics to provide objective, science-based analysis and evidence on the scale and drivers of inequality. And it would put forward solutions to help policymakers address these inequalities. Investments in education, health, social protection, and decent work. Fairer tax systems, greater cooperation on development, finance, trade, and investment. Reforming the global financial architecture, stronger enforcement of global rules, especially as corporations and high net worth individuals operate and relocate across borders. Achieving gender equality will be at the core of this and ensuring that technology like artificial intelligence is accessible to and governed by all countries. Excellencies, this proposed panel can deepen our understanding of the problem and the policy and political choices that we need to address it. Let's continue all efforts to end the inequality crisis. I thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Minister Lamola. Thank you, Under-Secretary-General Amina Mohammed and members of the panel. I'm very honored to be here today representing Brazil and President Lula, who unfortunately couldn't stay for this important meeting. He came for the opening of the General Assembly yesterday. but he had to fly back home for a number of domestic engagements, political domestic engagements. Dear friends, ladies and gentlemen, inequality is one of our most urgent concerns. We are witnessing an extreme concentration of wealth in the hands of a few. In 2025, billionaire wealth grew three times faster than the annual average of the previous five years. This concentration is not merely a matter of the distribution of resources. When wealth and power become extremely concentrated, inequalities threaten social and political cohesion, trust in institutions, and the very ability of states to guarantee rights. In many of our societies, economic inequalities intersect with inequalities based on gender, race, geography, social background, and many other forms of discriminations. Dear friends, Brazil has sought to contribute to addressing this challenge. During our G20 presidency in 2024, we placed reducing inequalities at the center of the agenda. We adopted the first G20 ministerial declaration on reducing inequalities and launched the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty. In the G20 Rio de Janeiro Leaders' Declaration, we recognized that inequalities within and among countries are at the root of most of the global challenges we face and are aggravated by them. At COP30, we also took an important step by creating the Tropical Forest Forever Facility, seeking to reconcile conservation, development, and the recognition of the value of the peoples and communities that protect our forests. These initiatives are fundamental to addressing the most urgent dimensions of inequality. The Rio Leaders' Declaration was also essential in elevating the fight against inequality to a new level on the international agenda. Now, we need to take this effort one step further by creating an international structure capable of understanding the causes, trends, and consequences of inequality in an integrated manner. It is in this spirit that we recognize the work of South Africa during its G20 presidency, particularly the establishment of the Independent Experts Committee on Global Inequality. Brazil is proud to be part of this effort, together with South Africa, Norway, Spain, and leading academics to propose the creation of an International Panel on Inequalities. We will bring together independent experts from different regions and disciplines to produce scientific knowledge on inequalities and their intersections with gender, race, geography, and climate. we seek to transform fragmented knowledge into shared knowledge and evidence into effective public policies. I invite all countries and partners to join us in this endeavor. Thank you very much.

Thank you very much, my dear brother, Mario Vieira. We now give the floor to His Excellency, Mr. Jose Manuel Alvarez, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation from the Kingdom of Spain to deliver his remarks.

Thank you very much, dear Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, dear ministers of South Africa, Brazil, dear colleagues. Inequality is one of the defining challenges of our time, and data speaks volumes. 83% of countries suffer from high income inequality. And as a part of our core commitment to social cohesion, fiscal justice, global solidarity, Spain has placed the fight against inequality at the center of our legal framework and public policies. But fighting inequality is a complex endeavor. It requires a multidimensional approach that goes well beyond the average GDP per capita of a country. Many developing countries face high debt services burdens that severely constrain their fiscal space to address precisely inequalities. For Spain, promoting and strengthening progressive tax system is key to funding social cohesion and reducing inequalities. We believe that we need better international tax cooperation to prevent tax evasion and avoidance and ensure that wealth and corporate profits are taxed where value is created. And we need to improve the functioning of the international debt architecture. These are actions that Spain strongly advocated at the Fourth Conference on Financing for Development. And the Compromiso de Sevilla reflects our common understanding that reducing inequalities is essential for achieving social justice, lasting shared prosperity, and global stability. No single government, no single institution, no single organization can address inequalities alone. And at a time when multilateral values are being questioned, Spain advocates for collective action. And this is why this gathering today is so relevant for all of us. We are in a key moment right now. Now is the time to start to promote the international panel on inequality so we can gather the vast support we believe it merits. A panel strongly anchored here in Dijon. And we need to link solid, independent academic research and rigorous data with practical policy recommendation that we can apply as government. This is the central idea behind this panel. Together, the three panels could reinforce the capacity of the multilateral system to better address these three key domains that, according to the Secretary General, are the main global challenges. that we are facing today. So we invite you to join the initiative, to enrich it with your suggestion, and above all, to help make the International Panel on Inequality a reality already this year. Thank you very much.

Thank you, Your Excellency. I now call upon His Excellency Asmund Okrass, the Minister of International Development of the Kingdom of Norway. to deliver ISRMx. You now have the floor, Excellency.

Thank you, my friend. Dear friends and colleagues, I'm very glad to be here to represent my Prime Minister, Jonas Gahr Støre. And we are from the Norwegian government, very proud to be a part of this Group to follow up the outcome of the historic presidency of South Africa for G20 last year. I completely agree with what we have just heard. Inequality is a global crisis which undermines developments. It undermines trust in democracies, in our societies and in the world order. We need to fight inequality both within countries and between countries. Combating Inequality is a key priority for our government in our domestic and foreign and development policy. We are now reviewing our development policy. Job creation will be a main priority, and it will be our most important tool to fight poverty and inequality. Inequality is not a natural phenomenon. It's a result of political choices. As such, it also can be fought by political choices through progressive taxation, through international cooperation to combat tax evasion and tax avoidance, effective welfare systems that covering everyone and equal opportunities for women and men. We need better knowledge about the drivers of inequality and how it could be reduced. Inspired by IPCC, We need a shared understanding of inequality based on the best available science. I will therefore like to repeat my Prime Minister's what he said to. I would like to repeat my Prime Minister's thanks to President Ramaphosa for this initiative and for having this extraordinary committee on experts on global inequality chaired by Professor Joe Stiglitz. At the G20 Summit in Johannesburg, Prime Minister Stoer expressed his support for the proposal of establishing an International Panel on Inequality. I'm therefore very glad to be here and been working with our friends and colleagues in South Africa, Brazil and Spain and the committee of experts to advance the establishment of this panel. This panel will be a vital part of our common toolbox to combat inequality. I hope today's important event will help mobilize broad support for the panel and for the UN resolution supporting this creation. Once again, thank you for South African leadership here. We look forward to hearing your comments and input on this proposal. Thank you, Chair.

Thank you very much, Your Excellency. I now call upon Professor Jay Ghosh, a member of the founding committee of the International Panel on Inequality, to briefly introduce a video to be delivered by Professor Joseph Stiglitz, who unfortunately could no longer join us due to ill health. Professor Ghosh, you now have the floor.

Excellencies, ministers, ambassadors, distinguished delegates, it has been my great honor to serve along with Professor Stiglitz and other experts and with academics around the world who have given their voluntary contribution towards contributing to the IPI. Therefore, to be able to present this video from Professor Stiglitz, he sends his apologies. He really wanted to be here and wished he could have been, but we do have a video from him. Over to Joe.

Excellencies, ministers, ambassadors, distinguished delegates. I'm sorry I cannot be with you today. I would very much have liked to, but I'm following doctor's orders. I know our time is very brief, so I will be very short. I want to begin by thanking the organizing states, Brazil, Norway, South Africa, and Spain, for this opportunity to present the proposal of an International Panel for Inequality, IPI. I recognize the leadership of President Lula of Brazil and President Ramaphosa of South Africa, who both used their G20 leadership to focus on inequality. It is from that powerful platform that the idea of an International Panel on Inequality was born. The IPI stems from two core foresights. First, inequality within and between nations is a collective threat to the functioning of our economies and their ability to support human dignity. I talk primarily here of economic inequality, But we know that inequality affects people differently due to race, gender, social class, ethnicity, and geography. Inequality is not a problem limited to the economy. At a global and national level, it puts extreme stress on our politics, our societies, and the very ecological basis of our civilization. And that leads me to the second insight. This kind of global stress is akin to the crisis of climate change and needs to be very much better understood and studied in the same way. While the IPI will ultimately be designed and run differently, the concept of an Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is a useful analogy. The IPI would be an independent body of experts who can assess, synthesize, and present trusted knowledge and analysis on inequality, its drivers, nature, consequences, and policy solutions to address it. It's so important for an IPI to be a multilateral body That has the legitimacy to bring us all together to investigate, find consensus, and determine the best way forward. We are pleased to be in discussion with the UNU, which has a strong mandate for academic freedom and credibility. The founding committee I chair is furthermore committed to supporting the establishment of an IPI with a UN resolution that I sincerely hope you will support too. I'm very keen today to listen to your questions and comments. So I will end by posing the questions that I hope will frame our discussion. First, what is your assessment of current efforts to tackle inequality within, and between nations. Secondly, how could a scientific panel such as an IPI be most effective, including sustaining its credibility as a scientific body? Thirdly, how could a scientific panel such as an IPI be most helpful, including to policymakers? And finally, How would you like to be involved in the process to establish an IPI? We on the founding committee very much welcome your participation in establishing an IPI. Thank you for attending this event.

Thank you very much for the video. We have now concluded the high-level opening segment of our meeting. I would like to ask you to remain seated with those few who have requested to leave, like the DSG, to leave. But all of us who can remain and other colleagues who have requested. Thank you, DSG.

Thank you.

Okay, thank you. Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

We will now give the floor to the Prime Minister of Barbados, Her Excellency Ms. Mia Mottley.

I'd like to thank Brazil, Norway, South Africa and Spain for convening this session that allows us to be able to tee up a resolution that I suspect will become a groundbreaking resolution for this body, recognizing that if we want to be able to guarantee the promise of the UN Charter to our citizens across the world, it will be impossible for us to do without ensuring that we address this fundamental issue of income inequality. We are seeing it get worse, and the promise of AI, while bountiful for some, runs the risk of consolidating persons into a situation where inequality defines their future. We believe that we have to ask, who is it that is really participating in growth? Who owns the assets and who shapes the rules? The distribution of new wealth depends that from our consideration. The G20 expert committee, I know, found that between 2000 and 2024, the richest 1% captures 41% of new global wealth. 41%. The poorest receive just 1%. Equal effort, therefore, does not guarantee equal opportunity. And that's why one of the reasons the mandate upon which my government has been elected is premised on three things. One, to stop poor people from being poor. Two, to fight injustice. And three, to create opportunity, particularly not just for jobs, but for ownership, because wealth is not defined by access to cash alone. We have to address the intergenerational passage that allows people to be lifted out of poverty permanently. The difficulty, of course, is that even when that happens, the promise of future prosperity is taken from us by rules that impair our ability to function as governments, rules that artificially constrain countries in their access to capital and in their access to policy prescriptions that give them the opportunity to fight this real battle. Greed is man-made, and therefore, if it is man-made, it can be unman-made. And the political choices to which the minister referred to from Norway are political choices that people make with their eyes wide open. insensitive to those who will suffer as a result of those choices. We have to stop. If we condemn slavery, we condemn the notion of people exploiting other human beings in order to make profit. But slavery is just the extreme condition. And as I've come to reflect more and more, the mens rea that informed slavery regrettably is still existent in the modern world, even if the institution of slavery is not here. It is the same Mens rea that will easily admit that it is okay for the international financial institutions to not hear the voices of those across Africa or those across the small island developing states that constitute a quarter of the world's states. It is the same Mens rea that refuses to accept that it is necessary for the reform of the Security Council. It is the same mens rea that determines that labour rights should be put on the back burner instead of being on the very foundation level for the dignity not only of all people, but also for the prosperity and solidarity that comes therefrom. We have too many battles globally to fight that require all of our effort. And if we continue to divide our population in half and accept that half of them should not have access to basic rights, then the numbers necessary to fight these global battles are not there. I refer to the climate crisis. I refer to the prospects of how we save the planet as well as how we save humanity, given the current discussions on AI. We accept that AI has the potential for bounty and for democratization, but we equally recognize that AI has the ability to dehumanize the human race and take the human race out, as has been discussed most recently this week. What is important is the evidence. And that is why the bringing together of 350 economists to sign that document is perhaps the most significant event, because this is not the dizzying propaganda of a politician. This is the evidence of the reality of people's lives. And if we don't respond to the evidence economically, it would be like a doctor ignoring all of the evidence brought about by the ultrasound machine or the MRI and leaving the patient to die over the course of time. The cancer of indifference is what Pope Francis warned us is killing our world today. I hope that by supporting this resolution that we will develop to bring before the General Assembly, that we will recognize that if we do not intervene to course correct, then we are literally condemning too many people to a life that cannot be lived properly, but more importantly, we weaken humanity's ability to fight the big battles of our time that go beyond country, that go beyond gender, that go beyond those who have power and those who do not. We live in the same world. I remind us that the mosquito is perhaps the smallest creature in the world, but it is equally the most deadly. Let us not repeat the mistakes of history and failed to see people, hear people, and feel people. Let us put them at the center of our development process and let us bring an end to this global inequality that has now been sold as being the new norm of the world. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Prime Minister. We now go to Germany.

Gentlemen, recently the world has seen its first trillionaire. At the same time, 840 million people are affected by extreme poverty. This growing insecurity and the excessive concentration of wealth in the hands of a few threatens social cohesion and democracy. It is therefore a strong political sign that so many global leaders are coming together to fight inequality. As we heard, impact relies on evidence and the IPI will provide the evidence that we need and therefore Germany is very proud to support the panel. We believe that one of the most powerful tools in tackling inequality is a progressive taxation system. When stronger shoulders carry more weight, the whole society benefits. Consequently, Germany makes a point of promoting fair and effective public finance systems worldwide. We are cooperating with more than 30 partner countries to push this forward. Another issue I want to raise is debt. Nearly half of the world's population live in countries which spend more on debt than they spend on health and education. Countries cannot invest in their own development, in their own future, if they are drowning in debt. And therefore, it is very clear that we need to work on a fair international finance architecture. Germany will cooperate closely with the International Panel on Inequality and endorse its vision statement. Together, we can truly provide evidence into action and make a difference in addressing inequality worldwide. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Ms. Randhavan. We now go to Cape Verde.

Thanks the organizations of this timely discussion and welcomes the initiative of establishing an international panel on inequality. Inequality is not only a question of revenue or wealth, it's also reflected in inequal access to opportunities, finance, technology, education, health care, resilience to climate change. For small island developing states, SIDS, inequality is also part of the international system itself. Countries like mine, Cabo Verde, continue to face structural vulnerabilities that are not sufficiently captured by traditional indicators, which are based on income, limiting access to conditional financing despite the resistance to external shocks. We therefore support the efforts to enhance the bank of evidence worldwide about inequality Inclusive, rigorous, independent research can help to better understand the various interconnected dimensions of inequality and to identify effective political responses. It must guarantee balanced representation of developed and developing countries, including small island developing states, and it must take into account the multidimensional vulnerability, climate impacts, gender inequality, and intergenerational equity. As we implement the Pact for the Future and accelerate progress towards the 2030 Agenda, question of inequality within and among countries must be essential to multilateralism. But we need a better policy, more equitable international cooperation, and more inclusive world governance. Cape Verde approves the declaration of vision on inequalities and fully supports the the General Assembly present resolution on this matter. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Cape Verde, for your input. We now go to Japan.

Thank you, Chair, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen. The widening of global disparities is a common challenge for the international community that threatens social cohesion, sustainable growth, and stability. In order to realize the principle of leaving no one behind set forth in the 2030 agenda, Japan welcomes the efforts towards the establishment of an expert panel that brings together expert knowledge and makes policy recommendations aimed at addressing inequality. Sustainable and inclusive quality growth is indispensable for correcting global inequality. It is also important that all countries, regardless of developed or developing, share a responsibility while respecting the ownership of the partner countries and supporting their autonomous development through dialogue and cooperation. From this perspective, Japan has listened to the voices on the ground, carefully responded to the needs of each country and supported self-reliant development of partner countries through human development and nation building. In addressing global inequality, I would like to highlight the importance of Japan's efforts in three areas. The first is quality infrastructure development. infrastructure forms the foundation of social and economic activities and sustainable growth. Japan has led the formulation of the G20 principles for quality infrastructure investment and has been promoting quality infrastructure investment in line with international rules and standards, including transparency, openness, economic efficiency, and debt sustainability. The second is global health. From the perspective of human security, Japan contributes to the achievement of universal health coverage, UHC. Japan will continue to support capacity building and build momentum for the achievement of UHC in developing countries through the UHC Knowledge Hub. which was launched in Tokyo last December. The third is gender equality and women's empowerment. The active participation and engagement of women brings diversity and vitality to society and economy. Japan is promoting the Women, Peace and Security agenda while working to create an environment in which women can fully exercise their abilities as key contributors to society and the economy through women's empowerment. At a time when the international community faces multiple crises, It is essential that all countries find common ground and points of agreement and advance solutions to challenges in a manner where all countries share responsibility. Japan will continue to work closely with the international community and contribute actively toward the realization of a sustainable and inclusive society that leaves no one behind. Thank you very much.

Thank you. We now want to thank you, Mr. Endo, for your input. Thank you very much. We now go to Mexico.

Mexico welcomes the initiative of South Africa, Brazil, Spain and Norway to encourage the establishment of an international and independent panel on inequality. Its launch comes with an international situation that demands our attention: the small and richest percent on the planet concentrate 70% of wealth, and that figure takes account of the scale of the challenge. But inequality can't be expressed only in income distribution. It's also manifested when gender, origin, or territory, where you come from, determine people's opportunities and their possibility to live with dignity. Therefore, no development model can be considered successful while these gaps remain. Poverty and inequality are not an inevitable destiny, and they mustn't be seen as just the cost of economic growth. They are the results of decisions, and therefore they can be changed. This conviction shapes the development vision that Mexico has been encouraging based on Mexican humanism and the moral economy. The economy must be in the service of people. Innovation and inclusion are part of one single strategy to strengthen productive capacities and raise collective well-being. Between 2018 and 2024, 13.5 million Mexicans came out of poverty, and the Gini coefficient was reduced by 8.2%. Beyond the figures, this is a matter of increasing rights through better salaries, social protection and public investment. It's precisely there where a panel of this kind could make a substantial contribution. To face down inequality, we need to understand it better. We need data, evidence and scientific rigour that will allow us to identify what works for whom and under what conditions. But also we need indicators that can reveal the gaps that national averages often hide. That knowledge must be reflected in public policies that start and have as their aim dignity, rights and people's empowerment, because reducing inequality at the end of the day means increasing each person's opportunities so that they can fully exercise their rights and decide on their own future. Mexico supports the objectives of this panel and trusts that the Mexican experts can be members and contribute to its work. Before us, we have an opportunity to strengthen knowledge, cooperation, and the collective ability to act in the face of one of the greatest challenges of our time. Thank you very much.

Thank you very much, Your Excellency, Mr. Soros, for your input. We now go to Portugal.

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, as Professor Joseph Stiglitz and leading experts have forcefully reminded us, extreme inequality is not inevitable. It is a result of policy choices. Consequently, through deliberate, informed, and courageous public policies, inequalities can and must be dismantled. Tackling multidimensional inequalities is not merely a moral duty. It is an economic and political imperative, essential for building inclusive, resilient and sustainable societies where no one is left behind. Portugal remains steadfastly committed to reducing disparities both within and among nations in strict alignment with the 2030 agenda, the promotion of human rights, equal opportunities, and social cohesion. Excellencies, inequalities are inherently complex and multidimensional. Beyond disparities in income and wealth, They limit access to education, quality health care, social protection, justice and economic opportunities. Moreover, these gaps are increasingly exacerbated by systemic global challenges, including climate change and the rapid digital and technological transitions. Effectively addressing the inequality emergency requires a coherent, multi-pronged approach based on, first, integrated cross-cutting policies that tackle systemic disparities in the roots. Second, strong and accountable institutions that protect public interest and democracy. And third, enhanced multilateral cooperation anchored in robust empirical evidence, scientific rigor, and reliable internationally comparable data. Bearing these imperatives in mind, Portugal warmly welcomes the international consensus growing around the establishment of an International Panel on Inequality. Enhancing the evidence base available to decision makers on the trends, structural drivers, and far-reaching consequences of inequality represents an undeniable global public good. Emulating the proven success of existing intergovernmental scientific frameworks, such as the IPCC, the proposed panel holds great potential to identify critical knowledge gaps, consolidate existing research, and translate scientific insight into actionable policy-relevant solutions. Portugal particularly values the core principles framing this initiative, uncompromising scientific independence, academic excellence, and a balanced, equitable representation between the global north and the plural south. As intergovernmental discussions progress, we look forward to further refining the operational and institutional modalities of the Panel. This includes ensuring its seamless articulation with the United Nations governance architecture and establishing a predictable, sustainable funding model rooted in voluntary contributions. Be sure that Portugal remains fully engaged in these collective efforts to ensure that scientific knowledge serves the common good and drives transformative policy action worldwide. I thank you.

Thank you very much, Your Excellency, Mr. Xavier. We now move to Venezuela.

Mr. President, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela welcomes the convening of this meeting, which is essential to tackling one of the most urgent and historical debts of the global order. Inequality is not just an imbalance in the distribution of income. It is a structural challenge which is decisive and that fundamentally affects access to education, health, food, decent work and development financing. At the end of the day, this gap, this perpetual gap, limits the fundamental right of peoples to build a future with justice and dignity. It's therefore insufficient to confine ourselves to diagnosing the consequences of inequality. We must act on the structural causes and the systemic mechanisms that reproduce it, both internally and on the international stage. At the national level, the fundamental priority must be the human being. That means consolidating robust social protection, strengthening essential public services, encouraging sovereign production, and generating effective opportunities real opportunities so that economic development can be reflected directly in social welfare. However, sovereign efforts of our nations require, of course, a global environment that is favorable and that does not limit the possibilities for progress. Mr. President, today there are profound and unacceptable imbalances in the global economic structure which restrict equitable access to markets, technology and financing. Overcoming those imbalances demands a true refounding of the international financial architecture in the interest of a truly inclusive, representative and solidarity-based model that can meet the diversity and real needs of the global South. Venezuela therefore advocates for the establishment of this panel on inequality, contributing with scientific rigor and production of evidence to identifying real solutions that can be reflected in better public policies and better international cooperation. We therefore reaffirm that it's essential and indispensable and urgent that we eradicate all of the measures that smother the development of the nations. Unilateral coercive measures, known as sanctions, are a flagrant violation of international law and a deliberate obstacle that restricts the financial and productive capacities of states, worsening vulnerability and inequality for millions of people, Mr. President. Reducing inequality is not only a technical goal to close statistical gaps. It's an ethical and political imperative for guaranteeing social cohesion, peace, and the sovereignty of our nations. This cause demands sovereign responsibility, but also international cooperation strengthened in solidarity and mutual respect. The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela reiterates its staunch commitment to contributing decisively to this collective task. Thank you very much.

Thank you very much, Your Excellency Pimentel, for your input. We now go to Bangladesh.

Excellencies, colleagues, We thank the governments of Brazil, Norway, Spain and South Africa for organizing this event. We welcome the proposed International Panel on Inequality. Global inequality remains a serious concern. The richest 10% receive 52% of global income and own about 76% of global wealth. In contrast, the poorest half receives only 8.5% of income and own just mere 2% of wealth. And nearly 700 million people live in extreme poverty today. There are new factors that are widening existing inequality and creating new inequalities. Climate change is increasing the inequalities. Around 1.2 billion people face serious climate risk. The most vulnerable suffer the most, who do not contribute to the crisis at all. Digital inequality is another concern. One third of the world's population are not connected online. In high-income countries, internet use reached 93%, but only 27% in low-income countries. The COVID-19 pandemic also exposed deep inequalities in healthcare. By May 2022, about 80% of people in high-income countries had received at least one vaccine dose, compared to only 60% in low-income countries. These existing inequalities erode trust, weaken social bond, and hinder progress towards SDGs. Bangladesh is determined to bridge this gap by restoring rights, building accountable institutions, protecting human dignity, and ensuring fair and inclusive development. Our experience shows that reducing inequality requires sustained action and investment. In this spirit, we wish to offer four proposals. First, To reinforce global cooperation to expand access to education, jobs, skills, and equal opportunities for youth and women, especially in developing countries. Second, to strengthen global support for climate-vulnerable countries to prevent climate displacement and protect affected people. Third, to promote global cooperation for affordable internet, digital skills, and fair access to AI so that no one is left behind. And finally, to create a global health equity mechanism to ensure timely access to vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics, and essential health technologies in developing countries during future pandemics. To conclude, we expect the panel to turn evidence into practical action to reduce inequality and expand opportunities. We hope its work will provide greater support to most vulnerable people across the countries. I thank you.

Thank you very much. We now conclude the section of UN member states. And now we go to intergovernmental organizations and UN entities. And the time allocated is two minutes per each. I will now start with the UN-Habitat.

Excellencies, inequality is most visible in cities. The global housing crisis exposes a severe affordability challenge at planetary scale. Young people not able to buy or rent a house, elderly, persons with disability not able to access or sometimes stay in their homes. It exposes 300 million people living in homelessness situation, plus 1 billion people living in informal settlement. Yet, access to housing is fundamental to achieve the sustainable development goals. Yet, building housing right is critical for us to address the climate change. Housing crisis in cities are the face of inequalities globally. Thank you.

Thank you very much, UN-Habitat. We now go to the International Labour Organization.

The proposed international panel on inequality and the co-host for bringing this important discussion to you and sustaining political momentum on one of the defining challenges of our time. Rising inequalities, both within and between countries, jeopardize the achievement of the sustainable development goals and weaken social cohesion and trust in institution and constrain sustainable economic prosperity. Addressing inequality is therefore central to social justice and sustainable development. Since its foundation, the ILO has been guided by the conviction that the world of work is a critical arena for understanding and addressing inequalities. A key lesson from the ILO's experience is that reducing inequality requires actions on both pre-distribution and redistribution. Decent work, adequate wages, skills, and strong labor market institutions are essential to tackle inequality at its source. This also means addressing market concentration and market power, which can affect workers' income and widen inequality, both between firms and workers, and also among the firms, especially between large firms and SMEs. Effective, inclusive social protection is equally essential It should not simply mop up, default out of the economic policies, but form part of the social infrastructure that works along with economic and labor market policies. The effort to reduce inequality must also address the structural barriers faced by women, migrant workers, persons with disabilities, indigenous people and ethnic minorities. The ILO remains ready to contribute its expertise on labour market inequalities, wages, market power, gender equality and social protection, informality and social dialogue, and we very much look forward to engaging constructively with the member states partners as this initiative evolved. Thank you very much.

Thank you. We will now go to Iceland.

Excellencies, distinguished delegates, it's a pleasure to join you here today to discuss the challenge of inequality and how we can collectively take steps to address it. Persistent inequalities in income, wealth, and opportunities undermine trust in institutions and deny too many people the opportunity to fulfill their potential. Inequality is not inevitable, and it's in our shared interest to better understand its causes and find effective ways to address it. Government of Iceland's stated aim is to prioritize the public interest and public welfare above particular or private interests. However, countering things like extreme market concentration and unequal wealth distribution domestically is not sufficient. Persistent inequalities can undermine trust, not only within societies, but also in the multilateral order itself. We see this initiative as an important contribution to strengthening multilateral cooperation. Iceland strongly believes in science-based and evidence-informed policymaking. We therefore welcome the proposal to establish an International Panel on Inequality. An independent international panel anchored in neutral, objective and science-based analysis could serve as a global resource for policymakers, the private sector, civil society and the public. Iceland is pleased to support the vision statement and to join those countries supporting this initiative. We thank the governments of South Africa, Brazil, Spain and Norway for this initiative and we look forward to continuing this important discussion. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Iceland. We now go to the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development.

The United Nations Research Institute for Social Development, UNRIS, is delighted to see the growing momentum behind the proposed International Panel on Inequality. As the UN Research Institute dedicated for over 60 years to advancing research on the often neglected challenges of social development, we strongly welcome this initiative. For decades, UNRIS research has shown that inequality is not only an economic issue. It affects opportunity, voice, social cohesion, trust in institutions, and the prospect of sustainable development. We therefore welcome the vision of an independent, science-based body that can bring together and assess the best available knowledge on inequality from around the world. We are convinced that the proposed panel can strengthen the foundations for informed and effective action to address inequality within and between countries. ANRIS has been honored to support this process from its early stage and to host the inaugural meeting of the founding committee in Geneva in March 2026. That gathering demonstrates the growing commitment of governments, researchers, and international organizations to advancing a shared understanding of inequality and the actions needed to address it. We express our full support for the establishment of the IPI and encourage member states to support this effort politically and financially. Investing in evidence, knowledge, and multilateral cooperation is essential if we are to build more equitable, inclusive, and sustainable societies for all. Thank you.

Thank you very much. We now go to the United Nations University.

Excellencies, I have the honour to speak on behalf of the United Nations University, UNU, and its Rector, Professor Chulizi Marwala. Thank you to the governments of South Africa, Brazil, Norway and Spain, as well as the Deputy Secretary-General, for convening this important discussion. UNU serves as the academic arm and global think tank of the UN and is uniquely positioned within the UN system as an autonomous organ of the General Assembly that has full academic freedom. UNU conducts research to advance the understanding of the trends and drivers of inequalities, both globally and within countries. It analyses which policies and public actions are more and less successful at creating greater equality and questions how and why efforts to reduce inequality have not always been sufficient to reduce enduring inequalities. UNU very much welcomes the IPI initiative and is deeply honoured to be considered as its host. Effective policy making requires trusted evidence. It also requires the ability to bring together knowledge from different disciplines, regions and perspectives, especially from the global south. Across UNU research, we see how inequality intersects with development, education, technology, climate change, migration, governance, peace building and so on. These challenges are deeply interconnected and require integrated, evidence-based solutions. UNU stands ready to support efforts that strengthen the link between independent research and policy action. As an autonomous institution within the UN system with a mandate for academic freedom, we believe that credible evidence is one of the most important tools available to address these complex global challenges. We therefore welcome the momentum behind the panel and look forward to working with Member States and partners to advance this important initiative. I thank you.

Thank you very much. We now call upon the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

OCHR welcomes this initiative. Inequality is not just an economic issue. It is fundamentally a human rights issue. It denies people equal opportunities, limits their voice and participation, and undermines the enjoyment of all human rights. Inequality is not only about income and wealth. It is also about power, who has a voice, who influences decisions, whose interests are represented and whether economic system work for everyone rather than a privileged few. Human rights therefore should be central to the work of the International Panel on Inequality. The panel can strengthen the evidence on the scale, drivers and consequences of inequality and assess which policy responses work. But evidence alone is not enough, human rights provide the framework for action They help clarify what must be done, who is accountable, and whether economic policies uphold the dignity and rights of all. The panel's work should drive change at the country level, helping governments expand fiscal space, strengthen public services, and social protection. Excellencies, the panel comes at a crucial moment as we accelerate progress towards 2030 and beyond. Current economic models are not delivering on reducing inequality. By placing human rights at the center, the panel can help build an economy, a human rights economy, that promotes equitable growth within and among countries, expands people's agency, and delivers dignity and sustainable prosperity for all. OSCHR looks forward to contributing to this effort. Thank you.

Thank you very much. That marks the end of our speakers list. I would now like to give the floor to Ms. Winnie Byanyima, the UN Under-Secretary-General and UNAIDS Executive Director and IPI founding committee member to briefly summarize the principal messages and commitment from this meeting. The detailed outcomes of the meeting will be reflected in the chair summary document that will be circulated to participants after the event. Following the presentation of the brief summary of the meeting outcomes by Ms. Banyima, I will briefly outline the next steps on the IPI establishment process before closing the meeting. Ms. Banyima, you will now have the floor.

Thank you, Chair. Excellencies, distinguished participants, ladies and gentlemen, Gentlemen, I'm honored to provide this summary. I will leave this meeting with a strong sense of hope because we have heard consistently from this discussion that inequality is not inevitable. It is a result of choices that are made. We heard, and these were not my words, that it is manmade. But because this is man-made, it can be unmade. We heard about wealth and income inequality at the national level, but also heard strong emphasis on the constraining role of international rules, including through global economic governance, on issues such as debt and tax. These undermine countries' ability to tackle inequality. We heard about the role that historical inequalities of colonialism have played. We were very pleased to hear clearly that the IPI is core to the achievement or the fulfillment of the promise of the UN Charter. and to the achievement of the 2030 agenda to leave no one behind. We heard consistently that the IPI is urgently needed by member states, civil society, the private sector, the entire international community. The key word here is science. There's a need for better scientific data, evidence analysis well organized so that it can be used at every level. We heard such strong welcome of the role that experts and academics on inequality can play on this issue and the important support that this can provide to policymakers. As we will hear more from Minister Lamola, we heard support in this room for the proposal of a UN General Assembly resolution for the establishment of the IPI. We heard about a strong operational model that is situated within the multilateral system and based on voluntary contributions. I'm pleased that we heard strong support not only from the champion founding member states of Brazil, Norway, South Africa, and Spain, but we heard from all regions, from Bangladesh, Barbados, Cape Verde, Iceland, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Portugal, and Venezuela, as well as from international organizations. This meeting provides a strong momentum to support and secure the establishment of the International Panel on Inequality. And I end by noting that the IPI is about people, because inequalities undermine human dignity, take away the right to health, the right to education, the right to social progress. It is not inevitable, and that is why we are here and that is why we are moving forward. Thank you, Chair.

I thank Ms. Bayima for her summary of the outcomes of the meeting. As indicated, a detailed chair summary will be circulated to all participants following the conclusion of this meeting. I would now like to outline the next steps towards the establishment of the IPI. Firstly, that there is a growing group of Member States and international organizations shaping the proposal for an International Panel on Inequality and building support for its establishment.

It is now key to form a mechanism in which Member States can formally guide and shape this future. All Member States will be invited to join in this effort.

Secondly.

There is momentum on the journey towards establishment at the United Nations, including working with multilateral agencies across the board, in particular with the UNDESA, and requesting to initially host the IPI at the UN University, in respect of its academic independence and autonomy.

Thirdly, and most notable, there is concrete commitment to securing a resolution at the UN General Assembly towards establishing the IPI, which the mechanisms will guide how we are going to go forward in doing such.

We look forward to your continued engagement and support through this next phase. Excellencies and ladies and gentlemen, as we come to an end of this meeting, I would like to thank you all for your attendance and participation.

I would also like to thank the UN Secretariat for their unwavering support in organizing this meeting.

They have been instrumental in this meeting's success.

Above all, I would like to thank all UN Member States, international organizations and civil society participants for their constructive participation. The insights and reflections heard here today are invaluable and will be instrumental in ensuring the successful establishment of the International Panel on Inequality.

Thank you all. The meeting is now adjourned. Thank you very much.

Thank you.