Inequalities and the Post-2015 Development Agenda (Research and Policy Brief)

Income inequalities between and within countries have worsened in recent decades. Gender inequalities are narrowing at a snail’s pace. Citizenship and location continue to determine life chances, despite the increasing integration of economies. Policy instruments to promote equality of outcome have largely been neglected in the name of approaches to claim to create equality of opportunity. This has failed to stem the tide of inequality. Current social discontent and distrust of government highlight the urgency of addressing inequality head-on: it should be high on the post-2015 development agenda, both as a goal in itself and reflected in targets for other goals.

This brief was prepared by Rheem Al-Adhami. It is based on a Concept Note submitted to the UN Task Team Working Group, "Emerging Issue of Inequality (Including Gender)", authored by Shahra Razavi.

UNRISD Research and Policy Briefs aim to improve the quality of development dialogue. They situate the Institute’s research within wider social development debates, synthesize its findings and draw out issues for consideration in decision-making processes. They provide this information in a concise format that should be of use to policy makers, scholars, activists, journalists and others.