UNRISD/WHO Workshop --A New Equity Agenda: Reflections on the New Equity Agenda for Development and its Implications for the Social Determinants of Health

Several recent publications by major international development organizations offer evidence of increasing attention to issues of equity and inequality in the global development community. On 18 September 2006, UNRISD and the WHO’s Department of Equity, Poverty and the Social Determinants of Health co-organized a workshop on “The New Equity Agenda.” The primary objective of this gathering was to examine the implications of this emerging equity discourse for social policy and health more generally, and in particular for the research and policy agendas of organizations like UNRISD and the WHO. The workshop’s discussion centred around three recent publications by international organizations: 2006 World Development Report (World Bank); 2005 Human Development Report (UNDP); and the 2005 Report on the World Social Situation (UNDESA).

The forum took place in the WHO’s Main Building from 12-2pm and included remarks by two invited speakers, two discussants, and an open dialogue. In his talk “Inequality and Development: Gaps and strategies for pro-equity growth”, Edward Anderson of the Overseas Development Institute (UK), presented an overview of the three global development reports, focusing on their apparently newfound attention to issues of equity and inequality. Shahra Razavi of UNRISD then presented a comparative analysis of the approach to equity issues taken in UNRISD’s recent report entitled Gender Equality: Striving for Justice in an Unequal World as compared with those of the other organizations. Panel discussants included Jeannette Vega, Director of the Department of Equity, Poverty and Social Determinants of Health of the WHO, and Thandika Mkandawire, Director of UNRISD. Their remarks were followed by an open plenary discussion for all participants.