World leaders have committed to ending poverty everywhere for all people by 2030. Achieving this aim means facing up to the need for dramatic declines in inequalities – in income, in opportunity, in exposure to risk, across gender, between countries and within countries – over the next decade
Inequality is a well-recognized barrier to poverty eradication, as well as many other development challenges. It features in multiple dimensions across the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development—the universally adopted plan to promote prosperity and social well-being while protecting the environment.
According to many metrics, income inequality among countries has declined somewhat in recent decades, driven primarily by strong growth in East Asian and South Asian economies. But there are many countries—particularly in parts of Africa, Western Asia and Latin America and the Caribbean—where income levels have continued to fall further behind, exacerbating income inequalities between countries.
The latest United Nation s analysis in the World Economic Situation and Prospects 2019 indicates that per capita income levels essentially stagnated or declined in a total of 47 developing and transition economies last year. Most of these countries have been consistently falling behind for several decades.
This poses an enormous challenge as countries strive to reduce poverty, develop essential infrastructure, create jobs and support economic diversification. Most of the lagging countries are highly dependent on commodities, stressing the importance of both diversification and effective management of natural resource wealth to tap into their development potential. Several countries have also suffered long-standing armed conflict or civil unrest and political instability.
If this trend continues, eradicating poverty and creating decent jobs for all will become increasingly out of reach. Weak economic performance is also linked to insufficient investment in quality education, health services, social protection, programs for marginalized groups and mitigation and adaptation to climate change.
Faster GDP growth alone will not necessarily lead to broad-based improvements in living standards. Deep inequalities also persist in the distribution of income within countries, acting as a major barrier to development progress. High inequality within countries is associated with social exclusion and fragmentation; weaker institution-building and governance; and increased risk of violence and internal conflict.
Fundamental transformations are needed going forward, to narrow the income gaps between and within countries. According to UN estimates, without significant changes in behaviour, more than 7 percent of the global population may remain in poverty by the year 2030, including about 30 per cent of the populations in Africa and the least developed countries (LDCs).
In Africa, where the population is expanding at a rate of more than 2 per cent per year, reducing the level of extreme poverty to below 5 per cent by 2030 will require a combination of double digit GDP growth and dramatic declines in inequality; well-outside the realms of historical precedence.
Integrated and cross-cutting policy measures that both raise prospects for economic growth and reduce income inequalities are essential to shift the world towards a more sustainable and inclusive path. This includes investing in education, health care, resilience to climate change, and financial and digital inclusion, to support economic growth and job creation in the short-term, while promoting sustainable development in the long term.
Macroeconomic stability and a strong development-oriented policy framework, including a well-functioning and robust financial system, are key elements for successfully tackling inequality.
Well-designed fiscal policies can help smooth the business cycle, provide public goods, correct market failures and directly influence the income distribution.
Broadening access to quality education is also crucial, coupled with employment policies, such as raising minimum wages and expanding social protection.
Prioritizing rural infrastructure development, through public investment in transport, agriculture and energy, can also support poverty alleviation and narrow inequalities within countries.
While there is no one-size-fits-all policy prescription that guarantees delivery of a more equal and prosperous society, one overarching message is clear: calls to eradicate poverty are meaningless without concerted and committed policy action to reduce inequality.
Viongozi wa dunia wamejitolea kukomesha umaskini duniani kote kwa watu wote ifikapo 2030. """Kufikia lengo hili inamaanisha kukabiliana na haja ya kupungua kwa kasi katika ukosefu wa usawa - katika mapato, katika fursa, katika kuathiriwa na hatari, kati ya jinsia, kati ya nchi na ndani ya nchi - katika muongo ujao. "Hii ni pamoja na ""Agenda 2030 kwa ajili ya Maendeleo Endelevu"" ambayo ni mpango wa kimataifa wa kukuza ustawi na ustawi wa kijamii wakati kulinda mazingira." Kulingana na takwimu nyingi, usawa wa mapato kati ya nchi umepungua kwa kiasi fulani katika miongo ya hivi karibuni, ikisukumwa hasa na ukuaji mkubwa katika uchumi wa Asia Mashariki na Asia Kusini. Lakini kuna nchi nyingi - haswa katika sehemu za Afrika, Asia Magharibi na Amerika ya Kusini na Karibea - ambapo viwango vya mapato vimeendelea kushuka zaidi nyuma, na kuimarisha ukosefu wa usawa wa mapato kati ya nchi. Uchambuzi wa hivi karibuni wa Umoja wa Mataifa katika hali ya uchumi wa dunia na matarajio ya 2019 unaonyesha kuwa viwango vya mapato ya mtu mmoja kwa ujumla vimekoma au kupungua katika jumla ya nchi 47 zinazoendelea na uchumi wa mpito mwaka jana. Nchi nyingi kati ya hizo zimekuwa zikiendelea kushuka kwa miongo kadhaa. Hii ni changamoto kubwa kwa nchi zinazojitahidi kupunguza umaskini, kuendeleza miundombinu muhimu, kuunda ajira na kuunga mkono utofauti wa kiuchumi. Nchi nyingi zilizo nyuma zinategemea sana bidhaa, zikikazia umuhimu wa utofauti na usimamizi mzuri wa utajiri wa rasilimali za asili ili kuvutia uwezo wao wa maendeleo. Nchi kadhaa pia zimepatwa na migogoro ya silaha ya muda mrefu au machafuko ya kiraia na ukosefu wa utulivu wa kisiasa. Kama mwelekeo huu utaendelea, kuondoa umaskini na kuunda kazi nzuri kwa wote itakuwa zaidi na zaidi mbali na kufikia. Utendaji duni wa kiuchumi pia unahusiana na uwekezaji duni katika elimu ya ubora, huduma za afya, ulinzi wa kijamii, programu kwa ajili ya vikundi vya watu walio chini na kupunguza na kukabiliana na mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa. Ukuaji wa haraka wa Pato la Taifa peke yake hautasababisha marekebisho ya msingi wa viwango vya maisha. Ukosefu mkubwa wa usawa pia unaendelea katika usambazaji wa mapato ndani ya nchi, ikifanya kazi kama kizuizi kikuu kwa maendeleo ya maendeleo. Ukosefu mkubwa wa usawa ndani ya nchi unahusishwa na kutengwa na kugawanyika kwa kijamii; udhaifu wa ujenzi wa taasisi na utawala; na kuongezeka kwa hatari ya vurugu na migogoro ya ndani. Mabadiliko ya msingi yanahitajika kwenda mbele, ili kupunguza tofauti za mapato kati na ndani ya nchi. Kulingana na makadirio ya Umoja wa Mataifa, ikiwa hakuna mabadiliko makubwa katika tabia, zaidi ya asilimia 7 ya idadi ya watu duniani inaweza kubaki katika umaskini ifikapo mwaka 2030, ikiwa ni pamoja na asilimia 30 ya idadi ya watu katika Afrika na nchi za chini zaidi. Katika Afrika, ambapo idadi ya watu inaongezeka kwa kiwango cha zaidi ya asilimia mbili kwa mwaka, kupunguza kiwango cha umaskini mkali hadi chini ya asilimia tano ifikapo mwaka 2030 itahitaji mchanganyiko wa ukuaji wa GDP ya tarakimu mbili na kupungua kwa kasi kwa ukosefu wa usawa, ambayo ni mbali na maeneo ya kihistoria. Hatua za sera za pamoja na za msalaba ambazo zote mbili zinaongeza matarajio ya ukuaji wa kiuchumi na kupunguza usawa wa mapato ni muhimu kugeuza ulimwengu kuelekea njia ya kudumu na ya kujumuisha. Hii inajumuisha kuwekeza katika elimu, huduma za afya, upinzani kwa mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa, na ujumuishaji wa kifedha na dijiti, kusaidia ukuaji wa kiuchumi na uundaji wa kazi katika muda mfupi, wakati wa kukuza maendeleo endelevu kwa muda mrefu. "Ukamilifu wa uchumi wa jumla na mfumo thabiti wa sera unaolenga maendeleo, ikiwa ni pamoja na mfumo wa kifedha unaofanya kazi vizuri na thabiti, ni mambo muhimu ya kupambana na ukosefu wa usawa. """ Sera za kifedha zilizobuniwa vizuri zinaweza kusaidia kusawazisha mzunguko wa biashara, kutoa bidhaa za umma, kurekebisha kushindwa kwa soko na kuathiri moja kwa moja usambazaji wa mapato. Kuongeza upatikanaji wa elimu bora pia ni muhimu, pamoja na sera za ajira, kama vile kuongeza mshahara wa chini na kupanua ulinzi wa kijamii. Kuweka kipaumbele maendeleo ya miundombinu ya vijijini, kupitia uwekezaji wa umma katika usafiri, kilimo na nishati, pia inaweza kusaidia kupunguza umaskini na kupunguza ukosefu wa usawa ndani ya nchi. Ingawa hakuna dawa ya sera ya ukubwa mmoja inayoweza kuhakikisha utoaji wa jamii ya usawa na mafanikio, ujumbe mmoja wa jumla ni wazi: wito wa kuondoa umaskini hauna maana bila hatua ya sera iliyounganishwa na kujitolea kupunguza ukosefu wa usawa.