This edition focuses on Sustainable Development Goal 10 (Reduced Inequalities). The world’s population reached 8 billion in mid-November and is projected to approach 10 billion by 2050. As the human family grows, it is important to create a sustainable future and deliver on the promise of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – to “leave no one behind”.
In a recent statement, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres described the growing population as “a testament to scientific breakthroughs and improvements in nutrition, public health and sanitation.” However, he noted that inequalities have also grown, pointing out that a handful of billionaires control as much wealth as the poorest half of the world.
On top of these, the accelerating climate crisis and the unequal recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic are “turbocharging” inequalities while the war in Ukraine is adding to ongoing food, energy and finance crises, hitting developing economies hardest, the UN chief warned. These inequalities take their greatest toll on women and girls, and on marginalized groups that already suffer discrimination, he added.
Why Goal 10 Matters
Inequalities based on income, sex, disability, sexual orientation, age, race, class, ethnicity, religion, and opportunity continue to persist across the world and cut across various aspects of life. Goal 10 aims to reduce inequalities within and among countries. High levels of inequality can threaten long-term social and economic development, harm poverty reduction and destroy people’s sense of fulfilment and self-worth. This, in turn, can breed crime, disease and environmental degradation. Reducing inequalities and leaving no one behind is integral to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.