DISD | The Division for Inclusive Social Development (DISD) is part of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) of the United Nations Secretariat.

Emerging economies in full-blown unemployment crisis

As economic activities ground to a halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of people are losing jobs or experiencing significant reductions of income or working hours in Brazil, India, Mexico, Nigeria, South Africa and other emerging economies. Unemployment rates are skyrocketing while underemployment and informality also rise sharply. Inequalities that, even before the pandemic, […]

COVID-19 and Popular Protests

Demands for a fairer, more inclusive and less precarious future have been heard from protests in developed and developing countries alike for many years. These demands may intensify as a result of the current health and economic crises. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, agreed by all countries in 2015, includes commitments to eradicate poverty, […]

The impact of COVID-19 on sport, physical activity and well-being and its effects on social development

Introduction Sport is a major contributor to economic and social development. Its role is well recognized by Governments, including in the Political Declaration of the 2030 Agenda, which reflects on “the contribution sports make to the empowerment of women and of young people, individuals and communities, as well as to health, education and social inclusion […]

Responses to the COVID-19 catastrophe could turn the tide on inequality

Even as all of humanity confronts COVID-19, it is becoming increasingly clear that pre-existing inequalities along various dimensions are differentiating its impact. At the same time, inequalities within and across countries also stand to widen because of the crisis. Such outcomes are not inevitable: past experience shows that sufficiently bold measures that put people at […]

“Our response to COVID-19 must respect the rights and dignity of older people” says UN SG António Guterres

The COVID-19 pandemic is causing untold fear and suffering for older people across the world. The fatality rate for older people is higher overall, and for those over 80, it is five times the global average. Beyond its immediate health impact, the pandemic is putting older people at greater risk of poverty, discrimination and isolation. […]

Families in Development: Copenhagen and Beijing + 25

This year’s 25th anniversary of the World Summit for Social Development comes at the time of one of the most challenging global health and social crises. The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic brings into sharp focus the importance of investing in social policies protecting the most vulnerable individuals and families. It is the families who bear the brunt of the […]

The Social Impact of COVID-19

We are facing a global health crisis unlike any in the 75-year history of the United Nations — one that is killing people, spreading human suffering, and upending people’s lives. But this is much more than a health crisis. It is a human, economic and social crisis. The coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which has been characterized […]

COVID-19: Addressing the social crisis through fiscal stimulus plans

The pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 is spreading quickly, with 738,000 cases confirmed across the globe and over 35,000 deaths registered as of 30 March 2020 (Johns Hopkins University, Center for Systems Science and Engineering). The number of cases has almost doubled in the last week (from 418,000 cases on 23 March). Many countries have restricted […]