Mercy Global Concern - 2005

Mercy Global Concern: October Number 2, 2005

The Inequality Predicament: Report on the World Social Situation 2005

www.un.org/esa/socdev/rwss/media%2005/cd-docs/fullreport05.htm

The global commitment to overcoming inequality, or redressing the imbalance between the wealthy and the poor, as clearly outlined at the 1995 World Summit for Social Development in Copenhagen and endorsed in the United Nations Millennium Declaration, is fading. Eighty per cent of the world’s gross domestic product belongs to the 1 billion people living in the developed world; the remaining 20 per cent is shared by the 5 billion people living in developing countries. Failure to address this inequality predicament will ensure that social justice and better living conditions for all people remain elusive, and that communities, countries and regions remain vulnerable to social, political and economic upheaval.

The present Report on the World Social Situation traces trends and patterns in economic and non-economic aspects of inequality and examines their causes and consequences. It focuses on the traditional aspects of inequality, such as the distribution of income and wealth, as well as inequalities in health, education, and opportunities for social and political participation. The Report also analyses the impact of structural adjustment, market reforms, globalization and privatization on economic and social indicators.Ignoring inequality in the pursuit of development is perilous. Focusing exclusively on economic growth and income generation as a development strategy is ineffective, as it leads to the accumulation of wealth by a few and deepens the poverty of many; such an approach does not acknowledge the intergenerational transmission of poverty. A broader approach to poverty reduction includes social, economic and political dimensions, integrating improvements in health, education, economic development, and representation in legislative and judicial processes. It is the implementation of policies in these areas that contributes to the development of human capital, enabling the poor to realize their full productive potential. Addressing all aspects of poverty increases the odds that future generations will reap the benefits of today’s policies rather than remaining trapped in a cycle of poverty.

World Economic and Social Survey 2005: Financing for Development

www.un.org/esa/policy/wess/

The World Economic and Social Survey 2005 focuses on the Monterrey Consensus as the current framework for international cooperation for development. The report examines the correspondingly broad agenda for action that was set out in the Consensus, recognizing numerous accomplishments to date and draws attention to the further actions—in the financing and trade areas—that need to be undertaken in the years ahead to achieve both the Millennium Development Goals, as well as the broader United Nations Development Agenda.

UNIFEM, UNDP, ILO - Progress of The World's Women 2005: Women, Work and Poverty

www.un-ngls.org/women-2005.pdf

2005 marks the fifth anniversary of the UN Millennium Declaration, adopted in 2000 and the tenth anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action in 1995. In the decade since Beijing, the number of people living on less than $1 a day has fallen; the gender gap in primary and (to a lesser extent) secondary education has been reduced; and women enjoy greater participation in elected assemblies and state institutions. In addition, women are a growing presence in the labour market– the global indicator used to approximate women’s economic status (UN 2005). However, the decline in overall poverty masks significant differences not only between but also within regions. Asia experienced the greatest decline in extreme poverty, followed by Latin America, but sub-Saharan Africa experienced an increase. Even where the numbers of extremely poor people have declined, notably China and India, poverty persists in different areas and social groups, reflected in rising inequalities (UN 2005). For women, progress, while steady, has been painfully slow. Despite increased parity in
primary education, disparities are still wide in secondary and tertiary education—both increasingly key to new employment opportunities. And while women’s share of seats in parliament have inched up in all regions, women still hold only 16 per cent of parliamentary seats worldwide.

Finally, although women have entered the paid labour force in great numbers, the result in terms of economic security is not clear. According to the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals Report 2005: “Women’s access to paid employment is lower than men’s in most of the developing world…. Women are less likely than men to hold paid and regular jobs and more often work in the informal economy, which provides little financial security” (UN 2005).

Today’s global world is one of widening income inequality and for many, increasing economic insecurity. Informal employment, far from disappearing, is persistent and widespread. In many places, economic growth has depended on capital-intensive production in a few sectors rather than on increasing employment opportunities, pushing more and more people into the informal economy. In others, many of the jobs generated by economic growth are not covered by legal or social protection, as labour markets are de-regulated, labour standards are relaxed and employers cut costs (see Chapter 4). As a result, a growing share of the workforce in both developed and developing countries is not covered by employment-based social and legal protection. Moreover, in the process of economic growth and trade liberalization, some informal workers get left behind altogether. This includes wage workers who lose their jobs when companies mechanize, retrench or shift locations. It also includes the smallest-scale producers and traders who have little if any access to government subsidies, tax rebates or promotional measures to help them compete in export markets or against imported goods. These ‘losers’ in the global economy have to find ways to survive in the local economy, many resorting to such occupations as waste picking or low-end street trading.

World Migration Report 2005: Costs and Benefits of International Migration
(published by IOM: International organization for Migration)

www.iom.int/iomwebsite/Publication/ ServletSearchPublication?event=detail&id
=4171

(English summary & links for *.pdf files)
www.iom.int/en/news/pr882_en.shtml (for links to Spanish and French)

Where are people migrating today and why? What are the implications for the world's developing and industrialized economies? And what are the key issues facing policy makers in migrant origin, destination, and transit countries?

World Migration 2005 analyses the effects of globalization, trade liberalization, economic integration and the widening gap between rich and poor nations on migration flows. It looks at the impact of the world's 185 million migrants and their potential contribution to socioeconomic development and cultural enrichment both at home and abroad. And it identifies the multidimensional migration management policies needed by governments to create the optimal return to both migrants and society, while minimizing the abuses associated with irregular migration.

Social Watch Report 2005: Roars and Whispers -- Gender and Poverty: Promises vs. Action

www.socialwatch.org/en/informeImpreso/informe2005.htm

World Migration 2005 analyses the effects of globalization, trade liberalization, economic integration and the widening gap between rich and poor nations on migration flows. It looks at the impact of the world's 185 million migrants and their potential contribution to socioeconomic development and cultural enrichment both at home and abroad. And it identifies the multidimensional migration management policies needed by governments to create the optimal return to both migrants and society, while minimizing the abuses associated with irregular migration.

Social Watch Report 2005: Roars and Whispers -- Gender and Poverty: Promises vs. Action www.socialwatch.org/en/informeImpreso/informe2005.htm
Inspired by the Copenhagen Declaration and the complementary Beijing Platform for Action towards gender equity,3 citizen groups from all over the world came together to form the Social Watch network in 1995. Every year since then, Social Watch has published a comprehensive report monitoring the governments’ compliance with their international commitments. The findings of the national Social Watch coalitions in over 50 countries and the analysis of the available indicators coincide: the promises have remained largely unmet. Unless substantial changes are put into place soon, the targets set for the year 2015 will not be achieved. In area after area, be it health, nutrition, education or provision of essential services like sanitation, progress is insufficient and all too frequently we simply do not see any progress.

Poverty and gender are the central themes of this report. The reports from national coalitions provide a series of arguments and evidence about the link between poverty and gender, showing to what point the problems of poor women are not always the same as those faced by poor men.