31 December 2013: The UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) has released a report, titled ‘Inequality Matters: The Report on the World Social Situation 2013,’ which discusses the impacts of inequality on economic growth, poverty, social mobility and social cohesion. The report presents policy approaches to address these problems, as inputs and background to international discussions of targets under the post-2015 development agenda.

The publication shows that inequality not only affects the poor, but hinders growth and wellbeing in general. It discusses recent trends in health, education and spatial inequalities, including disparities within cities, and between urban and rural areas. The report spotlights the negative impacts of inequality, and discusses in detail the inequalities faced by youth, older persons, persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples and migrants.

The authors propose several policy approaches to address inequality noting that: macro-economic policy, not only social policy, should ensure productive employment and decent work for all; public funds should be directed to achieving universal, good-quality services in health, nutrition, sanitation and, especially, education; social protection floors should be established and extended; disadvantaged groups should receive extra help; and everyone should work to end discrimination and social exclusion.

DESA has produced regular reports on the world social situation since 1952. Since 2001, at the request of the UN General Assembly, DESA has increased the frequency of reporting from every four years to every two years. [Publication: Inequality Matters: The Report on the World Social Situation 2013] [Report on the World Social Situation webpage]