27 March 2013: The UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) has released a report that reviews the options for addressing inequality in the post-2015 development framework, and concludes that either a specific inequality goal or cross-cutting targets could be adopted.
The report, titled “Inclusive Future: Inequality, Inclusive Growth and the Post-2015 Framework,” draws on outcomes of a workshop convened on 7 March 2013, in New York, US, by UNCDF, the UN Department for Economic and Social Affairs (UN-DESA) and the UN Development Programme (UNDP). The workshop brought together senior UN and government officials, as well as representatives from the private sector, academia and NGOs. Agencies represented included the International Labour Organization (ILO), UN-Habitat, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Oxfam, Save the Children, the London School of Economics (LSE), Google.org, and United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), among others.
The report suggests that a single goal on addressing inequality would give the issue greater prominence, but notes the difficulty of developing targets and indicators that can be comparable across different national circumstances. It notes the complexity of measuring inequality, as it means “different things to different people,” and the relevant data may be unavailable.
The report suggests that it may be easier to address inequality in a cross-cutting manner, building in measures of progress on gender, income groups or rural-urban indicators in relation to various post-2015 goals. It also recommends considering how innovative financing structures such as thematic global trust funds, public guarantees and insurance mechanisms, and socially responsible investment can support better development outcomes and foster inclusive growth.
A UN press release on the report launch highlights the potential for mainstreaming of indicators across future goals, in order to measure the extent to which growth and development are inclusive. [Publication: Inclusive Future: Inequality, Inclusive Growth and the Post-2015 Framework] [UN Press Release]