Download Economic and Social Council Topic: B Reducing Economic

Economic and Social Council
Topic: B
Reducing Economic Inequality
Submitted by: Argentine Republic
Economic inequality is an issue that deeply affects the heart of the Argentinean nation.
The Argentine Republic has historically struggled with a vast disparity between the rich and the
poor. However, the Republic is pleased to report that meaningful strides in this struggle have
been made in recent years. A 2012 study conducted by the World Bank entitled Declining
Inequality in Latin America in the 2000s reports that the nation’s Gini coefficient has fallen from
.533 in 2002 to .450, indicating a substantial reduction in the general wealth disparity between
the richest Argentine citizens and the poorest. The study goes on to note that an effective use of
government cash transfer programs has played a significant role in reducing national inequality.
Such programs include Jefes y Jefas, a program designed to provide direct income to
unemployed individuals who were responsible for supporting their families financially, and a
pension program that help provide for the needs of the elderly. These programs, while very
effective in the short-term, will prove to be difficult to maintain in the long run. Argentina also
recognizes the importance of fighting economic inequality by investing in the training of a
skilled labor force that can meet the demands of a growing economy. Such an investment will
provide a nation with a firm foundation on which to build future economic success.
Although educational inequality is an issue that each nation must ultimately face
individually, an international effort can assist in the fight. It is the opinion of the Argentine
Republic that international trade can improve the economy of a nation, and by extent, bring
greater prosperity to all its citizens. Argentina has historically been committed to this position.
Argentina is one of the founding members of the World Trade Organization and has worked
towards expanding regional trade blocks such as Mercosur and the Union of South American
Nations (UNASUR).
The Argentine Republic stands firm in its commitment to reduce economic inequality at
home and abroad. To effectively accomplish this goal, Argentina suggests establishing national
relief programs to assist the most destitute, facilitating international trade (especially between
nations that occupy the same geographic region), and the promotion of vocational education.
Economic inequality is a pervasive issue that demands a multidimensional approach such as the
one suggested in this paper. The Argentine Republic is willing and ready to cooperate with all
nations in the pursuit of erasing economic inequality domestically and globally.
Bulgaria
Economic inequality is an issue that plagues that world and its people. The growing gap between
the “haves” and the “have-nots” is an indisputable sign of the urgency that this problem
demands. In past years, there has been no program that consistently and closely assists those in
poverty and simultaneously works to reduce the already existing inequality. The problem of
economic inequality must be attacked at multiple angles so that there are no gaps in our solution.
One of the greatest causes, as well as the most promising solutions, for economic inequality is
education. The Republic of Bulgaria holds a population of which 98.4% are considered to be
literate (can read and write and are above the age of fifteen), however Bulgaria is plagued by
poverty and inequality. This is not the only case. Countries all around the world have what is
considered to be an educated population, yet there continues to be poverty. Educating the mass
public on at a higher standard and training the work force to preform skilled labor are important
steps, but it is only the beginning.
As expressed in The Republic of Bulgaria’s mid-term review of the “Europe 2020” plan,
multiple steps and deliberate actions must be taken in order to cure the world of the inequality
that leaves so many in poverty. Firstly, we must stitch the gap between the education of different
classes. It has become far too common for the wealthy to be better educated than the poor and
because of this, a never-ending cycle of economic inequality is allowed to continue. Schools
must be established to teach technical skills so that even if a student shows no promise in an
academic field, they still have a future career path. Once these education centers have been set
up, there must be adequate funding available to further develop programs to help bring the poor
out of poverty and further close the gap between the “haves” and “have-nots”. The issue of
taxation must also be addressed. The wealthy should not be required to pay more in taxes,
however the poor should be given a ‘break’ of sorts if they are enrolled in a program sponsored
by their government or ECOSOC that proves that they are working towards equality.
There must be consistency between these policies. Also, they must be monitored closely, or else
they will not be as effective. The governments of the nations that accept the help of ECOSOC
much be highly interactive with the people while the policies and programs are carried out.
Economic inequality cannot be solved by only NGOs—there must be some interaction or
cooperation with the government, because the government will be the very thing in charge of
maintaining or working towards economic equality once ECOSOC’s programs have been set in
place.
Submitted by: Colombia
School: Hathaway Brown
Economic inequality is a serious problem that developing nations are facing. Income inequality harms
economic growth as it reduces consumer demand and causes people to not work as hard. And many
experts argue that it was “ a significant cause of the 2008 economic meltdown.” (Lanekenworthy.net) It
also slows down the growth of the middle class and the low class. More income is “associated with
better health, more years of schooling completed, greater family stability, lower likelihood of being a
victim of violent crime, and more happiness.” (Ibid.) And lastly income inequality takes away
opportunities for the majority of the population limiting people’s ability to move up the latter into
higher classes and professions. Therefore developed and developing nations are working together in an
effort to reduce economic inequality all over the world.
The Republic of Colombia recognizes economic inequality as a paramount problem that we not
only face but occurs all over the world. Economic inequality hinders growth in the economy and it blocks
opportunities for millions of people. Colombia is the 7th most unequal country in the world and through
this President Juan Manuel Santos is taking several important steps in order to reduce this problem, one
of them being a tax reform proposal. By brining down the cost of formal labor Colombia will be able to
diminish unemployment and informality therefore reducing income inequality. The other important step
Colombia plans on carrying out is the improvement of education in Colombia’s public school system and
vocational training systems in order to improve the skills of future workers and therefore make them
more attractive to contracting firms. Because of this Colombia would like to join OECD (The
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) as this association contains countries with
lower income inequality and have displayed the tax and transfer system effectively. Through this they
have been able to tax the wealthy more and the poor less in order to redistribute the wealth. Using this
system the World Bank estimates that Colombia could lower its inequality by approximately 2 Gini
points brining Colombia to the level of countries such as Brazil.
This will be a long and difficult process as Colombia will have to make major reforms in order to improve
its economic situation however through the implementation of these reforms and the support of
organizations and countries that have taken action in the past, Colombia will be able to succeed in this
mission and finally reduce this extreme economic inequality.
http://lanekenworthy.net/is-income-inequality-harmful/
http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/opinion/2012/12/17/why-colombia-needs-a-more-progressivetax-system
Submitted by: Denmark
School: Lakewood High School
Economic inequality is an urgent problem both among different countries and within
countries, and it is increasing in severity. In 2010, high-income countries, which account for only
16 percent of the world’s population, were estimated to generate 55 percent of global income.
Low-income countries, on the other hand, generated just over 1 percent of global income even
though they contain 72 percent of the world's population. Furthermore, sub-Saharan African
countries had an average GDP per capita of $2,014 compared to a GDP per capita of $27,640 in
the European Union and $41,399 in North America. Such inequality among countries is not the
only concern, however. Within both developed and developing countries, inequality has
increased because the wealthiest individuals have become wealthier, while the income of
the poor has not increased proportionately, or at all. These conditions exacerbate social conflict
and form a barrier to countries' economic growth, so they must be confronted with international
cooperation. As Wu Hongbo, the Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs,
said, "Addressing inequalities is not only a moral imperative but it is also necessary in order to
unleash the human and productive potential of each country’s population" (Inequality Matters).
The United Nations has consistently worked to reduce such inequalities. For example,
Millennium Development Goal 1 pledged to halve the proportion of people whose income is less
than 1.25 US dollars a day between 1990 and 2015, and to achieve full and productive
employment and decent work for all. Although the poverty reduction goal was met five years
before the deadline, 1.2 billion people are still living in extreme poverty. To alleviate the
remaining inequality, ILO Recommendation 202 from 2012 advocated for national social
protection floors. The Rio+20 Conference on Sustainable Development in 2012 also “strongly
encourages national and local initiatives aimed at providing social protection floors for all
citizens” (The Future We Want). Finally, the priority theme for the 2013- 2014 policy cycle of
the Commission for Social Development was “promoting empowerment of people in achieving
poverty eradication, social integration and full employment and decent work for all," putting this
issue at the forefront of international debate.
The Kingdom of Denmark is committed to reducing economic inequality among its
citizens and among countries. As of 2005, the wealthiest 1 percent of the Danish population
owned 4.3 percent of the country's total wealth, while the wealthiest 1 percent in India and the
United States owned 8.9 and 19.3 percent, respectively, of their countries' total wealth. This
relatively even distribution of wealth in Denmark is due partly to the fact that 68 percent of the
workforce belongs to unions, which are able to negotiate minimum wages of approximately 110
kroner, or 20 US dollars, per hour. Higher wages result in slightly higher prices of goods and
slightly lower profit margins for companies, which ensures that inequality is fairly low. "We
Danes accept that a burger is expensive," says University of Copenhagen professor Soren Kaj
Andersen, "but we also know that working conditions and wages are decent when we eat that
burger." This attitude is equally relevant on a global scale, because Denmark believes that
reducing inequality is the socially responsible thing to do. Prime Minister Helle ThorningSchmidt said at the 69th session of the UN General Assembly, "In our endeavors to reduce
poverty and global inequality our government is determined to put special emphasis on
promoting human rights" (Statement by Denmark at the General Debate). Extreme inequality
should not be tolerated, and with international cooperation, it doesn't have to be.
A successful strategy to reduce economic inequality is encouraging workers' collectives
or unions, as a joint project of the FAO and the Caribbean Farmers Network did beginning in
2008. Collectives of farmers who grew dasheen as a cash crop were organized in nine countries.
As the farmers began marketing their dasheen, they worked together to make it more competitive
in the marketplace, for example by grading and packing the dasheen before shipping it.
Membership in the collective increased the farmers' profit by about 100 percent, proving that it is
a valuable method to increase income and decrease poverty. Another successful approach is
based on improving children's school enrollment by identifying and addressing shortcomings in
service access. Various countries have instituted programs including eliminating school fees,
giving free textbooks to students from disadvantaged households, and offering bicycles as
incentives to the students. These policies have enhanced the broader strategy of universal
provision of education by identifying the obstacles to school attendance and reducing or
eliminating them. A combination of services such as education and the formation of collectives
or unions can effectively reduce inequality.
A strategy, in contrast, that should not be implemented is targeted social transfers. Such
transfers have gained popularity in recent years because governments and donors place emphasis
on achieving short-term results without a significant rise in spending. However, they are not the
most effective, sustainable method of increasing employment or reducing poverty. Although
narrowly targeted interventions improve the conditions of some disadvantaged groups, universal
provision of sanitation, health care, and education is actually more cost-efficient. It's preferable
to address the country slowly as a whole rather than to abruptly shift attention from one segment
of the population to another.
Denmark believes that addressing economic inequality requires a combination of
methods. These methods include the establishment of minimum wages, the organization of
workers' collectives or unions, an emphasis in public spending on universal services such as
health care and education, and the provision of social protective floors, such as benefits for the
unemployed and working poor and pensions for the elderly. It is important to note that these
social protection floors can be a relatively modest percentage of national income even in
developing countries. The Bachelet Report found that in countries such as El Salvador,
Mozambique and Vietnam, universal social protection floor programs would only cost between 1
and 2 percent of GDP. With a diverse set of strategies and consistent international support,
economic inequality can be substantially reduced.
Works Cited
Inequality Matters: Report on the World Social Situation 2013. New York: United Nations,
2013. United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. 2013. Web. 15 Feb. 2015.
"Statement by Denmark at the General Debate." Permanent Mission to the UN in New York.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, 22 Jan. 2015. Web. 14 Feb. 2015.
"The Future We Want." Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development. 19
June 2012. Web. 15 February 2015.
Submitted by: Ethiopia
School: Andrews Osborne Academy
Ethiopia is the second most populous African country, with slightly more than half of
Nigeria’s population. It is the fourteenth most populous country in the world, with close to 97
million people. However, 39% of those 97 million people are below the poverty line which
equates to about 38 million citizens. 38 million human beings do not have the resources that
they need in order to survive. The average life expectancy in Ethiopia is 61 years old: one of the
lowest in the world; and only 51% of the population has access to potable water. Along with
that, 17.5% of the population is unemployed. Major diseases such as hepatitis A, typhoid, and
malaria run rampant throughout the country. Obviously, action must be taken in order to
improve the quality of life for the impoverished in Ethiopia. If economic inequality can be
extinguished, or gradually decreased, the quality of life for these people will gradually increase
in return.
Currently, nearly all of the nation’s economy relies on agriculture. However, Ethiopia’s
farmland is horribly underdeveloped and the country regularly suffers from major droughts. This
makes agriculture extremely inefficient and unproductive. Most pressing though, is that the
droughts have lasted longer each year for the past ten years- a troubling trend for a developing,
agricultural nation. Granted, the government has extensively sought to remedy their economy
since winning their independence from the Derg in 1991. Recently, they have made leaps and
bounds in development with their GTP plan; an economic plan which focuses on improving the
lives of the poor, rural farmers of their country. Over the past five years they have installed
numerous, new irrigation systems throughout the country, while sponsoring the continued
growth of agriculture with the sale of 8 million acres of fertile land as well as the development of
new technology designed to improve the productivity of farmers. They’ve also promoted the
growth of industry in urban areas and an increase in renewable energy production in an effort to
create large, urban areas full of economic development and jobs. The government has already
created countless job opportunities through the GTP, yet Ethiopia remains one of the poorest
countries in Africa. Why?
Perhaps it is the lack of education, as well as lack of gender equality, that causes such
extreme economic inequality. Women receive less opportunities than men, as they often marry
and have children in their late teens. They believe that they have little to no economic
opportunities, leaving them trapped in poverty with little flexibility. Education is the foundation
on which Ethiopia can build a new and improved economic system. If the government can
develop another plan similar to the GTP with a focal point of the spread of education, through
implementation of education programs for children, with a focus on economic opportunity and
encouragement of women to strive for opportunity; Ethiopia can one day develop into a major
economic power.
Submitted by: Germany
Germany feels very strongly about the topic of economic equality, seeing as it is a growing problem for
many nations today. Economic inequality can attributed to many small factors, but the primary factor is income
inequality, or wealth disparity. Income is distributed in such a way that wealth in our nation ranges from
homelessness to billionaires. Studies show that inequality within nations in increasing, but inequality in the world
as a whole, between nations, is decreasing. In order to find a solution, the explanatory factors must be analyzed.
Many researchers have found that inequality in the nation of Germany can be attributed to “cyclical and structural
changes in the labor market, the increasing relevance of capital income, and the decreasing effectiveness of the
public mechanisms of income redistribution.” In order to reverse the growing inequality, salaries of workers in the
labor market must be stabilized and capital income, which is essentially income from wealth, must also be
controlled. Also, the promotion of trade in highly skilled professions could be a benefit to the economy overall.
Germany believes that stabilization of the labor market is the most crucial step in reducing economic
inequality. The current unemployment rate of Germany is 5.2%, but with stabilization of the labor market, this
rate could lower dramatically. With certain people earning millions of dollars and others earning small fractions of
that, the labor market will never stabilize. There must be a regulation put in place that mandates a minimum
amount of pay that is up to date with the inflation rates and other factors. This could possibly cause minor job
losses, but it would overall contribute to a more united nation.
Germany also believes that another crucial step in reducing economic inequality is promoting trade in
highly skilled professions. Since highly skilled professions are the ones earning the most money, this could majorly
benefit the economy. Also, the negative impact of low-skilled workers is a main focus in many economies. This
action would reduce the negative impact by bringing the highly skilled workers salaries closer to the low skill
workers salaries. Overall, Germany believes that both of these solutions could lead to the reduction of economic
inequality throughout all nations.
Submitted by:
The Republic of India
Economic inequality is a ticking time-bomb on the global scale and need to be defused as
soon as possible. Economic inequality is how economic metrics are distributed among
individuals in a group, among groups in a population, or among countries. Countries with larger
population, and that are developing have a greater risk of this. The two countries this is most
prominent in are China and India. This is due to weak economic structures, weak institutions,
and low human development. These make it extremely difficult for developing countries to
grow. In the past, the problem was a lack of education and The Unites Nations tackled that
problem. Now, they are currently working to give a higher quality education.
The Republic of India strongly believes in tackling the issue of economic inequality. It
has caused a major separation in social and economic classes. In India the caste system is still in
place which makes it difficult for those who have little to "rank up" in society. One way to help
rid India of economic inequality is to get rid of the caste system. Another possible way to
eliminate this issue is by taxing the wealthy. Since this won't come easy, a third way to eliminate
economic inequality is by using the media and propaganda. In India leaders of businesses and
high political power manipulate the media. We must take measures to reduce corporate takeover
and manipulation of mass media.
Mexico
Mexico has serious economic inequality issues, 60% of Mexicans are poor, while only
10% are wealthy, and the 10% holds around 40% of the country’s income. According to the
World Bank, over 50% of the population is living under the national poverty line. The Mexican
government has tried to combat the poverty level and inequality with a program called
Oportunidades. It was implemented in 1997, and has had a very good effect. Oportunidades is a
program that pays the poor for keeping their children healthy and in school. Oportunidades is a
social welfare program that is designed like an investment for families. Put money in your
children, and you will get money back. It is implemented in both rural and urban environments.
There have also been attempts at social reform by President Enrique Pena Nieto, who has been
creating social welfare programs and trying to tighten economic relations between the US
(Mexico’s largest trading partner), to grow the economy and reduce poverty. The main way he
hopes to do this is through a tax overhaul targeting the rich. He also hopes to increase the use of
credit in the country along with loans and increasing the standard of education.
Mexico is still currently having large economic inequality issues but has just recently put
forward some serious social welfare reformation to combat the issue further, so they need time to
see the effect of these reforms. I believe that these reforms are a step in the right direction, and
are the correct thing to do. I think that the UN should look to Mexico as a birthplace of change,
and the location to try to implement further programs for testing ways to decrease the economic
inequality. The best ways that I view to be the wisest for decreasing economic inequality are
social work programs, reward systems similar to Oportunidades, concentrations on advancement
in education- widely available, and of a higher standard; medical care sponsored through the
government, and unemployment welfare. I don’t support increasing credit usage and encouraging
loaning because it can have a large risk to it, especially when used excessively and improperly. I
know this has its advantages, but I believe there are better ways (such as the ones listed) of
completing the same general objective.
\
Works Cited
CHARLES KENNY. "Foreign Policy: Mexico's Unnecessary Disparity." NPR. NPR, n.d. Web.
18 Feb. 2015. <http://www.npr.org/2011/08/23/139872185/foreign-policy-mexicosunnecessary-disparity>.
Gregory J. Swedberg. "From Colonialism to Imperialism: Understanding the Origins of
Mexico’s Poverty and Inequality." H Net. H-LatAm, n.d. Web. 18 Feb. 2015.
<http://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=31137>.
Kimberly Amadeo. "Unemployment Solutions." about. About.com, n.d. Web. 18 Feb. 2015.
<http://useconomy.about.com/od/suppl1/p/Unemployment-Solutions.htm>.
"Mexico." Britannica. N. pag. Encyclopedia Britannica. Web. 18 Feb. 2015.
<http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/379167/Mexico/27404/Health-andwelfare>.
"Mexico." Office of the United States Trade Representative. US Government, n.d. Web. 18 Feb.
2015. <https://ustr.gov/countries-regions/americas/mexico>.
"Mexico." World Bank. World Bank, n.d. Web. 18 Feb. 2015.
<http://data.worldbank.org/country/mexico>.
"Mexico’s Oportunidades Program." SHANGHAI POVERTY CONFERENCE: CASE STUDY
SUMMARY: 1-3. World Bank. Web. 18 Feb. 2015.
<http://info.worldbank.org/etools/docs/reducingpoverty/case/119/summary/Mexicooportunidades%20Summary.pdf>.
Submitted by: Pakistan
Throughout the world, the paucity of financial impartiality is gradually becoming an
increasingly pressing issue. The unequal distribution of income across employed individuals is
inducing a great imbalance in our modern society. It is imperative that this growing concern is
fully recognized, and that appropriate response is both executed and maintained. The Islamic
Republic of Pakistan strongly supports the reduction of economic inequality. According to the
Saadia Zahidi, the national director of the World Economic Forum and a prominent advocate of
economic rights in Pakistan, “[The nation of Pakistan] faces a multitude of social issues
preventing the provision of equal economic opportunity for all.” These issues have existed in
Pakistan since its attainment of independence in 1947. Pakistan has implemented and
coordinated several policies in an attempt to address economic inequality. In collaboration with
the United Nations Development Programme, in 2006 the Ministry of Finance and Economic
signed into effect the Area Development Programme of Balochistan. This program was focused
primarily on contributing to poverty reduction and food security through increased incomes and
productive assets in targeted areas. Conducive to success, Pakistan’s largest province,
Balochistan, has seen immense benefit from this project. The Governmental Board of
Balochistan has released a statement declaring that their recent actions are benefitting the
economy, working towards “adaptation to the widespread support of economic inequality.” The
2012 Ministry of Millenium Development Goals’ Public Document of Current Projects states,
“Pakistan is motivated to adapt our economy not only due to widespread morality issues, but by
the benefit it can create for our posterity.” The Global Agenda Council recently affirmed that
Pakistan currently has over 182 million citizens, more than nearly ninety five percent of other
countries. For this reason, Pakistan should be well positioned for robust economic growth.
Nevertheless, insufficient access to quality education, lack of employment opportunities, and
limited potential to expand into new markets due to barriers with India all pose serious threats to
the promotion of financial justice. It is in the best interest of the people of Pakistan that these
obstacles are overcome to ensure a balance of economic opportunity. Furthermore, Pakistan
strongly advocates the reduction of economic inequality.
Pakistan primarily promotes the creation of new markets to combat monetary injustice.
As reported by the 2015 Index of Economic Freedom, employment opportunities have
undergone a steady ascent, unemployment rates having lowered by nearly four percent in the
past five years. Specifically, Pakistan has a higher percentage of employed individuals than
powerful nations in trade and industry, including the United Kingdom and U.S.A. This is due to
recent initiatives to create more jobs for Pakistanis, including the Foreign Direct Investment
Movement of Pakistan. The nation of Pakistan has experienced a tremendous growth in foreign
investments in past years, leading to new market opportunities. In 1999, Pakistan had one billion
dollars in foreign investments in comparison to its 2007 investments of over eight billion. After
ineffective attempts at benefitting Pakistan’s economy through other venues, such as utilizing
natural resources and increased exportation, this program has manifested the greatest success in
past years and continues to benefit Pakistan and its people. Pakistan looks to continue furthering
the improvement of economic equality through the creation of new markets for the future.
Works Cited
"Financial Equality." HRCP. HRCP, 2015. Web. 14 Feb. 2015.
"Global Agenda Council on Pakistan 2012-2014." World Economic Forum. WEF,
2014. Web. 16 Feb. 2015.
"Pakistan." 2015 Index of Economic Freedom. The Heritage Foundation, 2015. Web.
15 Feb. 2015.
Perera, Jayantha. "Irrigation Development and Agrarian Change: A Study of Sindh,
Pakistan." Economic History. Economic History Association, May 2006. Web. 16 Feb.
2015.
Submitted by: Republic of Korea
Economic inequality is a global issue that cannot be ignored. The Republic of Korea’s
beliefs on this topic are very progressive in nature. Korea’s economy is primarily based on large
businesses such as Samsung, Hyundai Motors, Kia Motors, and LG Electronics. This type of
economy has a predisposition to high economic gaps, which is something that Korea has
struggled with in the past. However, The Republic of Korea has developed a plan that will soon
be put into effect that should reduce these inequalities. This plan is as follows; South Korean
firms with over 50 billion won in capital to pay a 10% surcharge on their corporate tax rate
unless they have spent a certain proportion, somewhere between 60-80%, of their income on
dividends, investment and wages, or spend somewhere between 20-40% on divides and wages.
This plan will hopefully increase wages for workers, which will then help to decrease the gaps
between the wealthy and the rest of society.
As for the rest of the world, the solution to this problem is not so simple. First, one must
look at what makes a country have a strong economy. The main attributes to a thriving economy
are a good infrastructure, an abundance of natural resources, and a well educated work force.
Now many developing countries have a very weak infrastructure, because of this over 750
million people lack access to fresh water. in fact women and children spend more than 140
million hours each day traveling to collect water. That is time that should be spent to get an
education or even a job. Those reasons are why the delegates of the Republic of Korea believe
the first step to reduce economic inequality is to ensure that every person on this plant has fresh
water. Many people, and governments, believe the only way to fixs these economic gaps is to
provide education to more countries, and although that could be helpful you cannot educate
children who spend all day traveling just to attain water. This is why we propose that the U.N.
starts putting a greater emphasis on raising and spending larger sums of money to provide water
wells and other filtration systems to struggling countries.
Work Cited
Denney, Steven. “Piketty in Seoul: Rising Income Inequality in South Korea” The Diplomat. 4
Nov. 2014. Web. 13 Feb. 2015.
n.p. “Water Facts” Water.Org. n.d. 13 Feb. 2015.
n.p. “Facts About Water” The Water Project. 12 Aug. 2014. 13 Feb. 2015.
Saudi Arabia
Economic inequality has become an ever more important issue in our world today. The struggle
of the poor in many countries has become more and more difficult, despite the vast and growing wealth
of the very rich. In this regard, Saudi Arabia is no different. We strongly approve of any and all efforts of
the United Nations to solve this problem, and urge all countries within to aid and support the poor who
face economic inequality in all places.
This issue is one which we Saudi Arabians know all too well. For many years, we have been
aiding our countries poor, giving billions to our lower class citizens. Under King Abdullah, we have begun
the construction of four economic cities, which will each allow for, as stated in our government
literature, “up to 5 million residents to live, work, and play”. We hope that such investments will aid in
this ever increasing problem of inequality. In recent years, our government has made plans to spend 37
billion dollars on housing and other programs for the poor. This would allow our poor to get back on
their feet and become prosperous once again. On top of such programs, we have also provided free
education and free healthcare for years to all of our citizens, all in order to aid the poor in our country.
This emphasis on helping our less fortunate is ingrained in the very fabric of our society, perhaps best
put by Prince Sultan: “Living in Saudi Arabia is like living in a charitable foundation; it is part and parcel
of the way we're made up. If you are not charitable, you are not a Muslim." Despite these efforts by our
own government, we are still facing a very real problem of economic inequality, and ask the United
Nations pass resolutions to help us address it.
The United Nations must do something to give aid to all those faced with the problems caused
by economic inequality. We hope to pass resolutions which will create international work programs,
allowing us to work together as countries to solve this major issue. Saudi Arabia also would like to pass
resolutions that would allow for UN inspectors to examine the causes behind economic inequality and
create solutions that would aid each country individually in how to solve it. Lastly, we would encourage
resolutions that would allow for international cooperation to deal with the added economic strain on
our lower income citizens caused by the mass influx of immigrant workers from third world countries.
Saudi Arabia has been and is currently fighting against ever-increasing economic inequality in
our country, and wishes for the United Nations to give any and all help to us and all other countries like
us, who are dealing with this very serious and threatening problem.
Works Cited
"Saudi Arabia's Riches Conceal a Growing Problem of Poverty." The Guardian. N.p., n.d. Web.
<http://www.theguardian.com%2Fworld%2F2013%2Fjan%2F01%2Fsaudi-arabia-riyadh-povertyinequality>.
"Demographic and Social Statistics." United Nations Statistics Division. United Nations, n.d. Web. 10 Feb.
2015. <http://unstats.un.org/unsd/Demographic/sconcerns/income/default.htm>.
"Gap Widens between Saudi Arabia's Very Rich and Very Poor." The New York Times. N.p., n.d. Web.
<http://www.nytimes.com%2F2008%2F08%2F17%2Fbusiness%2Fworldbusiness%2F17ihtinflation.1.15359629.html%3Fpagewanted%3Dall%26_r%3D0>.
Submitted by: Turkey
There is no country on this planet that is perfectly equal, economically speaking. Infact,
some economic inequality is crucial for a capitalist republic. While some economic inequality
isn’t a bad thing, too much can lead to significant issues. Those on the poor side of greatly
economically unequal countries find themselves poverty stricken, starving, and miserable with
no way to improve their living conditions. While those on the richer side, have abundant
amounts of money, power, and resources. This economic gap in generally caused by a corrupt
government or corruption, and usually leads to more corruption, an increase in poverty, and an
increase in crime rate.
The Republic Turkey suffers very much from economic inequality. Just 10% of our
population holds greater 78% of the country's total wealth. Behind Egypt and Hong Kong, it is
the third fastest country in terms of deterioration of income equality. High unemployment and
our poor tax system is to blame for our economic inequality, as it barely taxes wealthier people
while two-thirds of its revenue comes from indirect taxes.
The Republic of Turkey thinks that in order to stop economic inequality, the United
Nations needs to encourage tax reforms that increase taxes on the wealthy while giving people
under a certain economic level a tax break. In addition to this, we would like the United Nations
to encourage economic distribution, by reducing the unemployment rate.
Submitted by: United States of America
Over the course of history economic disparity has been mainly based on what social class you
were born into, and oftentimes being born into poverty meant that you would remain there for
the rest of your life. In modern times, new forms of governments and economic systems have
given people the ability to work for a better lifestyle, creating a large “middle class” social
group. However, around the world today, a large disparity still remains between the rich and the
poor. In recent times, especially in developing nations around the world, economic opportunity is
not available to many citizens. On top of this, many developing nations often do not have the
natural resources, education and infrastructure, or security to have a stable, growing nation.
In the past, ECOSOC has assisted in creating new opportunities by supporting access to primary
educations and closing the wage gap in many nations around the world. The ways of reaching
these goals, however, can differ depending on the nation and its status in development. By
supporting the infrastructures of developing countries, the UN is assisting the governments and
citizens in joining in worldwide industries and the global market. This infrastructure ensures that
the developing nation will gain more of a benefit from the global exchange of goods.
The United States spends billions each year in support of worldwide humanitarian aid. This aid
encourages the advancement of many developing nations, from assisting in the most basic needs,
such as water and food, to the building of roads and sustaining a stable government. Along with
this aid, the US is familiar with assisting in reducing economic equality domestically and, as one
of the world's largest markets, is eager to create more opportunities for each nation to become a
stable, economically sound, state.
The United States of America feels both economically and morally obligated to encourage the
UN in finding a more efficient way of improving and stabilizing national economies around the
world in order to give more opportunity to nations around the world. The United States affirms
that foreign aid will assist the governments desperately attempting to stabilize themselves in the
world market in the midst of violence, uprisings and corruption. By supporting these peoples, we
will bring about wealth, education, and stability to not only their country, but the world as a
whole.
Sources
http://www.foreignassistance.gov/web/CountryIntro.aspx
http://www.un.org/en/ecosoc/about/sustainable.shtml
http://www.un.org/en/ecosoc/about/financing.shtml