"Multilateral institutions… should also address the causes of inequality, such as the deregulation of global finances or the disproportionate creation of rights and privileges for corporations".
Why does widening inequality around the world concern you?
The growth of inequalities around the world is not a result of any natural disaster but a consequence of human decisions and policies. Countries with political will to combat inequalities and poverty, particularly in Latin America, have shown that this could be done without harming growth and investment, perhaps even promoting it. Since massive human suffering could be avoided, not doing so is economically unwise, ethically inexcusable and politically doomed.
What is the most important contribution that multilateral institutions could make to tackle widening inequality?
Multilateral institutions can contribute to the understanding of the impact of inequalities on their areas of expertise: health, education, labour, and the very functioning of the economy. They should also address the causes of inequality, such as the deregulation of global finances or the disproportionate creation of rights and privileges for corporations to the detriment of human rights and workers' rights. In a globalized economy these issues cannot be addressed by countries acting in isolation and thus require concerted multilateral action in order to, for example, strengthen tax cooperation.
Mr. Roberto Bissio will speak at the plenary session From best policy practices to global transformation on 19 June.
He coordinates the secretariat of Social Watch, an international network of citizen organizations from over eighty countries that reports every year on how governments and international organizations implement their commitments on poverty eradication and gender equity. He is executive director of the Third World Institute, a non-profit research and advocacy organization based in Uruguay, and a member of the international committee of Third World Network.
