South Africa has announced plans to table a landmark draft resolution at the United Nations aimed at tackling one of the world’s most persistent challenges, inequality.
Speaking at the Plenary on Extremism and Inequality at the In Defence of Democracy initiative, during a working visit in Barcelona, Spain, on Saturday, 18 April 2026, President Cyril Ramaphosa confirmed that South Africa will present a draft resolution on the establishment of the International Panel on Inequality for adoption by the United Nations General Assembly, during its 80th resumed session in 2026.
He said the proposed panel, inspired by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, will monitor global trends and assess drivers and consequences of inequality.
It will evaluate alternative policies for addressing inequality to inform governments, policy makers and the international community.
President Ramaphosa said placing inequality firmly on the global agenda was essential for strengthening democracy and advancing social justice.
“We are gathered not merely to defend democracy but to build democracy [and] more importantly to advance democracy. We have come together because we believe fervently in the right of every person, without exception, to determine their own destiny.
“At the heart of democracy lies the principle that all people must have equal opportunities and equal means to contribute to decisions about their lives, their communities and their environment,” President Ramaphosa said.
The initiative stems from South Africa’s G20 Presidency, during which it commissioned the first-ever global inequality report from a committee of independent experts led by Nobel Laureate Joseph Stiglitz.
The report concluded that inequality is neither inevitable nor permanent and can be addressed through deliberate policy choices.
The committee made the important observation that inequality is neither inevitable nor interminable and can be addressed through the policies adopted and the actions taken.
The President noted that the proposal has received the endorsement of the African Union.
He called on UN member states and all leaders across society to lend their support to “this initiative to ensure that we take forward the struggle to end inequality”.
“If we are to build democracy, to strengthen democracy across the world, if we are to empower people to take charge of their lives, it is essential that we intensify the struggle for equality and social justice,” President Ramaphosa said.
He acknowledged that South Africa is possibly the most unequal society in the world, inherited from a history of Apartheid.
“We are committed to this endeavour and hope you will join us in it. We have the determination and the means to end inequality. Now we must act. This is the time for us to lead the world to address inequality,” The President said. – SAnews.gov.za
