NEW YORK — The U.N. Development Program (UNDP) released their annual report for 2014, and it exposed some shocking results of some of the smaller problems going on around the world. Income inequality, unstable food prices, natural disasters and conflicts are all causing human development to slow.
This year’s study, titled “Sustaining Human Progress: Reducing Vulnerabilities and Building Resilience,” is aiming to portray exactly what it sounds like. The vulnerable groups around the world are fading, and they need help to continue on. Likewise, groups need to be self-sustaining to be able to fight against the things that are bringing them down.
Helen Clark, the head of the UNDP, said, “Unless people’s vulnerability is systematically addressed, progress will not be equitable or sustainable.”
It seems that the progress being made in ending global poverty is being undermined by disasters and crises. One-third of the world’s population is considered to live in poverty or be vulnerable to it. These people cannot fight the disasters that occur, natural or human caused. In order to continue making strides against poverty, the underlying problems need to be addressed.
One of the most important factors that needs to be fixed is the widening gap of income inequality. The U.N. report claims that the 85 richest people in the world have more wealth than the 3.5 billion poorest. This kind of inequality has the potential to reverse the improvements made in life span and income.
This income inequality requires properly implemented policies and programs in order to see positive change. Governments need to enforce stricter laws about wages and employment, as these two things cause problems in the workplace all around the world. Societies will only prosper when the people’s needs are at the forefront of all policies.
“If you invest in people, if you upgrade your infrastructure and increase the choices available to all, you will have a more stable society,” said lead author Khalid Malik.
– Hannah Cleveland
Sources: The Guardian, CBC
Photo: Huffington Post