Income Inequality

Topic:
Country: Guatemala
Delegate Name: Sarah Zaruba

Inequality of wealth has often been associated with power and status, and it only gets worse during turmoil, natural disasters, epidemics, or wars. Inequalities are not only driven by income, but are determined by other factors – gender, age, origin, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, class, and religion. Significant efforts have been made in order to reduce the discrimination of income; however, the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated global income inequality, somewhat reversing the decline of the previous few decades (SDGS). Prior to the pandemic, more than three-fifths of the world’s countries saw increasing household incomes in the bottom forty percent of the population when compared to the national average. The pandemic created major declines in this growth concerning the bottom forty percent that the national average. The UN plans to sustain an income growth of the bottom forty percent of the global population, looking to establish fair opportunity and to generally reduce inequality.
Guatemala recognizes the importance of reaching income equality and has opinions in line with achieving Sustainable Development Goal 10. Guatemala has experienced economic stability, but it still isn’t strong enough to close the income gap with rich countries. In fact, poverty and inequality in the country are persistently high, with indigenous peoples continuing to be particularly vulnerable and disadvantaged (World Bank). The COVID-19 pandemic ended three decades of economic growth in Guatemala, still, the country managed to keep a stable economy with help from the government’s fiscal stimulus with temporary cash transfers in response to the virus. While the pandemic increased the country’s poverty rate from 47% to 52%, the World Bank estimates that this increase would have been two to three times greater had it not been for the government’s response. Guatemala strives to eliminate poverty in troubled areas such as the highlands or villages in homes of reducing inequality concerning income.
The Republic of Guatemala highly encourages a balance among income ensuring an improved economy and nation. While Guatemala supports Goal 10 of SDGs, the fight against inequality must be rooted in the context of the country, political realities, and economic imperatives.

Country: Kenya
Delegate Name: Jack Novak

11-22-22
Submitted To: United Nations Development Programme
From: Kenya
Subject: Income Inequality
Delegate Name: Jack Novak

Historically, the global income inequality rate has been increasing since 1820 and is currently sitting at the top 10% earning 52% of all global income. Around 8.5% of the global population is estimated to be living in poverty by the end of 2022. Recent conflicts involving Russia and Ukraine have caused major skyrocketing of the global economy and numerous nations are seeing high inflation numbers. This means the cost of living is going to see an increase as well due to both being connected.

The nation of Kenya has an income inequality of the top 10% earning 23 times what the bottom makes. Despite major economic growth in 2005, as a nation, our income inequality remains all over the place. Weŕe losing $1.1 billion due to tax exemptions. This figure is twice the amount we spent on our health budget for 2015/2016. Poverty is extremely high as 16.1% of the population lives under the international poverty line. There is overall reduced job opportunities, lower wages and high mortality rates due to reduced healthcare access and food insecurity.

Outside aid has been incredibly helpful in reducing death and starvation. Kenya is unable to grow many essential crops like wheat due to low rainfall and access to healthy water is very limited. Climate change is partly responsible for this as numerous droughts occur and there are increasing temperatures being recorded. Our government is only able to do so much and aid from outside sources are necessary for our countries survival.

Outside help is only able to do so much. We the nation of Kenya believe that policies on reducing tax exemptions for the top 10% would be quite effective for reducing income inequality. Numerous foreign governments are full of corruption and aren’t being held accountable. More specific policies should also be implemented for each country. Kenya is actively working on reducing the effects of income inequality. 2015-2019 saw a growth in economy which resulted in reduced poverty. While this benefits us, other nations aren’t affected.

If we as nations working together wish to reduce the global income inequality, we need to all do our part and actively work on reducing our own corruption and poverty. It’s not fair that the rich get to live happily while around millions people will have to starve. These are our friends, our neighbors, our family. Poverty in one country will affect its neighboring countries. Immigrants hoping to find better opportunities will flood your borders. This is a global issue not just something third world countries are struggling with. Join Kenya in our fight to reduce global income inequality.

Country: China
Delegate Name: nora ghazal

Income inequality is a present issue that is plaguing much of the world. Income inequality has been an issue for many years but has been on a steep decline since the pandemic. The disruption of income inequality is due to harmful policies that have created gaps in income equity on the basis of sex, religion, ethnicity, race, etc. The gaps in income equity slow economic growth. China’s income inequality is among those the worst in the world. This income inequality is due to sudden urbanization.

China has recognized that income inequality is a severe issue within our country. Since the 2000s China has passed several legislations in order to reduce the gap in income inequality. The Chinese government has issued legislation that increases the income of low-income groups and rural households. Since 2006 the Chinese government has exempted rural households from agricultural taxes. These taxes accounted for 10% of the household income. The United Nations has taken actions including implementing “goal 10” in order to help sustain income growth within the bottom 40% of the population. By working with the United Nations and implementing this goal China hopes to close the gap of income inequality.

To help end the current income inequality China is going to continue to push the agenda of SDG 10. China encourages other countries to push the agenda as well.

Country: Japan
Delegate Name: Ema Bekic

UN Development Program
Income Inequality
Japan
Ema Bekic, Forest Hills Northern High School

Income inequality is a rising global problem that highlights the gap between the rich and the poor. Per The World Inequality Report, the wealthiest 10% of the global population takes in 52% of global income, while the poorest half only takes in 8.5%. Factors contributing to income inequality can be global, such as climate, technology, urbanization, global crisis, or country-specific, such as economic development and domestic policies. In the last 25 years, income inequality between countries has improved, yet income inequality within countries has become worse. In the World Inequality Database, Japan ranks relatively high as 119 out of 169 countries. According to the United Nations data, the average income of the wealthiest 10% to the poorest 10% is 4.5x, the lowest ratio of all the countries in the database.

Income inequality in Japan has been increasing since the 1980s, although the Japanese government has reduced the rate of increase by performing income redistribution through social security and taxation. The main factors causing income inequalities in Japan are education, two-tier policy, and gender inequality, with the last being the major contributor. Although the gender pay gap has decreased over the last two decades, Japan has the highest pay differential between males and females among developed countries. The number of female undergraduates reached a historical high in 2019, suggesting that the gender pay gap depends more on the type of occupation, employment, and marital status. Traditional gender roles impact a woman’s choice to select less competitive and less paid but flexible jobs that are compatible with family responsibilities. Gender gap pay is disproportionally higher for married women, with 10-20% of women in different age groups being full-time homemakers.

The UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 10 (SDG10): Reduced Inequalities from 2015, emphasizes inclusion independent of age, gender, race, ethnicity, and religion. To support the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, Japan identified 8 priority issues in the “SDGs Implementation Guiding Principles,” with gender inequality designated as the leading principle. Japan implemented a set of economic policies called Abenomics. Abenomics has 3 arrows. The third focuses on women’s economic empowerment and includes a set of women’s employment policies created to promote gender equality.

Japan believes that gender equality promotes economic growth and drives sustainable development in all spheres. Japan continues to implement policies to enhance workplace diversity and promote female employment. One of the best known is the parental leave policy for fathers, with the average earning 60% of their income during a year-long absence. Despite being allowed, fathers rarely take leave (17% in 2021), mainly due to the country’s work culture. Japan established a goal to have 30% of fathers taking leave by 2025. To encourage participation, Japan will start giving “a father’s bonus” to the family – an additional month of parental leave for every 6 months of time off used by the father. Generous paternal leave policy promotes woman’s employment and reduces gender income inequalities but also encourages families to have more children, which is crucial in countries with decreasing natality.

‌Aizawa, Toshiaki, et al. ADBI Working Paper Series SOURCES of INCOME INEQUALITY: A COMPARISON of JAPAN and the UNITED STATES Asian Development Bank Institute. 2017.

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Kenton, Will. “Abenomics.” Investopedia, 2019, www.investopedia.com/terms/a/abenomics.asp.

Pinsker, Joe. “Why Icelandic Dads Take Parental Leave and Japanese Dads Don’t.” The Atlantic, 23 Jan. 2020, www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2020/01/japan-paternity-leave-koizumi/605344/.

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Moriguchi, Chiaki, and Emmanuel Saez. “The Evolution of Income Concentration in Japan, 1886–2005: Evidence from Income Tax Statistics.” Review of Economics and Statistics, vol. 90, no. 4, Nov. 2008, pp. 713–734, 10.1162/rest.90.4.713. Accessed 22 May 2020.

“Record High Number of Female University Students and Faculty Members in Japan.” Nippon.com, 12 Sept. 2022, www.nippon.com/en/japan-data/h01427/#:~:text=The%20number%20of%20undergraduates%20in. Accessed 23 Nov. 2022.

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Song, Jiyeoun. “Economic Empowerment of Women as the Third Arrow of Abenomics.” Journal of International and Area Studies, vol. 22, no. 1, 2015, pp. 113–128, www.jstor.org/stable/43490283.

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Country: Romania
Delegate Name: RJ Langen

United Nations Development Programme
Income Inequality
Republic of Romania
RJ Langen
Forest Hills Northern High School

The Republic of Romania recognizes that we must address the problem of income inequality within our population if we are to improve the overall productivity of our country. In the past several years, our ability to prevent income in the top income earners of the population from rising too sharply was impeded by the Covid-19 pandemic. However, through our enactment of various laws and policies in conjunction with international assistance, we believe Romania is on the right path to correcting this problem.

Among the numerous Covid-19 fiscal measures implemented at the beginning of 2020, a few measures have proved very effective. The first law guaranteed 80-90% of state loans issued to companies. The second law provided 100% subsidized interest on investment loans to small businesses. These laws have led to a fast recovery of many small businesses and a decline in our unemployment rate from 6.81% in 2015 to 5.1% in 2022. Although this 5.1% unemployment rate number is higher than our pre-Covid low of 3.9% in 2019, we expect the unemployment rate to start going down again in early 2023 due to more fiscal stimulus measures like the one that paid out 3.18 billion euros for restarting companies. Overall, the results of the stimulus injections and financial investments have put Romania on the right path to economic recovery and to bouncing back stronger from the Covid-19 pandemic. Romania’s economy is expected to grow by a combined nine% from 2020 to the end of 2022.

We are also grateful that we have been able to access funding from our European Union National Recovery and Resilience Plan. This Plan has allowed us to enable greater investment in large and important sectors such as transportation and renewable energy. In conjunction with our fiscal efforts, this Plan allows Romania to provide opportunities for better education and more well-paying jobs to people residing in rural areas who may lack other financial opportunities. Many of Romania’s enacted policies correspond with agreements detailed in the United Nations Leaving No One Behind Agenda, which strives to make sure that everyone has a well-paying job and access to education.

We do still acknowledge that large gaps need to be filled when it comes to income inequality. Romania simply does not have the economic resources to prop up its public sector and deliver better services for our citizens without continued help from other countries. Therefore, we ask the European Union for continued financial aid for our National Recovery and Resilience Plan and for more funding to be reserved to help Eastern European countries develop their economies.

Country: Canada
Delegate Name: Ava Balint

Committee: UNDP
Topic: Income inequality
Country: Canada
Delegate name: Ava Balint

The rising income inequality worsens economic and social mobility, discourages young and marginalized populations, and depresses economic growth. Inequalities within countries are not just the result of individual disparities but are the consequences of policies that have created gaps in equity across regions, age, gender, race, ethnicity, migrant status, and disability status. The current Income Inequality is centered around measures to achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 10, reducing inequalities, specifically income inequality. Among the targets of SDG 10, one of the highest priority/ relevant subjects of the 10 is achieving income growth for the lower 40% of the population. Prior to the global COVID-19 crisis income inequality within countries was becoming worse, a trend that the pandemic exacerbated. Countries must grapple with past legislation that has codified prejudices, or societal traditions that produced the same effect. Income inequality can be tackled in a number of ways, from education policy to labor rights, to market regulation, to tax codes. Income inequality in Canada increased substantially during the 1980s and the first half of the 1990s but has been relatively stable over the past 25 years.
The current median income for a Canadian citizen increased from $45,800 in 1976 to $48,300 in 2009. Because this increase is so acute Canada hasn’t done a lot to prevent the increase in income inequality besides, the action of personal income taxes and government transfers (such as social assistance, employment insurance, child benefits, and old age security) have helped to reduce income inequality. We can see this by comparing inequality using three income measures Market income, Total income, Income after taxes, and transfers.
Canada suggests that we take action now before income inequality becomes too great. We can start by making affordable post-secondary education more accessible and increasing the minimum wage above the poverty level. This is only the start of a list of effective ways in which Canadians say their governments could reduce the income gap.

Country: United Kingdom
Delegate Name: David Liu

United Nations Development Programme
Income Inequality
The United Kingdom
David Liu, Forest Hills Northern High School

One of the major issues plaguing our world today is inequality. Whether it be gender, racial, social, or income inequality, mankind has a history of valuing certain groups over others. When we stepped into the modern, industrial world, income inequality emerged, showing a prominent divide between the top 10% and the bottom. Between the beginning of the 21st century and now, there has been no improvement in income inequality; in fact, it is still getting worse and the income gap continues to expand as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In March, the poorest half of the global population owned just €2,900 on average per adult, compared to the top 10%, who owned roughly 190 times as much. Additionally, the top 10% make up 52% of all income, while the poorest half make up just 8.5%. In the United Kingdom, although we are ranked 93rd out of 162 countries available on the GINI index at a score of 34.4%, income inequality is still prevalent. Today, the top 10% in the UK own 43% of the wealth, while the bottom 50% of the population owns only 9%. Even so, for the past 14 years, the UK has gone through relatively stable wealth inequality levels, but we understand that this is not the case for most countries. In correspondence with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal number 10: reducing inequalities, the UK acknowledges that income inequality is a prominent issue of our modern age and that the global body must take countermeasures to ensure the equality of the common man.

Due to the pandemic, the UK recently issued an emergency increase in welfare payments, which helped to reduce income inequality. The bottom 25% saw their incomes grow by as much as 4% in 2021 and around 400,000 children were lifted out of poverty. When we first entered lockdowns, the UK government increased the social benefit payment by 20 pounds per week, as well as provided additional furlough support for workers. The UK’s welfare system has served as a lifeline for millions of Britons during these past 3 years. As our cost of living crisis continues to prevail, more and more citizens have found themselves in lower income brackets. The UK is taking measures to combat our inflated costs, but because of the pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, improvement has proved to be difficult. We hope that we may soon see some alleviation in our economic distress and that we may have more ability to address them.

We understand that as a whole, income inequality is not an easy thing to solve. It will require lots of collective effort, new legislation, and different restrictions or expansions of laws. Our main focus currently is to slow the growth of the income gap as just keeping it at stable levels would already be a massive feat. Only once we stabilize the growth of inequality can we actually begin to work towards reducing it. We must take everything one step at a time, keeping our gaze set on the bigger picture. This is something that will take years of small changes, but the UK believes that together, the world can become a fairer place where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. The UK looks forward to working with other countries in this mission and offering our support to the global community. We stand in solidarity with poverty-stricken or afflicted countries and will play our part.

Country: Democratic Republic of the Congo
Delegate Name: Ty Keesler

Income inequality has been an issue for a long time and now in this age it is now an urgent topic to settle. With the shrinking of the middle class and the difficulty of leaving the lower class becoming more difficult, it is necessary to solve this issue. Inflation worldwide is up by staggering numbers as a result of the recent covid pandemic, making many need to be extremely expensive and even unaffordable to some. This also contributes to the “rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer”, people who already had established passive income from people needs have been getting funneled money and the poor have been giving theirs to needs. This is what is disrupting the balance of the flow of currency.

The DRC has been trying to reduce the gap by creating more jobs within the country and giving more opportunity to people. Even with about 50% of the population living in poverty the country is trying to help through several projects such as The Future Path project, which is to help modernize the country, and create more jobs to gain a better economic footing. There are also combined efforts with other countries helping fund different aspects and lending support and money to help out, and other organizations through the UN.

The DRC would like to propose a plan to deal with the financial inequality and income gap. The plan will consist of a combined effort through NGOs, donations, and countries willing to help out create different programs and strengthen current ones to help create more jobs and equal opportunities to people and help rebuild a middle class. While keeping countries’ sovereignty, this will make sure the participation in any part is up to the individual countries. The DRC would like to ally with other countries such as: USA, France, Japan, Italy, and others willing to help.

Country: France
Delegate Name: Ella Duffner

United Nations Development Programme
Income Inequality
France
Ella Duffner

France looks to decrease income inequality within the country, as well as between countries. Historically, France has also been fairly good about income inequality. The French revolution was started because of a huge gap in income between the extremely rich and the majority poor. As of the past century, income equality has been leaning toward a positive trend, with more improvement in the past ten-twenty years.
Throughout the entirety of the 1800s, the top 10% held about 80% of the total wealth. Starting in the 1900s, the upper class gradually held less and the middle and lower classes began to hold more. Starting in 1940, the middle 40% of French civilians rose to earn around 45% of the total income, a trend which continued through 2014. During these years, there has been a rise in inequality from 1967-68, then a fall from 1968 to 1983. In even more recent times, the income inequality ratio dropped even lower, before spiking again in 2021. Because of the First World War, there was a reduction in income inequality, due to political shocks. In the 1980s the gap grew again as the highest salaries got higher and wealth became more concentrated. The disparity between men’s and women’s income has grown smaller since 1970, although still fairly significant. In 2018, France had a Gini coefficient of 32.4. With the range being 0-100, a 32.4 is fairly good. As of January 2021, France was below the European median for income inequality, as well as below that of its neighbors Spain, Italy, Belgium, and the United Kingdom.
France is actively working to reduce income inequality further through redistribution, in the form of both social benefits and taxes. France is on a trend to see income inequality go down, but more could still be done. Within its own country, things such as improving education as well as the unemployment rate in youth (20.2% ages 15-24). Better education and employment lead to lower income inequality as it creates more job opportunities. The UN has Goal 10: reducing inequalities. France is a part of the UN since its founding and a permanent member of the security council, and therefore a part of achieving this goal. Proposal 10 has several parts, starting with 10.1, “progressively achieve and sustain income growth of the bottom 40 percent of the population at a rate higher than the national average”. This will help to decrease not just income inequality but overall inequality worldwide.
France agrees with the points of proposal ten and will help to achieve them, reducing inequalities worldwide. As a country doing very well in terms of income inequality and overall economy, with an unemployment rate of 8.12 in 2019 and a workforce of 27.742 million as of 2020, it can afford to turn its resources to help other countries with the issue of decreasing income inequality. France believes this can be done through better education and decreasing inequalities such as sexism and racism that lead to an income gap for groups affected.

Country: Philippines
Delegate Name: Abigail Eyke

Income inequality restrains economic and social mobility and growth while repressing marginalized groups. The degree of income inequality is called the Gini Coefficient, where 0 represents perfect equality and 1 represents perfect inequality. Inequality is the result of government policies that create gaps in equity across regions, age, gender, race, ethnicity, migrant status, and disability status. Barriers to raising income inequality include lack of education and labor rights with an abundance of free market practices. However income inequality can be reduced in various ways including education policy, labor rights, market regulations, tax codes and more. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 10 centers around reducing inequality within and among countries by 2030. One of its goals is to progressively achieve and sustain income growth of the bottom 30 percent of the population at a rate higher than the national average. It aims to achieve this goal by adopting primarily fiscal policies, wage and social protection policies. However, according to the World Bank, it is unlikely we will meet this goal by 2030 due to the pandemic and the war in Ukraine.

While many countries faced an increase in income equality at an even faster rate during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the World Bank and the Gini Index the Philippines reported the largest increase in income inequality during the pandemic. The pandemic pushed millions of Philippine citizens into poverty, further exacerbating income inequality, the food crisis, and political upheaval. Due to the pandemic, the country is deeply in debt, unemployment is high, inflation is rising, and there is food insecurity.

The current president Bongbong Marcos plans to address these concerns by creating business, agriculture, tourism, and infrastructure jobs to help alleviate income inequality. In prioritizing smaller enterprises, Marcos will increase jobs and lower unemployment. Marking the tourism industry as key to economic growth and post-post pandemic recovery. To improve labor rights, Marcos plans on passing legislation to improve business conditions and attract more foreign investments primarily from Japan and the United States, the Philippines largest trading partners, making U.S. support invaluable. According to the president’s spokesperson, Edwin Lacierda, the key to reducing income inequality is better education, better healthcare, social safety nets, and higher and broader economic growth primarily in agriculture to transition the Philippines into a more agriculturally independent country. Along with continuing past programs and legislation that benefits the lower income population, the president plans on building up infrastructure and increasing tourism to increase GDP and trade with other countries.

Country: Germany
Delegate Name: Juliana Lewis

Delegate: Juliana Lewis
Country: Germany
Committee: ECOSOC
Topic: Income Inequality

The great divide within our nations has grown devastatingly more prominent in terms of monetary status. It doesn’t just stunt our country’s economic growth, it also deprives our people of opportunities, and further marginalizes our citizens. The richest 10 percent of the population today hold a staggering 52 percent of all income which creates further separation. This divide not only leaves families struggling to make it through, but it also depletes educational focuses, and stunts professional development in our workplaces. We must combat this growing separation and work on providing equality among genders, races, social classes, and ethnicities. Our future generations are dependent on the changes we make today.
Germany’s employment is at a record high with 45 million and an unemployment rate of 2.2 million people at a record low This is still not enough to bridge the gap of income inequality however. Nearly 20% of children were at risk of poverty. The majority of the population has a high standard of living, but around 4% experienced moderate to severe food insecurity between 2016 and 2018. Currently Germany is working to better the working conditions and improve the income gap for the bottom 40% of the population.
The United Nations sustainable development plan 10 is something that Germany looks favorably upon. Germany would like to see an effort to mend the income gap through efforts to create more jobs, provide more funding and work towards eliminating prejudices. Furthering the education and spread of free secondary education and or more affordable options for everyone. Germany would look favorably upon joining together with nations who have had success mending the income inequality barrier, and work with those facing challenges to push for a societal change in how we approach our wide array of socio economic standings in our countries.

Country: Russian Federation
Delegate Name: Julia Kruger

Delegate: Julia Kruger
Country: Russia Federation
Committee: UNDP
Topic: Income Inequality

Income inequality is when income or income growth is not distributed evenly through different social classes and people. Many people do not support it because it puts the power in the hands of the rich, resulting in little-to-no social or economic mobility for large portions of the population. It can result in a higher cost of living for many, increased hardship, and rises in crime, mental illness, and social unrest. Income equality can help the richer and more important people in government stay in power. So it can benefit some countries that believe in controlling the citizens. However, when people are unhappy they tend to rebel and no one wants that. To remain in control there has to be income inequality and it is important to hide from the citizen how much income inequality there is.

Russia has done many things to continue income inequality. A big contributor is the Oligarchs. The political and economic power of the Russian oligarchs enables corruption. Oligarchs want to lower competition, avoid taxation and keep wages low. Russia appreciates its work for the good of the people and the good of Russia. In Russia, Both the top 1% and the bottom 50% of Russian income earners received about 20% of national income in 2019. This means that individuals in the top 1% earned on average about 50 times what those in the bottom 50% made. This is a great accomplishment for Russia. A recent report by Credit Suisse showed that Russia is the most unequal of all the world’s major economies. The richest 10% of Russians own 87% of all the country’s wealth, according to the report, compared with 76% in the US and 66% in China. Russia has better control than the US or China. Russia believes that income inequality is important to their country’s beliefs and that no action should be taken to prevent it.

Russia’s plan for the future is to continue to demolish other countries and income equality can be a powerful tool to complete this goal. The less unfortunate will be able to do nothing if the top people in the countries are in support of Russia. Russia pleads with other countries to follow in its footsteps and simply step and crush the poor people. Russia believes that the countries that will also want to continue income equality and support their views are the US, China, and Brazil.

Country: United States of America
Delegate Name: Reese Bower

UNDP
Income Inequality
United States of America
Reese Bower
Forest Hills Eastern

Income inequality is an increasingly pressing issue within developed and developing nations alike. While income inequality between countries has decreased in the last 25 years, income inequality within countries has worsened. Currently, the richest 10% of the population owns 76% of all global wealth, while the poorest half only owns 2%. The problem is difficult to target as it has many contributing aspects. Factors such as worker’s rights, engrained systems of inequality, and lack of proper education all add to a growing gap between the wealthy and those in poverty. The COVID-19 pandemic has additionally contributed to increasing income inequality around the world and in the United States, reversing past progress. Lower-income populations have experienced extreme losses in both jobs and income, with 25 million in the US alone losing their job during the pandemic. Decreasing income inequality and protecting workers’ rights are closely related, and if one increases, the other likely will as well.

The United States has a Gini coefficient of 41.5, one of the highest among economically developed nations in the world. COVID has hit the US severely, but measures to reduce the harmful impact on those with lower incomes have been enacted. The American Rescue Plan, a relief plan for COVID, benefits the middle and lower classes by providing needed financial support in the form of increased tax credit, small business support, and stimulus checks. As an important topic in the United States, there are many proposed bills concerning this subject, including the Ultra-Millionaire Tax, the Protecting the Right to Organize Act, and the American Opportunity Accounts Act. The United States recognizes the importance of education in improving income inequality by providing social and economic mobility. USAID trains officials, teachers, and administrators in creating sustainable education systems for children across the world. Additionally, the United States supports international workers’ rights by endorsing international labor groups such as the International Labour Organization and carrying out the Global Labor Program, a part of USAID.

The United States will continue to carry out aid programs concerning education and urges other developing countries to do the same. In addition, the US further emphasizes the importance of protecting the rights of workers internationally. However, The United States does not support increased economic regulation as a solution. Deregulation strengthens competition and economic growth, which is helpful in combating income inequality. Instead, it is recommended that the United Nations promote an international standard of laborers’ rights such as minimum wage and child labor regulations. Since the problem is largely internal, basic guidelines that allow countries to address their individual issues should be set.

Country: Turkey
Delegate Name: Izabella Smeak

Delegate: Izabella Smeak
Country: Turkiye
Committee: UNDP
Topic: Income Inequality

Income inequality is on the rise. Studies display that the richest percentage of every population’s wealth increased, while the poorest groups earned far less. Inequality such as this hurts economic growth and prevents those in poverty from escaping poverty. Crime can be a result of income inequality. Technological innovation is incredibly important as it helps us reach greater heights however, innovation can also cause more wage inequality. Advances in certain things destroy older jobs, but also often create new ones. The workers who don’t perform as well are hurt by this. Climate change is also a cause of even bigger inequalities. Without money, the countries that face catastrophic events will begin to suffer an even bigger loss. Every large city is different, yet it is often found that inequality has skyrocketed compared to more rural areas with the wealthy and poorer living amongst each other. Another problem seen is that when immigrants look for work, their pay is usually lower than another who has not immigrated. Action must be taken to handle inequality on a worldwide scale.
Turkiye is an upper middle-income class country. Income inequality is very high in Turkiye. Turkiye uses The Tenth National Development Plan to increase inclusive and stable economic growth. Absolute poverty was eradicated in Turkiye however, poverty was at 21.3 percent in 2019. Women have a higher chance of poverty than men yet, children and the youth have the highest chance with nearly a fifty percent chance. The Tenth National Development Plan focused on providing women, children, and people with disabilities opportunities. While Turkiye still continues to struggle with equality between men and women, women’s employment and workforce have increased over the past few years. Turkiye is very welcoming to immigrants. The Syrian refugee crisis damaged the economy at the time, but the Turkish economy is now thriving. Turkiye is way behind on equality than the majority of other European countries. Every year improvements are being made with The Tenth National Development Plan.
Turkiye would like to continue using The Tenth National Development Plan because income has been decreasing for the past few years while it’s been in effect. Turkiye would also like to create more job opportunities for women, youths, people with disabilities, and people with lower skill levels. Turkiye believes that in order to improve the economy of Turkiye and of the world that equality of opportunity and income is very important. Turkiye looks forward to working with Finland, the Netherlands, and Slovakia.

Country: Colombia
Delegate Name: Vincenzo Frattarelli

Delegate: Vincenzo Frattarelli
Country: Columbia
Committee: ESOSOC
Topic: Wealth Inequality

Income inequality is a serious problem in almost all modern countries. Wealth inequality, or income inequality, is the disparity of wealth between classes or people. This can cause many issues, and it often causes the people to go into poverty and even hunger, while the rich only get richer. 48 percent of people in the world live below 3.10 dollars per day. This creates extremely low levels of sanitation, nourishment, education, and medical care, while creating extremely high rates of slavery and child labor, both of which are at an all time high.

The top 20 percent in Columbia currently hold about 58 percent of the total wealth, while 38 percent of the nation is under the poverty line. This is extremely serious, as the 38 percent in poverty are often unable to afford basic necessities, such as food. This creates a moderate amount of wealth inequality. One of the major stemming factors towards this wealth disparity is the lower income for women in the country. It is currently taking steps to combat this, however. There are currently nation-wide protests against the economic discrimination, which are working to further the cause more every day. The president is also helping, having recently passed a tax for 1 billion on the country’s richest.

In conclusion, the fight against poverty in Columbia is gaining more momentum each and every day. There are people protesting, and working to get legislation passed, even in the current crisis in Columbia. The recently inaugurated president Guasta Petro is also trying to help establish more equality in Colombia’s economic system. Soon, Columbia’s economic disparity will be a thing of the past.

Country: Colombia
Delegate Name: Vincenzo Frattarelli

Delegate: Vincenzo Frattarelli
Country: Columbia
Committee: ESOSOC
Topic: Wealth Inequality

Income inequality is a serious problem in almost all modern countries. Wealth inequality, or income inequality, is the disparity of wealth between classes or people. This can cause many issues, and it often causes the people to go into poverty and even hunger, while the rich only get richer. 48 percent of people in the world live below 3.10 dollars per day. This creates extremely low levels of sanitation, nourishment, education, and medical care, while creating extremely high rates of slavery and child labor, both of which are at an all time high.

The top 20 percent in Columbia currently hold about 58 percent of the total wealth, while 38 percent of the nation is under the poverty line. This is extremely serious, as the 38 percent in poverty are often unable to afford basic necessities, such as food. This creates a moderate amount of wealth inequality. One of the major stemming factors towards this wealth disparity is the lower income for women in the country. It is currently taking steps to combat this, however. There are currently nation-wide protests against the economic discrimination, which are working to further the cause more every day. The president is also helping, having recently passed a tax for 1 billion on the country’s richest.

In conclusion, the fight against poverty in Columbia is gaining more momentum each and every day. There are people protesting, and working to get legislation passed, even in the current crisis in Columbia. The recently inaugurated president Guasta Petro is also trying to help establish more equality in Colombia’s economic system. Soon, Columbia’s economic disparity will be a thing of the past.

Country: Nigeria
Delegate Name: Jackson Harlan

Country: Nigeria
Committee: UNDP
Topic: Income inequality
Delagate: Jackson Harlan
School: Williamston High School

Income inequality is a pressing issue in today’s world. The gap between rich and poor has become more prominent due to issues such as COVID-19 and the rising inflation from the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Many countries have hundreds, thousands, and even millions of people on the threshold or in poverty. Especially with inflation and COVID-19, the rich get richer while the poor get poorer. In 2020 the income at the top made 12.90 times more than the income at the bottom, while in 2021 they made 13.53 times more. This is a clear sign that the gap between the bottom and top is only growing more extensive and will continue to do so. One thing is for sure, the world cannot stay in this state.

Nigeria has taken action in the past to fight these issues. One is the national gender policy which seeks to combat violence and discrimination, eventually leading to further equality among sexes. Nigeria has also created many more policies regarding these inequalities, especially regarding women. Unfortunately, there has been and currently is tension along the northern and eastern borders of the country causing Nigeria to be focused on this rather than these inequalities.

The first step to solving this problem is quality education, but this will not get us all the way. This needs to be accompanied by progressive taxation. That would mean putting a higher tax on a higher income and a lower tax on a lower income to prevent a further gap from occurring. One step even further is to address the unemployment crisis in the country. Creating jobs, even further creating safer working conditions, and higher wages. As I previously stated Nigeria has conflict currently arising on the northern and eastern borders and is preoccupied with this, but realizes that this issue needs to be addressed and work towards progress.

Country: Spain
Delegate Name: Eve Orban

United Nations Development Programme
Income Inequality
Kingdom of Spain
Eve Orban
Forest Hills Eastern

Income inequality measures how unevenly income is distributed throughout a particular population. The less equal the distribution of wealth, the higher the income inequality is. It can be represented by a value known as the Gini Coefficient, which measures how much a nation’s income distribution varies from equal distribution. The measure goes from 0 to 100, with 0 being perfect equality and 100 being perfect inequality. Causes for income inequality derive from policies that discriminate against attributes such as gender, age, race, ethnicity, disability, and migrant or refugee status. For example, women put in around 12.5 billion hours of unpaid care work that goes unrecognized. Income inequality can affect life expectancy, access to basic services such as education and sanitation, and limit a person’s individual rights. In 2018, 71 countries saw declines in political and civil liberties. Income inequality depresses economic growth by discouraging skill and human developments and reducing economic and social mobility. It contributes to social discord and conflict due to it developing feelings of uncertainty and insecurity within institutions. Climate change, technological developments, and COVID-19 have all dramatically increased the global levels of income inequality.

Spain has a Gini Coefficient of 34.7. While this number is relatively substantial on its own, it is expected to rise in the future. This can largely be attributed to a high unemployment rate, around 12.67%. And, when jobs are found, there is usually a struggle with low wages in only temporary positions. Another factor is a low education rate in Spain and a perpetuation of social immobility within the country. Economic crises such as the recession in 2008 and the COVID-19 pandemic have led to an increase in Spain’s income inequality. In order to combat this inequality, Spain has contributed heavily to various efforts such as the Millennium Development Goals, or MDGs, which have a focus on economic growth, poverty reduction, and sustainable development. In June of 2020, Spain unanimously passed the social security benefit Minimum Subsistence Income (MSI), which works to reduce extreme poverty and assist in integrating those in risk of exclusion in the workplace. Spain supports the Sustainable Development Goals set in place by the UN. Under the new Sustainable Development Cooperation and Global Solidarity bills under the UN agenda, Spain is committed to developing cooperation efforts to tackle inequality, poverty, environmental crises, gender equality, human rights and democracy.

In order for Spain and other nations to escape their income inequality issues, they will need to focus their efforts on the poor and young. The Spanish government will need to address problems within education and unemployment which became dire during the pandemic. Along with Spain, nations will have to push the agenda of the SDGS, specifically SDG 10.

Country: Egypt
Delegate Name: Muskan Rekhani

United Nations Development Programme
Income Inequality
The Arab Republic of Egypt
Muskan Rekhani
Forest Hills Eastern

Income inequality is becoming an increasingly greater issue every year, and the United Nations must work together to dampen the problem. Factors that have created gaps in equity are region, age, gender, race, ethnicity, migrant status, and disability status. The United Nation’s goal is to achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 10 of reducing inequalities by progressively achieving and sustaining income growth of the bottom 40 percent of the population at a rate higher than the national average; ensuring equal opportunity and reducing inequalities of outcome; adopting policies, especially fiscal, wage, and social protection policies; and progressively achieving greater equality.

In The Arab Republic of Egypt, income inequality is statistically not a problem, but this only factors in national household surveys that collect detailed income and/or consumption data for a sample of households. Economic problems experienced by Egypt include a poverty rate of 27.9% and an unemployment rate of 7.4%. In specific, geographical inequality between rural and urban areas is a pressing issue. The wealthy live in urban areas while the poor live in rural areas. Economic success is reserved for the wealthy and not the majority. One from a disadvantaged family has almost one-tenth of the chance of getting into a university compared to an individual from an advantaged family. Additionally, taxes are worsening, and different wealth categories’ tax rates are evening out, which is more impactful to the poor. One step towards improvement that Egypt has made was spending over 6% of their GDP on fuel subsidies, which overall benefits the rich but also works to reduce unemployment.

The Arab Republic of Egypt urges the UN to examine housing prices for taxation and give back to the disadvantaged. This could come in the form of resources, financial aid, or education scholarships. Another policy Egypt urges the UN to enact is a Subsidy reform. This would mean increasing fuel service prices, so the government can produce large savings to give more resources to the poor. Lastly, schools are recommended to require more volunteering. In order for people with low income to increase their standard of living, they must be given the opportunity to save. If they spend all of their time and money on food and housing, they will be stuck in the endless cycle of poverty. If people are urged to volunteer at food shelter facilities, the government can use the funds from the other two policies to support more facilities.

Country: Indonesia
Delegate Name: Hope Orban

United Nations Development Program
Income Inequality
Republic of Indonesia
Hope Orban
Forest Hills Eastern

Income inequality is the measure of how evenly distributed wealth is in a society. According to The World Inequality report, the richest 10% of the global population currently takes 52% of global income, whereas the poorest half of the population earns 8.5% of it. One way it is measured is the Gini Coefficient. This measurement compares the cumulative proportions of a population against the cumulative proportions of income they receive. In the Gini Coefficient, countries are rated on a scale of 0 to 100 (0 being the most equal and 100being the least equal). Income inequality is partially caused by social issues. Past laws, policies, and prejudices contribute to income inequality by creating larger wage gaps between people based on gender, race, age, migrant status, and many others. These issues are closely attached to income inequality and must be addressed in order to improve the situation. Income inequality is detrimental to societies because it decreases social mobility, health, and education. It creates economic instability and financial crisis. COVID-19 Has only increased the effects of income inequality.

Indonesia scores 37.9 on the Gini Coefficient. The score is notable. The country’s relatively poor education system and rates of children attending school impact its inequality. Without a complete education, it is difficult for Indonesians to increase their social status and break the cycle of poverty. The country’s geography results in much of the population living in rural areas. These areas have difficulties accessing resources, which contributes to inequality. Data from Statistics Indonesia (BPS) showed that the average monthly wage of male workers was Rp2.9 million (US$202) in 2021, while the female monthly wage was Rp2.3 million (US$160). While opportunities for women are ever-increasing, the wage gap is a huge issue that plagues Indonesia. COVID-19 has largely impacted poorer communities in Indonesia. It has increased income inequality between the poor and the wealthy. Many Indonesians lost their jobs due to the pandemic, leaving households still fragile though the worst of COVID is over. Generally, the poorest, most vulnerable communities in Indonesia are not getting their even distribution of wealth.

Indonesia seeks to reduce the gender wage gap, solve issues posed by COVID-19 on employment, and increase education. Income inequality will be decreased if barriers in education are dissolved. Better infrastructure connecting rural areas with important resources will eradicate the advantage of these regions. The country seeks to decrease its inequality for more prosperity and looks to other countries for ideas in the new policies.

Country: South Africa
Delegate Name: Andrew Dylenski

United Nations Development Program
Income Inequality
The Republic of South Africa
Andrew Dylenski
Forest Hills Eastern

Income inequality is defined as the difference in the distribution of income within a country, population, or group of individuals. This is a huge problem internationally where 50% of the population has an income of about $3000 whereas the richest 10% has about 190 times as much. This low income is present in many developing countries where gaps across age, gender, race, ethnicity, and migrant status cause oppression and this low financial state in many families. The United Nations Sustainable Goal 10 works to reduce income inequalities in the bottom 40% of the population and adopt different wage and social protection policies. Internationally, the International Monetary Fund is just one of the organizations working to tackle the issue of income inequality in many countries by analyzing the trends of inequality in the country and implementing policies to tackle this problem. The UNDP must find a way to overcome the problem of income inequality and the poverty and malnutrition that it entails in developing and, mainly, in developed countries.

The problem of income inequality is very much present all over South Africa. The Gini Index-a measures how equally distributed a country’s income is divided among households and individuals. South Africa had a Gini Index score of 63in 2022, which is the highest of all countries in the world at the time. In the country, the lowest 20% on the income scale has a 2.4% share of income or consumption while the highest 20% has a 68% share of income and consumption. One of the major reasons for the high-income inequality in South Africa is the problem of race in the country where white and mixed-race South Africans(though a small demographic) make up to 3 times more than black South Africans. In 2017, the black unemployment rate is about 5 times higher than the white rate leading to this lack of income in black populations, leading to inequality. The government has tried to change this fairly recent apartheid society by focusing on higher social spending, action to diversify wealth ownership, promoting entrepreneurship, and equalizing wages. But, this can all do so much as a high amount of lower income civilians still are unemployed and making not much while the top 20% are making up to 30 times much income as them. South Africa is a sole example of high-income inequality due to unemployment and racism in the economy, and South Africa looks to the government to help create jobs for the poor and help pick out the racial bias in the workplace to help reduce income inequality in society.

Income inequality is a problem present throughout the world. It is seen in all countries even though it is more visible and present in some countries than others. South Africa, the country with the most income inequality in the world, sees what it’s like for 59% of the population to be in poverty and 29% of it to be unemployed. Lots of this unemployment can be due to the lack of education and the obstacles given by the workforce due to race and gender. South Africa believes it is up to the government to ensure equal opportunities for citizens of all races or gender in the workforce and it is their job to create jobs for the unemployed in all the countries. In order to get the money for this in lots of countries, governments can adopt a progressive income tax which gives more taxes to the ones on the top of the income ladder and that will close the gap on the income inequality problem while providing the government with money to create jobs. Education is also important for people of all ages to learn so they can go to school to get a job and make money. This cannot be achieved in many countries without money for teachers, buildings, or supplies. South Africa advocates for any resolution that uses government cooperation along with a progressive tax income to create jobs for the unemployed, enforce strict policies in the workforce based on no discrimination, and close the wealth gap in many countries.

Position Papers for GLIMUN 2022 will appear above this line, with the newest being at the top.