On September 24, a group of world leaders came together to respond to the UN Secretary-General’s call for a decade of accelerated actions for Sustainable Development Goals by releasing a statement that affirms their commitment to promote equality and inclusion. At the invitation of Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven, heads of state and government from Ethiopia, Spain, Sierra Leone, and Namibia; the Vice President of Indonesia, the Deputy Prime Minister of Ireland, and the Foreign Minister of Timor-Leste; and representatives from Uruguay and Tunisia gathered in the SDG Action Zone for a photo celebrating the release the statement, which was also endorsed by the Republic of Korea. 

Inequality and exclusion are among the most pressing political issues of our age. They are on the rise and the anger felt by citizens towards elites perceived to be out-of-touch constitutes a potent political force. Policy-makers and the public are clamoring for a set of policy options that can arrest and reverse this trend.

This challenge paper is an output for the Grand Challenge on Inequality and Exclusion, an initiative of the Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies, and outlines ideas for solutions to inequality and exclusion that are strongly grounded in analysis.