Hamburg, Germany. World leaders and civil society champions came together this week at the 2025 Hamburg Sustainability Conference to urge stronger global action on inequality, launching the new Global Alliance Against Inequality and endorsing a bold joint declaration that calls for coordinated political action and inclusive policy solutions to one of the defining challenges of our time. As inequality both between and within countries is continuously weakening progress on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, social cohesion, and good governance worldwide, sustained political will and an overarching framework for action is necessary to keep the reduction of inequality as a global priority on the international agenda.
Today’s event featured the participation of H.E. Ms. Kadiatu Allie, Deputy Minister of Finance of Sierra Leone; H.E. Mr. Niels Annen, State Secretary at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development; Mr. Amitabh Behar, Executive Director of Oxfam International; and Fernando Marani, Program Director at the NYU Center on International Cooperation. Speakers emphasized the need for practical action, political courage, and international solidarity to address growing disparities in income, wealth, and opportunity.
H.E. Niels Annen, State Secretary at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development stressed that “Germany is committed to playing an active role in ensuring that inequality remains high on the agenda,” adding that “We invite other governments to become a member of the Alliance.”
“Sierra Leone recognizes the global, regional and local need to address inequality which is why our 2025 budget focuses on helping vulnerable people by providing free education, free school meals, cash transfers and free health care,” added H.E. Kadiatu Allie, Deputy Minister of Finance of Sierra Leone.
The Global Alliance Against Inequality is supported by the governments of Czechia, Germany, Norway, and Sierra Leone, and co-sponsored by Oxfam International and the Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies at NYU’s Center on International Cooperation.
Momentum for the Alliance will continue to grow at upcoming international events, including the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development and the 2025 High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, where more countries and partners are anticipated to join.
Amitabh Behar, International Executive Director at Oxfam said, “’It is wonderful to see these governments coming together to fight inequality. This can galvanize people’s movements and activists worldwide. Together we can create a world for the many not the billionaire few.”
“Inequality is not an inevitable reality. It is a challenge that can be met with effective policy solutions and coordinated action” added Fernando Marani, Program Director at the NYU Center on International Cooperation, “We are very proud to support this initiative that responds to the urgent need for international solidarity to address rising inequalities, which threaten social cohesion, fuel polarization, and erode trust in democracy and multilateralism.”
For more information, visit www.sdg16.plus/global-alliance-against-inequality/ or follow the Hamburg Sustainability Conference on social media using the hashtag #HSC25.
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