Speaker: Janet Gornick
Event: UN General Assembly 69th Session
Second Committee General Debate – Keynote Address
Ladies and Gentlemen:
It is a tremendous honor, and a pleasure, to have the opportunity to speak to you today – especially on the topic of inequality.
In the last approximately three years, an extraordinary development has unfolded. Concerns about inequality have attracted unprecedented attention – in the United States and in many other countries. This attention has permeated multiple spheres, from social science research, to journalism, to local electoral politics. This past fall, the voters of New York City elected a mayor whose remarkable campaign rested squarely on a promise to reduce inequality in this great city.
A confluence of factors sparked and intensified this international conversation about high and rising inequality. In many countries, the Global Financial Crisis, the Great Recession, and the ongoing recovery, cast light on disparities between financial sectors and labor markets. The Occupy movements that cropped up in many countries captured worldwide attention; scholars have contributed fresh accounts of inequality’s origins, nature, and effects; journalists and activists have produced vivid stories and innovative visualizations – and new data have been created and analyzed.
My plan for this morning is to share with you a portrait of inequality across a range of countries and to present highlights from what has been learned about inequality in recent years.
Full Speech: Keynote Address, UN General Assembly, 2014 (PDF)