Meeting the Inequality Emergency: Building a New Era of Understanding and Cooperation

In November 2025, the “Extraordinary Committee of Independent Experts on Global Inequality”—commissioned by President Cyril Ramaphosa for South Africa’s G20 Presidency—published the first-ever report on inequality to the G20. The Committee highlights a critical turning point in the report that extreme inequality triggers a chain of negative economic, political, and societal outcomes that exacerbate one another. In particular, high wealth inequality is now undermining both democracy and economic progress. Since 2020, a combination of COVID-19, the war in Ukraine, and recent trade disputes has created a “perfect storm.” The contrast is stark: one in four people worldwide now regularly skip meals, while billionaire wealth has hit the highest level in history. To provide a global solution to this global emergency, the Committee—chaired by Nobel Laureate Professor Joseph E. Stiglitz—recommends the creation of the International Panel on Inequality (IPI). Modelled on scientific rigor, the IPI will monitor trends, assess drivers of inequality, and evaluate policy solutions to inform governments and the international community. On the occasion of the first meeting of the IPI Founding Committee,* this high-level event will feature Professor Stiglitz, leading government representatives, and key multilateral agencies discussing the challenges ahead in meeting the inequality emergency. Programme Welcome, introduction and moderation Magdalena Sepúlveda Carmona, Director of the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) Keynote speaker Professor Joseph E. Stiglitz Opening statements Mr Zane Dangor, Director General of Department of International Relations and Cooperation and South Africa’s G20 Sherpa Mr José Domingo Roselló, Head of Macroeconomics and Labour Policies Unit at the G20 Economic Affairs Office in the Prime Minister's Office of Spain Ambassador Mauricio Lyrio, Secretary of Climate, Energy, and Environment at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Brazil's G20 Sherpa Mr Henrik Harboe, Norway’s G20 Sherpa Panel Professor Francisco H. G. Ferreira, Amartya Sen Professor of Inequality Studies and Director, International Inequalities Institute, London School of Economics Professor Jayati Ghosh, University of Massachusetts Amherst. Member of IPI Founding Committee Mr. Gilbert F. Houngbo, Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Professor Wanga Zembe-Mkabile, Chief Specialist Scientist in the Health Systems Research Unit of the South African Medical Research Council, Extraordinary Professor at the UWC School of Public Health. Member of IPI Founding Commitee Closing remarks Winnie Byanyima, Director of UNAIDS and member of the Founding Committee of the IPI