COP Poverty and Inequality Snapshot | Issue 23

UNDP releases new report: COVID-19 and Human Development: Assessing the Crisis, Envisioning the Recovery 

Following the UN's framework for immediate socio-economic response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and as the technical lead in socio-economic recovery efforts, UNDP has released a publication on the severity of the unfolding human development crisis. Drawing from simulations based on an adjusted Human Development Index as well as on current projections of gross national income (GNI), the note suggests three principles to shape the response to the crisis: (i) Adopt an equity lens, (ii) Focus on people's enhanced capabilities, and (iii) Follow a multidimensional approach to address the interconnected nature of the crisis. Read more.

E-discussion on Advancing Human Well-being

In preparation for the 2020 High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development, the COPs on Poverty & Inequality and Gender Equality & Empowerment of Women co-hosted an e-discussion to inform concrete ideas and pathways to transform inequalities and enhance human capabilities. The conversation centered around five interconnected streams: (i) Policies, actions, and trade-offs, (ii) Leaving no-one behind, (iii) Inequality, (iv) Knowledge wealth and gaps, and (v) Relevant means of implementation. The inputs of the discussion will feed into the key reference document for the HLPF Thematic Session on "Advancing Human-Well Being." Check out the e-discussion.

Smart City Webinar Series: Introduction to the Circular Economy 

On 21 May, the UNDP Global Singapore Centre hosted the first session of its Smart City Webinar Series. In this first session, Tamara Streefland, from the Smart Cities Consultancy Metabolic, introduced the concept of circular economies, including insights on how to promote circular practices at the city level. Geoffrey Omedo, a Portfolio Analyst at the UNDP Kenya Country Office, described the practical steps taken to improve the circular economy in the country. Watch the session, check out the slides, explore the post-webinar survey, and sign up for the Centre newsletter.

TRAP webinar: The Welfare Effects of Mobile Broadband Internet: Evidence from Nigeria

The Topics for Research on Acceleration Policies (TRAP) is a UNDP initiative aimed at examining and discussing issues that are relevant to the Middle-Income Countries (MICs). In this session, introduced by our COP Champion Luis Felipe López-Calva, Carlos Rodríguez-Castelán, Lead Economist in the Poverty and Equity Global Practice of the World Bank, presented a paper on the impacts of mobile broadband coverage on household consumption and poverty, with evidence from Nigeria. Raymond Gilpin, Chief Economist and Head of Strategy at UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Africa, provided insightful comments, and a Q&A followed.  Watch the session.

Hey teachers, (don't) leave the kids alone! Connectivity and education disparities in times of COVID19

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to massive school closures worldwide. In Latin America and the Caribbean alone, 171 million students are currently out of the classroom. In this #GraphForThought, our CoP Champion Luis Felipe López-Calva analyzes education and connectivity gaps in LAC. He finds evidence of inequality of access to distant-learning tools (notably the internet) between students from the poorest households as compared to those from the richest. Additionally, he finds a positive correlation between parents' stock of assets (including human capital) and children's educational achievement. While the COVID-19 is likely to exacerbate these gaps, ensuring universal access to online tools is a critical step to start mitigating them. Explore the #GraphForThought.
 

Five economists are redefining… Everything. Oh Yes, And They're Women

Check out this Forbes piece featuring the work of Esther Duflo, Stephanie Kelton, Mariana Mazzucato, Carlota Perez, and Kate Raworth. In a field traditionally dominated by men, these five women are transforming the economics discipline by rethinking the most fundamental questions: What is growth? How should we define value and debt? What are the best research tools to fight poverty and inequality? The article identifies four key messages from their work: (i) Challenge mainstream reasoning; (ii) Think growth beyond GDP; (iii) Good governance matters; (iv) Bring theory down into the field. Learn more.

Ending Gender-Based Violence: Justice and Community in South Africa – by Hannah E. Britton 

While the advance of women's rights and opportunities in South Africa has been substantial, the country remains afflicted by multiple forms of gender-based violence. In this outstanding book, political science professor Hannah E. Britton explores why, despite the increasing legislative and electoral success of women in South Africa, the brutal violence they experience persists. Drawing from interviews with street-level workers, religious leaders, and members of community-based organizations, the author disentangles the root causes of the problem and suggests concrete, innovative solutions to end gendered violence. Read more.  

   UNITAR Course on Data and Statistics for More Effective SDG decision-making