Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, has commended South Africa’s efforts in spotlighting inequality as a global emergency. Guterres pointed out that the ultra-rich and the companies they control are increasingly wielding interest over economies, information and the rules that govern the world.

Delivering a virtual address at the establishment of the International Panel on Inequality by President Cyril Ramaphosa at Wits University, Guterres argued that the injustice of inequality must be confronted for a more sustainable future.

“But let’s be clear, inequality is not only about income or wealth, it’s about power, who holds it, who is denied it and how it shapes every chance in life. We share a world where billions lack the basics while a few reap extraordinary gains. A world where unfair global rules trap countries through patterns of vulnerability and dependence.  A world where unequal outcomes lock in unequal opportunities tomorrow in education, in healthcare and every aspect of life and emerging technologies are accelerating the divide.”

Speaking at the same event, President Cyril Ramaphosa says the decision to establish the International Panel on Inequality is one of the most consequential outcomes South Africa’s G20 Leaders’ Summit held last year.

The President has emphasised that the decision to establish the panel arose from an appreciation by world leaders, that inequality severely constrains social and economic development.

He was delivering a keynote address at the event.

“It is astounding that between 2000 and 2024, the richest 1% of people in the world captured 41% of all new wealth. The poorer half of humanity captured just 1% of new wealth. The committee’s report provided evidence that inequality is a threat to democratic freedoms, to economic growth and to general well-being. It would be a mistake to think that inequality is bad only for the poor. Inequality threatens the stability of societies and the sustainability of economies.”

The Extraordinary Committee was correct when it said that the world is facing an inequality emergency.

The International Panel on Inequality represents a concrete opportunity to confront this emergency.https://t.co/VtUQwjniBL

— Cyril Ramaphosa 🇿🇦 (@CyrilRamaphosa) April 24, 2026

President Cyril Ramaphosa and global experts gathered at Wits University today to take a historic step, beginning the establishment of the International Panel on Inequality.

President Ramaphosa, who commissioned the first-ever G20 report on global inequality, delivered the… pic.twitter.com/0l6ukpDwxm

— Wits University (@WitsUniversity) April 24, 2026

VIDEO | President Cyril Ramaphosa’s speech at the Global Inequality Dialogue at Wits: