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	Rich people having too much political influence leads to greater economic inequality by Pew Research Center   In 31 of 36 countries surveyed, majorities say that rich people having too much political influence results in greater economic inequality.   A new Pew Research Center survey of 36 nations finds widespread public concern about economic inequality. And when asked what leads to this inequality, most people across the countries surveyed point to the intersection of wealth and politics.   The key findings of the survey include:   A median of 54% of adults across the nations surveyed say the gap between the rich and the poor is a very big problem in their country. Another 30% say it is a moderately big problem.   A median of 60% believe that rich people having too much political influence contributes a great deal toward economic inequality.   These views are especially common among people on the ideological left, though many on the right agree. Ideological divisions are particularly large in the United States.   The survey, conducted in spring 2024, also finds deep global anxieties about the economic future and a strong desire for economic reform.   A median of 57% of adults across the nations polled expect children in their country to be worse off financially than their parents when they grow up.   This view is particularly widespread in several high-income nations, including Australia, Canada, France, Italy, Japan, Spain, the United Kingdom and the U.S.   For the most part, this pessimistic view about the economic future is shared by younger and older adults alike, as well as by people with higher and lower incomes.   However, in several countries, the public is more optimistic than pessimistic about the financial prospects of the next generation. These include a few South Asian and Southeast Asian nations: Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.   And there is modest optimism in some Latin American nations, too. About half of those surveyed in Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Mexico think today’s children will be better off than their parents, while around four-in-ten or more say they will be worse off.   In many countries, there is more economic pessimism today than before the COVID-19 pandemic – which hurt many people economically.   In 15 of 31 countries where trends are available, the share of the public who thinks children will be worse off financially than their parents is higher today than in pre-pandemic surveys.   Majorities in 33 of 36 nations also think their country’s economic system needs major changes or complete reform. People in middle-income nations in the Asia-Pacific region, Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East-North Africa region are especially likely to want this degree of change.   People in many wealthier countries want change, too. At least six-in-ten adults in most of the European nations surveyed want major economic changes or complete reform; 66% share this view in the U.S.   In almost every country polled, people who see economic inequality as a very big problem are significantly more likely than others to want major changes or complete economic reform.   What causes economic inequality? In our list of six potential factors, the strong connection between money and politics resonates most with respondents, topping the list in 31 of 36 countries.   Overall, more than eight-in-ten adults say that rich people having too much influence over politics contributes to economic inequality either a great deal (60% at the median) or a fair amount (26%).   But respondents see other factors as important, too. Majorities across the countries surveyed believe problems with the education system add to inequality in their nation.   Many also attribute inequality to some people working harder than others or some being born with more opportunities. Smaller but still notable shares cite other factors, including robots and computers doing work previously done by humans, and discrimination against racial or ethnic minorities.   Views of other forms of inequality   Nearly a decade and a half after the Occupy Wall Street protests in the U.S. – which coincided with similar movements in other countries – economic inequality remains the reality in many nations.   And as our survey highlights, this is a matter of strong public concern. More than eight-in-ten adults across the surveyed countries see the gap between rich and poor as a very or moderately big problem in their country.   But there’s concern about other forms of inequality as well. Roughly two-thirds say discrimination against people based on their race or ethnicity is a very or moderately big problem where they live, while about six-in-ten say this about gender inequality. And more than half describe discrimination against people based on their religion as a big problem.   Concerns about these issues are often tied to respondents’ demographic characteristics, background and experiences. For example, in some nations, people with lower incomes are especially worried about economic inequality; racial and ethnic minorities are more concerned about racial and ethnic discrimination; women are more concerned about gender inequality; and people who prioritize religion are more likely to see religious discrimination as a very big problem.   Ideological differences in views of economic inequality   On several questions in this survey, opinions vary significantly by political ideology.   For instance, while concerns about inequality are common across the ideological spectrum, in many countries people who place themselves on the left are especially likely to say the gap between rich and poor is a very big problem.   Those on the left are also particularly likely to see racial and ethnic discrimination and gender inequality as very big problems.   And the same pattern appears when it comes to the perceived causes of inequality. People on the left are more likely than those on the right to cite the political influence of the rich, racial discrimination, and the fact that some are born with more opportunities than others.   Some of the largest ideological divisions in the survey are in the U.S. For example, 76% of U.S. liberals say economic inequality is a very big problem in their country, compared with just 30% of conservatives. This 46 percentage point gap is the largest left-right differences across the countries surveyed. (The survey was conducted prior to the November 2024 U.S. presidential election.)   Views of inequality in middle- and high-income nations   The survey finds important differences between middle- and high-income nations in attitudes about income inequality.   While concerns about economic inequality are widespread in all the countries surveyed, people in middle-income nations are especially likely to describe it as a very big problem. They are also more likely to say that the rich having too much political influence is a major cause of inequality.   But when it comes to views about the economic future, people in middle-income nations are somewhat more positive. A median of 44% of adults in middle-income nations believe that when children in their country grow up, they will be financially better off than their parents. A median of just 26% in wealthier nations express this view.   http://www.pewresearch.org/global/2025/01/09/economic-inequality-seen-as-major-challenge-around-the-world/ http://www.srpoverty.org/2025/04/02/opinion-dc-time-to-set-a-limit-on-extreme-wealth/ http://www.dandc.eu/en/article/recent-developments-us-and-elsewhere-show-ultra-rich-individuals-are-risk-democracy-society Visit the related web page
	Conflict, hunger, poverty impede children's early development by UN News, UNICEF, OHCHR, agencies   13 Mar. 2025   Conflict, hunger, poverty impede children's early development. (UN News)   Governments everywhere are “letting children down instead of lifting them up” as conflict, hunger, poverty and climate change hold back child development, UN rights chief Volker Turk told UN Member States in Geneva on Thursday.   During a discussion on early childhood development, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights underscored that 80 per cent of the human brain is formed in the first three years of life, as he appealed for a reset in youth-centred policy.   “Investments in early childhood are one of the smartest ways to achieve sustainable economic development; studies indicate that the economic return can be up to 13 times the amount invested,” he insisted.   Citing South Africa's Child Support Grant and the Bolsa Familia programme in Brazil, the High Commissioner pointed out that they “help to ensure that children born into the toughest circumstances can still have the most essential needs covered”.   Today’s threats to children are also virtual, and youngsters everywhere lack the tools to stay safe online, Mr. Turk continued, before warning that children’s access to food, basic sanitation and drinking water remains unequal across the world; two in five lack access even to basic sanitation.   Climate change is also likely to make children and future generations more vulnerable, Mr. Turk told the Council, noting that in the next 30 years, eight times as many children could be exposed to extreme heat waves and twice as many to extreme wildfires.   Emphasising the wider benefit to society of early childhood development, Dr. Najat Maalla M’jid, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on violence against children, said that that “even the very youngest and those in the most vulnerable situations have rights, including rights to development, protection and participation”, as outlined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.   More than one million new neural connections form every second in the first few years of life, the practicing paediatrician explained, as she warned of the long-term impacts on very young children’s health, learning and behaviour when caregivers are unable to provide nurturing and safe care.   Many children with disabilities or from minorities have no access to supportive early child development services, along with others in poor or emergency settings, Dr. M’jid noted.   “Given the unprecedented humanitarian crisis - due to conflict and forced displacement - we must ensure te child development programmes are embedded in the humanitarian response,” she insisted.   Also taking part in the debate at the Human Rights Council was 13-year-old child rights advocate, Vlad.   “Raising a child is not a maths test that you can retake it if you haven't done it right the first time,” said the young Moldovan, noting that parents, family and the community form the pillars of a child’s first year of life.   “But what happens when a child is born with a disability or into a family that doesn't have enough resource to rise them? Do we step aside because this is not our problem or - on the contrary - do we help the child and the family to develop and overcome those difficulties?” he asked.   Vlad, who volunteers at a free centre for children with disabilities and developmental difficulties run by NGO Lumos Foundation, stressed “how important it is to intervene early in child development, because the earlier we react, the more chances we give to the child to develop harmoniously … a child's difficulties, however great they may be, can be overcome or, at least, minimized.”   Ten-year-old Joyce, who was forced to flee Syria’s civil war, told the Council precisely what children needed in her home country, so that other youngsters just like her could stay there in safety: “Education, safety and child friendly spaces – not shootings, missiles, bombs or kidnappings,” she said.   Speaking via videolink, Joyce addressed world leaders directly, asking them to understand that for children to live happily and safely, “you need to stop the wars”. She added: “We need to go to school, to play, to have food and water and most importantly, not to live in fear.”   Admitting that one can’t really argue with Joyce’s statements, Mr. Philip Jaffe, Member of the Committee on the Rights of the Child said, that it wasn’t needed to be verbose, “when what is being said, is essential.”   The Convention on the Rights of the Child calls on all countries “to ensure to the maximum extent possible the survival and development of the child”.   Speaking on behalf of the Committee on the Rights of the Child which assesses the progress that countries make in adhering to the Convention, Philip Jaffe insisted that for children to thrive in their early years, governments should implement comprehensive and rights-based, coordinated strategies and across departments and at central and local levels. In addition, “there must be special consideration and social support given to the early childhood needs of children with disabilities and their families,” Mr. Jaffe said.   http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/03/1161111   Mar. 2025   Statement by UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell on global foreign aid reductions:   “Announced and anticipated funding cuts will limit UNICEF’s ability to reach millions of children in dire need.   “These cuts by numerous donor countries follow two years of aid reductions at a time of unprecedented need. Millions of children are affected by conflict, need to be vaccinated against deadly diseases such as measles and polio, and must be educated and kept healthy.   “As needs continue to outpace resources, UNICEF has consistently brought efficiencies and innovations to our work, and we have stretched every contribution to reach vulnerable children. But there is no way around it, these new cuts are creating a global funding crisis that will put the lives of millions of additional children at risk.   “UNICEF is funded entirely by voluntary contributions from governments, private sector partners, and individuals. This support has helped save millions of children’s lives, helped ensure infectious diseases do not spread across borders, and helped mitigate the risks of instability and violence.   “With our partners, we have made historic progress. Since 2000, global under-5 mortality has dropped by 50 per cent. Millions of children are alive today thanks to this work. Millions more have been protected with improved health and brighter futures.   “UNICEF implores all donors to continue to fund critical aid programs for the world’s children. We cannot fail them now.”   http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/statement-unicef-executive-director-catherine-russell-global-foreign-aid-reductions   Mar. 2025   Decades of progress in reducing child deaths and stillbirths under threat, warns the United Nations   Decades of progress in child survival are now at risk as major donors have announced or indicated significant funding cuts to aid ahead. Reduced global funding for life-saving child survival programmes is causing health-care worker shortages, clinic closures, vaccination programme disruptions, and a lack of essential supplies, such as malaria treatments.   These cuts are severely impacting regions in humanitarian crises, debt-stricken countries, and areas with already high child mortality rates. Global funding cuts could also undermine monitoring and tracking efforts, making it harder to reach the most vulnerable children, the United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME) warned.   “From tackling malaria to preventing stillbirths and ensuring evidence-based care for the tiniest babies, we can make a difference for millions of families,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization. “In the face of global funding cuts, there is a need more than ever to step up collaboration to protect and improve children’s health.”   Even before the current funding crisis, the pace of progress on child survival had already slowed. Since 2015, the annual rate of reduction of under-five mortality has slowed by 42%, and stillbirth reduction has slowed by 53%, compared to 2000–2015.   Almost half of under-five deaths happen within the first month of life, mostly due to premature birth and complications during labour. Beyond the newborn period, infectious diseases, including acute respiratory infections such as pneumonia, malaria, and diarrhoea, are the leading causes of preventable child death. Meanwhile, 45% of late stillbirths occur during labour, often due to maternal infections, prolonged or obstructed labour, and lack of timely medical intervention.   Better access to quality maternal, newborn, and child health care at all levels of the health system will save many more lives, according to the reports. This includes promotive and preventive care in communities, timely visits to health facilities and health professionals at birth, high-quality antenatal and postnatal care, well-child preventive care such as routine vaccinations and comprehensive nutrition programmes, diagnosis and treatment for common childhood illnesses, and specialized care for small and sick newborns.   Most preventable child deaths occur in low-income countries, where essential services, vaccines, and treatments are often inaccessible. The report also show that where a child is born greatly influences their chances of survival.   The risk of death before age five is 80 times higher in the highest-mortality country than the lowest-mortality country, for example, while a child born in sub-Saharan Africa is on average 18 times more likely to die before turning five than one born in Australia and New Zealand. Within countries, the poorest children, those living in rural areas, and those with less-educated mothers face the higher risks.   Stillbirth disparities are just as severe, with nearly 80% occurring in sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia, where women are six to eight times more likely to experience a stillbirth than women in Europe or North America. Meanwhile, women in low-income countries are eight times more likely to experience a stillbirth than those in high-income countries.   “Disparities in child mortality across and within nations remain one of the greatest challenges of our time,” said the UN DESA Under-Secretary-General, Li Junhua. “Reducing such differences is not just a moral imperative but also a fundamental step towards sustainable development and global equity. Every child deserves a fair chance at life, and it is our collective responsibility to ensure that no child is left behind.”   We call on governments, donors, and partners across the private and public sectors to protect the hard-won gains in saving children’s lives and accelerate efforts. Increased investments are urgently needed to scale up access to proven life-saving health, nutrition, and social protection services for children and pregnant mothers.   * The number of children dying globally before their fifth birthday declined to 4.8 million in 2023, while stillbirths declined modestly, still remaining around 1.9 million, according to reports released today by the United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME). Since 2000, child deaths have dropped by more than half and stillbirths by over a third, fuelled by sustained investments in child survival worldwide. However, progress has slowed and too many children are still being lost to preventable causes.   "Millions of children are alive today because of the global commitment to proven interventions, such as vaccines, nutrition, and access to safe water and basic sanitation,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. “But without adequate investments we risk reversing hard-earned gains, with millions more children dying from preventable causes. We cannot allow that to happen.”   http://data.unicef.org/resources/levels-and-trends-in-child-mortality-2024/ http://www.who.int/news/item/25-03-2025-decades-of-progress-in-reducing-child-deaths-and-stillbirths-under-threat--warns-the-united-nations   Mar. 2025   At least 14 million children face disruptions to critical nutrition services in 2025   At least 14 million children are expected to face disruptions to nutrition support and services because of recent and expected global funding cuts, leaving them at heightened risk of severe malnutrition and death – according to analyses issued by UNICEF.   The funding crisis comes at a time of unprecedented need for children who continue to face record levels of displacement, new and protracted conflicts, disease outbreaks, and the deadly consequences of climate change – all of which are undermining their access to adequate nutrition.   “Over the last decades, we have made impressive progress in reducing child malnutrition globally because of a shared commitment and sustained investment,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. “Since 2000, the number of stunted children under the age of five has fallen by 55 million, and the lives of millions of severely malnourished children have been saved. But steep funding cuts will dramatically reverse these gains and put the lives of millions more children at risk."   Additional impacts across 17 high priority countries due to funding cuts include:   More than 2.4 million children suffering from severe acute malnutrition could go without Ready-to-use-Therapeutic-Food (RUTF) for the remainder of 2025.   Up to 2,300 life-saving stabilisation centres – providing critical care for children suffering from severe wasting with medical complications – are at risk of closing or severely scaling back services.   Almost 28,000 UNICEF-supported outpatient therapeutic centres for the treatment of malnutrition are at risk, and in some cases have already stopped operating.   Today, levels of severe wasting in children under five remain gravely high in some fragile contexts and humanitarian emergencies. Adolescent girls and women are especially vulnerable. Even before the funding cuts, the number of pregnant and breastfeeding women and adolescent girls suffering from acute malnutrition soared from 5.5 million to 6.9 million – or 25 per cent – since 2020.   UNICEF expects these figures to rise without urgent action from donors as well as adequate investments from national governments.   “UNICEF is calling on governments and donors to prioritise investments in health and nutrition programmes for children and is urging national governments to allocate more funding to domestic nutrition and health services. Good nutrition is the foundation of child survival and development, with impressive returns on investment. Dividends will be measured in stronger families, societies and countries, and a more stable world,” said Russell.   http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/least-14-million-children-face-disruptions-critical-nutrition-services-2025-unicef http://www.wfp.org/news/wfp-calls-urgent-investment-prevent-child-wasting-leaders-convene-nutrition-growth-summit http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/03/1161541   * IPC Child Acute Malnutrition Classification latest: http://tinyurl.com/4n25jjbz   Mar. 2025   U.S. to End Vaccine Funding for Poor Children. (NYT, agencies)   The Trump administration intends to terminate the United States’ financial support for Gavi, the organization that has helped purchase critical vaccines for children in developing countries, saving millions of lives over the past quarter century, and to significantly scale back support for efforts to combat malaria, one of the biggest killers globally.   Gavi is estimated to have saved the lives of 19 million children since it was set up 25 years ago with the US contributing 13% of its budget, the New York Times said.   The terminated U.S. grant to Gavi was worth $2.6 billion through 2030. Gavi was counting on a pledge made last year by President Joseph R. Biden Jr. for its next funding cycle.   New vaccines with the promise to save millions of lives in low-income countries, such as one to protect children from severe malaria and another to protect teenage girls against the virus that causes cervical cancer, have recently become available, and Gavi was expanding the portfolio of support it could give those countries.   The loss of U.S. funds will set back the organization’s ability to continue to provide its basic range of services — such as immunization for measles and polio — to children in the poorest countries, let alone expand to include new vaccines.   By Gavi’s own estimate, the loss of U.S. support may mean 75 million children do not receive routine vaccinations in the next five years, with more than 1.2 million children dying as a result.   Mark Suzman’s CEO of the Gates Foundation said: "I am deeply disturbed by news reports that the U.S. Administration is considering withdrawing its support for Gavi. If true, and if Congress allows this to happen, the impacts will be devastating, including possibility of hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of preventable deaths, especially among mothers and children.   http://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/26/health/usaid-cuts-gavi-bird-flu.html http://www.gavi.org/our-alliance/about http://www.gavi.org/news/media-room/statement-global-high-level-summit-support-gavi-replenishment http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/latest/msf-statement-us-decision-withdraw-who http://www.gatesfoundation.org/ideas/media-center/press-releases/2025/01/us-withdrawal-world-health-organization http://www.who.int/news/item/16-01-2025-who-launches-us-1.5-billion-health-emergency-appeal-to-tackle-unprecedented-global-health-crises   * The Forbes 2024 Billionaires list reports 2,781 people holding combined assets of $14.2 trillion. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute reports global military spending of $2440 billion in 2023.   http://www.caritas.org/2025/02/closure-of-usaid-foreign-aid-will-kill-millions/ http://actalliance.org/act-news/act-general-secretary-statement-of-concern-over-us-administration-policies-impacts-on-humanitarian-aid/ http://www.interaction.org/statement/60-ngos-respond-to-terminations-of-life-saving-programs/ http://www.interaction.org/statements http://reliefweb.int/report/world/children-facing-extreme-hunger-crisis-put-risk-aid-cuts-clinics-close http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/03/1161366 http://www.unhcr.org/news/press-releases/statement-unhcr-s-filippo-grandi-impact-global-aid-cuts-refugees http://www.unaids.org/en/impact-US-funding-cuts http://www.acaps.org/en/thematics/all-topics/us-funding-freeze http://www.icvanetwork.org/uploads/2025/03/Lives-on-the-Line-Final-Report.pdf http://www.icvanetwork.org/uploads/2025/02/Impact-of-US-Funding-Suspension-Survey-Results-ICVA.pdf http://www.icvanetwork.org/90-day-suspension-order-resources/ http://humanitarianaction.info/document/us-funding-freeze-global-survey http://www.taxobservatory.eu/publication/a-blueprint-for-a-coordinated-minimum-effective-taxation-standard-for-ultra-high-net-worth-individuals/   Mar. 2025   United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk remarks to UN Human Rights Council meeting on the Rights of the Child Theme: Early Childhood Development:   "In recent years, we have all seen appalling images of people suffering the horrific effects of conflict, but when it comes to children, they clearly played no part in stoking the violence. They could never be fighters, or armed rebels, or militia members. Because they are small children. Sometimes, babies.   From Sudan to Gaza, from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Ukraine, children are bearing the brunt of the global failure to uphold human rights. As international human rights and humanitarian law are broken with impunity, children are the most vulnerable victims.   Even in countries that are at peace, children are routinely denied their rights to food, water and shelter; to education, healthcare and a clean environment.   Children make up a third of humanity. Our experiences during childhood can affect us for our entire lives. And children’s small bodies make them more vulnerable to physical and environmental harms than adults.   Upholding the rights of children is at the heart of our commitment to advancing and safeguarding human rights for all. The Convention on the Rights of the Child is the most widely ratified human rights treaty in the world. This shows the strong commitment of States to protect and promote the rights of every child, without discrimination. Today, we must find our way back to that pledge.   Some 80 percent of our brain develops in the three years after our birth. Early childhood development is an essential foundation for a happy, healthy, fulfilling life. This, in turn, is the basis for strong communities and resilient economies.   Yet the gap between the Convention and reality is increasing. Many children face a precarious future. As action on hunger, poverty and the 2030 Agenda falters, inequality and climate chaos increase.   In the next thirty years, eight times as many children could be exposed to extreme heatwaves, and twice as many to extreme wildfires.   The digital divide means just 25 percent of children in low-income countries are online, compared with more than 95 percent in high-income countries. And children in all countries lack the protections needed to stay safe online.   Decades of progress on children’s rights and development are stagnating and even being rolled back, directly threatening children’s early development and even survival.   Almost one in three children worldwide do not have access to safe drinking water. Two in five children lack access to basic sanitation. One in three children under 5 are not growing and developing as they should, because of malnutrition. Over 385 million children are living in extreme poverty, surviving on less than $1.90 per day.   And for children marginalized by their ethnicity, or their socioeconomic, migration or disability status, the situation is far worse. We are letting children down, instead of lifting them up.   We know what children need to survive and thrive: health care and nutrition, clean air and water, protection from harm, and a sense of nurturing and security.   Initiatives that target the most marginalized children help to break cycles of poverty, for the benefit of entire communities. Investments in early childhood are one of the smartest ways to achieve sustainable economic development. Studies indicate that the economic return can be up to thirteen times the amount invested.   Governments have the primary responsibility to fulfil children’s rights. But the private sector, civil society, educational institutions and many other stakeholders have an interest – and a responsibility, when it comes to the wellbeing of children. We must all work together to provide children with the best possible chances in life.   A child’s early years are a vital window of opportunity, and their life chances should not depend on luck. In these troubling times, we must stand up together for the full implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. We must revitalize investment in children – all children, everywhere".   http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/03/1161111   * UN Human Rights Council 2025 Annual discussion on rights of the child; Early Childhood Development: UN WebTV: Day 1 video broadcast starts at 1hr 05 minutes in:   http://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1y/k1ygkhegr5 http://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k16/k16ycl95hy Visit the related web page
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