This report, which features contributions from more than 100 experts, was overseen by a scientific advisory committee of leading academics from all regions that included economics Nobel Prize laureate Joseph Stiglitz. It report has been prepared by the International Social Science Council (ISSC) in cooperation with the Institute of Development Studies (UK), and is co-published by UNESCO. Its Arabic version was published thanks to the generous contribution made by the Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud Charitable Foundation – Saudi Arabia.

The report warns that unchecked inequalities could jeopardize the sustainability of economies, societies and communities, undermining efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. It highlights significant gaps in social science data about inequalities in different parts of the world and, to support progress towards more inclusive societies, calls for more robust research into the links between economic inequalities and disparities in areas such as gender, education and health.

“The issue of rising inequality and what to do about it looms large in the minds of governments, businesses, civil society leaders and citizens around the world. Reducing inequality is, first and foremost, a question of fairness and social justice. It is also key to eradicating extreme poverty, fostering transformations to sustainability, promoting civil progress, reducing conflict and violence, and developing inclusive governance,” the report says.

The report also calls for more cooperation across disciplines, geographical borders and fields of research to help governments develop more effective policies for more inclusive societies. International networks, open data sources, open access to publishing and software are vital to achieve this.

The publication of the World Social Science Report in Arabic offers an important opportunity for regional reflection on the challenges of inequalities. In the opening session, Dr Hamed Al Hammami, director of UNESCO Beirut, said: "In all its areas of action, UNESCO develops global reports as platforms for reflection in order to monitor reality, promote forward-thinking, and develop global action programmes. This also applies to the area of social sciences where UNESCO reports are a source of scientific knowledge and provide the basis for evidence-based analysis. Those reports are communicated to policy makers, practitioners and stakeholders, all over the world."

Al Hammami added: "We hope that the report will be an opportunity for reflection and a catalyst for launching transformational and knowledge-based approaches to ensure equity and social justice and to achieve sustainable development in the Arab region."

John Crowley, Chief of Section for Research, Policy and Foresight in the UNESCO Sector for Social and Human Sciences, stated: “This report is a wake-up call. Closing the gap in social science research into inequalities, and then acting on the research to design and implement practical policies, is vital to achieving the cross-cutting ambition of Agenda 2030 for transformations that ‘leave no one behind’”.

The two-day event was opened by key a note lecture delivered by Dr. Azfar Khan, a renowned economist and retiree of International Labour Organization (ILO), and it included a set of 6 panel discussions that aimed at analyzing the complex dynamics of research and policy-making, and the politics of inequalities globally, regionally and nationally. The panels were as follows: 1) WSSR presentation, 2) Critical review of WSSR, 3) Inequality different approaches and education, 4) Research on Inequalities in the Arab region, 5) Gender Inequalities: Research and Policy in the Arab Region and 6) Policy Making Gaps from Inequality Perspective. Prof. Gilbert Achcar, Professor of Development Studies and International Relations at SOAS, University of London, offered a concluding lecture on “Inequality from a regional perspective”. A group of 60 researchers, policy makers, experts and activists from 10 Arab countries including young scholars and students took part in the rich debates.

In the concluding remarks, Dr John Crowley proposed further inter-disciplinary collaboration and continuous dialogue of multistakeholders globally and regionally to fill the knowledge gap, especially in the area of gender equality and social protection, in order to achieve SDG #10 "Reduced inequalities". Dr. Seiko Sugita, Regional Programme Specialist for Social and Human Sciences at UNESCO Beirut, added that "effectively involving young policy stakeholders in national and regional dialogues is very important in the Arab region".

Download the report in ENGLISH and ARABIC

Website