Remarks by President Cyril Ramaphosa at the Plenary on Extremism and Inequality at the In Defence of Democracy Initiative during the Working Visit to the Kingdom of Spain,[...]

Your Excellency President Pedro Sánchez,
Your Excellency President Lula,
Your Excellencies Heads of State and Government,
Distinguished guests,
Friends,

It is a great honour to be part of this gathering.

We are gathered not merely to defend democracy but to build democracy but more importantly to advance democracy .

We have come together because we believe fervently in the right of every person, without exception, to determine their own destiny.

At the heart of democracy lies the principle that all people must have equal opportunities and equal means to contribute to decisions about their lives, their communities and their environment.

That is why South Africa, during its G20 Presidency, commissioned the first-ever global inequality report from a committee of independent experts led by Nobel Laureate Joseph Stiglitz.

The committee made the important observation that inequality is neither inevitable nor interminable. By the policies we adopt and the actions we take, we can end inequality.

The key recommendation from the report was for the establishment of an International Panel on Inequality.

It is intended that the panel, which was inspired by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, will monitor trends and assess drivers and consequences of inequality.

It will evaluate alternative policies for addressing inequality to inform governments, policy makers and the international community.

Having received the endorsement of the African Union, South Africa will present a draft resolution on the establishment of the International Panel on Inequality for adoption by the United Nations General Assembly during its 80th resumed session in 2026.

This will ensure that inequality is placed as a critical issue on the global agenda that requires the ongoing attention of world leaders and the broader United Nations system.

We call on all UN Member States, on all leaders across society, to lend their support to this initiative to ensure that we take forward the struggle to end inequality.

If we are to build democracy, to strengthen democracy across the world, if we are to empower people to take charge of their lives, it is essential that we intensify the struggle for equality and social justice.

South Africa is possibly the most unequal society in the world, having inherited this from our history of Apartheid, we are committed to this endeavor and hope you will join us in it.

We have the determination and the means to end inequality. Now we must act.

This is the time for us to lead the world to address inequality.

I thank you.