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Income inequality has increased in nearly all regions of the world in recent
decades, but at different scales and speeds. The global top 1% earners have
captured twice as much of the income growth as the 50% poorest individuals in
the last few decades. Inequality is not only to be seen from an income
perspective. Inequalities affect many other dimensions that are key to fostering
development. Inequalities to accessing natural resources such as land and water
limit the potential of farmers and their harvest. Inequalities to benefitting from
services such as health and education refrain many from acquiring the skills required
to perform highly paid and sought-after jobs and professional careers. Inequalities in
terms of digital literacy creates further inequalities given the increasingly important
role that computers and other technologies play in our daily lives and in the
workspace.

Furthermore, these inequalities are further strengthened by many other factors
such as geography, topography, cultural traditions and social norms, societal fabrics
and political systems. A recent article in the Bangkok Post presented a well-
informed illustration of these different types of inequalities in Thailand. On the issue
of income inequality, it stated that in 2015, the average income of the poorest 10%
people was more than 22 times lower than the richest 10%. Inequality in terms of
assets is also a strong reality in Thailand. The same article underlined how in 2012,
the top 10% of the country’s landowners owned 61.5% of all available land. Their

combined land holding were 853.6 times higher than the bottom 10%. In terms of
access to education, inequality is also a reality, especially at tertiary level. University
enrollment rates for the top 10% were on average 17.4 times higher than for the
bottom 10% in society.
Fundamentally, inequality represents a huge obstacle to our sustainable future.
It impedes human development and hampers people from reaching their full
potential, hindering the fulfilment of their human rights. And this is where the
relationship between inequality and democracy appears. A democratic state that is
unable to address the issue of inequality and sees a growing share of its population
Keynote Speaker social contestation and dissatisfaction. Unequal participation in politics, state and
fall behind, deprived of opportunities, could be more likely to see expressions of

society, as well as unequal access to public services affect the quality and
sustainability of democracy.

The concentration of income and wealth in a few rich hands and the reverting
of economic power into political power can weaken the legitimacy of institutions,
reduce trust and social consensus and deteriorate the democratic values and
principles. High levels of inequality can increase political and social tensions, and