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This month’s G20 Summit in Johannesburg marked several historic firsts. For starters, it was the group’s first-ever summit in Africa, and the first to include the African Union as a full-fledged member. It also set less encouraging precedents: it was the first meeting boycotted by a key founding member – the United States – on spurious grounds, and the first in which that same country tried to prevent the host from issuing a final declaration. Equally unprecedented was South Africa’s decision to ignore the American threat and issue one anyway.As G20 president, South Africa invited delegations from Africa and other parts of the world to participate as guests, underscoring the continued importance of multilateral dialogue and cooperation. Building on the momentum generated by last year’s summit in Brazil, the group also expanded its agenda to include issues of particular relevance to Africa and the broader developing world.South Africa’s inclusive approach paved the way for another landmark moment: for the first time, G20 leaders formally addressed the issue of global inequality. The impetus was the recent report by the Extraordinary Committee of Independent Experts on Global Inequality. Chaired by Nobel laureate economist Joseph Stiglitz, the committee (of which I was a member) synthesized a large body of research and drew on consultations with 80 prominent scholars to present a comprehensive picture of economic disparities worldwide.The conclusions are hardly reassuring: although global inequality has declined since the early 2000s, this is largely due to rising incomes in China. For the world as a whole, inequality remains stubbornly high and has begun to rise again. While inequality between countries has fallen, the gulf between the richest and poorest countries remains unacceptably wide. Nine out of ten people now live in countries with high inequality – even by the World Bank’s relatively conservative standards.The distribution of income within countries is equally distorted. Wage shares of national income have declined in most economies over the past few decades, while capital income has become increasingly concentrated. Large firms now account for the bulk of corporate profits, with multinational corporations taking the lion’s share.These developments reflect a broader trend: the concentration of income and wealth at the very top. Of the two, wealth is far more unequally distributed, as its explosive growth in recent decades has been overwhelmingly skewed toward those who were already rich. More than 40% of the wealth generated since the start of the century has gone to the wealthiest 1%, while the bottom half of the world’s population received just 1%.Even within the top 1%, the gains have been largely captured by the ultra-wealthy – arguably the most extreme concentration of wealth in human history. The result is a class of global plutocrats whose unprecedented resources enable them to shape laws, institutions, and policies; influence public opinion through their control of media; and tilt judicial systems in their favor.The threat that this oligarchic class poses to democratic governance is compounded by the growing insecurity and frustration among workers whose livelihoods have become increasingly precarious, owing to job insecurity, stagnant wages, and weakened social protections. These pressures have already fueled political polarisation, the scapegoating of migrants and minority groups, and the deepening of gender-based inequalities.Contrary to neoliberal economists’ claims, high inequality does not spur economic growth; it suppresses it. As mass consumption declines, so do the benefits of economies of scale. When inherited wealth is privileged over earned income, incentives to innovate shrink. And since the consumption and investment patterns of the ultra-wealthy are vastly more carbon-intensive and resource-depleting, extreme inequality also undermines environmental sustainability and climate action.As we argue in our report, inequality has become an emergency that must be treated with the same urgency as climate change. Like the climate crisis, the inequality crisis can be partly attributed to the legacy of colonialism, as well as long-standing sociocultural structures. But above all, it reflects the legal, institutional, regulatory, and policy choices that have allowed a few to enrich themselves at the expense of everyone else.There is no shortage of examples. Financial liberalisation and repeated government bailouts have protected wealth at the top. Stringent intellectual-property regimes have created monopolies over knowledge. The privatisation of essential public goods and services has further entrenched disparities. And outdated tax systems have enabled large multinational firms and wealthy individuals to avoid paying their fair share.Taken together, these policies have dramatically shifted the balance between public and private wealth. As governments privatised assets and accumulated debt – often to subsidise or guarantee private capital – public balance sheets deteriorated while private fortunes soared.The good news is that since these trends are the product of political choices, they can be reversed. But doing so requires a clearer understanding of the problem. Despite the explosion of research and the emergence of promising analytical methods, major blind spots remain, making it harder to design effective policies that curb inequality.That is the central message of our report. While it includes many policy recommendations, its most urgent and practical proposal is the creation of an international panel of experts on inequality. This small, independent body would monitor inequality across multiple areas, consolidate and evaluate data, develop robust metrics, coordinate research, identify underlying causes, and assess the effectiveness of government policies.Loosely modeled on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the proposed panel would rely on voluntary contributions from researchers around the world and serve as an authoritative, accessible source of information for governments and the public. Such knowledge would support policymakers genuinely seeking to reduce inequality. Perhaps more importantly, it would empower citizens to demand the policy changes and reforms needed to build just and equitable societies. — Project Syndicate Jayati Ghosh, Professor of Economics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, is a member of the Club of Rome’s Transformational Economics Commission and Co-Chair of the Independent Commission for the Reform of International Corporate Taxation. 

France will introduce a voluntary military service of 10 months beginning next year, President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday, in the face of what it views as a growing threat posed by Russia.Almost three decades after France scrapped conscription, the head of state said young adults who wished to could sign up for a 10-month military service."A new national service will be introduced, gradually starting next summer," he said during a speech to troops in Varces-Allieres-et-Risset in southeastern France.But he said volunteers, mostly aged 18 to 19, would be deployed "only on national soil".The announcement comes more than three and a half years into Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with Macron and other French officials warning that Moscow risks not stopping at Ukraine's borders."In the event of a major crisis, parliament may authorise calling upon individuals beyond just volunteers," Macron added, and military "service would become mandatory"."But aside from this exceptional case, this national service is a service of volunteers then selected to meet the needs of our armed forces."France's top general, armed forces chief of staff Fabien Mandon, sparked uproar at home last week by warning that France must be ready "to lose its children", adding that Russia is "preparing for a confrontation by 2030 with our countries".He said it was inspired by fellow European countries."At a time when all our European allies are making progress in the face of a threat that affects us all, France cannot remain idle," he said.The new scheme would include 3,000 volunteers from the summer next year, then increase gradually so as to incorporate 10,000 young people into the army by 2030 and 50,000 by 2035, Macron said.The large majority would be men and women aged 18 and 19, while the rest would be aged up to 25 and would have specific qualifications.While around a dozen states have some form of conscription, the use of military service is uneven across Europe.But France joins European countries such as Baltic states Latvia and Lithuania which have brought it back in recent years, while others such as Denmark have toughened its terms.There is so far no suggestion that the military service in France would be compulsory, as it was before then-president Jacques Chirac abolished conscription in 1997 as part of the reform of the army.Military service is seen as a way of bolstering armies with recruits, but also of providing a large pool of potential reservists, who could be called up in the case of a future war.The French armed forces have approximately 200,000 active military personnel and 47,000 reservists, numbers expected to increase to 210,000 and 80,000 respectively by 2030.Accused of warmongering by the left, General Mandon has expressed no regret over his comments last week, saying the aim was to "alert and prepare" in a "rapidly deteriorating" context.Mandon argued on Saturday that the reactions to his comments "show that this is something that was perhaps not sufficiently perceived in our population".Macron and other officials have been at pains to douse the outcry caused by the general's forthright comments and fears that French youth were heading for the front lines.The president on Tuesday said he needed to dispel any notion that "we are going to send our young people to Ukraine". 

The State of Qatar has strongly condemned the Israeli occupation forces' interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla carrying humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, considering it a flagrant violation of international law and a threat to freedom of navigation and maritime security. In a statement on Thursday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stressed the need to ensure the safety of all flotilla members and their immediate release. It also called for an urgent investigation into the incident and for those responsible to be brought to justice. The ministry reiterated the State of Qatar's call on the international community to assume its moral and legal responsibilities and firmly confront the Israeli occupation authorities' ongoing violations of international humanitarian law, and to ensure the safe, sustainable, and unhindered entry of humanitarian aid into all areas of the Gaza Strip.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul called for a firm and prudent response to Russia's repeated violations of NATO airspace over Poland and Estonia. In a statement before leaving Berlin for Poland, Wadephul affirmed Germany's support for Poland, saying that they stand united, maintain calm, and will not allow themselves to be drawn into escalation, leaving no room for doubt about their determination and readiness to jointly confront any threat. He stressed that Moscow's repeated breaches were not accidental mistakes, but rather deliberate attacks, describing them as part of Russian President Vladimir Putin's hybrid aggression. Such provocations are extremely dangerous, and their sole purpose is to test determination, Wadephul added. Warsaw announced that numerous Russian drones had violated Polish airspace, meaning NATO airspace, during a Russian air attack on Ukraine about two weeks ago, adding that the Polish air force and other NATO allies shot down some of these drones for the first time.

The treacherous Israeli attack that targeted a residential compound housing a number of Hamas leaders in Doha constitutes a blatant violation of international law and the United Nations Charter. It also represents a direct threat to regional security and stability by striking a sovereign state that has, for nearly two years, played a pivotal role in internationally supported mediation efforts aimed at ending Israel's ongoing aggression against the Palestinian people in Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023.The targeting of a residential facility housing members and staff of Hamas negotiating delegation marks a grave escalation in Israel's conduct, reflecting a disturbing trend toward expanding the scope of its attacks. It also stands as a flagrant challenge to the will of the international community and a stark breach of the principles that govern relations between states.This attack sparked widespread condemnation, with capitals around the world, along with international organizations, voicing their solidarity with Qatar and reaffirming their unwavering support for its sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of this aggression. They denounced Israel's violations of international law and its disregard for all diplomatic norms.In this context, His Excellency Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani affirmed Qatar's full right to take all necessary measures to protect its security and safeguard its sovereignty in response to the recent Israeli aggression.Arab and Islamic support is also evident through the emergency summit to be hosted by Doha on Monday.Convened in light of recent developments in the region, including the treacherous Israeli attack, the summit is set to discuss a draft statement on the Israeli assault, prepared by the preparatory meeting of Arab and Islamic foreign ministers scheduled for Sunday.This step reflects a collective determination to unify positions in the face of this flagrant threat and to coordinate joint efforts to confront Israel's repeated violations.The summit also aims to bolster Doha's ongoing mediation efforts, protect Palestinian people from the brutality of occupation, and deliver a firm message to the international community on the urgent need to confront the uncontrolled aggression of Israel's far-right government, which continues to export its internal crises by expanding its assaults across the region without restraint or accountability.Since the founding of the Arab League in 1945, a total of 50 Arab summits have been held - 34 ordinary and 16 emergency sessions. The Qatari capital, Doha, previously hosted three Arab summits.

HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani received a phone call on Wednesday from Sultan Haitham bin Tariq of the Sultanate of Oman. During the call, the Sultan expressed Oman's solidarity with the State of Qatar and its strong condemnation of the blatant Israeli attack that targeted the residences of several Hamas leaders, describing it as a criminal act and a flagrant violation of all international laws and norms, as well as a threat to the security of the State of Qatar and the region. The Sultan also reaffirmed Oman's firm rejection of any aggression that threatens the security and safety of the State of Qatar and undermines the security and stability of the region, emphasizing that the Sultanate of Oman stands with the State of Qatar in all measures it takes to protect its security and preserve its sovereignty. For his part, HH the Amir affirmed that the State of Qatar will take all necessary measures to protect its security and preserve its sovereignty in response to the blatant Israeli attack. His Highness also expressed his thanks to HM the Sultan for his sincere fraternal sentiments and Oman's valued solidarity with the State of Qatar and its people.