UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Growing inequality in both developing and developed countries could exacerbate divisions and slow economic and social development, a UN report said Tuesday.

According to World Social Report 2020, more than two thirds of the world's population now live in countries where inequality has grown since 1990; inequality is rising again even in some of the countries that have seen inequality decline in recent decades.

The impacts of inequality are being felt at the personal and national levels, said the report produced by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA).

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in the foreword that the report "comes as we confront the harsh realities of a deeply unequal global landscape ... Income disparities and a lack of opportunities are creating a vicious cycle of inequality, frustration and discontent across generations."

The report provides evidence showing that technological innovation, climate change, urbanization and international migration are affecting inequality trends.

Elliot Harris, DESA chief economist, said Tuesday that "these megatrends can be harnessed for a more equitable and sustainable world, or they can be left alone to divide us further."

In a recent press briefing, DESA Under-Secretary-General Liu Zhenmin said these results of technological updates, urbanization, climate change and migration were not predicted, but governments and the international community can seize the opportunity provided by these megatrends to cope with the problem of inequality.

The report underscored the impacts of climate change in exacerbating inequalities, saying those impacts are not being felt uniformly around the world, with the countries in the tropics being among the most adversely affected.

According to the report, climate change has made the world's poorest countries poorer, and if left unaddressed, it could cause millions of people to fall into poverty during the next decade.

Climate change is also making things worse for the next generation, with impacts likely to reduce job opportunities, especially in the hardest hit countries, the report said.

While there is no single set of policies applicable to all countries or in all contexts, Harris said the report highlights the basic building blocks of any comprehensive policy strategy to reduce inequality in all of its dimensions.

Citing the report, he underscored the need to promote equal access to opportunity for all, ensure inequality-reducing macroeconomic policies, and strength social protection systems to achieve better equality across the world. Enditem

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