CONTEXT Inequality, Social Exclusion, and Violence in the Americas In recent decades, the Americas region, and America and the Caribbean, in particular, has experienced so much economic growth and human development that millions of people have been lifted out of poverty and extreme poverty. However, challenges persist that pose a threat to the progress achieved. As a whole, the region has not yet done enough to tackle social exclusion and inequalities inherited from previous eras. Rather than overcoming them, recent developments have, instead, underscored them by making them more obvious to society. The scourge of violence and the insecurity associated with it are not new to the region, either, but they have been exacerbated in recent trial, reaching critical levels threatening the progress made with economic growth, social cohesion, and the recognition and effective exercise of human rights. In addition, the rampant insecurity in several countries in the region, the inability to respond effectively to violence, and responses that themselves break the law undermine the credibility of those countries' democratic institutions and are detrimental to the rule of law. This region heads two world rankings comparing statistics for countries and regions. One of them measures levels of inequality in general and economic inequality in particular within countries; the other ranks per capita homicide rates. Numerous studies have examined and established the links between contexts characterized by inequality, social exclusion, and discrimination and contexts characterized by violence, insecurity and crime. Nevertheless, even though a close correlation has been shown between both contexts, it is not automatic or immediate: the confluence of a variety of other—political, social, and institutional—conditioning factors needs to be considered. The macro-economic figures for the region show positive outcomes. However, more detailed analysis of the distribution of wealth, access to basic quality services on equal terms, and the enjoyment of rights shows profound differences and inequalities among groups and segments of the population. Inequality, low social mobility, uncertainty of employment, and the intergenerational transmission of poverty are major obstacles that the region still needs to overcome. The Commission considers that the existence of inequalities, social exclusion, and the lack of equal opportunities in the exercise and enjoyment of rights in respect of certain sectors, including the existence of situations in which they are
CONTEXT Inequality, Social Exclusion, and Violence in the Americas In recent decades, the Americas region, and America and the Caribbean, in particular, has experienced so much economic growth and human development that millions of people have been lifted out of poverty and extreme poverty. However, challenges persist that pose a threat to the progress achieved. As a whole, the region has not yet done enough to tackle social exclusion and inequalities inherited from previous eras. Rather than overcoming them, recent developments have, instead, underscored them by making them more obvious to society. The scourge of violence and the insecurity associated with it are not new to the region, either, but they have been exacerbated in recent reaching critical levels threatening the progress made with economic growth, social cohesion, and the recognition and effective exercise of human rights. In addition, the rampant insecurity in several countries in the region, the inability to respond effectively to violence, and responses that themselves break the law undermine the credibility of those countries' democratic institutions and are detrimental to the rule of law. This region heads two world rankings comparing statistics for countries and regions. One of them measures levels of inequality in general and economic inequality in particular within countries; the other ranks per capita homicide rates. Numerous studies have examined and established the links between contexts characterized by inequality, social exclusion, and discrimination and contexts characterized by violence, insecurity and crime. Nevertheless, even though a close correlation has been shown between both contexts, it is not automatic or immediate: the confluence of a variety of other—political, social, and institutional—conditioning factors needs to be considered. The macro-economic figures for the region show positive outcomes. However, more detailed analysis of the distribution of wealth, access to basic quality services on equal terms, and the enjoyment of rights shows profound differences and inequalities among groups and segments of the population. Inequality, low social mobility, uncertainty of employment, and the intergenerational transmission of poverty are major obstacles that the region still needs to overcome. The Commission considers that the existence of inequalities, social exclusion, and the lack of equal opportunities in the exercise and enjoyment of rights in respect of certain sectors, including the existence of situations in which they are trial,
ViolenceChildren2016.docx