ABSTRACT
Extreme inequalities in income, wealth and social outcomes are one of the greatest human rights challenges that we face today as they threaten individual and community health, national political and economic stability and global peace. This article considers the extent to which the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adopted on September 25, 2016, and international human rights norms are adequate to address the challenges of these extreme inequalities. It focuses specifically on SDG 10, which aims to reduce inequalities within and among countries, and finds the targets inadequate to address many of the most pressing inequalities. It then examines international human rights law to discern whether human rights standards might inform the SDGs to alleviate some of the shortcomings of SDG 10. The article concludes that interpretations of international human rights to date also fall short in terms of addressing income, wealth and social inequalities. It therefore calls for research on the legal interpretation of the multiple equality provisions in the International Bill of Human Rights in a manner that would address the greatest human rights challenges of our time.
