GENEVA/JOHANNESBURG, 22 November 2025 — UNAIDS Executive Director and United Nations Under-Secretary-General Winnie Byanyima has welcomed the G20 Leaders’ Declaration agreed today. 

The Declaration recognizes that inequality poses a threat to development and stability. It sets out important steps that can help address some of the world’s dangerous inequalities, including on the debt crisis, and commits countries to working together to do so. 

Ms Byanyima, together with Professor Jayati Ghosh, presented to G20 leaders today the findings of the report of the Extraordinary Committee of Independent Experts on Global Inequality commissioned by President Ramaphosa. 

Ms Byanyima praised South Africa putting for “putting the issue of inequality at the very heart of the international agenda”. 

“This is historic,” said Ms Byanyima. “I am once again a proud African today.” 

In her address to G20 leaders, Ms Byanyima emphasized that tackling inequality required international cooperation to reform intellectual property rules and to expand fiscal space through tax reforms and debt relief. 

She called for the establishment of an International Panel on Inequality to provide a shared, data driven resource to help policy-makers measure, analyse and address the global inequality crisis. 

Ms Byanyima serves both as a member of the G20 Extraordinary Committee, and as the Convenor of the Global Council on Inequality, AIDS and Pandemics. 

Research released ahead of the G20 by each of the two expert groups demonstrates that persistent high inequality is a global emergency – stoking political instability, holding back the economy, and undermining public health.

Earlier this month Ms Byanyima also addressed G20 Health Ministers on how inequality drives pandemics, including AIDS, in a vicious cycle, and how proven inequality-busting policies can break that cycle and protect public health. 

South Africa’s G20 Presidency has been rooted in advancing “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability”. Ms Byanyima paid tribute to President Ramaphosa for “lighting the way to a world that is both fairer and safer.”

/ENDS

Notes to Editors

The report of the Extraordinary Committee of Independent Experts on Global Inequality is at 

https://g20.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/2-G20-Global-Inequality-Report-Full-and-Summary.pdf

The report of the Global Council on Inequality, AIDS, and Pandemics is at

https://www.inequalitycouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Report-2025_Global-Council-report_En-1.pdf

The G20 Leaders’ Declaration will be at https://g20.org