Secretary General's Report: Freedom From Want

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“Freedom From Want”
In Chapter III of the Secretary General’s Report, We The People’s: The Role of the United Nations in the 21st Century, many issues regarding freedom are addressed. The Secretary argues that human should not just be guaranteed freedom, but more specifically freedom from want. The major issues discussed in the chapter are achieving sustained growth, generating opportunities for the young, and promoting health while combating HIV/AIDS. The chapter also encourages the upgrading of slums, and building digital bridges.
There are four critical ingredients to achieving sustained and broad-based income growth. The first, expanding access to the opportunities of globalization, notes some sources of inequality - globalization and gender discrimination in wages. The second component of achieving growth is a fair transparent public expenditure and taxation system. With this in place, revenues may be used to help the poor and make sound investments, while excessive regulation impedes economic growth. The third sector recommends a health and education initiative, while the fourth requires appropriate levels and types of support from the global community.
In efforts to free all nations from want, the Secretary General states that “given the chance to go to school and find work [young people] will contribute hugely to economic development and social progress.” (UN Report #95). Therefore, the next area of discussion is generating opportunities for the young through education and employment. Education is “central to development, social progress and human freedom,” (UN Report #97) yet 130 million children in developing countries do not attend school. Sixty percent of these uneducated children are girls. The chapter argues that this neglect of female children is bad for economics as well social policy because studies have shown that “investments in girls’ education… translates into better nutrition f...