Can the SDGs stem rising income inequality in the world?

Rolph van der Hoeven reviews (drivers of) processes of growing income inequality and what kind of challenges these pose for the post 2015 development agenda and the SDGs. He judges the compromise text of goal 10 on inequality too weak to be meaningful for proper implementation. Moreover van der Hoeven argues that active involvement of civil society is necessary. Elements of a new global Social Contract should include the right to development and the basic elements thereof in the form of non-discrimination, participation and accountability and introduce a global social floor, which is financially possible, but where currently political will is lacking. A revitalized form of global governance, where the coherence, at national and international level between social, economic and environmental sustainable policies, is strengthened, thus allowing developing countries to strive for necessary structural transformation. This could take the form of a Global Economic Coordination Council.