“WeWorld Index” presented at the Italian Foreign Ministry. Focus on the marginalised

The overall progress of a country cannot be assessed only by measuring its economy, but also by studying its social dimension and the living conditions of those who are marginalised. The “Integrated Vision of Development, ” of the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was adopted by the WeWorld Index 2016 and presented at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday. The index focuses on the strong link between children’s rights and gender equality. “Being inclusive, the struggle against poverty and inequality are the pillars of development strategies,” said the Director General of Italy’s Development Cooperation, Giampaolo Cantini. He said: “There is a strong correlation between the condition of children and gender equality. The overall condition of women seems to be vital in setting proper conditions also for the children.” He went on: “Italy has already gone to great lengths in its Development Cooperation. It is currently revising its strategies in light of the 2030 Agenda to adopt a wider approach to gender issues, [and] go beyond the protection of rights and focus on empowerment … Measurements and statistical indicators will become increasingly important, given that statistics are an essential component of cooperation.” The centrality of statistics was underlined by the UN’s approval of 240 statistical indicators. Previously only 17 were used to monitor Sustainable Development Goals. The availability of this data was welcomed by Enrico Giovannini, Italy’s former Minister of Labour and spokesman of the Italian Alliance for Sustainable Development (ASVIS). He said it was vital. He noted, however ”that the data has to be made readily available in order to implement a working strategy that may help Italy meet the commitments taken by its government”.