The 63rd Session on the Commission of Social Development 2025 (10-14th of February), shared primary focus on “solidarity, social inclusion and social cohesion”. The aim was to accelerate the delivery of the Commitments of the Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development and Programme of Action of the World Summit For Social Development, along with the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. During the session, it was highlighted that 30 years after the World Summit for Social Development, the progress made has been slow and inconsistent between and within countries and regions. With only five years left to achieve the agenda for Sustainable Development, reaffirming and recognition for urgency is apparent.
The assembly highlighted that many communities are being left behind in the progress to achieve the commitments for social development. This includes but is not limited to women, girls, the elderly and aging population, LGBTQ+ individuals, and people with disabilities. Furthermore, structural barriers were also noted including: high out-of-pocket healthcare expenditure, labour rights, accessing education, inadequate housing and overall poor wellbeing. In order to uphold the commitments and leaving no-one behind, it was reaffirmed that populations furthest behind will be addressed first by fostering social development and justice through policies and the recognition of human rights.
To foster social development, international cooperation needs to be strengthened in order to: provide financial assistance, hold each other accountable to uphold human rights, and foster intercultural understanding, tolerance and mutual respect. Furthermore, economic growth should be inclusive and distributed based on equity to close inequality gaps. Similarly ensuring employment and decent jobs are recognised appropriately and contribute to breaking the cycle of poverty. This includes recognizing informal work environments too including care work and combating human trafficking and exploitation in all forms.
Finally, the report highlights the importance of civil society contributing to the United Nations System, and calls for the United Nations to support the commitments of this report.
Author: Jenalle Anthonypillai, Youth Representative
