Thirty years after the landmark World Summit for Social Development in Copenhagen, the international community is once again preparing to take stock of global progress and chart a forward-looking agenda. The Second World Summit for Social Development, scheduled to take place in Doha, Qatar, from 4–6 November 2025, represents a pivotal moment in global social policy. However, unlike the extensive and inclusive preparatory process that characterized the lead-up to Copenhagen in the mid-1990s, the current process has been notably shorter and significantly more state-driven. Civil society, which once played a central role in shaping the international social agenda, now finds itself largely on the periphery, as intergovernmental negotiations take precedence and follow the procedural conventions of other recent UN processes.
This shift is not merely procedural; it reflects a drastically changed global landscape. While the 1990s were marked by post–Cold War uncertainties, they also carried a spirit of optimism. There was a sense that multilateralism, bolstered by new development commitments, could deliver balanced progress across economic and social dimensions. Today, the international environment is far more complex and sobering. The world is contending with intensifying geopolitical tensions, deepening social fragmentation, climate and environmental crises, and accelerating technological disruption. Paradoxically, amid these mounting challenges, the demand for effective collective action has never been greater.
As in 1995, a core question remains: how can societies organize themselves to achieve inclusive and equitable social development? How to ensure its sustainability? The aspiration to create policies that enable people to thrive, contribute meaningfully, and be protected in times of need is as relevant as ever. Yet today’s policy landscape is marked by additional layers of complexity. In an era shaped by the globalization of values, lifestyles, and technologies, the need to uphold cultural identity, social cohesion, and community resilience has become increasingly urgent. The challenge is not only to improve material conditions but also to prevent new inequities from emerging, while preserving the positive aspects of diverse social traditions.
The recent release, in May 2025, of the zero draft of the Doha Summit political declaration marks the midpoint of the preparatory process. This document—published by the co-facilitators of the modalities and outcome of the intergovernmental process leading up to the Summit—was officially released on the same day by the President of the 79 session of the General Assembly. The presentation of the draft was followed by an informal discussion, during which delegations offered initial feedback, general comments, and proposals.
Though still subject to change as political negotiations unfold, the zero draft offers a valuable glimpse into the prospective contours of the Summit’s outcome.
Opening with a reaffirmation of the Copenhagen Declaration and Programme of Action, the draft reiterates the urgency of addressing poverty, unemployment, and social exclusion—persistent and central concerns of the global social agenda. It also acknowledges a difficult truth: while some progress has been achieved over the past three decades, the transformative promises of Copenhagen remain largely unfulfilled.
The tone of the draft reflects both a renewed sense of urgency and a clear-eyed recognition of today’s realities. It notes several global achievements since 1995—such as economic growth, expanding trade, longer life expectancy, and broader access to health and education—but emphasizes that these gains are uneven and often fragile. The document candidly outlines the scale of the current challenges:
- More than 2.8 billion people live on less than $6.85 per day, with high rates of poverty relapse.
- Hunger and malnutrition are again on the rise.
- Informal employment remains dominant, accounting for nearly 60% of the global workforce.
- Youth unemployment, child labor, and gender-based income disparities persist at unacceptable levels.
- An estimated 3.8 billion people lack access to any form of social protection.
- The financing gap for social development is growing, especially in heavily indebted developing countries.
This stark picture reflects a broader erosion of trust in global institutions and the fragility of social cohesion in many parts of the world. Yet, the declaration is not without hope. It calls for “genuine solidarity, effective multilateralism, and shared responsibility.” The draft underscores the need for policies that are people-centered, transformative, and systemically integrated—anchored in a renewed social contract that brings together inter-ministerial coordination and multi-stakeholder collaboration.
The document reaffirms the three foundational pillars of the 1995 Summit: the eradication of poverty, the promotion of full and productive employment and decent work, and the pursuit of social integration. But it also broadens the framework to address emerging global realities through innovative policy instruments.
I. Eradication of Poverty
The draft adopts a multidimensional understanding of poverty that goes beyond income thresholds. It proposes several commitments, including:
- Expanding investment in universal social protection as a foundation for inclusion and resilience.
- Facilitating the transition from informal to formal employment.
- Scaling up social protection coverage and adopting multidimensional poverty indicators.
- Developing alternatives to GDP to better capture well-being and social equity.
- Mobilizing sustainable and predictable financing mechanisms, particularly for developing countries.
The shift from alleviating poverty to preventing relapse and building long-term resilience signals a more structural and systemic approach.
II. Full and Productive Employment and Decent Work for All
The draft reasserts the centrality of decent work, with macroeconomic strategies that foster job creation in high-impact sectors such as care services and green industries. Specific proposals include:
- Supporting structural transformation and productivity growth.
- Promoting entrepreneurship, especially among women and youth.
- Investing in lifelong learning and upskilling.
- Strengthening labor institutions and fostering social dialogue.
- Addressing demographic shifts and supporting the inclusion of older workers.
- Advancing the formalization of employment and ensuring fair wages and safe working conditions.
These commitments reflect an evolving understanding of work—not just as a means of income but as a cornerstone of dignity, identity, and societal contribution. The recognition of the care economy’s multiplier effects is a noteworthy step toward valuing previously overlooked sectors.
III. Social Integration
The concept of social integration is significantly deepened in the draft. Social cohesion is treated not as a passive outcome of growth but as an explicit policy objective. Key measures include:
- Promoting intergenerational solidarity and inclusive civic engagement.
- Ensuring meaningful participation by all groups, especially those marginalized or at risk.
- Embedding the voices and needs of Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, rural populations, and other underrepresented communities in policymaking.
The emphasis on human dignity, diversity, and participation reflects a growing awareness that exclusion and marginalization are not only social injustices but also threats to democratic governance and sustainable development.
As the international community enters the final phase of preparations for the Doha Summit, it is clear that the global commitment to social development—though enduring—is being tested by unprecedented challenges. Economic volatility, demographic transitions, environmental degradation, and technological upheaval have produced a “polycrisis” that imperils hard-won gains.
Among the most pressing concerns is the question of financing. In this regard, the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4)—to be held in Seville, Spain, from 30 June to 3 July 2025—offers a crucial opportunity. This conference is expected to address both longstanding and emerging financial challenges and to align global finance with the Sustainable Development Goals. It must lay the foundation for concrete commitments that will support the Doha Summit outcomes, ensuring that social development is prioritized in both rhetoric and resource allocation.
The messages from preceding global events—such as the Summit of the Future—and the initial draft of the Doha Declaration are unmistakable: while the challenges have grown more complex, so too has our collective capacity to address them. What is now required is not only recommitment but reinvention. Social policies must be bold, evidence-informed, and grounded in genuine solidarity. Most critically, implementation must match ambition.
The road to the Second World Social Summit is not a nostalgic return to Copenhagen. It is an invitation to reimagine social development for a world that is more interconnected, more volatile, and more in need of shared purpose than ever before. The months ahead must not be squandered. They should be used to expand civil society engagement, sharpen commitments, and ensure that the Doha Declaration becomes not merely a checkpoint—but a turning point—on the path to a more just, inclusive, and sustainable global society.
Sergei Zelenev, ICSW President
For additional information:
https://social.desa.un.org/world-summit-2025
https://www.un.org/pga/wp-content/uploads/sites/109/2025/04/Zero-Draft-clean-as-of-24-April-2025-12pm.pdf
