THE Global Coalition for Social Justice Forum brought together ministers, workers’ and employers’ organizations, UN agencies and civil society to accelerate action towards poverty eradication, decent work and social inclusion.
THE gathering came at a time described as both hopeful and urgent. Since the coalition’s launch in 2023, governments and partners have stepped up efforts to reduce inequalities and strengthen social protections.
Progress has been made in education, life expectancy and gender equality. Yet discrimination, exclusion and gaps in rights at work remain deeply rooted in many countries.
In this context, the Forum served as a space to share achievements, examine areas where commitments fall short, and discuss how to accelerate coordinated efforts to bridge these gaps.
Not just dreams – rights
Speaking at the event, Annalena Baerbock, President of the United Nations General Assemblyspoke of social justice not as a vision but as a right.
“We all have dreams,” she said, recalling her childhood hopes and the encouragement that hard work could make anything possible.
“But we know that’s not true for everyone. The world, as it is, is not equal. It’s not fair. The world is not fair.»
She warned that millions of young people around the world still see their futures limited by poverty, lack of education, conflict and discrimination.
“These are not just dreams. These are rights,” she said, calling on governments, the private sector and civil society to dismantle systemic barriers: “We must ensure that we end these injustices once and for all.»
An elderly flower seller in Jogyakarta, Indonesia. According to UN estimates, 58 percent of the world’s older people live in Asia and the Pacific, a figure expected to increase in the coming years.
A path to justice
Talk to UN News on the sidelines, Srinivas Tata, director of the Social Development Division at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESC), underlined the importance of this moment.
“It’s about putting social development back at the center,“, he said. “Social justice is the goal – social protection is one of the means to achieve it.”
Asia and the Pacific has lifted millions of people out of poverty in recent decades, he noted, but inequality remains high, populations are aging rapidly and climate change is deepening vulnerabilities.
To help address these pressures, ESCAP is working with governments to identify those who are being left behind and how to reach them. It is Social protection toolkit includes a simulation tool to show the benefits of expanded social protection.
“This demonstrates that social protection is not a cost… it is an investment.»
Human rights at heart
While ESCAP highlighted regional policy tools, the United Nations human rights office, OHCHRhighlighted the universal principles that underpin social protection efforts.
Nada Al-Nashif, UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, told us the Summit was “a golden opportunity to revisit the Copenhagen vision,” noting that poverty eradication, decent work and social inclusion are “entirely rooted in human rights.”
Regarding social protection, she highlighted a close partnership with other United Nations agencies, in particular the International Labor Organization (ILO) and “incredible success stories” in which programs are anchored in law and target the most vulnerable.
Looking ahead, she stressed the need to take action: “We now have the momentum to turn all our plans and aspirations into action. We know how it works and we have the solutions.»
UN Info on the ground
UN News is on the ground in Dohaproviding ongoing coverage throughout the week, including live updates, interviews and analysis from the Summit. Follow our coverage here.
Publicado anteriormente en Almouwatin.
