The push to put social justice at the heart of global policymaking took centre stage at the Second World Summit for Social Development on Wednesday, as leaders gathered for a high-level forum to drive coordinated action in delivering the newly adopted Doha Political Declaration.
The Global Coalition for Social Justice Forum brought together ministers, workers' and employers' organizations, UN agencies and civil society to accelerate action on poverty eradication, decent work and social inclusion.
The gathering came at a moment described as both hopeful and urgent. Since the coalition's launch in 2023, governments and partners have expanded efforts to close 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 entrenched in many countries.
Against this backdrop, the Forum served as a space to share achievements, examine where commitments are falling short, and discuss how to accelerate coordinated efforts to bridge these divides.
Not just dreams - rights
Addressing the event, Annalena Baerbock, President of the UN General Assembly , spoke of social justice not as a vision but 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 is not true for everyone. The world, as it stands, is not equal. It's not fair. The world is not just."
She warned that millions of young people around the world still see their futures constrained 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 have to ensure that we end these injustices once and for all."
A pathway to justice
Speaking to UN News on the sidelines, Srinivas Tata, Director of the Social Development Division at the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific ( ESCAP ), underscored the moment's significance.
"This is about putting social development back at the centre," he said. "Social justice is the goal - social protection is one of the means to get there."
Asia and the Pacific has lifted millions out of poverty over recent decades, he noted, but inequality remains high, populations are rapidly aging, and climate change is deepening vulnerabilities.
To help address these pressures, ESCAP works with governments to identify who is being left behind and how to reach them. Its Social Protection Toolbox includes a simulation tool to show the returns of expanding social protection.
"It demonstrates that social protection is not a cost...it is an investment."
