25TH ICSD BIENNIAL CONFERENCE
16–18 July 2027
Advancing Humanity, Social Rights, and Sustainable Development:
A 21st Century Reset
Venue
Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Organised by
University of Georgia, School of Social Work
and
Clark Atlanta University, Whitney M. Young Jr. School of Social Work
In association with
International Consortium for Social Development (ICSD)
25th ICSD Biennial Conference
The International Consortium for Social Development (ICSD) invites scholars, practitioners, policymakers, advocates, community leaders and students from around the world to attend the 25th ICSD Biennial Conference, taking place from 16 -18 July 2027 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Organised by Clark Atlanta University and the University of Georgia, the conference will provide an international platform for critical dialogue, knowledge exchange and collaborative action on the future of social development.
Conference Theme: Advancing Humanity, Social Rights, and Sustainable Development: A 21st Century Reset
The world is undergoing transformations of unprecedented scale and speed. Persistent poverty and inequalities, health pandemics, armed conflicts, forced migration, democratic fragility, climate change, and rapid technological disruption continue to challenge the well-being of communities across the globe. Yet this moment also opens a rare opportunity: to reaffirm our collective commitment to humanity, social rights, and sustainable development.
Building upon the 1995 Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development and the 2025 Doha Political Declaration of the Second World Summit for Social Development, this conference calls for bold thinking and collective action to reimagine the social contract and shape a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable world.
The conference tracks will cover the following dimensions of justice:
- Social and economic justice through equitable redistribution and social and intergenerational solidarity.
- Gender justice through the advancement of equality and empowerment.
- Relational justice by strengthening trust, belonging, and inclusive communities.
- Climate justice through equitable and sustainable stewardship of our shared environment.
- Digital justice by ensuring equitable access, participation, and ethical governance in an increasingly digitalized world and societies.
The conference seeks to generate new ideas and actionable solutions for advancing humanity in an era of profound global turbulence and transformation.
The conference welcomes:
- Academics and researchers
- Social development practitioners
- Policymakers and government officials
- Community leaders and advocates
- Students
- Development professionals from around the world
Conference Tracks
The thirteeen conference tracks are anchored in the commitments of the Copenhagen and Doha Declarations.
- Tracks 1 through 3 correspond to the three foundational pillars of social development reaffirmed in both declarations – poverty eradication, full and productive employment, and social integration – anchored in social and economic justice as well as relational justice.
- Tracks 4 through 7 address critical twenty-first-century domains identified in the Doha Declaration, directly operationalizing gender justice (gender equality, children, and youth) and climate justice (climate resilience and financial inclusion).
- Track 8 advances social and economic justice at a systemic level by responding to calls for strengthened governance, reformed international financial architecture, and sustainable financing.
- Track 9 targets digital transformation and artificial intelligence through the lens of digital and epistemic justice, balancing technological opportunity with ethical governance and equitable access.
- Finally, Tracks 10 through 13 extend these five cross-cutting justice dimensions toward global governance, epistemic equity, and long-term structural frameworks for peace, democracy, and sustainable development.
Call for Abstracts and Guidelines
Abstract submissions are now open. Scholars, educators, practitioners, students, policy makers and all those working in the field of social work, social welfare, social development, development studies and across disciplines and social sectors around the world are invited to apply.
We welcome fresh thinking and new ideas in social development theory, policy and practice, innovation, working across disciplines to solve complex social issues and questions.
We wish to learn from cross country and cross regional modalities that offer actionable solutions and to contribute to advancing social development beyond Agenda 2030.
There are thirteen conference tracks:
- Poverty Eradication, Social Protection, and the Social Contract
- Employment, Decent Work, and Livelihoods in a Transforming World
- Social Integration, Inclusion, and Relational Justice
- Gender Justice, Women’s Empowerment, and the Care Economy
- Children, Youth, and Families: Social Development Across the Life Course
- Financial Capability, Asset Building, and Financial Inclusion
- Climate Justice, Environmental Sustainability, and Adaptive Social Development
- Governance, Institutions, and Financing for Social Development in an Era of Demographic and Global Change
- Digital Transformation, Artificial Intelligence, and the Future of Social Development
- Protecting and Advancing Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Biodiversity
- Promoting multiversal knowledge standards that includes knowledge generated in Global North and Global South
- Reforming and Partnering with UN Bodies for Promoting Peace, Security, and Sustainable Development
- Beyond 2030: Advancing Social Rights, Democracy and Sustainable Developmen
Publication
Interested presenters will be invited to submit their full paper for peer-reviewed publication consideration in Social Development Issues (SDI).
Key Dates
21 September 2026
Call for Abstracts Opens
1 December 2026
Abstract Deadline
31 January 2027
Notification of Acceptance
31 March 2026
Early Bird Registration Closes
1 July 2026
Regular Registration Closes
Ready to be part of the 25th ICSD Biennial Conference?
Venue and Location
Clark Atlanta University, Whitney M. Young Jr. School of Social Work.
City: Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Venue: To confirmed in the coming months
Registration
Registration is not yet open. Please check back soon for updates on early bird registration.
Programme
The full conference programme, including keynote speakers, session tracks and workshop schedules, will be published on this page as details are confirmed by the organising committee.
Contact
For any enquiries please contact:
University of Georgia, School of Social Work
Email: ICSD2027@uga.edu
Presented in Association With
