By Prof Lauren Graham, South African Research Chair in Welfare & Social Development

As a scholar of social development, while I maintain an interest in global social policy shifts and debates, I have not been involved in or researched multilateral engagements. This year, that changed. Earlier in 2025 I was part of a team from the Centre for Social Development in Africa (CSDA) that supported the South African leadership team of the G20 Development Working Group (DWG). Our involvement meant a steep learning curve regarding how multilateral negotiations took place and what multilateral engagements can and cannot do. Later I was fortunate to form part of the ICSD delegation that attended the WSSD2 in Doha where we led and participated in side events and had the opportunity to see the Doha Declaration be adopted by consensus.

What has struck me over the past year is how much multilateral engagements and agreements do for global order, stability and progress. I have often been asked in the past few months why countries spend so much on these engagements when they do not really result in any real change. It was in those moments that I was able to point towards the incredible progress we have made globally in reducing unemployment (from 36% of the world’s population to just 5% today) and in reducing extreme poverty from 37.9% in 1990 to 8.5% of the world’s population in 2024. These are gains that we reflected on in the ICSD response statement to the WSSD draft declaration. Yes, we still have a long way to go, but these are remarkable achievements in a period of around three decades. And much has to do with multilateral commitments. The First WSSD in Copenhagen paved the way for the adoption of the Millenium Development Goals and later the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Most countries today measure progress against the SDGs, despite these global goals not being based on binding agreements. This progress proves that having a shared commitment and vision, even when not binding, does contribute to social progress.

And as we have moved into a period of increasing political instability, rising conflicts, erosion of human rights gains, especially for women, and a rolling back of welfare; one might wonder about the power of these engagements to foster change. I would argue that it is precisely in these times that multilateral engagements are so important, as they hold the centre, provide some protection for the gains we have made, and envision a more just and equitable world.

Consider that many of the outcome documents adopted in multilateral engagements this year contain statements that in countries that have elected more conservative governments would be seen as very liberal. The Compromiso de Sevilla – the outcome document from the Financing For Development Conference – explicitly mentions enhancing efforts to address tax evasion and avoidance by high-net-worth individuals and ensuring their effective taxation (page 8), possibly prompted by significant civil society advocacy. This adoption paved the way for the DWG outcome document on Illicit Financial Flows to include similar language, demonstrating that the wording of multilateral agreements is reinforced in different domains.

My experience in supporting the negotiations on the Social Protection outcome document of the G20 DWG demonstrated that where states with more conservative governments tried to step back from prior commitments (for example on gender equity or on Agenda 2030), other countries were able to leverage the wording in several other multilateral documents to hold them to these commitments. It seemed to be very difficult for countries to erode the gains of the past. Even as the United States attempted to oppose a Leader’s declaration of the G20, the vast majority of the working groups have agreed outcome documents and ministerial declarations already in place that will continue to shape their future engagements and their national agenda setting.

The WSSD Doha declaration was therefore a triumphant moment. For the declaration to be adopted by consensus in the context of such global political instability is, in itself, remarkable and indicates that despite individual governments’ retracting from prior commitments, most countries continue to pursue justice, peace and equity. The declaration was not only holding the line as the global ship sways, but of ensuring that our bow is pointing in the right direction.

I may be criticised for being an optimist. But as Thomas Friedman said, “pessimists are usually right and optimists are usually wrong, but all the great changes have been accomplished by optimists.” It was a privilege to be surrounded by 14000 optimists who feel that another world is indeed possible.

By Prof Manohar Pawar, Professor of Social Work, School of Social Work and Arts, Charles Sturt University and former President of the ICSD

In a fully packed opening session of the Second World Summit for Social Development (SWSSD), convened under the auspices of the UN General Assembly at the Qatar National Convention Centre, listening to the unanimous endorsement of the Doha Political Declaration—reaffirming the values and commitments of the Copenhagen Declaration 30 years ago—evoked a profound sense of world unity and renewed hope for eradicating poverty, providing full employment and decent work, and achieving social integration, along with addressing the climate crisis. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the Declaration is a “booster shot for development.” The President of the General Assembly, Annalena Baerbock, stated: “Social development is not a ‘nice to have’, nor an act of charity. It is in the self-interest of every country.”

To be present and to meaningfully participate in the SWSSD with a 15-member delegation was a historic experience for the International Consortium for Social Development (ICSD). In partnering with others, ICSD was a lead organiser of a solution-focused session—Accelerating Social Development: Solution-Focused Research, Advocacy, and Practice — From Copenhagen to Beyond the Doha Declaration—with clear recommendations. An exhibition was successfully curated to facilitate understanding of social development and awareness for action. In addition, ICSD partnered with governments and international organisations to organise several solution sessions. In these events, ICSD colleagues significantly contributed as moderators and panel speakers.

This level of engagement would not have been possible without proactive planning and preparation well in advance. Inspired and empowered by an ICSD’s special committee, important participatory steps were initiated. As President of the ICSD (till 15 July 2025), and representer of our aspiration, I felt anxious about ICSD’s participation in the Summit, and missing out, since we did not have any formal status with the UN and had limited entry points to participate in the SWSSD. We watched like an eagle for announcements and quickly submitted required applications with the help of colleagues. Our application for special consultative status with the UN was pending, and its outcome was uncertain.

I am grateful to the ICSD Board for supporting the idea of appointing the special committee, which I chaired, to prepare for and participate in the SWSSD. I am thankful to the committee members: Profs. Leila Patel, Ram Ramanathan, Bipin Jojo, Ben Lough, and Lauren Graham. The finalisation of the core questions for a specially organised forum at the 24th ICSD biennial conference helped seek input for the Summit from members and conference participants. This research approach and evidence helped to develop the basic document, which was further refined by several colleagues’ and members’ inputs. The final summary and detailed document–that aligned with the draft declaration–showed how well we worked as a team. Working together, having one voice, is vital.

Success in gaining UN special consultative status for ICSD as well as special accreditation to participate in the Summit enhanced our hope and confidence. With this status, we partnered with several organisations and successfully submitted applications for solution sessions. The ICSD exhibition at the SWSSD was successful and produced good learning and exposure experiences for both ICSD and its delegates, attracting significant interest in its activities. Most ICSD delegates volunteered to be at the booth as per the roster, and for that I am grateful for their time and cooperation. These engagements at the Summit kept us busy, and it was overwhelming, as we could not attend several parallel sessions we wanted to. Solution sessions resulted in specific recommendations to support the Doha Political Declaration. I am proud to have launched a campaign to declare a World Social Development Day, and I hope ICSD, and similar organisations will advocate for it. It was a unique life experience for me, and I believe it was so for all who were ICSD delegates at the historic Summit. Drawing on this positive and heartening exposure to the Summit, the following pointers may help us do better in the future.

• Be proactive, plan early, and implement decisions without delay.
• Be inclusive, keep one voice, and maintain clear communication and coordination.
• Recognise everybody’s contributions, as different people participate in different ways.
• Whether members’ participation is small or big, pursue the decided path with dedication.
• Chart out the next course of action in the post-Summit era in terms of social development research, advocacy, and practice.
• Cultivate, partner and work with like-minded collaborators and organisations with a focus.

By Mahesh Chougule, Asst Prof Social Policy and Development, Faculty of Social Administration, Thammasat University, Bangkok, Thailand

Participating in the Second World Summit for Social Development in Doha has been one of the most meaningful experiences of my academic and professional journey. Representing the International Consortium for Social Development (ICSD) and the Faculty of Social Administration, Thammasat University, Bangkok, Thailand. I had the privilege to contribute to two high-level panels addressing social protection and integrated social policy areas central to ICSD’s mission of advancing equity and inclusive development.

This Summit provided a unique platform to bring Thailand and ASEAN perspectives into global dialogues that are often dominated by Global North narratives. Sharing evidence on Thailand’s Universal Health Coverage, community-driven housing through CODI, and ASEAN’s evolving social protection commitments allowed me to highlight the region’s innovations and challenges. I also engaged with delegates, UN officials, and academic leaders, opening avenues for future collaboration, joint research, and regional partnerships.

A significant takeaway for me was the Doha Declaration’s renewed call for universal social protection, poverty eradication, and stronger community-based development. These priorities resonate deeply with ICSD’s values and offer strategic opportunities for our consortium to strengthen its footprint in Asia-Pacific, where needs and potential are both immense.

Overall, the Summit reaffirmed my commitment to advancing participatory, rights-based, and evidence-informed social policy. I am grateful to ICSD for the trust and support, and I look forward to contributing more actively to our shared vision of inclusive and sustainable social development globally.

By Marianne Colvin – Associate Dean of Research & Academic Effectiveness and Associate Professor, Director, Child Welfare Institute – Phyllis & Harvey Sandler School of Social Work, FAU College of Social Work & Criminal Justice
I was so grateful to join the Summit as a delegate of the International Consortium of Social Development (ICSD). It was inspiring to be with colleagues from around the world and I returned home energized and humbled by how much there is to learn through global collaboration. Three takeaways stand out.

First, a central theme across the solution sessions emphasised that social development is not only a matter of global commitment, but of local systems working effectively together. This mirrors the successes and challenges I see in my own research examining cross-sector, multiprofessional coordination in child welfare and the need for integrated supports that reflect the lived realities of families most affected.

Second, I was encouraged by the recognition of social workers as essential connectors in this pursuit. Their practice- and research-based insights bridge policy intentions with real-world implementation, ensuring that public commitments reach – and work for – the people they are meant to serve.

Finally, perhaps most inspiring was seeing how the often only vocalized priority of collaboration was fully actioned among our own partner organisations in Doha. The joint solution sessions that were held demonstrated an unprecedented level of coordination among leading organizations in our field and our strength lies in working together across sectors, disciplines, and borders. I look forward to carrying this momentum into the work ahead!

By Marianne S. Ulriksen, Danish Centre for Welfare Studies, University of Southern Denmark & Centre for Social Development, University of Johannesburg

On 4 November 2025, world leaders adopted the Doha Political Declaration, which signals renewed global commitment to building more just and inclusive societies. Now the dust has settled over Doha after the whirlwind of 14,000 excited delegates shared experiences, ambitions, and promises for the advancement of the common good.

Everyone has gone back to their respective places where either fundamental crisis or just day-to-day responsibilities often divert attention away from our commitment to social development.

Many might be be cynical. What’s it worth? A non-binding document. A document viewed as low priority to some. Some might lament the low levels of media attention. While there was evidence of a disjuncture between many states, from Russia’s emphasis on “preserving traditional family values” to South Africa’s commitment to “strengthening social protection systems to be more universal [and] rights-based”.

But once can be optimistic. The SDGs have been instrumental in reducing hunger, poverty and many other indicators. In Doha there were many, many delegates with knowledge and passion to keep governments and agencies dedicated to the course.

I choose to be a cautious realist. Universal and inclusive social development can build robust societies capable of preempting and addressing multiple crises. We know this. However, the hard part is to make this fact a shared worldview that decision-makers are willing to act upon. The Doha Declaration was a milestone, but our work has only just begun.

By Prof. Sanjoy Roy, Member of ICSD. Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, Head, Department of Social Work, University of Delhi, India

The Second World Summit for Social Development concluded in Doha, Qatar on 6 November 2025. It aims to ensure that measurable progress is made on poverty reduction, decent work, social protection and social inclusion by 2030 and beyond. Alongside the formal plenary and roundtable discussions, more than 250 “solution sessions” were held by nation states, academic institutions and civil society organisations. Practical ways of improving access to healthcare and education and supporting work and social protection were shared.

At the Summit, the International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW), the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW), the International Council for Social Welfare and The International Consortium for Social Development (ICSD) co-led key “Solutions Sessions” that advocated for universal social protection as a pillar of a just society and highlighted the importance of robust social protection strategies, integrated policy approaches, and mobilising resources for sustainable investment.

I was happy to be involved in drafting a joint statement by the four organisations in which we called for greater investment in the social work workforce and stronger coordination across social, economic, and environmental policies.

I believe our statement is a testament to the resilience of the civil society sector in informing equitable social policies and working collectively to drive long-term transformation. Our collaborative engagement in Doha has strengthened the collective global voice of social work, social development, and social welfare, marking a renewed commitment to co-building a fairer, greener, and more inclusive world.

Doha, Qatar – 4 November 2025

At the Second World Summit for Social Development, a Solutions Session titled “Turning Global Commitments into Local Impact: Financing for a Just and Inclusive Transition” brought together experts and practitioners to explore how financial systems can better serve inclusive and sustainable development. The session was moderated by Ms. Anita Thomas, Chair of the NGO Committee on Financing for Development and Representative to the UN for the Women First International Fund.

Among the distinguished panellists was, Prof. Manohar Pawar, Professor of Social Work and Director of the Social Work and Social Development Research Alliance and Former ICSD Presdient, he offered a powerful reflection on the state of global financing and the urgent need to align resources with social justice goals.

“When research is need-based — when it addresses the felt needs of the community — the findings and consequent policies are likely to be useful and effective,” Prof. Pawar said, calling for greater collaboration across sectors to turn evidence into meaningful impact.

Converging Crises Demand Converging Solutions

Prof. Pawar observed that the world is experiencing a dangerous convergence of challenges — from poverty and inequality to digital exclusion, climate change, and inadequate access to finance.

“These forces,” he noted, “are compounding and converging to hit hardest those who are already most disadvantaged.”

He questioned whether governments, civil society, the private sector, and international institutions are converging in response with equal urgency. While examples of cross-sector collaboration exist, he argued, much more remains to be done to create truly integrated, cooperative approaches to social development.

Bridging the Research–Policy Divide

Highlighting the importance of academic–policy collaboration, Prof. Pawar pointed to a recent special issue of the International Journal of Community and Social Development, developed jointly with universities, NGOs, private sector partners, and multilateral agencies. The publication advocates for the goals of the Second World Summit for Social Development, identifying critical gaps in poverty reduction, decent work, climate action, and digital inclusion.

He emphasised that professional social work values — such as human dignity, empathy, non-judgment, and empowerment — are essential for building community resilience and adaptive capacity in times of crisis.

Reforming the Financial Architecture for Equity

Turning to the structural realities of financing, Prof. Pawar underscored that current financial commitments remain inadequate to achieve universal protection, health, and education. Nearly half of the world’s population lacks access to even one social protection benefit, despite World Bank and ILO plans to extend coverage to 500 million people

He highlighted key imbalances in the global financial system:
– Official development assistance declined from 0.45% to 0.44% of gross national income in 2024, reflecting no real increase.
– 70% of financing continues to be loan-based, deepening debt burdens in developing countries.
– Only 30% of climate finance supports adaptation, despite calls for at least half to do so.

“These figures expose deep structural inequities in how development is financed,” Prof. Pawar said, echoing Ms. Thomas’s call to “reform a fractured financial system.”

Towards a World Social Development Day

Concluding his remarks, Prof. Pawar argued that finance and economics must be recognised as integral dimensions of social development, not separate or competing fields.

Through the International Consortium for Social Development, he and his colleagues have launched a campaign calling for the United Nations to establish a World Social Development Day — an annual observance to raise global awareness, galvanise action, and accelerate progress toward comprehensive social development for all.

“Comprehensive social development — through universal social protection, health, education, and the wellbeing of all — is the path to a united and inclusive world,” he said.

By Marianne S. Ulriksen, Associate Professor, Danish Center for Welfare Studies, University of Southern Denmark

Statement

– What pushes people to migrate? Unsustainable livelihoods, discrimination, conflict.
– What makes people stay? Income security, tolerance, peace.

We live at a time with a myriad of crises, and it is easy to overlook the role of redistributive welfare states in pre-empting and addressing crises. At a time when the welfare state itself is oftentimes criticised, it may seem paradoxical that one should turn to domestic social policies as pertinent solutions for international instabilities. But countries with inclusive and democratic policies and institutions fare a better chance to counter rising polarization, inequities, mistrust, conflict, and despair.

Myths about redistributive welfare states – not supported by research evidence

– ”Economic growth trickles down to the poor.” Research shows that this depends on what drives growth: only economic development driven by decent and productive jobs in non-extractive sectors has this effect.

– “Economic and fiscal policy take priority over expensive social policies.” The reality is that social and economic policies can complement each other, because social policies are investments in people that are the ultimate drivers of a sound economy.

– “High taxes scare companies and people away.” While this could be true, we must remember taxes can be used for social investments and redistribution. Countries with high levels of inequality face more insecurity and crime, which affect the rich as well.

– “Social policy is a luxury for rich countries.” We have plenty of evidence of low-income countries that successfully introduced social policies that positively influence livelihoods; and policies can be scaled up with greater affordability.

– “It is better to focus on poverty targeted programmes.” Might sound reasonable, but such programmes, while helping recipients, rarely become part of an inclusive policy regime. Social policies including both low- and middle-income groups fare better: social benefits rely on taxes, and taxpayers want to receive something in return.

– “Low unemployment levels are always great.” Generally true but depends on what is behind the statistics. It is not so great if numbers conceal actual informality of work, or if numbers reflect people needing three jobs to survive.

– “Young women get pregnant to get child support and then squander it away.” An unfortunate trope too often repeated. The research evidence shows that on average social policy recipients use the resources sensibly.

– “Migration is a one-way journey.” Many migrants maintain strong ties to their home countries and often dream of returning. However, perceptions of limited development and opportunity back home can deter them. Strategic investments in social and public policy can help shift these perceptions and encourage return migration.

What to do?

Let’s bring back in a modern, investment-oriented and caring the welfare state! Let’s discuss and find solutions that benefit everyone. A first step is to follow and contribute to the World Summit for Social Development.

By: Ben Lough, Professor and Dean at the School of Social Work and Director of Social Innovation at the Gies College of Business, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

This November, leaders from around the world will gather in Doha for the Second World Summit for Social Development (WSSD2). It has been thirty years since the first summit in Copenhagen set out an ambitious agenda for eradicating poverty, promoting decent work, and building inclusive societies. Much has changed since then, but the core challenge remains. How can we ensure that development is people-centered and just?

To address this challenge, four professional organizations are stepping forward with a united voice. The International Consortium for Social Development (ICSD), the International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW), the International Council on Social Welfare (ICSW), and the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) are collaborating to participate in the Summit. This is the first time all four organizations have joined forces in this way to speak with one voice on the world stage.

This partnership exemplifies the principle of social integration that WSSD2 seeks to advance. Each organization brings a distinct perspective, focused respectively on research, education, policy, and practice. Together they convene diverse stakeholders from academia, practitioners, policy advocates, and development experts to work in concert. By aligning their agendas, the organizations send a powerful message: the challenges of our time demand unified, multidimensional responses. While their missions differ, they converge on a shared goal of advancing social development and ensuring that no one is left behind.

The significance of this collaboration is visible in the sessions the organizations will collectively co-sponsor in Doha. These events form a narrative arc beginning with the importance of voice, moving through the value of relationships and systems, and culminating in the affirmation of universal rights. Each partner reinforces the others: academic knowledge informing practice, practice realities informing policy, policy frameworks upholding rights, and all informed by a shared commitment to development that is inclusive, just, sustainable, and human centered. Together, they represent a holistic perspective of the contributions of social work and social policy to social development.

Complementary Sessions at WSSD2: Relationships, Systems, and Rights

Intergenerational Solidarity

The first side event, led by IFSW (in partnership with ICSD, IASSW, ICSD), will focus on intergenerational solidarity as a driver of social integration. This session highlights how fostering connection and mutual support between generations can counter social fragmentation and build more inclusive communities.

Today’s demographic shifts and rapid social changes make intergenerational approaches urgent and a promising method for social integration. By bringing youth, older persons, policymakers, practitioners, and academics into dialogue, the session will showcase innovative practices such as mentorship programs, youth–elder exchange initiatives, and family-centered community development models. These examples demonstrate how societies can strengthen cohesion and belonging through intergenerational ties, while also encouraging mutual learning where each generation passes on knowledge, skills, and cultural traditions to the other. Just as importantly, the session will highlight opportunities for policy innovation that intentionally embeds intergenerational perspectives into national and local strategies.

Relationships, whether between young and old, or across cultural and social divides, are presented as an antidote to the isolation and exclusion that plague many communities. Social integration is built on solidarity. When generations and communities are connected in meaningful ways, societies are capable of collective action — and through that action, they become more cohesive and resilient.

Transforming Systems for Social Development

The next part of the narrative arc shifts to systems, the institutional structures that shape opportunities, protections for people, and resources needed for such protections. If participation and solidarity create the conditions for inclusion, systems determine whether these aspirations can endure.

This session is led by ICSW in collaboration with the other three organizations. ICSW has long been a champion of comprehensive social protection and evidence-based policy. The discussion will ask how national welfare and development systems can be redesigned to ensure that no one falls through the cracks. It asks how integrated approaches across healthcare, education, employment, and housing might better advance the Summit’s core goals of eradicating poverty, promoting decent work, and fostering social inclusion.

Using examples such as the Social Protection Floor (a globally endorsed guarantee of basic income security and access to essential services) this session will illustrate how rights-based frameworks can anchor systems change. At the same time, it also looks at community-driven reforms, including ways local governments can co-design services with residents or integrate delivery across sectors to address interlinked needs.

This system-focused session underscores that inclusive development must be embedded into laws, policies, and institutional practices. It asserts that good intentions or isolated projects are not enough. Sustainable progress depends on frameworks that actively aim to reduce inequality and protect the most vulnerable. Through this lens, the four organizations demonstrate the strength of combining policy advocacy with practice and research. It is a reminder that structural reforms that connect the grassroots to the institutional are essential if social development is to move from an aspiration to reality.

Championing Rights and Dignity for All

The final strand of the arc centers on human rights. These rights are the bedrock principles that underlie all social development efforts. We are united in affirming that human rights and human dignity are non-negotiable foundations for justice. This session, led by IASSW, focuses on universalism: asserts that access to food, housing, education, healthcare, income security, and decent work are not merely policy preferences, they are fundamental rights.

IASSW’s commitment to embedding rights in social work education, IFSW’s consistent advocacy for ethical practice, ICSW’s long-standing vision of protecting the rights of marginalized groups, and ICSD’s focus on linking research to the practice of advancing human rights in social development all converge in this session. The dialogue will illustrate how adopting a rights-based approach transforms policy. For example, understanding poverty eradication as the fulfillment of the right to an adequate standard of living, or treating universal healthcare and education as obligations of the state. These are foundational guarantees that define the baseline of a just and inclusive society.

The session also acknowledges the stark gaps that persist. Millions of people lack access to basic social protection. Many are excluded from essential services based on sex, gender, disability, or other aspects of identity. For many people, discrimination is a tragic reality of daily life. These realities reveal how far we remain from realizing the promise of universal rights and the original intentions of the Copenhagen Declaration.

Addressing these gaps requires more than rhetoric. Together, these sessions assert that rights can only be realized when action takes place across all levels: at the micro level, through micro/mezzo solidarity that strengthens relationships and community ties; and at the macro level, through institutional reforms that embed rights in laws, policies, and systems. This final session underscores that social development advances human rights most effectively when these dimensions are each connected — guaranteeing that every person can live with dignity, free from want, fear, and exclusion.

ICSD’s Role: Partnership, Perspective, and Principle

For ICSD, joining this organizational alliance at WSSD2 is a strategic opportunity and a distinct honor. As a newer entrant to the UN consultative arena, having obtained ECOSOC Special Consultative Status only in mid-2025, we stand alongside peer organizations with long-established histories at the United Nations. Our posture is one of collegial partnership, with a focus on contributing our unique strengths.

Our distinct contribution lies in our interdisciplinary perspective and our global network of scholars and practitioners committed to social development. For decades, ICSD has convened international conferences and published research (often through our peer-reviewed journal Social Development Issues). ICSD will be sponsoring a special issue of the SDI journal covering the WSSD2 and its outcomes. This tradition of connecting research with practice is central to what we bring to the partnership: a focus on ensuring that evidence informs on-the-ground action. We bring grassroots experiences to shape academic inquiry. With our new consultative status, ICSD can integrate this perspective directly into UN processes.

We recognize our role within the coalition as one voice among four, harmonizing with our partners to create collective impact. ICSD’s contribution lies in our interdisciplinary scholarship and global research network, which bring evidence-based perspectives into dialogue with practice and policy. In planning the Summit sessions, we draw on our broad social development outlook while working to amplify perspectives from the Global South and from community-level initiatives that often remain overlooked. At the same time, we gladly defer to our partners in their areas of strength: IASSW in advancing education, ICSW in shaping global policy advocacy, and IFSW in mobilizing practitioners.

Looking Ahead: Shared Vision, Shared Commitment

As WSSD2 approaches, the alignment of our professional organizations sends a hopeful signal. In a world marked by widening inequality and deepening social fragmentation, we are demonstrating the strength of unity and shared purpose. Our collective message to global leaders in Doha is that lasting social progress requires an integrated approach that empowers people, heals divides, reforms structures, and upholds human dignity.

This collaboration is also laying a foundation for partnerships that extend beyond the Summit. By working together on these sessions, we are strengthening ties with one another and discovering how effective our advocacy becomes when we combine scholarship, education, policy expertise, and practice experience.

Looking forward, we envision carrying this “one voice” approach into other global platforms, whether by advancing the outcomes of WSSD2, contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals, or addressing new professional challenges. The issues highlighted at WSSD2 like poverty, exclusion, and climate disruption, will not be solved quickly. They will only be solved through sustained, collaborative leadership. By joining forces, we can advance the solidarity, multilateralism, and shared responsibility that the Summit envisions.

A central truth of social development is that we are stronger together. In Doha, whether we speak on panels or intervene from the floor, it will be with a shared voice that carries the aspirations of social workers, educators, scholars, and diverse communities. Our collective voice asserts that social development remains at the center of the global agenda.

As a longstanding member of ICSD, I’m proud that our organization is part of this chorus. WSSD2 marks an important milestone but it’s far from the destination. With the Copenhagen Declaration still in the background, with many of its promises unfulfilled, we remain midway on the journey. ICSD and its sister organizations will continue to press for a world where social development is inclusive and just: a world where no voice goes unheard, no relationship is undervalued, and no human right is denied.

By Marianne S. Ulriksen, Associate Professor, Danish Center for Welfare Studies, University of Southern Denmark

A keen interest in just energy transition. Many countries across the globe are building renewable energy projects to address global climate challenges. However, renewable energy projects often entail social costs at community level. The prospects of losing land and livelihoods cause initial protest and conflicts, and while communities may receive some compensation such once-off recompence does not recover loss of land nor ensure sustainable livelihoods. To ensure equitable solutions to renewable energy transition, some countries engage in Just Energy Transition Partnerships. Composed in the right way, renewable energy projects can ensure decent work and social integration in affected communities.

At the Second World Summit for Social Development, vastly different countries will showcase scalable equitable solutions for renewable energy projects for sustainable livelihoods. Practical examples will include for instance: (1) how solar energy can be utilized to revitalize local economy and support displacement-affected communities; (2) how communities can engage meaningfully to ensure equitable social development interventions; and (3) how innovative solutions of building community trust funds can provide sustainable platforms for livelihoods.

Through the sharing of experiences, at a time when renewable energy investments are ongoing worldwide, the ICSD believes it will be possible to identify solutions to sustainable social interventions at community level to the benefit of local communities as well as private investors.

The South African government will be hosting a side event titled “Ensuring Just Energy Transition in practice, and I will be presenting at this event. Please join us on Tuesday 4 November 16.45-18.00 Room 105 to join in this important conversation. Read more about the session here.