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.