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. It 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 16-member delegation was a historic experience for the International Consortium for Social Development (ICSD). This level of engagement would not have been possible without proactive planning and preparation well in advance and I thank the full delegation for their many and varied contributions.
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 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.
The ICSD exhibition at the SWSSD was successful and produced good learning, exposure and experiences for both ICSD and its delegates, attracting significant interest in its activities. I am proud to have launched a campaign to declare a World Social Development Day, and I hope the 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 inclusive, keep one voice, and maintain clear communication and coordination.
– 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.