As the New Year of 2025 dawns so does the Agenda of the United Nations continue in its 79th session of the General Assembly. Amid almost insurmountable obstacles – wars, the contentious fossil fuel debate, alarming climate change, gross inequality, mass movements of peoples, and increasing poverty levels – the United Nations holds hope that a more inclusive world is possible, one based on dignity and human rights for all, gender equality and a sustainable planet. Annually, the United Nations through its annual commissions gathers the nations of the world to keep alive this hope, review, and determine implementable ways, leaving no one behind and reaching the furthest behind first.
The first of the UN ECOSOC Functional Commission is the Commission for Social Development 63rd Session from February 10 to 14 February 2025, in Conference Room 4 at the United Nations HQ.
The Commission for Social Development is one of the functional commissions of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Its primary purpose is to advance social development and formulate policies and recommendations to address global social issues.
This year the priority theme for the 63rd session on social development CSOCD63 is “ Strengthening solidarity, social inclusion and social cohesion to accelerate the delivery of the commitments of the Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development and Program of Action of the World Summit for Social Development as well as the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.”
The NGO Committee for Social Development has prepared an excellent civil society declaration translated in several languages, that you can sign:
You can download the Declaration in all five languages at https://ngosocdev.org/the-2025-civil-society-declaration/
For your reference, I’ll also include links to each version below:
- 2025 Civil Society Declaration – English
- 2025 Declaracion de la Sociedad Civil – Español
- 2025 Déclaration de la Société Civile – Français
- 2025 Declaração da Sociedade Civil – Português
- إعلان المجتمع المدني 2025 – العربية
This event serves as a unique opportunity for civil society to engage in meaningful discussions, exchange ideas, and collaborate with diverse stakeholders around the themes and deliberations of the Commission for Social Development as we look ahead to the 2025 World Social Summit.