In Message for World Day of Social Justice, Secretary-General Stresses Building Inclusive Societies, Bringing ‘People in from the Margins’

Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message for the World Day of Social Justice, observed on 20 February:

The World Day of Social Justice highlights the imperative of building a future of dignity for all.

Guided by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, the international community has pledged to end poverty by 2030 through effective integrated social, economic and environmental policies.

These landmark blueprints for a better world provide invaluable tools and a powerful vision to meet the needs of today’s generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own.

Social justice must be at the heart of our efforts.  With exclusion and inequality on the rise, we must step up efforts to ensure that all people, without discrimination, are able to access opportunities to improve their lives and those of others.  We must build inclusive societies, promote decent work, bolster social protection floors, and bring people in from the margins.

In all our efforts, partnerships are essential.  Sustainable development is only possible with the active engagement of Governments, parliaments, employers, workers, civil society, the private sector and other agents of change.

Let us work together to forge new integrated pathways for social, environmental and economic development rooted in social justice and the promise of a better future for all.