About Us

About Social Perspective on Development

In 1995, the World Summit for Social Development held in Copenhagen, identified three cores issues: poverty eradication, employment generation and social integration, in contributing to the creation of an international community that enables the building of secure, just, free and harmonious societies offering opportunities and higher standards of living for all.

Within the United Nations system, the Division for Social Policy and Development (DSPD) of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) acts as Focal Point for the United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty and  undertakes activities that assist and facilitate governments in more effective implementation of the commitments and policies adopted in the Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development and the further initiatives on Social Development adopted at the 24th Special session of the General Assembly.

We are part of the Social Perspective on Development Branch, which falls within the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) of the United Nations Secretariat. You can reach us by email at social@un.org. Our contact address is available here.

Mission

The Social Perspective on Development works to:

  • Promote and facilitate effective implementation of the commitments and policies adopted in the Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development and further initiatives adopted at the 24th Special session of the General Assembly;
  • Develop policies and programmes aimed at contributing towards the goals and objectives agreed to at the World Summit for Social Development;
  • Facilitate the negotiation of agreed positions, resolutions, international standards and norms through the Commission for Social Development, the Economic and Social Council and the General Assembly;
  • Monitor national and global social trends through the collection, collation, analysis and interpretation of quantitative and qualitative data;
  • Provide support to member states in achieving the goal of eradicating absolute poverty through national and international cooperation;
  • Promote full and productive employment and decent work for all a central objective of both national and international policies;
  • Facilitate a space for various stakeholders to interact, exchange views, bring different perspectives, and promote mutual understanding and learning, in order to create a common platform for creating an inclusive society.
Follow Us