Video Message
Thank you, Director-General Houngbo, and my sincere thanks go to all the distinguished panelists for their insightful contributions.
Reflecting on the significance of this moment, I am reminded that just a few months ago, in Doha, the United Nations General Assembly reaffirmed a fundamental truth: social justice is critical for sustainable development.
Yet, we remain far from a world where dignity and freedom are guaranteed for all people.
UN DESA’s World Social Report 2025 highlights that access to opportunity is still dependent on gender, age, race, and economic status. Exclusion remains a persistent reality for too many. In a landscape of geopolitical uncertainty and shifting political dynamics, social justice can feel like a distant aspiration.
The adoption of the Doha Political Declaration is a collective statement of purpose—a commitment to closing the gap between our principles and lived reality.
But the true measure of any declaration is the action that follows.
The Doha Political Declaration, in its call for inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all, recognizes the important work of the Global Coalition for Social Justice in advancing Doha implementation.
My Department, UN DESA, remains a committed member of the Coalition. We have confirmed our role as co-convener for the key intervention on inequalities, and we are ready to work with partners to tackle these growing challenges to social justice.
As the secretariat for the Commission for Social Development—reaffirmed in Doha as the primary body for follow-up and review—DESA will support the Summit's implementation at every step.
At the Commission meeting earlier this month, I witnessed a clear desire among Member States to move from principles to practice.
We will continue to facilitate this process by convening dialogue among stakeholders, monitoring progress and providing the analytical foundation for countries to learn from each other.
We know that no single country or institution holds all the answers. But together, we can advance real solutions.
In closing, I offer three points for your consideration:
First, we must stay engaged and sustain the momentum.
The energy generated by the Second World Summit for Social Development is considerable, but it can dissipate without sustained effort and continued political will.
I encourage all stakeholders—governments, social partners, civil society, and the private sector—to remain steadfast in the implementation process.
Second, we must break down silos, and work across institutions.
Today’s challenges do not respect institutional boundaries. Whether it is the changing world of work, widening inequality, the digital and green transitions, or the threats of conflict, these issues of social fragmentation demand integrated responses.
By working across institutions, we can demonstrate the effectiveness of multilateralism and help restore public trust.
Third, we must keep people at the centre.
Innovation and growth must serve human dignity. Development cannot be measured by GDP alone; it must be measured by tangible improvement in people’s lives, regardless of their gender, race or creed.
The World Day of Social Justice is both a moment for reflection and a call to action.
Around the world, millions of people are waiting for social justice to become a reality.
They are not waiting for more conferences or documents; they are waiting for results.
It now falls upon all of us to deliver those results with determination.
Thank you.