Engagement Opportunities in the lead up to WSSD2 2025

organize outreach activities and share research insights emphasizing the critical role of care in achieving social development. These efforts will contribute to the WSSD by promoting dialogue and action on genderinclusive policies for sustainable progress.

The meeting will be held during the 86th session of the Committee on Urban Development, Housing and Land Management (Geneva, 8-10 October 2025) and will address challenges related to housing affordability and other topical issues such as sustainability, and energy-efficiency of housing. Ministers will be invited to agree on pledges or practical commitments in this regard.

This meeting brings together city leaders from all the UN regions for facilitating dialogue among cities, member States and international organizations. UNECE had transmitted to the UN Secretary General the outcome statement adopted by the Forum of Mayors at its 4th meeting, « the Cities Summit for the Future » (Geneva, 30 September-1 October 2024), which highlighted the essential role and concrete commitments of local and regional governments in implementing the Pact of the Future, including its action 6. The City leaders recalled inter alia that local and regional governments are guardians of public trust and in the position to ensure equity and resilience through the provision of public services and social protection systems.

The meeting is being programed as moment to analyze a position paper prepared by ECLAC on the evolution of inclusive social development in LAC since Copenhagen and to exchange the preparatory documents of the WSSD2 and complement the views among Social Development Ministries as a contribution to the countries' presentations at the Summit

The purpose of this Ad-hoc group is to promote the establishment of favorable conditions for digital empowerment, freedom of expression, media development, access to information and language technology, alongside artistic creation in indigenous languages.

The AI for Good will play a crucial role in shaping the World Social Summit 2025 by leveraging AI to tackle key global challenges, particularly those related to social development.
Modality: Organize joint sessions where AI practitioners and social development experts discuss AI projects targeting social issues.

The WSIS+20 event will significantly contribute to the World Social Summit by focusing on the intersection of digital inclusion, social development, and sustainable progress. Showcase digital tools that can support the tracking, monitoring, and reporting of social development progress.

Online expert group meetings have been carried out in the Africa, Asia, LAC regions and Nordic countries reaching over 80 experts to identify regional priorities and perspectives.  A brief for each consultation has been developed and disseminated widely to inform the WSSD consultations. Link to video broadcasts insights shared at the 63rd session of the Commission for Social Development in February 2025.

The Coalition’s Forum is the annual gathering of Coalition partners, providing a space where partners can discuss thematic issues related to social justice, as well as the challenges, opportunities and potential solutions in respect of advancing the Coalition’s objectives. It also allows to exchange knowledge, tools and experiences, and showcase activities and initiatives undertaken in support of social justice.
The Coalition’s Annual Forum will take place during the 113th Session of the International Labour Conference, in Geneva, Switzerland. The plenary will take place in the Palais des Nations (Geneva, Switzerland), and will be live broadcasted. In addition to the plenary, there will be opportunities for Coalition partners to engage and network, such as a "partners' zone" for interactive exchanges on thematic areas, and an "engagement zone" for interviews and social media interactions.

Participation in support of the Global Coalition for Social Justice

3rd "peer learning round table" discussion on SDG8, co leading organization with ECE

Multistakeholder meeting to review SDG progress in the UNECE region (Europe, North America, Central Asia, Israel) and exchange on acceleration actions; civil society consultation (1 April): self-organized and inclusive consultation coordinated by the regional civil society engagement mechanism. Both the RFSD and the preparatory civil society consultation will discuss issues closely related to the Second World Summit for Social Development, such as social and economic inclusion as part of the in-depth review of SDGs 3, 5 and 8. Inputs could feed into the summit through various channels, including inputs by member States, UN system and civil society.

The purpose of this Ad-hoc group is to promote the establishment of favorable conditions for digital empowerment, freedom of expression, media development, access to information and language technology, alongside artistic creation in indigenous languages.

A broadcast Copenhagen+30 commemoration scheduled. The soft launch will be available on-demand on UN Web TV (pre-recorded) and an in-person event is tentatively scheduled for the end of April.
Over the past 30 years, the world has made significant strides in reducing extreme poverty, and average levels of wellbeing have reached historical highs. Still, progress has been uneven, and people are feeling increasingly insecure. There is a growing rift between people’s needs and the policies in place. As a result, many people feel left behind and do not see the system working for them.

World Social Work Day at the UN in Geneva 2025 aims to make a contribution to the Second World Summit for Social Development exploring pathways to expand social rights for persons living with disabilities and to create a caring society. Globally, an estimated 1.3 billion people experience disabilities (WHO 2023), a situation that is further exacerbated for people exposed to multiple marginalizations based on class, gender and sexual orientation, age, race, ethnicity or religion, migrant or employment status or location.
Engaging with networks of social workers to raise awareness about the WSSD2 and address challenges for persons with disabilities.

The panel discussion will cover the challenges faced by workers in the informal economy to enjoy their rights to work and to social security, particularly in the context of the changing world of work due to new technologies and climate impact, exploring ways to improve their access to decent job opportunities and decent working conditions, to extend social security coverage to them, and to support transitions to the formal economy, based on the experiences of States, civil society, including trade unions and professional associations, relevant United Nations agencies and other stakeholders; Panel will also discuss the effective ways for the workers in the informal economy to have their concerns heard and to meaningfully participate in the development of legislation and policies relating to their rights to work and social security.
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights will prepare a summary note on the discussion, which will inform an analytical report on the realization of the rights to work and to social security in the informal economy, based on the panel discussion, and to be submitted to the Human Rights Council at its sixtieth session.