The meeting came at a time described as hopeful and urgent. Since the coalition launched in 2023, governments and partners have expanded their efforts to close inequalities and strengthen social protections.
Progress has been made in education, life expectancy and gender equality. However, discrimination, exclusion and gaps in rights at work remain deeply entrenched in many countries.
In this context, the Forum served as a space to share achievements, examine where commitments are falling short, and discuss how to accelerate coordinated efforts to close these divides.
Not just dreams: rights
Addressing the event, Annalena Baerbock, President of the UN General Assembly, spoke of social justice not as a vision but as a right.
“We all have dreams,” he said, recalling his childhood hopes and the encouragement that hard work could make anything possible.
“But we know that’s not true for everyone. The world, as it is, is not the same. It’s not fair. The world is not fair.”
He warned that millions of young people around the world still see their future limited by poverty, lack of education, conflict and discrimination.
“These are not just dreams. They are rights,” he said, calling on governments, the private sector and civil society to dismantle systemic barriers: “We have to make sure we put an end to these injustices once and for all.“
An elderly flower seller in Jogyakarta, Indonesia. According to UN estimates, 58 percent of the world’s older people live in Asia and the Pacific, a figure that is expected to increase in the coming years.
A path to justice
talking to UN News On the sidelines, Srinivas Tata, Director of the Social Development Division of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), underlined the importance of the moment.
“It is about putting social development back at the center,” he said. “Social justice is the goal; “Social protection is one of the means to get there.”
Asia and the Pacific have lifted millions of people out of poverty in recent decades, he noted, but inequality remains high, populations are aging rapidly and climate change is deepening vulnerabilities.
To help address these pressures, ESCAP works with governments to identify who is left behind and how to reach them. Its Social Protection Toolkit includes a simulation tool to show the benefits of expanding social protection.
“This shows that Social protection is not a cost… it is an investment.“
Human rights at the center
While ESCAP highlighted regional policy tools, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, emphasized universal principles underpinning social protection efforts.
Nada Al-Nashif, UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, told us that the Summit is “a golden opportunity to review the Copenhagen vision,” noting that poverty eradication, decent work and social inclusion are “completely anchored in human rights.”
Regarding social protection, he highlighted close collaboration with other UN agencies, particularly the International Labor Organization (ILO), and “incredible success stories” in which plans are anchored in law and target the most vulnerable.
Looking to the future, he highlighted the need to take action: “We now have the drive to turn all our plans and aspirations into actions. We know how it works and we have the solutions.”
UN news from the field
UN News is on the ground in Dohaproviding continuous coverage throughout the week, including live updates, interviews and analysis from the Summit. Follow our coverage here.