Second World Summit for Social Development Blog

In recent years, a quiet revolution has been taking place worldwide, one plate of food at a time. According to a new report by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), nearly 80 million more…
The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16 Conference, hosted by UN DESA, Permanent Mission of Italy to the UN, and the International Development Law Organization (IDLO), was held at the UN…
On 9 September, Annalena Baerbock, former foreign minister of Germany, opened the 80th session of the UN General Assembly with a powerful call for courage and reform. Taking her oath on the original…
For the first time in history, the number of children with obesity has surpassed the number of underweight children worldwide, according to a new report from UNICEF. The report, titled Feeding Profit…
Disasters are becoming more frequent, more severe, and more interconnected. The world is navigating a deeply uncertain global risk landscape, where climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss,…
Since its adoption, the Convention on the Rights of the Child has achieved near universal ratification, with 196 States Parties as of 1 July 2025. Yet, while the Convention enshrines the right of…
On 1 September 2025, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), in collaboration with Saudi Arabia’s Communications, Space & Technology Commission, unveiled a landmark initiative: the…
More than two decades after the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, global efforts to eliminate racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance remain as…
Despite rising global awareness of hunger and malnutrition, food insecurity continues to affect billions of people worldwide. While climate change, conflict, and inflation remain major drivers,…
As the world marks the halfway point to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the 2025 High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) has adopted a Ministerial Declaration and released a report that sheds…
Today, UNESCO marks International Literacy Day under the theme “Promoting literacy in the digital era.” A global conference at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris is spotlighting how digital transformation…
Leading up to the Second World Summit for Social Development, UNRISD held a virtual side event titled “On the Road to the Second World Summit for Social Development: Evidence-Based Regional…
31 August marked the International Day of People of African Descent, spotlighting the Second International Decade for People of African Descent, to be observed from 2025 to 2034. The Second…
Ministers, senior officials, and international partners gathered in Brasilia for the Sixth Session of the Regional Conference on Social Development in Latin America and the Caribbean, organized by…
This week, UNESCO’s Digital Learning Week 2025 was held in Paris, where participants explored how artificial intelligence is reshaping education and what it looks like for learners, educators, and…
Disasters are among the greatest threats to sustainable development today. They are striking more frequently, with greater intensity, and in ways that are deeply interconnected. From extreme heat and…