Welcome to the United Nations
Opening the sixty-fourth session of the Commission for Social Development (CSocD64) on 2 February 2026, global leaders and experts delivered a unified message: social development and social justice must be central to the international agenda, as they are the bedrock of stability, dignity, and the credibility of multilateralism.
In the wake of the Second World Summit for Social Development held in Doha in late 2025, the Commission convened its first meetings at United Nations Headquarters under the theme "Advancing social development and social justice through coordinated, equitable and inclusive policies."
From Doha Commitments to Tangible Change Khrystyna Hayovyshyn (Ukraine), Chair of the Commission, opened the session by stressing that the body bears the primary responsibility for reviewing the commitments set out in the newly adopted Doha Political Declaration.
“This is not a conceptual exercise,” Hayovyshyn told delegates. “The credibility of this Commission will be measured by its ability to generate clear direction, strengthen follow-up and sustain political momentum. Ensuring an adequate social standard is not a matter of charity; it is a shared global obligation.”
Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed echoed this urgency, noting that the Doha Political Declaration signals a definitive shift away from "incrementalism." She called on Member States to translate the Declaration into country-level pathways that link job creation, universal social protection floors, and inclusive public services.
The discussion highlighted that social investments are critical not only for human rights but for global security. Annalena Baerbock, President of the General Assembly’s eightieth session, warned of a "vicious cycle" where climate stress drives hunger and poverty, which in turn fuels conflict. “Ending hunger and poverty is not an act of charity,” Baerbock stated. “Delivering on social justice and development goals is both a moral imperative and an investment in stability and resilience.”
Lok Bahadur Thapa, President of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), added that widening inequalities are eroding trust in public institutions. He emphasized that investing in care systems strengthens resilience across the life course and expands women’s economic participation.
In the afternoon, the Commission held a high-level panel on "Coordination and governance, equity, inclusion and participation," moderated by Stefaan Verhulst of The GovLab at NYU.
Keynote speaker Sabina Alkire, Professor of Poverty and Human Development at Oxford University, noted that while the session "sets sail" from Doha, the destination is equity and inclusion. She argued that coordination must move beyond institutional architecture to become part of the "mental architecture" of governance, ensuring that health policies do not compete with education, nor social protection undercut growth.
The Commission will continue its work through 10 February, with Member States and civil society representatives—including the NGO Committee for Social Development—focusing on how to finance these social policy packages and ensure that civil society engagement remains a core principle of people-centred multilateralism.
For more information about CSocD64, please visit:
https://social.desa.un.org/csocd/64th-session
