The Doha Political Declaration to be formally adopted by the Second World Summit for Social Development, has been agreed by consensus through an intergovernmental negotiating process that took place at the United Nations in New York. The Declaration marks a pivotal moment in the global effort to accelerate social progress, eradicate poverty, and build more inclusive, just, and sustainable societies.
Population ageing is a defining global trend of our time. People are living longer, and more are older than ever before. Spectacular improvements in health and survival and reductions in fertility have driven this momentous shift, which has begun or is expected to begin soon in all countries and areas.
The UN General Assembly (UNGA) is the main policy-making organ of the Organization. Comprising all Member States, it provides a unique forum for multilateral discussion of the full spectrum of international issues covered by the Charter of the United Nations. Each of the 193 Member States of the United Nations has an equal vote.
Indigenous Peoples and other stakeholders are invited to contribute their views, comments and inputs on the Concept Papers of the Interactive Dialogues of the 2026 UN Water Conference through a second global online consultation.
Working closely with UN-Water, the Secretariat is preparing concept papers for each of the Interactive Dialogues of the 2026 UN Water Conference.
The eighteenth session of the Conference of States Parties (COSP18) to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) took place at United Nations Headquarters in New York from 10 to 12 June 2025. The session brought together representatives of 125 Member States, regional groups, civil society, national human rights institutions, and UN entities, reaffirming the Convention’s role as a cornerstone for inclusive and sustainable development.
Key Themes and Discussions
Building a Better World Together: Cooperative Contributions to the SDGs is a policy brief series developed in support of the 2025 UN International Year of Cooperatives to showcase how cooperatives drive progress across the Sustainable Development Goals. The policy brief on SDG 17, Partnerships for the Goals, highlights how cooperatives strengthen global cooperation by linking grassroots initiatives to national strategies and international frameworks.
The United Nations Secretary-General has issued a new report, Promoting Social Integration through Social Inclusion (A/80/155), highlighting the transformative role of social capital in advancing social progress and reducing multidimensional poverty.
The report stresses that poverty is not only economic but also relational — shaped by trust, participation, and social networks that expand or restrict opportunities. Building social capital can therefore help dismantle structural barriers, foster inclusion, and strengthen resilience.
Cooperatives have long stood at the intersection of economic empowerment and social solidarity. The Secretary-General’s latest report to the General Assembly, Cooperatives in Social Development (A/80/168), underscores their transformative role in advancing poverty eradication, decent work, and social integration—the very pillars of the Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development.
Young people are at the forefront of global transformation. With more than 1.2 billion youth worldwide, their energy, creativity, and activism are vital to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In honour of the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples on 9 August, the UN hosted a virtual commemoration on Friday on the theme AI: Defending Rights, Shaping Futures.
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