Circulation of the Zero Draft of the Political Declaration for the Second World Summit for Social Development

In a key milestone for preparations toward the Second World Summit for Social Development (WSSD2), the President of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly, His Excellency Mr. Philemon Yang, has circulated the Zero Draft of the Political Declaration to Member States.

The letter, submitted by the Co-Facilitators of the intergovernmental process, Ambassadors Sophie De Smedt (Belgium) and Omar Hilale (Morocco), marks the formal launch of negotiations on the outcome document of WSSD2, scheduled to take place in Doha, Qatar, from 4 to 6 November 2025.

Following the timeline outlined in the roadmap and timeline for the negotiations, the Zero Draft will be presented for initial discussion during the first informal consultations at the ambassadorial level on 9 May 2025 at UN Headquarters.

Purpose and Vision of the Zero Draft

The Political Declaration aims to build a more just, inclusive, and sustainable world by reaffirming the international community’s commitment to the Copenhagen Declaration and Programme of Action and to accelerating implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The draft sets a bold vision for addressing persistent and emerging social challenges such as:

• Poverty eradication,
• Decent work and employment for all,
• Social integration,
• Digital divides,
• Inequalities,
• Gender disparities, and
• Financing gaps for social development.

It acknowledges global setbacks exacerbated by multiple crises – including the lingering impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, technological disruptions, and rising inequality – and calls for renewed multilateral cooperation, solidarity, and integrated social policies.

Key Components of the Draft

The Zero Draft focuses on several pillars:

• A Vision for the Future: Affirming human dignity, social justice, peace, and equality;
• Recommitment to Core Principles: Upholding the Copenhagen commitments, the 2030 Agenda, and the right to development;
• Call to Action: Specific commitments to eradicate poverty, promote decent work, enhance social integration, and address cross-cutting issues such as food security, health, digital transformation, gender equality, housing, and migration;
• Follow-up and Review: Establishing a structured review mechanism, including a quinquennial review under the General Assembly's auspices and enhanced roles for the Commission for Social Development and regional commissions.

Roadmap and timeline - Negotiations of the Political Declaration 

As laid out in the negotiation roadmap:

• Member States will provide initial feedback on the Zero Draft during the first informal consultation on 9 May 2025.
• A second informal consultation and first reading will take place on 16 May 2025.
• Written comments from Member States are expected by 19 May 2025.
• Further informal consultations and revisions are planned for late May and June, aiming to finalize the Political Declaration by the end of June through a silence procedure.

The WSSD2 Political Declaration is expected to be a landmark outcome, renewing global consensus on social development strategies for the coming decades, thirty years after the original Copenhagen Summit.

Letter from President General Assembly on WSSD2 Zero Draft of the Political Declaration