General Assembly (GA)

At its 3rd plenary meeting, on 16 September 2022, the General Assembly, on the recommendation of the General Committee, decided to include in the agenda of its seventy-seventh session the item entitled: “Social development: “(a) Implementation of the outcome of the World Summit for Social Development and of the twenty-fourth special session of the General Assembly; “(b) Social development, including questions relating to the world social situation and to youth, ageing, persons with disabilities and the family; “(c) Literacy for life: shaping future agendas” and to allocate it to the Third Committee.

The present report, submitted pursuant to General Assembly resolution 76/218, provides a review of the progress made and the gaps and challenges in implementing the Third United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty (2018–2027), including the socioeconomic impacts of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and the conflict in Ukraine, as well as the responses thereto. Policies for an inclusive and sustainable recovery from these crises are discussed and recommendations made.

In the present report, submitted pursuant to General Assembly resolution 76/134, the Secretary-General emphasizes the need for decisive national actions and international cooperation to eradicate poverty and achieve the goals of the World Summit for Social Development and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. He examines the multifaceted impacts of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and the conflict in Ukraine on social development and underscores the importance of strengthening global solidarity and multilateral cooperation.

The Secretary-General calls for the further strengthening long-term social policies to enhance people’s capacities for and resilience to future crises, as well as for preserving social spending to support such national policies and…

The report contains an examination of the current state of rural poverty and the gaps and challenges to eradicating it, especially in developing countries, as well as recommendations for overcoming the numerous gaps and challenges.

The report reviews progress made in eradicating poverty, including the response of the United Nations system to the theme of the Third United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty (2018–2027). The report also contains recommendations on ways to make the Third Decade effective, in support of poverty eradication-related internationally agreed development goals, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The report is focused on reducing inequalities through the empowerment of all and the promotion of social, economic and political inclusion, social protection, inclusive and lifelong learning and other measures for advancing social integration. Highlighted in the report are good practices in inclusive policy-making at the national and international levels.

The focus of the present note is the effects of major global trends – specifically technological innovation, climate change, urbanization and international migration – on inequality. The examination provided, including the policy recommendations on how to manage these trends equitably, encompasses the main findings of the forthcoming World Social Report.

The report underscores the need to strengthen international cooperation for social development, with particular attention to universal and equitable access to education and health care, and to advance progress in the achievement of the objectives set forth at the World Summit for Social Development and in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The report identifies existing gaps and challenges and outlines strategies to align international cooperation to support national policies and strategies to accelerate progress. The outcomes of the fifty-seventh session of the Commission for Social Development are also highlighted in the report, which concludes with policy recommendations for consideration by the Assembly.