World Summit for Social Development 1995, Copenhagen, Denmark | Division for Inclusive Social Development (DISD)

World Summit for Social Development 1995

Group photo of the Heads of State and High-Level dignataries attending the World Summit for Social Development in Copenhagen in 1995. UN Photo

A historic summit The World Summit for Social Development (WSSD) was, at its time, the largest gathering of world leaders ever assembled. It was attended by more than 14,000 people, include delegates from 186 countries, with 117 represented at the level of Heads of State or Government. At the Summit, Governments pledged to make the conquest of poverty, the goal of full employment and the fostering of social integration overriding objectives of development. At the conclusion of the Summit, Governments adopted a Declaration and Programme of Action which represented a new consensus on the need to put people at the centre of development - in order to advance social development through 10 commitments, including eradicating poverty, reducing inequality and promoting social integration. In the Declaration, Member States agreed to promote international peace and security, accelerate development in Africa and the least developed countries, and mobilize resources for achieving social progress. They presented economic development, social progress and environmental protection as interdependent and components of sustainable development.

WSSD 1995 10_Commitments

The World Summit for Social Development was a historic moment, because the Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development and its Programme of Action have guided multilateral action on social development ever since. The Declaration emphasized the eradication of poverty as an ethical, social, political and economic imperative. The Declaration represented a unique consensus on three key objectives of social development, namely, eradicating poverty, promoting full and productive employment, and fostering social inclusion, and set out a holistic approach to achieve them. It recognized that social development cannot be achieved by the social sectors alone, nor through piecemeal initiatives. The approach required an orientation of values, objectives and priorities towards advancing social progress and a better quality of life and well-being for all. It aspired to “place people at the centre of development by ensuring full participation by all”.

Copenhagen Declaration and Programme of Action (A/CONF.166/9)

At the conclusion of the World Summit for Social Development, Governments adopted a Declaration and Programme of Action which represents a new consensus on the need to put people at the centre of development.

Documents

Documents on the follow-up to the Summit: Implementation of the outcome of the World Summit for Social Development and of the twenty-fourth special session of the General Assembly. Report of the Secretary-General. (for information only).

Agreements

At the end of their deliberations, the delegates at the Summit agreed on the adoption of the Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development, and the Programme of Action of the World Summit for Social Development.

Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development

Programme of Action of the World Summit for Social Development

Statements

WSSD 1995 Statements

Follow-Up by the UN General Assembly

While the UN Commission for Social Development (CSocD) is the main intergovernmental body responsible for following up the outcome of the World Summit for Social Development and the special session, the General Assembly annually holds a general debate and adopts a resolution on this issue.

Follow-Up By The UN General Assembly - Implementation Of The Outcome Of The World Summit For Social Development

Follow-Up Activities by the UN system

The Division has initiated a process of inter-agency coordination within the UN system on follow-up to the Summit and the special session. On 1 November 2000, an inter-agency consultation was convened in New York with participation of representatives of more than 20 agencies, funds and programmes to provide an opportunity, on an informal basis, to report on programmes and plans for follow-up to specific mandates and recommendations and to discuss further action on cross-cutting themes.

Compilation of reports from UN agencies

On the basis of this inter-agency consultation, the Division has prepared a compilation of reports from the UN system. The Compilation, which was released at the 39th session of the Commission for Social Development on 13 February 2001, contains summaries of reports from 19 entities within the UN system on activities and initiatives undertaken since Geneva to implement the goals of the Summit and the special session.

The Compilation shows that nearly all parts of the UN system have given careful consideration to the recommendations of the Summit and the special session relevant to their mandates, and several new actions and initiatives have been taken. The broad involvement in and deep commitment to the implementation of these social development objectives of the organizations of the UN system, which is reflected in the number of actions and initiatives presented in the Compilation, can in part be attributed to the valuable contribution made by these organizations in the preparatory process for the special session.

Download the Compilation in: | PDF-format | Word-format |

Follow-Up Activities by DISD

UN DESA's Division for Inclusive Social Development serves as the focal point within the UN for follow-up to the Summit and the special session and it has undertaken a number of initiatives to implement mandates and recommendations for action contained in the outcome documents.

The Division has initiated a process of inter-agency coordination within the UN system on follow-up to the special session. On 1 November 2000, an inter-agency consultation was convened in New York with participation of representatives of more than 20 agencies, funds and programmes to provide an opportunity, on an informal basis, to report on programmes and plans for follow-up to specific mandates and recommendations and to discuss further action on cross-cutting themes contained in the Geneva outcome document.

The Division is co-funding a study, edited by Professor Lance Taylor, on the impact of external liberalization on economic performance and social policy, which is to be published shortly. The book includes studies made in nine countries: Argentina, Colombia, Cuba, India, A/55/344 Mexico, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Korea, Turkey and Zimbabwe.

In the context of the Division’s work on poverty, including as focal point for the United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty, consultations have been carried out with UNDP and other agencies on the modalities for a global campaign to eradicate poverty. Further discussions on plans for a global campaign are scheduled in the major coordinating bodies of the UN system.

The Department of Economic and Social Affairs has launched a project entitled “International Forum for Social Development”, which will bring together main actors of the development process from the public and private spheres to debate the policies and modes of cooperation that could contribute to the implementation of the objectives of the Summit and the special session. Initial sponsors of the project include the Governments of Denmark, Finland and the Netherlands. Other Governments have expressed interest in supporting the project.

The Division and the Department for International Development (DFID) of the United Kingdom jointly convened a meeting at the end of March 2001 on “the integration of social and economic policies”, the priority theme of the 40th session of the Commission for Social Development. The meeting provided an opportunity for representatives of Member States to exchange experiences on best practice in integrating the social and economic, particularly in the context of globalization and of discussions on international financial architecture.

Press Releases

3 February 2016: Despite ‘Enormous’ Gains since Copenhagen Declaration, Inclusive Progress Must Reach Millions More, Delegates Tell Social Development Commission,