Highlights and images for 5 November 2025

On the second day of the Second World Summit for Social Development, leaders underscored the central importance of universal social protection systems, the protection of the most vulnerable, the empowerment of women, the safeguarding of family structures, and the promotion of lasting peace and security as cornerstones of social development.

South Africa, speaking on behalf of a group of countries, called for renewed political will and stronger multilateral solidarity to dismantle structural barriers that perpetuate poverty and inequality. She affirmed that universal social protection systems are essential enablers of social justice and sustainable development, with gender equality and sexual and reproductive health and rights guaranteed for all.

Norway underlined that no country can reach its full potential without the full participation of women in the labor market and described his country’s laws that enable both women and men to contribute equally to the workforce while balancing family responsibilities. Brazil highlighted several national programmes, including the Bolsa Família initiative, which it said has strengthened social inclusion and enhanced human dignity. Fiji called for sustained income generation, equitable access to education, healthcare, and social protection, and the promotion of fair wages and labor rights.  

Lithuania said there can be no true social development without peace and stability, underlining that global conflicts drive poverty and hunger, threaten global supply chains and stress local healthcare systems.

Antigua and Barbuda underscored the devastating impact of Hurricane Melissa on neighboring Caribbean islands, warning that such natural disasters have the potential to erase decades of hard-won development progress.

Palestine described the destruction in Gaza as the unravelling of its social fabric, with homes, schools, and livelihoods lost and the most vulnerable left without social protections. She called for an urgent, coordinated international response that goes beyond temporary relief towards justice-based recovery, and creates a shock-responsive social system.

In the morning, delegates also convened in a second High-level Round Table, on “Assessing progress and addressing gaps and challenges in the implementation of the commitments of the Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development and its Programme of Action and giving momentum towards the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.” 

In her keynote speech, Amina J. Mohammed, UN Deputy Secretary-General, emphasized that “siloed policies will not solve today’s deeply interconnected challenges.” She urged the international community to pursue transformative change in the way it works, rather than simply reaffirming old commitments.

Speakers emphasized that achieving social development requires peace, equity, and accountability, supported by inclusive financing and stronger institutions. Guylain Nyembo Mbwzya, Minister of State, Minister of Planning and Coordination of Development Aid, Democratic Republic of the Congo, highlighted budget constraints and inequalities that hinder implementation, calling for realistic, peace-linked approaches and private sector engagement.

Sanni Grahn-Laasonen, Minister for Social Security, Finland, underscored that social protection fosters resilience and trust when taxation produces visible change. Buthaina Bint Ali Al Jabr Al Nuaimi, Minister of Social Development and Family, Qatar, framed social investment as a driver of stability, emphasizing fiscal policies as tools for promoting inclusion and strengthening resilience. Matthias Thorns, International Organisation of Employers (IOE) Vice-President to the International Labour Organization (ILO), called for stronger accountability and monitoring of the Doha commitments, emphasizing the need to move beyond “tick-box" exercises.

Sabina Alkire, Director, Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), stressed data-driven, integrated, whole-of-society approaches. Inger Ashing, Chief Executive Officer, Save the Children International, urged renewed political will and financing, warning of declining progress on child protection and shrinking civic space.

The Summit will conclude on Thursday, 6 November 2025, with a closing plenary and final segment featuring a statement by the President of the UN General Assembly.