A reflection by Liana Almony, Chair of the NGO CSocD for the 2024-2026 term
On the final day of CSW 69, Liana Almony delivered remarks at the Civil Society Briefing, emphasizing both progress and ongoing challenges as the 30th anniversaries of the Beijing and Copenhagen Declarations approach. She highlighted how the three pillars of social development—poverty eradication, social inclusion, and equitable employment—are deeply interconnected with gender justice. Recognizing that social development is incomplete without gender equality, the discussion reaffirmed the need for integrated, inclusive, and people-centered approaches to global progress. See the full remarks below, and for the recording, visit the UN Web TV link.
Official Remarks at CSW69 CSO Briefing
“Excellencies, distinguished delegates, colleagues, and friends,
Thank you Rosa, and congratulations to our friends at the NGO CSW who have really done an incredible job in bringing civil society together throughout CSW and creating spaces where our voices are heard.
The NGO Committee for Social Development was mandated and formed in 1998 soon after the first World Summit for Social Development, which took place in Copenhagen in 1995. For almost 30 years our member organizations have joined forces to work toward the achievement of the Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development, and continue to review progress toward those goals. In solidarity we promote people-centered development policies and initiatives at the UN.
As we close the 69th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women, we reflect on the progress made, the challenges ahead, and the vital connections between our efforts here and the upcoming Second World Summit for Social Development, taking place from November 4-6 in Doha, Qatar. In doing so we must ask: How can we ensure that gender equality is at the heart of our commitments to social development and social justice?
The Beijing Declaration and the Copenhagen Declaration – both outcomes of historic summits in 1995 – are deeply intertwined. The Copenhagen Declaration identifies poverty eradication, full and productive employment, and social inclusion for all as the pillars of social development, and outlines ten commitments in the pursuit of driving progress on these pillars. It emphasizes the urgent need to address profound social problems, promote social justice, foster human well-being, and ultimately makes an effort to place people at the center of development considerations. Of course gender equality is central to actualizing the commitments made in the Copenhagen Declaration as it underpins each of these pillars and commitments. Women make up a disproportionate share of those living in poverty, facing systemic barriers to economic independence, land rights, and financial inclusion. Without targeted efforts to dismantle these barriers, global poverty reduction strategies will remain incomplete. Gender-responsive employment policies are crucial to realizing the goal of full and productive employment, ensuring that women have equal access to decent work, fair wages, and protections against exploitation. And social inclusion cannot be fully achieved if women and girls continue to experience discrimination, violence, and exclusion from decision-making spaces. The Copenhagen Declaration’s vision of a just, equitable, and inclusive society can only be realized when gender equality is embedded in all social and economic policies. And of course the Beijing Declaration reinforces these ideas as well, specifically outlining key areas where gender equality must be advanced to achieve social development, including women’s economic empowerment, equal access to education, training, healthcare, and employment, and participation in decision-making at all levels. So both Declarations reinforce the idea that sustainable development is impossible without gender equality, and that efforts to address gender equality must be rooted in the eradication of poverty, full and productive employment, and social inclusion for all. As we move toward the Second World Summit for Social Development in 2025, we must reaffirm these principles with urgency and resolve. And indeed, the first page of the CSW69 political declaration commits to ensuring the mainstreaming of a gender perspective into the preparations for and the follow-up to all the major UN conferences and Summits in the development, economic, social, humanitarian, and related fields so that they effectively contribute to the realization of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls. The 2025 World Summit for Social Development and all the milestones leading up to it, from CSW to the Conference on Financing for Development to the High-Level Political Forum, provide us with critical moments for reflection and action. They are an opportunity to influence policy, foster multi-stakeholder partnerships, and advance bold solutions to ensure no one is left behind. This moment demands that we bridge the agendas of the Beijing Declaration and of the Copenhagen Declaration, recognizing that progress on one is progress on all.
Civil society has always been a driving force in holding governments accountable, pushing for transformative change, and ensuring that global commitments translate into action. As we look ahead, we must ensure that the second World Summit for Social Development does not simply reaffirm the promises of 1995 but builds upon them with bold, actionable policies that place women and marginalized communities at the center. Furthermore, meaningful implementation of the commitments made at the Summit must be a collective effort, with civil society actively engaged in monitoring, advocacy, and follow-up at all levels. Without sustained civil society involvement led by women with lived experience, the transformative potential of these commitments will remain unrealized. Ensuring civil society voices are uplifted, included, and considered in the planning and implementation before, during, and after the Summit is key to the work of the NGO CSocD, and we are doing this in a variety of ways, especially by creating spaces and platforms which unite people and organizations across civil society to ensure we are able to effectively collaborate to influence the Summit, and the voices of women and affected communities are heard and reflected in policy and practice. If you’d like to learn more about our work and how you can get involved, please reach out to us or check out our website – http://www.ngosocdev.org
As we close CSW69, let us leave with a clear message: gender equality is not merely an aspect of social development – it is its foundation. The road from Beijing+30 to Copenhagen+30 is one we must walk together, ensuring that justice, dignity, and equality for women and girls remain at the core of our shared future.
Thank you.”
