Civil Society Forum Report
The Civil Society Forum at the 64th Session of the Commission for Social Development
Hosted by the NGO Committee for Social Development in collaboration with UNDESA, the Forum brought civil society, Member States, UN officials, youth, academia, and community networks together to advance social development and social justice through coordinated, equitable, and inclusive policies.
Event Details
Why This Forum Mattered
The Commission for Social Development remains the primary United Nations forum for global policymaking on social development. The Civil Society Forum created a space for civil society to shape dialogue, share grounded experiences, and provide coordinated input to Member States ahead of CSocD64.
Civil Society Voice
The Forum strengthened civil society’s role in shaping implementation, accountability, and policy dialogue within UN social development processes.
Policy Continuity
The Forum linked the Copenhagen Declaration, the Doha Political Declaration, and CSocD64 as one continuous pathway for people-centred development.
Implementation Focus
The discussions emphasized moving from declarations to funded programs, structural reform, measurable outcomes, and participatory monitoring.
A Policy Pathway: Copenhagen → Doha → CSocD64
Copenhagen Declaration
Reaffirmed poverty eradication, full employment and sustainable livelihoods, and social integration as the foundation of global social development.
Doha Political Declaration
Renewed commitments to universal social protection, decent work, just transitions, inclusive societies, civil society participation, data systems, and financing.
CSocD64
Focused on advancing social development and social justice through coordinated, equitable, and inclusive policies.
What the Forum Set Out to Do
The Forum was designed to provide a platform for dialogue, showcase community-driven models, identify recommendations for Member States, and strengthen multistakeholder partnerships.
Link Frameworks
Demonstrate the continuity from Copenhagen to Doha to CSocD64 as a unified policy pathway.
Highlight Solutions
Showcase scalable civil society and community-driven solutions across poverty eradication, decent work, and social inclusion.
Promote Integrated Policies
Discuss joined-up social policies responding to economic shocks, climate impacts, conflict, and health emergencies.
Strengthen Participation
Ensure civil society voices inform financing, governance, rights-based approaches, monitoring, and accountability.
Program Flow
The Forum moved from strategic framing to thematic discussion and concluded with a unified civil society message for CSocD64.
Opening Plenary
The Opening Plenary set the strategic tone by connecting the CSocD64 priority theme to the Doha Declaration, UN system support, and civil society advocacy priorities.
- Introduced the priority theme and its relevance to current global challenges.
- Reinforced the Doha Programme of Action as a framework for poverty eradication and social justice.
- Outlined civil society expectations and advocacy priorities for CSocD64.
Universal Social Protection and Community Resilience
This session focused on poverty eradication, universal social protection floors, structural barriers, community resilience, digital and vocational education, and the care economy.
- Reaffirmed poverty eradication as a foundational pillar of social development.
- Highlighted universal social protection systems as tools for dignity and resilience.
- Explored structural barriers, homelessness, care work, and digital divides.
From Informality to Dignified Work
This session explored decent work as a pathway to dignity, participation, equal opportunity, informal worker protection, youth employment, and inclusive labour transitions.
- Linked decent work to social integration and full participation.
- Discussed protections for informal workers and opportunities for youth.
- Shared civil society and cooperative models for inclusive employment.
Closing Plenary
The Closing Plenary synthesized messages from the Forum and highlighted concrete policies and actions aligned with the Doha Programme of Action.
- Emphasized action to implement the Doha Declaration.
- Showcased examples of integrated, equitable, and inclusive approaches.
- Consolidated a forward-looking civil society message for CSocD64.
Session Highlights
The thematic sessions translated broad commitments into concrete policy conversations around poverty eradication, social protection, employment, and inclusion.
Poverty Eradication and Social Protection
The session reaffirmed poverty eradication as the foundational pillar of social development and examined how universal social protection and community resilience can support a future free of poverty.
- Structural barriers to poverty eradication.
- Universal social protection systems.
- Vocational and digital education in the AI era.
- The care economy and gender equity.
Employment and Decent Work
The session examined how decent work supports social integration, dignity, rights-based participation, and equal opportunity.
- Full participation and non-discrimination.
- Employment as a pathway to dignity.
- Informal worker protections and youth employment.
- Civil society and cooperative models.
Breakfast with the Bureau
Ahead of the Commission, the NGO Committee hosted its annual Breakfast with the Bureau on Friday, January 30. The session created a constructive space for listening and exchange among Member States, UN partners, NGO Committee members, and key stakeholders.
Outcomes and Key Takeaways
The Forum reinforced the NGO Committee’s credibility within UN processes, strengthened cross-sectoral alliances, and positioned the Committee as a convening leader on coordinated and inclusive social policy.
Policy Influence
- Aligned civil society messaging with CSocD64 priorities.
- Reinforced measurable implementation and accountability.
- Connected Doha outcomes to Commission deliberations.
Civil Society Positioning
- Recognized civil society as implementation partners.
- Improved coordination across NGOs.
- Increased engagement from grassroots and community-based actors.
Implementation Focus
- Called for time-bound national strategies.
- Linked social protection, decent work, and inclusion.
- Emphasized participatory monitoring and civil society oversight.
Core Insight
- Inclusive social systems are foundational to cohesion and stability.
- Declarations must become delivery.
- Civil society must be structurally embedded in consultation and accountability.
With Gratitude
The NGO Committee acknowledges the contributions and support of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, the Civil Society Forum organizing team, expert speakers, Member States, the NGO Committee executive team, the Council of Past Chairs, interns, and volunteers.
UN and Institutional Partners
UNDESA, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, Member States, and CSocD64 Bureau representatives.
Forum Contributors
Expert speakers, moderators, civil society representatives, youth voices, and grassroots participants.
Committee Support
The organizing team, executive team, Council of Past Chairs, interns, and volunteers.
From Forum Dialogue to Collective Action
The Civil Society Forum at CSocD64 bridged historical commitments and contemporary realities, placing civil society at the center of shaping a more just, inclusive, and sustainable social development agenda.
Moments from the Forum
A moment from the Civil Society Forum at CSocD64, bringing together civil society, Member States, United Nations officials, and partners at United Nations Headquarters.
