In the lead-up to the World Social Summit 2025 in Doha, civil society leaders, grassroots representatives and academics from across Asia convened for the Asia Regional People’s Assembly 2025 to raise unified demands for universal social protection, economic justice and human rights for all. Held virtually on 28 October 2025, the Assembly brought together 130 participants from across Asia.

The Assembly served as a vital regional platform to strengthen solidarity and amplify people’s perspectives in shaping a just, inclusive and sustainable future.

Read the Asia Regional People’s Declaration here. 

Keynote Address: Prof. Babu Mathew

Prof. Babu Mathew from the National Law School of India University underlined that “not everything is bad in the global economic order.” He noted that there are powerful voices of decent ordoliberalism emerging to correct the excesses of neoliberalism. Prof. Mathew emphasized the need to reclaim the moral and social dimensions of economics to ensure justice and dignity for all.

Guest Address: Amjad Shawa

Speaking live from Gaza, Amjad Shawa, Deputy Commissioner General of the Independent Commission for Human Rights, Palestine, described the ongoing assault as “an attack not only on Palestinians but on humanity itself.” He said Gaza has been turned into an uninhabitable land where 70,000 people have been killed, 98% of agricultural land destroyed and 55,000 children orphaned. Despite the devastation, he said, Palestinian civil society continues its humanitarian work “from tents and rubble.” He urged the global community to support the early recovery and rebuilding of Gaza.

Watch Asia Regional People’s Assembly 2025

Voices from Communities: Faces of Exclusion

Grassroots testimonies brought the realities of exclusion and inequality to the forefront.

Youth activist Ganga Bahadur Gautam from Nepal shared the story of the Gen Z movement, where 72 young protesters lost their lives and over 2,200 were injured while demanding democracy and freedom of expression. He urged Asian civil society to stand in solidarity with Nepal’s youth who continue to fight for justice and democratic rights.

Rohini Chhari from India, representing the Bediya community of the Denotified and Nomadic Tribes (DNT) and the sex worker community, highlighted the persistent exclusion her people face from education, healthcare and social protection. She urged the government to grant separate recognition and dedicated social protection schemes for DNTs like the Bediya, who continue to live in invisibility within policy and welfare systems.

Bal Maya Bishwokarma from the Dalit Women’s Network, South Asia, highlighted that Dalit women across South Asia continue to face caste-based discrimination that denies them access to health, education and social protection. She urged governments to make social protection systems caste-responsive and gender-just to ensure dignity and equality for every Dalit woman.

Civil Society Voice – Intersection of financing, debt and social protection in Asian context

Jagat Patnaik from ActionAid emphasized that Asian countries must rally behind a UN Framework Convention on Debt and challenge the dominance of the IMF and World Bank to build a just global financial system.

Abid Gulzar of American Friends Service Committee warned that global aid cuts and rising militarization are transforming welfare states into security states, undermining justice, peace and human dignity across Asia.

Reshma Shakya from the South Asia Alliance for Poverty Eradication (SAAPE) highlighted that low public spending and vast informal sectors continue to exclude millions in South Asia from social protection, underscoring the crucial role of civil society and trade unions in driving inclusive reforms.

Sunil Acharya of Recourse emphasized that a truly just transition must go beyond clean energy goals to dismantle inequitable systems of power, finance and ownership that perpetuate climate injustice.

The Assembly concluded with participants reviewing the draft Asia Regional People’s Declaration, which consolidates regional priorities on social protection, equality and climate justice. This declaration will feed into the Global People’s Assembly and the World Social Summit 2025 in Doha.

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