As governments convene in Doha for the Second World Summit for Social Development (WSSD2), civil society networks from across continents have united behind a strong message: The world needs a new global social contract that puts people and planet before profit.

At the Global People’s Assembly 2025, held on 29 October, representatives of grassroots movements, trade unions, and civil society organisations adopted the People’s Declaration for Social Justice, urging governments to move beyond rhetoric and deliver concrete measures for a just, inclusive, and sustainable world.

Read the People’s Declaration for Social Justice at WSSD2 in English, French and Spanish.

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A Call for Renewed Commitment to Social Justice

The Declaration warns that the world stands at a critical juncture—facing escalating wars, extreme inequalities, deepening climate and debt crises, and a surge in authoritarianism. It asserts that the World Social Summit must become a turning point to “reinvigorate multilateral cooperation and place social justice at the heart of sustainable development.”

While welcoming the Doha Political Declaration adopted by governments at WSSD2, civil society leaders criticised it for lacking vision and failing to offer a roadmap for action or accountability.

“Thirty years after the Copenhagen Declaration, pledges remain unmet, and the enabling environment for social development has not materialised,” the Declaration notes. “With only 18% of the SDGs on track, progress on eradicating poverty, decent work, and social inclusion remains far too slow and uneven.”

Stark Realities: Inequality, Debt, and Displacement

The Declaration presents alarming global statistics:

• 808 million people live in extreme poverty, and 3.8 billion lack adequate social protection (ILO).
• The richest 1% own 45% of global wealth, while 44% of humanity lives on less than $6.85 a day (Credit Suisse, World Bank).
• Nearly 1 in 3 countries face a debt crisis, with 68 low-income nations spending over 40% of government budgets on debt repayments.
• Military spending reached $2.7 trillion in 2024, rising by 9.4%, while hunger, poverty, and conflict displace over 122 million people worldwide (SIPRI, UNHCR).

“The International Financial Architecture is still rooted in colonial power relations,” the Declaration states, calling for a UN Sovereign Debt Convention and a UN Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation (UNFCITC) to ensure fairness and fiscal justice.

Demands for a Just Future

The People’s Declaration outlines 14 key demands for social, economic, and climate justice:

1. National Inequality Reduction Plans with time-bound targets.
2. Universal Social Protection Floors by 2028, reviewed every five years.
3. Inclusive Universal Health Coverage and investment in the health workforce.
4. Free, quality public education and improved teacher working conditions.
5. Gender-transformative policies recognising and redistributing unpaid care work.
6. Dedicated financing for marginalised groups including women, Indigenous Peoples, Persons with Disabilities, and Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent.
7. Adoption of a UN Convention on the Rights of Older Persons.
8. End to austerity and privatisation; invest in public services and progressive taxation.
9. Debt cancellation and regulation of global trade and tax systems through the UN.
10. Fair climate finance and just transition away from fossil fuels.
11. Democratic regulation of AI and technology, ensuring decent work and retraining.
12. Protection of civic space and human rights defenders.
13. Demilitarisation, reallocating military spending to fund social development.
14. A strengthened, democratic UN as the central rule-making body in global governance.

“People’s Roadmap for Social Justice”

The Declaration emphasises that true progress depends on people’s participation, not only government commitments.

“Civil society must play its role in holding governments accountable and ensuring people’s voices lead the transformation toward a just, equitable and sustainable future,” it declares.
“Now more than ever, we need new hope. The Peoples of the World need a concrete path towards social justice.”

A Global Process from the Ground Up

The People’s Declaration for Social Justice was developed through a bottom-up, participatory process. Community and national People’s Assemblies in Africa, Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean contributed to regional consultations, culminating in the Global People’s Assembly 2025, where delegates consolidated the final declaration.

The initiative was coordinated by civil society networks under the Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP), representing voices from over 100 countries.