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February 2026
Why this year’s Commission for Social Development is the most important in years
UN DESA Voice February 2026
Volume 30 No. 2
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Volume 30 | No.2 | February 2026
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Why this year’s Commission for Social Development is the most important in years
By Khrystyna Hayovyshyn, Chair of the Bureau for the 64th Session of the Commission for Social Development
As Chair of the sixty‑fourth session of the Commission for Social Development, I see this session arriving at a pivotal moment, in a global context marked by fragmentation, inequality, and a profound trust deficit. These pressures are reversing social development gains and testing the resilience of institutions. Delivering on social development commitments is one of the most effective ways to rebuild confidence, because social development speaks directly to people’s daily lives, dignity, and opportunities.
The
Second World Summit for Social Development
held in November last year, reaffirmed the world’s commitment to the Copenhagen Declaration and Programme of Action. The
Doha Political Declaration
underscored the urgency of addressing poverty, inequality, unemployment, social exclusion, and the multiple crises and challenges affecting social development. It also reaffirmed that social development and social justice are indispensable foundations for peace, security, and sustainable development.
The Doha Political Declaration is action-oriented, setting out clear commitments and vowing to advance innovative solutions and international cooperation to translate the commitments of Copenhagen and Doha into concrete actions to achieve social development.
The
Commission for Social Development (CSocD)
provides the forum where these commitments begin to take shape as policy pathways, national strategies, and shared frameworks for action. This year’s priority theme, “Advancing social development and social justice through coordinated, equitable and inclusive policies”, provides an opportunity for Member States to explore and identify strategies and best practices for translating these broad commitments into Government action.
As the primary intergovernmental body tasked with the follow‑up to the Copenhagen Declaration and Programme of Action and now to the Doha Political Declaration, the Commission for Social Development plays a crucial role in translating political commitments into concrete progress toward social goals. It stands as the main and natural forum for coordinated action to eradicate poverty, promote full and decent employment, and create inclusive and equitable societies. At a time when the world faces profound social and economic challenges, the Commission’s mandate—to review, guide, and accelerate implementation—has never been more essential.
For Ukraine, chairing the sixty-fourth session of the Commission for Social Development carries particular importance. At a time when our country continues to confront the far-reaching social consequences of war of aggression, including displacement and economic disruption, social development is not an abstract policy concept but a lived reality. Ukraine’s chairmanship reflects a strong commitment to multilateralism and to the conviction that social development and social justice are essential foundations for resilience, recovery. It also underscores the belief that even in times of profound challenge, inclusive and equitable social policies remain central to rebuilding trust, protecting dignity and ensuring opportunity for all.
In line with this responsibility, Ukraine is facilitating the draft resolution of the Commission for Social Development entitled
“Advancing social development and social justice through coordinated, equitable, and inclusive policies.”
The objective of the resolution is to reaffirm existing international commitments, including those emerging from Copenhagen and Doha, while encouraging and calling upon Member States to translate these commitments into concrete action. By focusing on implementation, policy coherence, and practical follow-up, the resolution seeks to strengthen collective accountability and to ensure that global commitments are reflected in tangible outcomes at the national, regional and global levels.
The Commission is designed to support practical, solution-focused follow-up, offering Member States the space to identify priorities, share innovations, and build the partnerships needed to advance implementation at scale.
This year’s session marks the first formal moment of accountability following the Doha Summit. We see this as the earliest opportunity for Member States to demonstrate how they have begun, and intend to continue, to honour the commitments they endorsed only a few months ago. With just five years until we begin the first review of the Doha commitments in 2031, we encourage Member States to present early steps toward implementing them, whether through national strategies, policy reforms, or new initiatives. These will be critical for maintaining credibility and momentum.
Moreover, as we approach the end date of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, CSocD will provide crucial guidance to Member States to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and beyond.
This Commission is an opportunity for Member States to collectively sharpen their aim toward 2031, when the first review of commitments made at Doha will take place, by centering the importance of well-coordinated policies and early alignment to reconcile trade-offs and maximize synergies, equitable policies to ensure that the benefits and burdens of development are fairly shared, and inclusive policies to ensure that policymaking is legitimate and effective.
A successful Social Commission will also demonstrate that multilateralism is crucial for responding to the needs and aspirations of people everywhere. By advancing sustained high-level leadership, coordination and planning strategies, data capacities, inclusive participation, transparency and accountability mechanisms, and the alignment of financing systems with development priorities, the Commission can help restore confidence in the ability of the international community to work together and deliver on social development goals.
Above all, at this year’s Commission, we must set the tone for the next phase of global social development cooperation. As Chair, I invite Member States to reaffirm collective responsibility, demonstrate unity of purpose, and translate renewed commitments into meaningful action. By doing so, the Commission can help chart a path toward a more just, inclusive, and sustainable future for all.
* The views expressed in this blog are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of UN DESA.
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