Commission for Social Development Concludes Annual Session, Recommending Adoption of 4 Resolutions by Economic and Social Council
The Commission for Social Development concluded its 2025 annual session today, recommending four resolutions, including a text on the New Partnership for Africa’s Development, to the Economic and Social Council for their adoption.
“The call to address systemic challenges, including poverty, hunger and social exclusion, resonates more powerfully than ever before,” said Krzysztof Maria Szczerski (Poland), Chair of the Commission, as he delivered closing remarks for the session. Discussions during this session highlighted the centrality of gender equality, human rights and the promotion of social cohesion, he noted, adding that ensuring equitable access to health, education, decent work and housing is fundamental to creating just and inclusive societies.
The second World Summit for Social Development to be held in November in Doha represents a vital opportunity to reset global priorities and renew our collective resolve. “As we prepare for this landmark event, it is essential that we remain steadfast in our pursuit of structural reforms,” he went on to say, emphasizing the need to promote quality employment, eliminate barriers to technology and create resilient social protection systems.
The Commission — established in 1946 by the Economic and Social Council as one of its functional commissions — advises the United Nations on social development issues.
E/CN.5/2025/L.7
The Commission approved the draft resolution “Future organization and methods of work of the Commission for Social Development” (document E/CN.5/2025/L.7) without a vote, forwarding it to the Council.
By the text, the Council would decide that the priority theme for the sixty-fourth session of the Commission, which shall allow it to contribute to the work of the Council, will be “Advancing social development and social justice through coordinated, equitable and inclusive policies”.
E/CN.5/2025/L.5
The Commission also approved, without a vote, the draft resolution “Social dimensions of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development” (document E/CN.5/2025/L.5), recommending its adoption by the Economic and Social Council.
By the text, the Council would, recognizing that New Partnership for Africa’s Development programmes have become the cornerstone of development in the continent, urge African Governments to fast-track the implementation of the revised Africa Health Strategy for the period 2016–2030 and stress the importance of improving maternal and child health. It would encourage Member States to continue to provide capacity-building support to African countries in water- and sanitation-related activities and programmes. Further, it would encourage African countries to accelerate actions for eradicating extreme poverty, provide decent jobs and tackle the climate emergency by investing in a sustainable, inclusive and just transition.
E/CN.5/2025/L.4
Acting without a vote, the Commission approved the draft resolution “Strengthening solidarity, social inclusion and social cohesion to accelerate the delivery of the commitments of the Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development and Programme of Action of the World Summit for Social Development as well as the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” (document E/CN.5/2025/L.4) and recommended its adoption by Council.
By the text, the Council would recognize the need for strengthening international cooperation to provide necessary financial assistance, technical support and capacity-building to developing countries for attaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Reaffirming that eradicating poverty in all its forms is the greatest global challenge, it would encourage States to invest in programmes for poverty eradication and the promotion of equitable and universal access to basic services and resilient infrastructure, including healthcare services, education, safe drinking water and sanitation and affordable housing.
E/CN.5/2025/L.6
The Commission approved the draft resolution “Modalities for the fifth review and appraisal of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, 2002” (document E/CN.5/2025/L.6), sending it to the Council.
The text would have the Council decide that the procedure for the fifth review and appraisal of the Madrid Plan of Action will follow the set procedure of the fourth review and appraisal exercise, and the global review and appraisal will be held by the Commission on the third day of its sixty-sixth session, in 2028. It would also request the Secretary-General to submit to the Commission at its sixty-fifth session, in 2027, a report, including an analysis of the preliminary findings of the fifth review and appraisal exercise, and at its sixty-sixth session, in 2028, a report, including the conclusions of the fifth review and appraisal exercise.
E/CN.5/2025/L.3
The Commission also adopted the draft resolution “Policies and programmes involving youth” (document E/CN.5/2025/L.3) without a vote.
The text would have the Commission urge States to ensure that youth issues are adequately addressed in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and promote the full and effective participation of young people and youth-led and youth-focused organizations in decision-making processes. Relatedly, it would call on donors to actively contribute to the United Nations Youth Fund to facilitate the participation of youth representatives from developing countries in UN activities, considering the need for greater geographical and gender balance of youth representation, as well as to accelerate the implementation of the World Programme of Action for Youth. In this regard, it would request the Secretary-General to take appropriate action to encourage contributions to the Fund.
In other business, the Commission nominated Olivier de Schutter (Belgium) and Graziella Moraes Silva (Brazil) to serve as members of the Board of the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development for the additional term from the date of confirmation by the Economic and Social Council to 30 June 2027, and Jenina Joy Chavez (Philippines) for a four-year term from the date of confirmation by the Council to 30 June 2029.
The Commission also adopted the provisional agenda and documentation for its sixty-fourth session (document E/CN.5/2025/L.1) and the draft report of its sixth-third session (document E/CN.5/2025/L.2).
Following the closure of the sixty-third session, the Commission opened its sixty-fourth session, electing Khrystyna Hayovyshyn (Ukraine) as Chair, and Céline Pierre Fabre (Haiti) and Stefano Guerra (Portugal) as Vice-Chairs.