10th plenary meeting - 64th Session of the Commission for Social Development (CSocD64)

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, the 10th meeting of the 64th session of the Commission for Social Development is called to order. I invite the Commission to resume its general discussion under agenda item 3A and B. Inscription in the list of speakers for the general discussion is now closed. Before giving the floor to the first speaker, I would like to remind delegations to respect the agreed time limits of five minutes for Member States speaking in their national capacity, and three minutes for intergovernmental organizations and United Nations system entities, as well as three minutes for non-governmental organizations in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council. A digital speech timer is visible on the screen to assist the speakers in managing their time. I wish to recommend that delegations refer intermittently to the updated live list of speakers so that they are ready to speak when given the floor. And I thank you for your understanding and cooperation. I now give the floor to Her Excellency Pauline Irène Nguin, Minister for Social Affairs of Cameroon.

Madame Chair.

It's an honor and a privilege for me to take the floor at this 64th session of the United Nations Commission for Social Development, so as to tell you about the signature achievements of Cameroon in terms of the promotion of sustainable and inclusive social development. At the outset, on behalf of the delegation of Cameroon, which I lead, allow me to extend to you and the members of the Bureau my warm congratulations for your election to the helm of this current session. Since the adoption of the 2030 Agenda, which will be drawing to a close in a few years, Cameroon has worked together with the international community to work unwaveringly to translate into concrete actions the resolutions and commitments taken on. These efforts, however, have been countered by a context that is very much in flux. Indeed, as many reports of this institution have shown, we still are far away from achieving the SDGs. Internationally, there are persistent tensions and armed conflicts in the world. Climate shocks and their massive repercussions have also exacerbated the vulnerability and the inequalities generated by the health crisis several years ago, and there have been budget deficits. At the national level, the direct consequences of climate change in several regions, with the resulting complex social vulnerabilities, have all decreased the impact of programs and social projects of the government of Cameroon, which remain insufficient to roll back poverty in sustainable fashion. Chair, ladies and gentlemen, With enthusiasm, Cameroon welcomes the theme of this year, which is about promoting social development and social justice through coordinated, equitable, and inclusive policies. Indeed, the question of social development is a major thrust of the national strategy for development of Cameroon. And the initiatives of the public authorities can be illustrated as follows. In terms of battling poverty, Cameroon for several years has implemented a major project for social safety nets. It aims to provide social coverage to poor households and also to boost access to opportunities revenue generating opportunities by supporting entrepreneurship among vulnerable young people in particular. As of now, the project has achieved 55% of the goal slated for 2028, and it has also worked to support the victims of recent unprecedented floods which happened in the far north of our country. The project is coupled with specific actions aiming to bolster food security and access to health and education. But also, we are aiming to boost social justice and the social protection of workers. In terms of the promotion of social inclusion, some major initiatives are underway in my country, and they deserve to be mentioned here. One example is the gradual establishment of a unified social register that has improved the identification of groups and individuals with specific vulnerabilities that are eligible for public assistance that's tailored to their needs. This is a strategic tool for our government, and it seeks to promote equity and inclusion of all strata of society in our development program. So as to extend social protection to the largest number of individuals and households in need, Strategic discussions with stakeholders are underway in order to create a national solidarity fund. This is a major reform, and it has coordinated programs and projects, and it has established the foundations of social protection while improving social justice. In the same vein, there is the Civil Protection Fund. It was established through a law passed in December. Furthermore, the government of my country has undertaken specific steps to address certain social groups. By way of example, Cameroon just conveyed to the competent authorities its initial report on the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. And also, we have a national project to digitalize our national disability card. Chair, ladies and gentlemen, the delivery of the 2030 agenda, and Cameroon is clearly committed to that, calls for equal attention to be paid to social, environmental, and economic aspects of development. Therefore, the structural transformation of Cameroon's economy, which underpins our national strategy for development, is coupled with the establishment of a robust social protection system and a facility for resilience and sustainability to address environmental shocks. In that regard, the political declaration of Doha, which strengthened the commitments of Copenhagen, is tantamount for us to an essential reference framework to bring greater visibility and impact onto the actions we're taking to eradicate poverty. and to reduce vulnerability and social inequality. I want to reassure you that my country is resolved to implement the program for the people in order to accelerate the 2030 agenda. The government, under the enlightened stewardship of Head of State, His Excellency Mr. Paul Biya, intends to push forward with major reforms to better structure and coordinate social development in our country in lockstep with the national development strategy. I thank you for your kind attention.

I thank the Minister for Social Affairs of Cameroon, and I now give the floor to the Permanent Representative of Saudi Arabia.

In the name of.

God, the most merciful and gracious, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia extends its sincere congratulations to the Council and its presidency for the efforts made and the work and achievements made during the past period. Excellencies, my country places social development at the heart of its national policies and considers it the basis for building a prosperous and sustainable society. In this spirit, my country has been keen to make every effort possible to implement the plans and programs of action agreed upon in previous sessions and to translate them into concrete practical initiatives. The Kingdom actively participated in the formulation and adoption of the current session's agenda as an opportunity to reaffirm common principles and strengthen international cooperation to promote social development, consolidate social justice, and invest in future opportunities to achieve a sustainable impact on our societies with all their segments and for people of all categories. Today's world is witnessing rapid social transformations that require strengthening international cooperation in order to understand the different challenges and make good use of the opportunities this world offers. This would contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals for 2030 and beyond. Nine years ago, the Kingdom launched its ambitious vision, Saudi Vision 2030, whose first pillar is based on building a vibrant society by promoting social and economic development, strengthening family ties, consolidating sustainable lifestyles, and developing effective health and social care systems. This would form the basis for a prosperous economy and an ambitious nation. Madam Chair, one of the most important pillars of the promotion of social development and social justice is the creation and development of coordinated, fair, and comprehensive policies. This is what my country has done. within the framework of its system of values and principles. In this context, the Kingdom launched the General Policy for Youth Development, which was co-formulated in cooperation with more than 11,000 young men and women from different regions of the Kingdom. This was done through participatory workshops, surveys, and focus groups, as this policy was based on a participatory approach and an evidence-based methodology in order to ensure its inclusiveness and fairness. My country has taken concrete steps to promote care for the family and the elderly, as it has adopted three legislations aimed at guaranteeing the rights of the elderly and raising the level of their care. It has also launched the MTS card for the elderly nationwide to give them priority and facilitate their receipt of public services in the public and private sectors alike. and more than 105,000 citizens have benefited from launching this card. In addition, the Kingdom has launched a national strategy for the family and adopted national policies and standards to empower and improve the performance of family counseling workers. Due to our belief in the importance of social justice and the empowerment of low income groups, the Kingdom has achieved tangible results in the field of, uh, empowerment of social security beneficiaries as more than 400 and… 49,000 beneficiaries have been rehabilitated and employed, and more than 300,000 of them became able to dispense with subsidies through specialized programs for vocational rehabilitation and entrepreneurship. The Kingdom has also introduced the concept of empowerment clinics as community focal points that connect beneficiaries with various relevant authorities to provide integrated and immediate interventions that cover health, social, psychological, and economic dimensions. Excellencies, within the framework of the Kingdom's Vision 2030, the Kingdom seeks to meet the aspirations of future generations, empower women and youth, and strengthen the role of the family as the natural and basic building unit of society. The family is based on the father and the mother and forms the basis for socialization, stability, and development. We also continue to entrench the values of cooperation with everyone in the world within a framework that puts people at the basis of all that we do. This approach comes within the framework of its firm adherence to our religious values and authentic values derived from the provisions of the tolerant Islamic Sharia, which has honored human beings and safeguarded their dignity and rights without discrimination. In conclusion, the Kingdom believes that its experience in promoting social development and promoting social justice has proven its positive impact on the ground, which has been reflected in concrete indicators. And a number of brotherly and fraternal and friendly countries have benefited from this experience. We are keen to exchange experiences and transfer best practices. Therefore, the Kingdom encourages Member States to benefit from these experiences in order to contribute to achieving the goals of this meeting and the sustainable development goals for 2030. Thank you, Madam President.

I thank the Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and I now give the floor to the Permanent Representative of Maldives.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

All protocols observed.

In Doha, just three months ago, our governments made pledges and promises to leave no one behind, to ensure that each voice, no matter how quiet, is heard.

We can keep repeating these sentiments and celebrating incremental gains. It is easy to say that incremental progress is better than no progress. But those whom the progress does not reach continue to suffer dismissal, neglect, and abuse.

Social justice must be divorced from the connotation of performative activism.

SIDS like the Maldives have learned that step-by-step effort means too little, too late. If we want to take incremental steps, it allows a vacuum for pushback that drives social issues backward. The Maldives is pursuing bold.

National initiatives with inclusive and evidence-based social protection policies, taking a whole of government and whole of society perspective. Our policies recognize historically marginalized and disregarded demographics. They take part and lead in policy making at all stages and levels, instead of being mere beneficiaries of policies. Our youth are architects of the Maldives 2.0 vision. We are equipping them with resilience and tools to enable dignified livelihoods and ensure they drive our economic transformation and growth. We recognize the potential of all generations, including aging persons, to respond to demographic transitions. We are fostering community initiatives that ensure our elders remain an integral part of our social fabric. The family is central to social cohesion, development and advancement. Our national housing program has specific considerations for single parents, persons with disabilities and vulnerable households. We are working to ensure that all households also have access to affordable mental health and medical services.

Investing in people, their right and well-being and dignity.

Is not just a social development goal for the Maldives, it is an essential factor for advancement. The decisions made in Doha and New York matter only if they travel through the UN system pathways to country level and translate into genuine impact on the ground.

The Maldives has been working with UN Resident Coordinator's Office in our country to improve national capacity, engorging the impact of our policies and improve their impact. We also cannot ignore the global dimension of social justice. Many SIDS, from the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean to the Pacific, are forced to spend more on their debt service than on health and education.

As long as countries are forced to invest in the past instead of our people and their future, social justice would remain a performance rather than a reality. There must be a whole of planet approach and restructuring of global financial system. True social justice can only be achieved through commitment, consistency, and challenging the status quo.

I thank you.

I thank the Permanent Representative of Maldives, and I now give the floor to the Permanent Representative of Bahrain.

Madam Chair, at the outset, I would like to congratulate you on presiding over this session. We would like to express our full support for your efforts in managing the affairs of this esteemed Commission. The Kingdom of Bahrain considers social development at the top of our priority list on the national level. We seek to enhance social development through inclusive and sustainable policies that ensure the welfare of citizens and entrench the principles of social justice in total cohesion with the Sustainable Development Goals of 2030. The Kingdom of Bahrain participated in the Doha World Summit for Social Development in the fraternal state of Qatar. we presented our pioneering model of social justice and economic empowerment, and we emphasized our staunch commitment to supporting joint initiatives and UN initiatives aiming at building sustainable societies. In this regard, the Kingdom of Bahrain continues its efforts aiming to improve the quality of life in the field of infrastructure for services and healthcare. Our national genome project is a qualitative leap in the field of diagnostic medicine, along with adopting the National Strategy for Mental Health to ensure that everyone has access to inclusive and sustainable mental health services. As for empowering those most in need of care, the Kingdom has given particular attention to the implementation of the National Plan for Persons with Disabilities for 2023-2027, by ensuring that they are fully integrated into the job market, along with providing quality care for the elderly by establishing specialized care facilities to ensure that they receive holistic care and social services. Bahrain also follows a holistic approach for empowerment. We have programs such as the for us or chances program in order to empower people in the field as well as the Lameh project in order to support young talented individuals and give them skills. We are trying to create a generation of Bahraini youth capable of pushing forward the path development in key sectors. We continue to implement our national strategy for childhood for 2023 to 2027, which aims to develop legislative and institutional frameworks concerned with the rights of the child and concerned with creating a conducive environment through policies and programs that aim for the best interest of the child in different fields. Madam President, the Kingdom of Bahrain takes pride in its national model in solidifying human rights and the principles of solidarity by pushing forward the values of equality and the protection of workers' rights and combating trafficking in persons in accordance with the highest international standards and the global Hamad award in solidarity and reconciliation was launched in order to consolidate a policy of dialogue and compassion among peoples. In conclusion, we once more emphasize our commitment to working tirelessly in order to push forward social development and focus on supporting productive households and entrepreneurship as key pillars of growth. And we emphasize the importance of enhancing international cooperation and the exchange of expertise as key pillars for building a more prosperous and stable future that is more just for all peoples of the world. Thank you.

I thank the Permanent Representative of Bahrain, and I now give the floor to the representative of Burkina Faso.

Madam Chair, distinguished delegates, allow me to begin by conveying to you the warm greetings of His Excellency Captain Ibrahim Traore, President of Burkina Faso, the head of state, and the greetings of the valiant people of Burkina Faso, which is a people that is resilient and deeply committed to the values of human dignity, solidarity, and social justice. This session of the Commission for Social Development falls three months after the second historic summit on social development. and the Declaration of Doha. That declaration called for concrete, coordinated, sustained, and integrated actions, linking traditional commitments to new challenges. Those challenges include the digital transformation, climate change, the demographic change, financing, social investments, the participation of persons living with disabilities, and older persons, their participation in social life, and the involvement of young people in decision-making bodies. At Doha, a mixed track record was highlighted, and there were messages of hope conveyed. And these all threw into sharp relief the importance of community resilience programs, as well as financing dedicated to social inclusion. And they spotlighted the central role of civil society, local governments, and the private sector in the promotion of the economic empowerment of peoples. However, a strong message was sent at Doha, and the aim here was to transform these multiple challenges into opportunities for inclusive development with solidarity. well aware of all this need under the leadership of the President of Burkina Faso. Burkina Faso committed to structural reforms. Those reforms are geared toward national sovereignty, the resilience of communities, and the sustainable improvement of living conditions of all our citizens. Our reforms were implemented through a patriotic support fund, which is the expression of local solidarity to serve social justice. We also have the Faso Mebo Agency, which is a force for local industrialization and seeks to create decent jobs. We also have an agro-pastoral and fishing program, which is a bastion for food security and rural resilience. We have a presidential initiative for health. That initiative aims to reform the health system through improving healthcare services and the accessibility of Burkina Faso citizens to healthcare services. And it also improves the working conditions of the caregiving personnel. We also have job programs for young people and for women, and we're leveraging local knowledge and inclusive territorial development. We also have the National Development Plan for 2026 to 2030, which is called Relance, and that embodies our vision for a sovereign and prosperous future in which we stand firm. As you can see, despite the challenges that we are facing, Burkina Faso has made a strategic choice to put social development, social justice, and human resilience in the forefront of its public actions. Indeed, between 2025 to 2025, hundreds of thousands of households, including IDPs, were provided with assistance through social transfers, economic empowerment programs, and access to basic social services. The promotion of decent work remains a central priority for us. Between 2022 and 2025, our country created 150,000 decent jobs, in particular for young people and for women, and we also increased the minimum wage for certain jobs. Coupled with this were significant investments. We aimed in making these investments, we aim to reduce the cost for specialized care. We improved our nutritional indicators for children and for pregnant and breastfeeding women. In the area of education, we gave pride of place to education and technical and professional training. And older persons and those living with disabilities were also addressed. We built a geriatric center. a world-class geriatric center in order to care for all pathologies that have to do with old age. And we also developed a national strategy to better address the specific needs and the socioprofessional integration of persons living with disabilities. Turning to justice, we have humanized our incarceration system in order to reintegrate detainees into active life. we have also implemented a legal initiative that aims to address thousands of criminal cases and other pending cases. Chair, ladies and gentlemen, in drawing on the Declaration of Doha, coupled with the Programme of Action, the Declaration of Copenhagen, the 2030 Agenda, and the civil commitment, all of this requires bold reforms in the areas of economic governance and international finance so as to move further toward, so that we can, to draw more on global resources and human development. I'd like to close by calling for renewed multilateralism grounded in co-construction, respect for national plans, the dignity of peoples, and financial mechanisms that are more equitable, more accessible, and more sustainable. For its part, Burkina Faso reaffirms its commitment to work together with other nations to build a future where solidarity becomes a transformative power and where social justice becomes a reality for everyone. Thank you.

I thank the representative of Burkina Faso, and I now give the floor to the Deputy Permanent Representative of Mexico.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. In a context marked by growing inequality, technological transformation at an accelerated rate, climate crises, migratory crises, and the weakening of confidence in democratic institutions. This meeting encourages us to renew international cooperation as a unique tool for addressing global challenges and advancing towards more just, inclusive, and resilient societies. The challenges that we face are certainly complex, and they are deeply interconnected. Persistent poverty, the increasing precarity of work, the impact of artificial intelligence in the world of work and social protection systems, as well as geopolitical fragmentation are all putting to the test the principles of solidarity and international cooperation. Nevertheless, this also opens up opportunities for pushing forward structural changes, including reform of the international financial architecture. the just transition towards sustainable economies, and the strengthening of universal social protection systems. The Government of Mexico is convinced that social development and social justice are essential factors for the well-being of persons and for social cohesion. With that conviction, my country has advanced a social policy of well-being aimed at reducing poverty, marginalization, and inequality through direct transfers of resources to groups in a situation of vulnerability, with an approach focused on persons as subjects of the law and rights. This policy has adopted a universal and human rights-based approach in which the state guarantees a progressively effective access to social rights for the population. Mexico recognizes that poverty is a complex phenomenon and a multidimensional one. It cannot be analyzed solely from the point of view of a lack of income, but it also brings with it many social shortcomings, including access to health care, education, adequate housing, nutrition, social protection, and spaces for participation. In Mexico, with the implementation of this new policy, we have seen some results. Between 2018 and 2024, 13.4 million people emerged from poverty and 1.7 million emerged from extreme poverty, which represents approximately 10% of our population. This progress is reflected in a structural transformation of the social and economic policy of the country, which is focused on inclusion and guaranteeing rights for all. And a central element of this transformation, Madam Chair, has been the new minimum wage policy that has been implemented since 2018 with the aim of sustainably improving the purchasing power of salaries. In line with the National Commission of Minimum Wages, minimum wage increases in Mexico have on average been more than 12% per year in recent years, and it is estimated that approximately 6 million people have emerged from poverty as a direct result of this policy. With the 13% increase as of the 1st of January, that is to say last month, it is expected that this trend will continue to be consolidated, thus strengthening the incomes of working persons and affirming a dignified wage as a pillar of social and economic development. Public policies in Mexico also pay particular attention to groups in a situation of vulnerability, in particular through support for child care, education for young people, persons with disabilities and older persons. Within these efforts, the national 2026 to 2030 population program stands out. Its aim is to make sure that everyone has the means, capacities, and opportunities that they need to be able to adapt to a changing environment. Madam Chair, in order to advance towards more equitable societies, it is essential that we mobilize financing for development and address the inequalities that disproportionately affect persons in a situation of vulnerability and that social protection systems that are inclusive and sustainable be strengthened. Thank you very much.

I thank the Deputy Permanent Representative of Mexico and I now give the floor to the representative of Monaco.

Madam Chair, the commitments made at the World Summit for Social Development in Doha, as well as the lessons learned from the Copenhagen process, remind us that social development cannot be fragmented. It has to rest on coherent, inclusive policies that are rooted in robust partnerships that can respond to persistent inequalities and to emerging vulnerabilities. In this spirit, Monaco remains firmly committed to the promotion of coordinated, equitable and inclusive policies for social development and social justice. Through the elaboration of national strategies, social priorities can truly be integrated into and turned into concrete actions. Partnerships and cooperation are essential to make sure that no one is left behind. This principle will guide Monaco as it chairs the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, beginning in May 2026. In this regard, we will pay particular attention to combating violence against women, to protecting the rights of the child, and also to strengthening prevention and support mechanisms. The Government of the Principality will organise the 19th Conference of Ministers for Sport in Monaco in November 2026 under the theme "Safer and more healthy sport for all children". Madam Chair, in this regard, I would like to underscore the central role of sport as a lever for social development, in particular when it is closely linked to education, as was recognised in the resolution on the priority theme. Sport is fully mainstreamed within Monaco's national strategy for youth development as an essential lever for well-being, empowerment and inclusion. The Culture Pass Sport initiative is a specific illustration of this, in that it gives young people aged 11 to 25 access to sports and physical activities during the school holidays. It is implemented by the Department for Education, Youth and Sport in partnership with the Department for Cultural Affairs and many associations in Monaco, and it is part of a broader national strategy to modernize public services and to strengthen cooperation between the public authorities and civil society. By aligning our national policies with the principles guiding our role as the co-chair of the Group of Friends of Sport for Sustainable Development, and through partnerships with organizations working for the protection of children and gender equality, Monaco is actively supporting initiatives at the international level that use sport as a tool for education and social cohesion. Sport is a powerful driver of learning, the passing on of values, inclusion and empowerment, and when it is included in education policies, it encourages the development of psychosocial skills as well as equal opportunities, in particular for children and young people from marginalised backgrounds. Madam Chair, our policies have to be able to anticipate, adapt and protect the most vulnerable from shocks. And also, uh, beginning, uh, preparing for the society of tomorrow begins with young people. They must be given the tools that they need for progress so that a resilient society can be built. For that reason, last year, Monaco, together with France, renewed our two countries' joint commitment for young people in the Mediterranean through the J-Med program. This program supports projects that cover education and employability, entrepreneurship, training, the empowerment of women and girls, culture, the conservation of heritage, sport, and the environment. And it is through initiatives such as this, where government and civil society work together, that we can ensure inclusion and make sure that no one is left behind. Decent work is a fundamental pillar of social development. Through its international cooperation, the Principality supports programs aimed at strengthening professional skills, promoting access to decent and sustainable jobs, and supporting socio-economic integration. By investing in training, entrepreneurship and employability, Monaco is helping create real empowerment, stability and dignity opportunities. These are essential preconditions for inclusive and resilient societies. The Principality of Monaco remains fully committed to an integrated, comprehensive approach that is rooted in human rights, that is person-focused and and focused on future generations. We will continue to promote policies that put education, sport and inclusion at the heart of our development strategies, with the conviction that social justice is not built in silos, but rather in pooling our efforts. Thank you.

I thank the representative of Monaco, and I now give the floor to the Deputy Permanent Representative of Vietnam.

Madam Chair, distinguished delegates. Vietnam welcomes the priority theme of this session and aligns itself with the statement of the Group of 77 and China. Just a few months ago, we adopted the Doha Political Declaration, reaffirming our collective commitment to the Copenhagen Declaration and Programme of Action, and our resolve to accelerate progress towards the SDGs. This renewed consensus reminds us that social development and social justice are not secondary outcomes, foundations of just sustainable peace, stability, and inclusive growth. At a time of widening inequalities and profound transitions, we must move beyond fragmented policies and approaches and place social objectives at the center of national development strategies. For Vietnam, social development has long been a core priority. We are guided by a simple principle: growth must be measured not only by output but by impact on the people. Over the past five years, Vietnam's multidimensional poverty rate declined from 5.2% to 1.3%, while GDP per capita increased by 1.4 times, moving Vietnam into the group of upper middle income countries. Our policy framework continues to advance. The new employment law, effective from 2026, expands protection to informal workers and strengthens labor market services. Women accounts for over 30% of members of the National Assembly and approximately half of the national workforce. Health insurance coverage reached 96% of the population in 2025, with universal coverage targeted by 2030. From this academic year, tuition fees have been waived nationwide across public education, and Vietnam is among the few countries on track to achieve the SDG on quality education ahead of schedule. These results reflect sustained investment in social protection, education, health and employment, anchored in an inclusive growth policy. Looking ahead, Vietnam focuses on three major priorities. First, strengthening policy coherence through whole of government and whole of society approaches. Better alignment across sectors is essential to address multidimensional poverty and inequality to avoid fragmented delivery. Second, embedding gender equality across social and labor policies. Women's economic empowerment through decent work, equal pay, Entrepreneurship and leadership drives gain for both the economy and the society. This requires comprehensive, affordable care system that support work-family balance for both women and men. Third, advancing digital inclusion for equitable social development. Investment in digital public infrastructure, connectivity, and digital literacy must be scaled up. especially in rural and remote areas, supported by technology cooperation, capacity building, and financing support for developing countries. Madam Chair, to conclude, Vietnam calls for stronger global solidarity and coordinated action to advance social development and social justice, and to accelerate SDGs implementation. We stand ready to work with all partners to translate global commitments into concrete outcomes. and to ensure no one is left behind. I thank you.

I thank the Deputy Permanent Representative of Vietnam, and I now give the floor to the representative of League of Arab States.

Sayed Al-Raisa.

Madam Chair. First of all, on behalf of the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, I would like to congratulate you on chairing the 64th session of the Commission for Social Development. We wish you every success. Madam Chair, this session convenes at a critical international moment because we are seeing escalating economic, social and humanitarian challenges and an increasing need for development policies, particularly in regions affected by conflict, including our Arab region. The Palestinian cause and the practices of the occupying power, its illegal policies, remain a major factor undermining social development policies in the region and hindering the achievement of social justice. For that reason, we need international, equitable and coordinated approaches, echoing the main themes of this session. This session is of particular importance because it follows the second World Summit for Social Development, which took place in Doha. In this regard, the League of Arab States held a high-level conference in Amman in December 2025. The Amman Declaration outlined key areas of action for an action plan to implement the outcomes of that summit. Madam Chair, the League of Arab States stresses the close link between poverty and social protection. We need to adopt a rights-based approach that puts priority groups at the heart of that policy, particularly persons with disabilities, older persons and children. Gender equality must also be strengthened, as well as evidence-based planning. In this regard, we have launched the Arab Multi-dimensional Poverty Index, Arab MPI. This was launched in partnership with the United Nations and Oxford University, in accordance with international standards and in line with the 2030 Agenda. We also stress the fact that of using technology and artificial intelligence to support the implementation and monitoring of these policies. In conclusion, based on the accumulative expertise of Arab states at the national and regional levels, the League of Arab States aims to strengthen international cooperation with institutional cooperation with the United Nations system and with international partners in order to achieve inclusive social development that leaves no one behind. and that guarantees a dignified life for all human beings rooted in social justice. Thank you, Madam Chair.

I thank the representative of the League of Arab States, and I now give the floor to the representative of International Criminal Police Organization.

Thank you, Madam Chair, Excellencies, distinguished delegates. In 1995, the Copenhagen Declaration stated that social development and social justice cannot be obtained in the absence of peace and security. Over 30 years later, that still rings true. These principles cannot be realized in a world where women are victims of gender-based violence, where children are subject to sexual abuse, and where civilians are endangered by transnational organized crime. Such a criminal threat violates human rights and dignity, preventing their victims from participating fully in the society. That is why the protection of vulnerable communities is one of Interpol's seven global policing goals. Allow me to share three ways in which we are advancing social development by safeguarding and empowering communities. First, We are implementing the World Programme of Action for Youth by defending children from abuse. Our International Child Sexual Exploitation Database supports investigators to exchange data on cases of sexual abuse. It has helped identify over 55,000 child victims and 23,000 offenders, aiding investigations and rescue. Second, we are combating gender-based violence. Recognizing that women and girls often face overlapping and intersectional vulnerabilities, InterPols Project Soteria is tackling sexual and gender-based violence in the aid sector and refugee camps. It protects the most at-risk women and girls from abuse, many of whom have already faced displacement, poverty, and marginalization. Finally, We are empowering underrepresented social groups to advance in law enforcement. For instance, Project Momentum is uplifting female police officers from the Middle East and North Africa region through mentoring and training. Madam Chair, the 2030 Agenda promised to leave no one behind. By protecting victims of crime, safeguarding marginalized groups, and upholding the rule of law, Interpol is helping to advance social development and social justice so that all people may live in a safer, more equal, and more just world. I thank you.

I thank the representative of Interpol, and I now give the floor to the representative of Pan-African Intergovernmental Agency for Water and Sanitation for Africa.

Thank you, Madam Chair. The observer mission of the Pan-African Intergovernmental Agency for Water and Sanitation in Africa is honored to address the 64th session of the Commission. We commend the Commission in its timely focus on advancing social development and social justice through coordinated, equitable, and inclusive policies. The Commission affirms that access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene is a cornerstone of social justice and human dignity. Across Africa, persistent inequalities in water and sanitation access continue to undermine health, education, gender equality and economic opportunity, particularly for women, children and rural communities and those living in informal settlements. Madam Chairperson, Social development cannot be achieved without coordinated policies that integrate water and sanitation with health, education, urban development, climate resilience, and social protection. Fragmented approaches have the most vulnerable behind. Strong intersectoral coordination is therefore essential to achieving sustainable development and inclusive outcome. Equally important are equitable policies that intentionally prioritize underserved and marginalized populations. Our mission also emphasizes the need for inclusive policy-making that engages communities, local authorities, women, youth, and persons with disabilities as active partners. inclusive participation, strategic ownership, accountability, and the long-term sustainability of social development interventions. In this regard, our observer mission calls for greater policy coherence between social development strategies, water and sanitation frameworks. Increase and diversify financing, including responsible partnership to sustainably expand water and sanitation hygiene services. Strengthen institutional and local government capacities to deliver inclusive services. Data-driven disaggregated approaches ensure that no one is left behind. Madam Chairperson. Through our science-based solutions towards clean water sanitation for all and water initiative, our mission remains committed to working with member states, United Nations agencies, development partners, civil societies, and the private sector to advance water and sanitation as enablers of social development and social justice across Africa and the Pan-African communities. We thank you.

I thank the representative of Pan-African Intergovernmental Agency for Water and Sanitation for Africa. And I now give the floor to the representative of International Labor Organization.

Thank you, Madam Chair. The Doha Political Declaration reaffirms and reinforces the commitments of the World Summit for Social Development held in Copenhagen in 1995. while focusing on new and emerging challenges and opportunities. By positioning social development and social justice as global priorities and shared responsibilities, the declaration reasserts them as foundational pillars of the multilateral system. With the conclusion of the summit, its success and lasting impact will depend on how effectively its outcomes are taken forward and implemented by relevant stakeholders at national, regional, and global levels. The ILO's mandate for social justice through decent work, as well as its tripartite governance model, have a unique contribution to make, as underscored also by the key messages of the tripartite input adopted by the Governing Body in 2024 and the resolution concerning the Second World Summit for Social Development adopted by the International Labour Conference in 2025. Since then, the ILO has been entrusted by the International Labour Conference to support the implementation of the Summit's outcome in areas pertaining to its mandate. The Doha Political Declaration calls for strengthened multi-stakeholder engagement and partnerships, including with employers and workers' organizations, to implement the commitments, and acknowledges the role of both the Global Coalition for Social Justice and the Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection for Just Transitions. The Global Coalition for Social Justice offers a broad-based platform, bringing together over 400 partners to mobilize political commitments, align initiatives, and drive action in support of national, regional, and global priorities. Such actions are essential in advancing the case for effective multilateralism with social justice at its core. The ILO stands ready to support the work of the Commission for Social Development, the primary body to follow up on social development commitments with a view to advancing the Copenhagen and Doha commitments and further elevating the social dimension of sustainable development. I thank you.

I thank the representative of the International Labor Organization, and I now give the floor to the representative of the United Nations Office for Project Services.

Distinguished Chair, Excellencies, thank you for the opportunity to speak today. UNOPS is pleased to join this discussion on advancing the commitments of the World Summit for Social Development, including the Doha Political Declaration adopted last year in Qatar. As the operational arm of the UN system, UNOPS focuses on helping countries translate policies and objectives into tangible results on the ground, faster, more efficiently, and in ways that are locally owned and sustainable. UNOPS works in partnership with governments and other stakeholders in more than 130 countries, including fragile and high-risk contexts. Its mandate is to deliver infrastructure, procurement, and project management services that expand access to healthcare, education, basic services, and economic opportunities, key pillars of social development and poverty reduction. One of the most direct contributions UNOPS makes to poverty reduction is through local job creation. In the 2024 reporting period, UNOPS generated 13.6 million labor days for local workers. These opportunities provide income, dignity, and stability for families, particularly in contexts where livelihoods are precarious and employment opportunities are limited. UNOPS also prioritizes keeping development resources working at the local level. More than 40% of the goods and services procured by UNOPS are sourced from local suppliers in project countries, many of them small and medium-sized enterprises. This approach strengthens domestic markets, supports national supply chains, and helps ensure that development investments circulate within local economies. At the same time, effective delivery is not measured by outputs alone, but by inclusion and long-term impact. More than 70% of UNOPS infrastructure projects incorporate capacity building components. Many are designed to improve accessibility for women, persons with disabilities and other groups that are too often left behind, helping to ensure that results are sustained beyond the life of individual projects. Distinguished Chair, the UN80 reform agenda calls upon the United Nations system to be more effective, more accountable and more focused on delivering results for people. UNOPS stands ready to contribute by doing what we do best, delivering cost-effective solutions, strengthening local economies, and supporting member states with practical, results-oriented implementation. As member states advance the commitments of the World Summit for Social Development, UNOPS remains ready to scale up its support, working in close partnership with you to translate ambition into action and commitments into meaningful and lasting change for people and communities. I thank you.

I thank the representative of the United Nations Office for Project Services, and I now give the floor to the representative of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Thank you, Madam Chair. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights is honored to address the Commission for Social Development at this pivotal moment as we move from commitment to implementation following the Second World Summit for Social Development. The Doha Political Declaration reaffirmed that social development, social justice, and human rights are inseparable. This Commission's leadership is essential to ensure that this renewed political momentum translates into coherent, people-centered, and rights-based action that delivers real change. From a human rights perspective, advancing social development requires more than expanding sectoral programs. It demands coordinated, equitable, and inclusive public policies that address the structural inequalities undermining the rights and dignity of people living in poverty, exclusion, and insecurity. International human rights law provides a unifying framework to advance social development. Guidance and recommendations from UN human rights mechanisms, when integrated into national planning, budgeting, and monitoring, can strengthen policy coherence and help ensure that efforts reach those farthest behind. For example, in the Republic of Moldova, recommendations from human rights mechanisms informed OSCHR support to strengthen the meaningful participation of older persons in shaping national care and support systems, including measures to improve access to rights-based and age-sensitive services. Excellencies, OCHR highlights three priorities. First, grounding social policies in human rights obligations, strengthen coherence and coordination. Equity and inclusion must guide whole of government approaches across economic, social, environmental, and digital policies from the outset. Second, care and support systems are central to social justice and dignity. Gender, disability and age responsive systems should be guided by five Rs: recognizing, reducing and redistributing unpaid care and support, rewarding paid care and support workers with decent work, and guaranteeing representation and participation in decision making. Third, ambition requires investment and accountability. Rights-based budgeting, disaggregated data, and systematic follow-up to human rights recommendations are essential to ensure resources reach those most risk or being left behind. OSCHR stands ready to support member states and stakeholders in turning commitments into tangible improvements in people's lives. Thank you.

I thank the representative of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and I now give the floor to the representative of Canada.

Madam Chairperson, it's an honor for Canada to be here today. We congratulate you and the Bureau for your leadership in preparing this session. With the recent adoption of the Doha Political Declaration, we hope to see a reinvigorated collective action to accelerate social development for all. The 2030 Agenda recognizes that sustainable development is only achievable when all people can participate fully in society. Advancing social development is central to this vision, as it removes barriers and creates the necessary conditions for full engagement in all aspects of society. Canada remains firmly committed to advancing social development for all through inclusive and equitable policies rooted in a human rights-based approach. New federal, domestic, and international policies and programs are developed and assessed through a gender and intersectional lens, considering factors such as gender, age, disability, and ethnicity to ensure that the impact on these elements is taken into account. Targeted measures are also important to ensuring that resources reach those facing the greatest barriers, enabling more equitable outcomes and accelerating progress toward inclusive social development for all. more like example, in alignment with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability, Canada is implementing the Accessible Canada Act, which sets an ambitious goal of a barrier-free Canada by 2040. We are removing barriers that limit access to jobs, services, programs, and physical spaces, and recently introduced new digital accessibility regulations. Canada also continued to take action to combat systemic racism. For example, we released the first ever federal Indigenous justice strategy and an implementation plan for the Black Justice Strategy, especially important this month. Chair, advancing social development requires a multifaceted approach. Canada is committed to reducing poverty, removing barriers to inclusion, improving accessibility for persons with disability, and delivering high-quality, timely, efficient, and coordinated services that meet diverse needs. To advance these objectives, we have put in place measures such as income security and retirement, support for low to middle income families with children, financial benefits for survivors, supplements for low income workers, and benefits for persons with disability, as well as initiatives such as school food program. Canada's efforts also focus on economic empowerment, inclusive growth, and resilience, recognizing that economic empowerment strengthens resilience and prosperity worldwide. This encompasses education and skills training, entrepreneurship, inclusive finance, and the promotion of safe, fair, and inclusive workplaces and decent work for all, including women and equity-denied populations. Integrate these commitments.

Integrating all of these commitments and the strategic and legislative framework is vital to clear away systemic obstacles, also to foster reconciliation and craft a Canada where diversity strengthens our collective future. Canada is also committed to promoting inclusive and sustainable action, in particular by ensuring decent work and economic growth through the promotion and protection of international labour norms, such as non-discrimination and gender equality in the workplace. This allows us to enhance our predictability and to establish a more level playing field for competition. Madam Chair, Canada is unwavering in its commitment to gender equality, social progress, and inclusive growth. the recent global economic shocks and the rapid change of technology and a political landscape that is in flux have introduced uncertainty into our international rules-based order. That's a disturbing trend, and there's a disturbing trend toward the rollback of human rights and gender equality. This calls into question our collective capacity to advance sustainable development. Canada is pooling its resources in order to address infrastructure and housing, inter alia. This shows our resilience and will ensure our prosperity as well. We're working toward gender equality, but also equality for LGBTQ+ persons. This remains a fundamental value and a central tenet of social justice in Canada, ensuring that everyone, regardless of their gender, their sexual orientation, or their gender identity, everyone must be able to have the same rights. And this is a strong driver for inclusive development. That principle also must guide our foreign policy. By way of conclusion, Canada reaffirms its conviction that true social development rooted in the values of inclusion, equity and dignity is a universal goal. This is the last Commission that I'll be participating in on a personal level, and the same goes for my colleagues. So we thank all of you for all of your commitment in this area.

I thank the representative of Canada, and I now give the floor to the representative of the International Organization for Migration.

Excellencies, distinguished delegates, colleagues. Around the world, persistent inequalities, multidimensional poverty, demographic pressures, conflict, disasters, and the accelerating impacts of climate change continue to undermine progress and deepen social divides. Delivering on the promise of the 2030 agenda requires renewed ambition and cooperation, grounded in social justice, human rights, and inclusion for all. Effective and balanced governance on human mobility is key to this endeavor. As affirmed in the Doha Declaration for the second World Social Summit, migration is a driver of inclusive growth and of sustainable development. The declaration recognizes the need to strengthen international cooperation in a balanced manner for safe, orderly, and regular migration, and to protect the rights and dignity of all migrants. Yet, too many migrants continue to face exclusion from social protection, discrimination in labor markets, and barriers to accessing essential social services. Internally displaced persons systematically fare lower across social development indicators. Those left furthest behind, including women and girls, youth, and migrants who face intersecting discrimination, require urgent, targeted attention. To advance coordinated and equitable and inclusive social policies, we must integrate human mobility across social development frameworks, ensuring that migrants and displaced persons are meaningfully included in national social protection, health, education, employment, and housing systems. We must expand safe and regular migration pathways, including voluntary return pathways complete with reintegration opportunities. We must strengthen decent work and skills recognition and address structural drivers of irregular migration and displacement. We must also invest in community-based approaches that foster social cohesion, counter xenophobia and misinformation, and support the resilience of both mobile populations and host communities. And we should scale up data-driven, people-centered solutions to internal displacement, strengthening those institutions to design and implement durable solutions. Looking ahead, we have the 2026 International Migration Review Forum taking place in this building from the 5th to the 8th of May, and it provides a unique opportunity for member states and our partners to translate the commitments of the Doha Declaration into concrete progress in implementing the Global Compact on Migration. We encourage all delegations to engage actively in the IMRF to ensure migration is fully leveraged as a driver to social justice and inclusive development. I thank you.

I thank the representative of International Organization for Migration, and I now give the floor to the representative of Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS.

Thank you, Madam Chair. UNAIDS welcomes the commitment in the Doha Political Declaration to, quote, "creating inclusive societies that enable full, equal, and meaningful participation, as well as leadership opportunities for all, including people with HIV," close quote. Indeed, social development and justice will be elusive if we leave behind over 40 million people living with HIV and millions more at risk of HIV. Conversely, Inclusive, just societies based on the respect for human dignity, human rights, and principles of non-discrimination, equal opportunity, solidarity, and tolerance, as committed in the Doha Political Declaration as well, are essential to protect the rights and well-being of people living with and at risk of HIV. Madam Chair, stigma and discrimination against people with and at risk of HIV persist worldwide, impeding their access to life-saving prevention and treatment and increasing the risk of their marginalization. The challenges go beyond individual household and cost across several sectors, such as healthcare, education, employment, legal and justice systems. Women and girls face particular challenges, compounded by gender inequalities and violence, True social inclusion begins where HIV stigma and discrimination end. This underscores the importance of coordinated inclusive policies and programs in close partnership with affected communities. Decades of global AIDS solidarity and work across multiple stakeholders and sectors have produced tremendous results, including 40% reduction in new HIV infections and 54% reduction in AIDS-related deaths since 2010. However, The gains are in danger because of the recent major financial disruptions, as well as challenges to human rights and shrinking civic space in many countries. Madam Chair, continued political and financial commitment is critical for protecting the hard-won gains and delivering on the commitment of ending AIDS by 2030. The upcoming 2026 High-Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS offers a historic opportunity to safeguard the necessary commitments through a new political declaration with clear targets to reach the end of AIDS by 2030. We call on all Member States and other stakeholders to engage actively in the preparations for the HLM and ensure high-level participation. Ending AIDS will be a historic milestone for global health, social development, social justice. Thank you.

I think the representative of the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS, and I now give the floor to the representative of Qatar Foundation for Social Work.

Madam Chair, ladies and.

Gentlemen, the Foundation of Qatar for Social Work has the honor to deliver this statement following the second World Social Development Summit in Doha. That summit showed the importance of social justice and social development through inclusive policies that are human-centered in terms of development policies. We face many challenges. These include policies and frameworks that are coherent. Our policies must reflect genuine diverse needs. of various levels of society. We need to take into consideration real policies that have an impact on the ground. Thus, the Qatar Foundation for Social Work is a organization that has several specialized centers to help persons with disabilities, those who do not see well, older persons, and families. We've adopted very successful strategies that show that social policies can provide care and ensure the empowerment of people while ensuring genuine participation in society. As for the inclusion of persons with disabilities, we've adopted jobs programs and training programs. This is an essential means of strengthening the dignity of these people. We also have programs for older persons. That illustrates their capacity to participate in society. We also have entrepreneurship initiatives. They are led by young people. That is an ongoing solution for society, and it bolsters solidarity among generations while achieving sustainable development. We have other projects for women and children and families, too. Furthermore, our foundation wishes to reaffirm the importance of the people that are concerned, including older persons and persons with disabilities, need to be involved in the establishment of policies. This is a crucial precondition to reach more realistic policies that are more capable of meeting needs. Furthermore, our foundation works in the social realm, and we're doing this in tandem with other relevant organizations. We've adopted an approach And we have helped to prepare the national human rights plan. We reaffirm that we stand ready to cooperate with the international community so as to translate commitments into measures while leaving no one behind. I thank you, Madam Chair.

I thank the representative of Qatar Foundation for Social Work, and I now give the floor to the representative of the Red dot Foundation.

Thank you, Madam Chair. My name is Nick Bruno and I represent the Red dot Foundation, an organization working to advance gender equity and safety through technology and community-based initiatives. As an 18-year-old, I'm speaking not only for myself, but for many people my age who feel a real urgency around today's discussion, advancing social development and social justice through coordinated, equitable, and inclusive policies. This summer, I attended both the HLPF and World Social Summits in Doha, where I saw firsthand the effort required to build consensus on paper. Now, as I reread the Doha and Copenhagen declarations, one thing becomes clear: implementation now matters more than agreement. We already know that social development is not effectuated in a vacuum. Economic, social, and environmental policies must work together, or we end up with strategies that look great on paper, but don't meaningfully improve people's lives. That is why both declarations emphasize whole-of-government and cross-sector approaches, because employment, education, health, and social protection are all deeply connected. Progress in one area can easily be undermined if another is neglected. Consequently, collaboration is absolutely essential. Equity is another critical part of implementation. These frameworks are clear that policies must prioritize those most often left behind. All of us in this room share a responsibility to ensure their voices are reflected in policy. The declarations stress meaningful participation from civil society, grassroots organizations, and other communities because inclusion is not something we simply declare. Policies designed without the people they affect often fail in practice. Being part of this process has made it clear to me that legitimacy depends on inclusion. When participation is meaningful, the policies that follow can be implemented more effectively. Finally, these guiding documents call for action through financing, capacity building, data, accountability, and international cooperation. What will determine their impact is sustained political will, especially from my generation, which stands to live longest with the results. Advancing social development and social justice must become more than a commitment on paper. It is a moral imperative that these principles become a lived reality for us all. Thank you, Madam Chair.

I thank the representative of the Red dot Foundation, and I now give the floor to the representative of the International Presentation Association.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Excellencies, UN officials, esteemed delegates, and colleagues. My name is Despina Aphrodisi-Milaki, and I'm delivering this statement as the UN representative for the International Presentation Association. This statement is also endorsed by the Soroptimist International, the International Association of Charities, and Unanima International. Thank you for this opportunity to speak. We welcome the priority theme of the 64th session of the Commission for Social Development. Social justice and social development call for equitable and inclusive policies aiming to create a world where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. To foster sustainable development, to build peaceful societies, to empower communities and individuals, social justice is essential. True development is grounded in putting people, particularly the marginalized and vulnerable, first. There is no true development without human dignity, without social inclusion, equal opportunities, mutual responsibility and collaboration. To overcome today's challenges, we must strengthen international solidarity, rebuild trust between governments and people, and fully translate the commitments into concrete actions. Your task is not easy. Neither is ours. People are suffering from extreme natural disasters, from health and financial crises, from violent conflicts, all which are growing in numbers and intensity. Inequalities are widening. Women and girls' rights are systematically violated in various situations and realities. These structural challenges have made every effort for inclusive and resilient societies less effective. Governments must ensure policies are developed on a fair and equitable basis, taking into account the unique needs and circumstances of individuals and communities. Biased practices and policies disproportionately affect the most vulnerable. They promote social exclusion and they further exacerbate the level of mistrust. People expect us to deliver results. Leaving no one behind requires fundamental shifts in policies and mindsets. We must move away from fragmented approaches. We must break the cycle of uncertainty, insecurity and inequality. It is not enough to know what the right policies are. It is time to choose the way to implement them. Meaningful participation by all, for all, with all is necessary. There is no other way. I thank you.

I thank the representative of the International Presentation Association, and I now give the floor to the representative of the International Disability Alliance.

Thank you, Chair.

I deliver the statement under agenda item 3B on behalf of the International Disability Alliance, representing the estimated 1.3 billion persons with disabilities worldwide. Chair, General Assembly Resolution 68/3 was adopted in 2014 to make disability inclusion a reality across the Millennium Development Goals and shape a disability inclusive development agenda towards 2015 and beyond. 12 years later, as the world approaches the 2030 horizon, we cannot help but remark that the concerns expressed in the text remain all too relevant. Persons with disabilities remain disproportionately poor, excluded from inclusive education, denied equal access to health services, still in need of assistive technologies and rehabilitation, and locked out of decent work, accessible infrastructure, and digital inclusion. Resolution 68/3 committed member states in the UN system to do what is too often treated as optional, implement the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities as both a human rights and development instrument, embed accessibility and universal design across sectors, strengthen social protection and community-based supports, invest in disaggregated data, and ensure the close consultation and active involvement of persons with disabilities through our representative organizations. The issue has never been a lack of agreed language. Rather, it is implementation, incentives, and accountability, especially financing. Disability inclusion is still under-resourced, too frequently relegated to pilots, and too rarely embedded in core development and humanitarian budgets. Meanwhile, shrinking aid envelopes, conflict and climate shocks, and austerity-driven reforms are eroding social protection, inclusive education reforms, and deinstitutionalization. IDA calls for a renewed way forward in two ways. First, we call for financing inclusion at scale. This means directing funding to organizations of persons with disabilities, accessibility investments and measurable targets, tracked transparently, including through reporting tools like the OECD DAC Disability Marker. Second, we call for a shift from participation as consultation to participation as power. This means resourcing OPDs to co-design, implement and evaluate programs, and protecting civic space so that we can hold institutions to account. Chair, Resolution 68/3 remains a roadmap. The test is whether member states will finally deliver it before another generation is left behind. I thank you very much.

I thank the representative of the International Disability Alliance, and I now give the floor to the representative of the International Federation for Family Development.

Thank you, Madam Chair. The International Federation for Family Development, present in 68 countries, welcomes the theme of this Commission on advancing social justice through coordinated, equitable, and inclusive policies, an approach that reflects the realities families face today. interconnected challenges across regions are impacted by demographic change, care deficits, gender inequalities, and growing pressure on caregivers, especially parents. These realities require coordinated policy responses that place families and care systems at the center of social development strategies. Building on IFFC's three solution session at the second World Summit for Social Development in Doha, and reinforced at the UNICEF, WHO Global Caregiver Forum in Madrid last month, a shared conclusion has emerged. Nurturing care and evidence-based parenting support are among the most powerful and scalable investments for child development. These discussions highlighted three essential realities. Parents remain the primary caregivers. Care infrastructures matters. and family-friendly working environments are indispensable. The key question for this Commission is how governments, employers and civil society can work together, especially during early childhood, when children's needs are greatest and parents are still learning to balance care and work. Social development and social justice cannot be measured by economic growth alone. They depend on family stability, equitable access to care services, social protection, and decent work. Care responsibilities, still disproportionately borne by women, must be addressed through policies that recognize unpaid care work and enable meaningful labor market participation. Care systems and family-oriented policies are not peripheral; they are foundational. We therefore call for stronger integration of family-friendly and care-oriented policies into social development frameworks, better coordination among governments, UN entities, employers, and civil society, and targeted support during early childhood. Engaging employers as partners and investing in early childhood are cost-effective drivers of long-term social and economic resilience. In closing, advancing social justice requires that we value care, support parents, and design policies grounded in evidence and lived realities. IFFD stands ready to contribute its experience and partnerships to support the Commission's work. Thank you, Chair.

I thank the representative of the International Federation for Family Development, and I now give the floor to the representative of Life Project for Youth.

Excellencies, distinguished delegates and colleagues, my name is Celine Larmitte and I am the representative for Life Project for Youth. Most importantly, I am speaking today as a representative of the most vulnerable youth, with whom I was until two weeks ago in Nepal. There, I met a young woman, Sangeeta, who told me: "Poverty is always challenging for people like us staying in slums. But we all need to fight against this situation, and we can remove poverty by hard work, collaboration, and spreading empathy. Yet she has never held a formal job, never had access to social protection, and never has been invited into a system that recognizes her potential. Her situation is not unique. It is the reality of millions of young women and men. At Life Project for Youth, we work alongside young people like her, youth who are often invisible in public policy discussions, living far from education, decent employment, and the formal job market. Their lives remind us that social development and social justice cannot be achieved without coordinated, equitable, and inclusive policies. These young people are capable, motivated, and innovative. What they lack is not ambition, but systems designed to include them. Social development cannot be addressed in silos. Employment, education, health, social protection, and youth policies must speak to one another. When they do not, young people fall through the gaps, especially those living in vulnerable peri-urban and rural contexts. At LP4Y, we see what becomes possible when inclusion is intentional. Our programmes combine skills training, personal development and direct exposure to the professional world, while also addressing health, citizenship and community engagement. But our impact is strongest when national policies recognise and support these integrated approaches. These young adults are not a burden. They are a force that Member States would gain in investing in. So today, we call on member states to invest in coordinated policies that connect education, employment, and social protection. Design equitable systems that reach the most excluded, not only the easiest to serve. Build inclusive frameworks that recognize youth as partners in shaping solutions, not just recipients of them. Sangeeta, the young woman I met in Nepal, does not ask for charity. She asks for a chance, a system that sees her, protects her, and allows her to contribute. Together, by working across sectors and listening to those most affected, we can advance social development that is fair, sustainable, and truly inclusive. Thank you.

I think the representative of Life Project for Youth. And I now give the floor to the representative of Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Loretto, Generalate.

Thank you, Madam Chair, distinguished delegates. Thank you for the opportunity to address you today. My name is Erica Delessips, and I'm speaking on behalf of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Loretto Generalate. Our network in over 40 countries collaborates with and supports women, girls, and their communities. offering programs in education and economic and social capacity building. We are a proud member of the NGO Committee on Social Development and the Working Group on Girls. Education directly advances the three pillars affirmed in the Doha Political Declaration, eradicating poverty, promoting decent work, and fostering social inclusion. Yet, critical gaps persist for women and girls. While girls globally have achieved gender parity in school enrollment, 172 million girls remain out of school. They continue to lag behind boys in secondary completion in sub-Saharan Africa and central and southern Asia. In low-income countries, only 50 women participate in education and training programs for every 100 men aged 25 to 54. The digital divide threatens to deepen these inequalities. Women and girls are more likely to be offline than men and boys, risking further marginalization as generative AI impacts learning. Education transforms lives. An educated girl delays marriage, raises healthier children, and earns 10% to 20% more with each additional year of schooling. She becomes an agent of change, breaking cycles of poverty across generations. To advance social development grounded in social justice, countries must Prioritize inclusive policies and financing that simultaneously addresses access, learning, and equity. Scale up quality early childhood education, enforcing legal guarantees for free and compulsory education, closing digital and infrastructure gaps for women and girls, especially in least developed countries, and expanding lifelong learning opportunities for marginalized populations. reduce direct and indirect costs for families through cash and in-kind transfers, scholarships and stipends, and strengthen country capacity to collect, analyze, and use desegregated data as well as gender intersectional data as a foundation for inclusive and coherent policy making. To realize social justice, we must address and counter any and all barriers to full and meaningful inclusion of women and girls in all aspects of society. Thank you, Madam Chair.

I thank the representative of Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Loretto, Generalate, and I give the floor to the representative of Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University.

Thank you, Madam Chair, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, and partners in the global pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals. We stand at a critical juncture where the limitations of our progress are not often found in a lack of technical solutions, but in an urgent need to enable and empower human consciousness to overcome material barriers through the indomitable spiritual resources enshrined within each one of us. For decades, we have seen the emergence of siloed approaches, resulting in fragmented programs and results. To fulfill the spiritual and ethical vision of the Doha Declaration, we must address the root cause of this inertia by strengthening the inner capacity of those on the front lines. We launched the SIT Soul Instrument Trustee Consciousness Program with a spiritual vision to provide a simple toolkit that can be easily integrated into our daily lives. After multiple iterations, the SIT initiative has provided emerging evidence as a transformative initiative with promise to shift the global social movement sector. from ownership to stewardship and from isolated competition to beneficial collaboration. Rigorous independent analysis of our pilot programs indicates that SIT fosters significant growth in well-being, balanced self-awareness, and professional reflection. Parameters we felt are critical to build the capacity of frontline staff. Our evidence journey has already reached over 820 change makers over 64 countries, providing them with the resilience manage burnout and the strategic clarity to transform high-pressure environments into spaces of focused energy. By recognizing our shared humanity through soul consciousness and viewing our organizational resources as a trust to be stewarded, we can approach world transformation through a collective spirit of unity. We invite you to join this global movement as we scale this free, digital-first resource to reach 10,000 changemakers within its first year. Our implementation model is designed for seamless, low-friction integration into your existing programs across five critical verticals: youth, climate action, women empowerment, health, and rural livelihoods. We urge you to adapt, amplify, and champion this framework within your own Together, we can move beyond us versus them mentality and build a unified force capable of achieving a just transition for all humanity. Let us co-invest in the inner resilience of our people to ensure that our external efforts lead to lasting sustainable change. Please visit justsit.world to join the movement. Om Shanti. Thank you.

I thank the representative of Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University. And I now give the floor to the representative of Asian Pacific Resource and Research Center for Women, AROW.

Thank you, Chair. I speak on behalf of the Asian Pacific Resource and Research Center for Women, AROW, women's major group, and 14 national level partners from across Asia and the Pacific region. Grounded in the Copenhagen and the Doha political declaration, we reaffirm that universal health coverage, inclusive of sexual and reproductive health and rights, is fundamental to poverty eradication and social development, ensuring equitable access to quality health services and reducing the structural drivers of poverty that disproportionately affect women, especially older women, young people, and marginalized communities. We urge Member States to advance universal, publicly financed and non-discriminatory social protection systems, including universal health coverage that leave no one behind to truly achieve zero poverty and sustained social development. Our recommendations are increase and sustain public investment in health and social protection, ensuring women, girls, and young people in all their diversity have uninterrupted, safe, and timely access to comprehensive, quality sexual and reproductive health information and services across the life course, including contraception, respectful maternal and newborn care, sexually transmitted infections, reproductive tract infections, HIV, antiretroviral therapy, and reproductive cancer prevention and treatment, which are essential and life-saving health services. Ensure full implementation, follow-up, and review of the Doha and Copenhagen Declaration at global, regional, and national levels. The review must center the leadership and meaningful participation of women, girls, and young people in all their diversity. guarantee accessible, affordable and quality sexual and reproductive health services in the context of climate crises, addressing compounded barriers faced by indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities and communities living in poverty. Integrate sexual and reproductive health information and services into the national crisis, disaster and climate response policies with affected women, girls and young people meaningfully involved in planning, financing and implementation. Ensure comprehensive, inclusive and rights-based integration of sexual and reproductive health and rights into national policies and development frameworks, supported by multi-sectoral and inter-ministerial coordination mechanisms for effective monitoring and delivery. ARROW and our partners, along with the women's major groups, stand ready to contribute to this agenda and to work with Member States and stakeholders.

I thank you.

I thank the representative of Asian Pacific Resource and Research Center for Women, AROW, and I now give the floor to the representative of Children and Youth International.

Distinguished Chair, Excellencies, and fellow advocates, my name is Ellen Creta-Dell, and I join you today as a young woman, as a migrant who fled due to challenging medical circumstances, and a technologist who has spent the last decade building systems where policy meets lived experiences. Growing up, I navigated under-resourced schools and inaccessible care systems, which taught me early that social development is not just a policy concept. It is the difference between being seen or overlooked, supported or left behind. And as we convene to advance social development in 2026, we need to recognize that the digital and social contracts of our era are now inseparable. Firstly, we must prioritize social justice by investing in inclusive digital public goods that work in low-resource settings. In my professional work designing AI governance tools and advising UN data initiatives, I have seen how embedding privacy, accountability, and inclusion at the infrastructure level transforms outcomes and closes opportunity gaps. led me to found Program Your Future at age 17, where we now support over half a million underrepresented youth through multilingual, offline-first mentorship and AI-powered skill development and employment pathways. By leveraging machine learning to identify barriers early and personalize learning-to-earning journeys, we move beyond single digital access to true digital dignity. Such evidence-based models operationalize SDGs 4, 5, 8, and 10 by embedding coordinated equitable and inclusive policies directly into system design, thereby effectively eliminating the socioeconomic barriers that prevent at-risk underrepresented children and youth from flourishing in an increasingly complex world. Secondly, we must adopt rights-preserving artificial intelligence governance. As a product design leader, I work to ensure that technology is not just powerful, but principled. I have learned what gets measured gets funded. In today's technology-driven world, artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure are shaping social protection, employment and care systems. But without rigorous governance, we risk these systems entrenching existing inequalities. So I urge Member States and this Commission to adopt frameworks that include mandatory equity audits and disability inclusive data sets. We must ensure that the advancement of technology results in a significant social contribution to our public services and the protection of the most vulnerable. And with the right policy frameworks, we limit unpaid labour, maximise social capital and enable real-time service delivery, predictive support systems, and data-driven social investment. Lastly, we must formalize youth co-creation mechanisms so that young people can help design the systems reshaping their futures. Young people are not just the future of social development. We are the primary drivers of innovation and digital engagement in the 21st century. True social justice requires a shift from consulting youth to co-creating with them, ensuring that child-specific considerations are embedded in the very architecture of our policies. because what gets designed with communities gets sustained. And so we call for the establishment of permanent youth-led monitoring mechanisms within social protection frameworks to ensure that social investments are directed toward the actual needs and aspirations of the younger generation. So, Excellencies, our sessions this week truly give us a moment to be bold and be a heartbeat for this Commission. Let's work together to turn innovation into inclusion, data into dignity, and policy into possibility. If we lead with courage and compassion, can build systems that do more than serve people. We can build systems that see them. And when we center youth, protect rights, and design for belonging, we not only advance social development and justice globally, we also shape a future worthy of the next generation. I thank you.

I thank the representative of Children and Youth International, and I now give the floor to the representative of Sisters of Mercy of the Americas.

Thank you, Madam Chair, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, dear colleagues. I am delivering this statement in my role as Chair of the NGO Committee on Migration. We welcome the adoption of the Doha Declaration on Social Development and its renewed commitment to inclusive, equitable and rights-based social development. The declaration explicitly recognizes that migration is a key dimension of inclusive growth and sustainable development, and calls for policies that protect the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all people on the move, regardless of their migration status. In this challenging political moment, where migrants are increasingly criminalized and excluded, rather than welcomed and uplifted, we must ensure that these commitments are translated into concrete action. People on the move are essential contributors to the social fabric and economies of communities and countries of origin, transit and destination. Yet they remain disproportionately excluded from social protection, housing, health care, education and labor rights. This exclusion deepens inequality and undermines social cohesion. We urge member states to implement the Doha Declaration by integrating migrants into national social development strategies, guaranteeing access to social protection without discrimination, and investing in community-led initiatives that foster inclusion. In this context, we're disappointed that the draft resolution on the priority theme makes no reference to migration, displacement, or the inclusion of people on the move in social development. Migration is not a peripheral issue, but a central reality shaping the demographic, economic, and social landscape of all countries. Leaving it out of this resolution risks undermining the very inclusivity and equity that the commission seeks to advance. We call on states to resist the securitization and criminalization of migration, to reclaim human rights as the foundation of migration governance. and to realize the commitments of the Doha Declaration and the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration. This Commission and the upcoming International Migration Review Forum in May must be robust spaces for accountability, dialogue, and forward-looking implementation, ensuring that the multilateral system remains responsive to emerging challenges. Governments must reaffirm international cooperation to halt the erosion of migrant rights and expand whole of society approaches to migration governance to build more resilient, inclusive societies. Civil society organizations, including faith-based, grassroots, and migrant-led organizations, are deeply engaged in this work and stand ready to support member states in shaping the agenda and monitoring progress. Only through justice-oriented, inclusive policies can we advance social development that truly leaves no one behind. Thank you, Madam Chair.

I thank the representative of Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, and I now give the floor to the representative of the Blue Tree Foundation.

And distinguished delegates, I'm speaking on behalf of the Blue Tree Foundation. a youth NGO from the Republic of Korea, established by a father who lost his only son to school violence. For over 30 years, BTF has worked to build a society free from violence. Today, AI and automated systems are accelerating risks related to cyber violence, the digital divide, and youth protection. Placing AI at a critical turning point, while it can advance social justice, It is also amplifying harm that disproportionately affects youth. Youth rapidly adopt new technologies, yet the harms and violations of dignity they experience on platforms often outpace policy responses. Effective AI governance must therefore move beyond abstract principles and be informed by lived experience. In response, we propose four priorities. First, inclusive global ethical guidelines on AI must explicitly incorporate youth protection and reflect the lived experiences of civil society and youth. Accordingly, BTF has proposed youth protection policies to global platforms, which have been reflected in safety features and guidelines. Second, a shared international framework is needed to assess AI systems against dignity, safety, equity, and accountability, ensuring companies uphold core principles across the AI lifecycle. Third, access to existing policies and protection mechanisms must be strengthened so victims can reach pathways for recovery and empowerment. In response, BTF partners with global technology companies to deliver responsible AI use education. Fourth, an international cooperation framework supported by an integrated digital platform is needed to connect policy, monitoring, and information sharing, ensuring coherence and efficiency. In the Republic of Korea, a legal and institutional prevention model links nationwide school-based education with civil society delivery and private sector support. By aligning policy design with field implementation, this model translates prevention into practice and demonstrates how field-based governance can be scaled internationally. BTF stands ready to partner with the UN through a field policy cycle AI governance model, protecting youth dignity and strengthening social development for all. Thank you.

I thank the representative of the Blue Tree Foundation, and I now give the floor to the representative of the International Relations Students Association of McGill University.

Thank you, Madam Chair. My name is Jeanne Gonnell, and I am delivering this statement on behalf of the McGill Youth Advisory Delegation. We are currently witnessing a period of transition in the international order, where the global system that ECOSOC has acted under for decades is now under serious threat. Stakeholders are withdrawing from constant commitments. Budget cuts are undermining key programs. And participation continues to dwindle. The very relevance of forums such as these are increasingly under question. Institutional drift is not unavoidable, but the UN's intervention must begin by questioning who gets a say and through what mechanisms. Across the world, trust in institutions, whether political, economic, or educational, is rapidly declining. This erosion of trust is not a coincidence. It reflects an enduring disconnect between decision-making bodies and the lived experiences of those affected by them. As a result, distrust transforms institutions from vehicle of progress into distant performative entities. Not surprisingly, this gap makes people turn to demagogues that seems to listen to them and to represent them, capitalizing on people distrust and feeding the rise of authoritarianism. This tendency is particularly felt among youth. Sadly, institutional attempts to include youth fall short of real collaboration. Experience, input, as well as social capital are being extracted from youth, while denying them any real influence. The United Nations is no exception to this observation. As performative positions, consultations, as well as unpaid internships, reproduce the same barriers that systematically deny marginalized youth political agency. As the most prominent forum in the multilateral decision-making sphere, the United Nations and its actors bear the responsibility of setting a global standard by ensuring that all voices are equitably represented. To foster dialogue within and among civil society actors, barriers to participation need to be lowered, particularly for young people from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds. Young people are not simply the future generation that will inherit the world of tomorrow. They are the one living in it right now, facing the consequences set by armed conflict, environmental crisis, and economic policies. We should not have to wait for them to be conditioned enough to fit into formal conversations. Their perspectives and demands need to be integrated into policy making right now, as they are. Institutions should be built to intentionally include them, rather than be shaped by discriminatory, patriarchal, and elitist norms. It is only through this act of common creation that we can forge trust, and it is only through trust that we can face our most profound challenges. Thank you.

I thank the representative of International Relations Students Association of McGill University. And I now give the floor to the representative of Make Mothers Matter.

Thank you, Madam Chair, distinguished delegates, colleagues. Make Mothers Matter welcomes the discussion on advancing social development and justice through coordinated, equitable, and inclusive policies. Care and support systems exemplify such policies. Including this topic in this year's program acknowledges a fundamental truth: the care gap is a major driver of gender inequality and poverty, and a structural barrier to social justice and development. Globally, women perform more than three-quarters of unpaid domestic and care work. This disproportionate share often prevents them from accessing education or employment, and thus from providing for themselves and from fully participating in society. It is a social and economic injustice that traps millions of women, especially mothers, in poverty or financial dependence. The COVID-19 pandemic made this crystal clear. Both paid and unpaid care work are essential for well-being and the sustainability of life, and critical to the functioning of families, communities, societies, and economies. Yet care remains undervalued, taken for granted, and largely unsupported. This is where progressively building strong, equitable care systems must be a top priority for social development. This means, first, recognizing care as a right, the right to care, to receive care, and to self-care, as recommended in 2025 by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. Second, recognizing unpaid care as productive work that builds valuable skills for the labor market. Third, redistributing unpaid care more equitably between men and women and across society, with families, communities, the private sector and governments at all levels sharing responsibilities and costs. Fourth, making unpaid care visible in statistics, starting with SDG indicator 5.4.1, to enable regular monitoring of care policies. Five, ensuring universal social protection, at least a social protection floor, for unpaid caregivers, including maternity protection and pension credits. Six, guaranteeing access to quality, affordable care services for children, older persons, and people with disabilities. Seven, developing policy packages to support mothers and other unpaid caregivers so families are not forced to choose between earning and caring. In conclusion, our message is simple and urgent. Care and support systems are essential infrastructure. They're also smart investments with multiple returns on health, well-being, job creation, household income, and inequality reduction. They must be the pillars of our societies. Without care, there's no economy, no well-being, and no future, but with strong, equitable care systems, We can eradicate poverty and build societies that value and sustain life, the true foundation of social development. Thank you.

I thank the representative of Make Mothers Matter. And I now give the floor to the representative of Asociacion Civil Hecho por Nosotros.

Thank you, chairperson, excellencies. On behalf of Asociacion Civil Hecho por Nosotros, I assert that social justice is not an abstract aspiration, but a concrete architecture of inclusion. From our experience in Argentina and Latin America, communities do not lack capacity. They lack coordinated policies that integrate their realities. Development is only effective when we move beyond consultations toward active co-creation, recognizing that the work of artisans deeply linked to identity and sustainability must be at the heart of our social protection frameworks. This requires a paradigm shift where communities, researchers, and governments act as horizontal partners. Central to our vision is artisanal intelligence, a framework that recognizes ancestral knowledge as a high-value asset for social development. To protect this asset, we advocate for digital inclusion initiatives that provide informal workers with traceability tools and fair market access. This is not merely a technological objective; it is a vital mechanism to formalize economic contributions and safeguard dignity globally. By bridging social protection and digital access, development becomes rooted in the self-determination of creators. Regarding the emerging issue of eradicating poverty and ensuring dignity through resilient care and support, we urge the Commission to broaden the definition of care. For millions of artisans and indigenous knowledge holders operating in the informal economy, care must translate into comprehensive social protection. Dignity is ensured when we move beyond temporary assistance to our resilient systems that recognize the artisanal sector as a pillar of the social fabric and a driver of the green economy. To move toward active partnership, we urge member states to first institutionalize co-creation by making the participation of community-based organizations a standard requirement in the design and monitoring of social development policies. Second, implement artisanal intelligence frameworks by supporting digital inclusion initiatives that provide traceability, fair market access, and pathways to formalization for informal workers. Third, strengthen care infrastructures for informal workers by developing social protection mechanism that address the specific vulnerabilities of artisanal and heritage-based actors.

Social justice is a result of inclusive architecture.

We must ensure that the transitions to a digital and green economy leaves no one and no heritage behind. Thank you.

I thank the representative of Asociacion Civil Hecho por Nosotros, and I now give the floor to the representative of Agora Ciudadanos Cambiando Mexico.

Chair, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, on behalf of Agora, a global innovation center dedicated to promoting evidence-based policies centered on peace, social justice, and the sustainable development goals, I'd like to express our appreciation for the rich deliberations observed during this session so far. We celebrate the Commission's commitment to advancing social development and social justice through coordinated, equitable, and inclusive policies. And it is in the spirit of this vital dialogue that we seek to introduce a critical, yet often overlooked dimension to the official agenda, the intersection of drug policy reform and systemic social development. Decades of drug prohibition have functioned as a driver of social exclusion, disproportionately impacting marginalized communities. By criminalizing health issues, current frameworks trap individuals in cycles of poverty and incarceration, stripping them of the agency needed to participate in the SDG ecosystem. The fentanyl crisis illustrates the lethality of this punitive approach. In the US alone, synthetic opioids contributed to a staggering 74,000 overdose deaths in a single year. Criminalization does not reduce use. It drives into the shadows, away from life-saving interventions, while fueling illicit markets that destabilize regional peace. To restore dignity, we must shift from a framework of punishment to one of comprehensive social support. The work of On Point New York City, a social civil society organization, provides a clear blueprint for this transition. As the first government-licensed overdose prevention center in the US, On Point has reversed over 2,000 overdoses with zero fatalities. Beyond immediate crisis intervention, their model addresses the nexus of drug use, homelessness, and development. By providing low-threshold services, including wound care, nutritious meals, and laundry, they meet basic human needs often neglected by traditional systems. Their holistic case management facilitates the social reintegration central to this Commission's mandate. We call upon the Commission to recognize that social development is incompatible with the criminalization of personal drug use. We urge Member States to redirect resources from enforcement to coordinated health and social services. We urge the Commission to scale up local evidence-based practices that prioritize human rights over incarceration. By aligning drug policy with the principles of social justice, we ensure that the most vulnerable are not left behind in our pursuit of a more equitable world. Thank you.

I thank the representative of Agora Ciudadanos Cambiando Mexico, and I now give the floor to the representative of Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum.

Madam Chair, distinguished delegates, my name is Yunus Sormaz, and I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum. This session's priority theme is clear and urgent. Social development and social justice do not happen by chance. They are the result of how policies work together in real life for real people. Today, many families are under pressure from higher living costs, instability, climate impacts, and sudden emergencies. In such conditions, A small gap in support can quickly become a deep fall into poverty. For that reason, coordination must be practical, not just institutional. People should not have to navigate separate doors for social protection, health, education, jobs, and housing. These areas are connected and the public response must be connected as well. When systems share information safely, use clear referral pathways, and apply consistent rules, assistance becomes faster and fairer. It also becomes more resilient during shocks. Equity and inclusion must be visible in delivery. Universal coverage matters, but it must reach those who are most likely to be missed. This includes children and youth living in poverty, persons with disabilities, rural communities, displaced populations, and young women who often carry the largest share of unpaid care. Inclusion means accessible services, outreach at community level, and support that matches the barriers people face, whether those barriers are distance, documentation, language, or digital access. The emerging issue reminds us that poverty is not only about low income, it is also about dignity. A resilient care and a support system protects people before hardship becomes permanent. It supports families early, strengthens mental health and psychological services, improves disability inclusive care, and responds to the needs of the older persons. It also recognizes the care of workforce. Care workers or caregivers should be trained, protected, and supported because care is not a side topic. It is a social infrastructure. In this context, ICYF works to amplify youth as partners in solutions. We promote youth employability and skills so young people can enter decent work and build stable lives. We support youth-led social initiatives and community volunteering that can reach vulnerable households quickly, especially in times of crisis. We also advanced youth entrepreneurship that creates local services and livelihoods, including the underserved areas. We value our engagement with the United Nations system. Under our ECOSOC consultative status, ICYF seeks practical cooperation with the UN platforms and the partners to strengthen inclusive youth participation and accelerate implementation on the ground. We appreciate this commission's space for dialogue and coordination. We encourage Member States and partners to build connected policies, invest in dignity-centered care systems, and place people, especially youth, at the center of design and monitoring. Thank you very much.

I thank the representative of Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum, and I now give the floor to the representative of Global Organization for Sustainable Development Goals.

Your Excellency, my name is Valerie Reynoso, and I'm the United Nations Permanent Representative and Executive Vice President, Legal Affairs of the Global Organization for Sustainable Development Goals, Inc., a New York-based nonprofit organization committed to accelerating social development and the Sustainable Development Goals. We strive to support sustainable cities and communities through initiatives, activities, and digital inclusion efforts to enhance people's quality education, security, and justice. Accordingly, our commitment aligns with the priority theme of the 64th session of the Commission for Social Development. We stress for the international community to adhere to SDG number nine on the importance of increasing access to information and communications technology and prospectively providing universal internet access. Additionally, goal 10 on reducing inequality within and among countries, goal 16 on promoting peace, justice, and strong institutions, and the United Nations Charter Articles 1, subsection 3, 55, and 56. on international obligations regarding social infrastructures and equitable systems and policies. We believe that the international community can prioritize accelerating socioeconomic developments, strengthening social justice, and modernizing governmental and legal institutions with a technological perspective through community engagement, public policy enhancements, and inclusive decision making. We urge member states to ratify the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights because global statistics reportedly like socioeconomic inequities and the digital divide shaping technological marginalization. Approximately 2.63 billion people lack internet access as of early 2025. Expanding worldwide internet access could lift 7% of the world's population out of extreme poverty and boost the global economy by $6.7 trillion, as income is a major determinant of technological access. Internet penetration is 93.1% in the European Union as of 2023, 93.1% in the US as of 2025, 65% in Latin America as of 2025, 51% in the Asia Pacific, and 28% in Africa as of 2024. Member states must strengthen multi-stakeholder partnerships to ensure the ratification of these covenants and enhance consistent state practices and inclusive policies to promote technological access and social inclusion for all. Thank you.

I thank the representative of the Global Organization for Sustainable Development Goals, and I kindly ask delegations to slow down in their statements so that our interpreters can make it in time. I now give the floor to the representative of Global Helping to Advance Women and Children.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of Global Helping to Advance Women and Children.

We work to protect women and children by strengthening the first line of social protection, which is the family.

As member states consider how to advance coordinated, equitable, and inclusive policies It is essential to recognize that families are the first and most resilient social institutions through which social development, care, and solidarity are actually experienced in practice. Across cultures and regions, families serve as the primary providers of care, social protection, economic support, and intergenerational transmission of values that sustain social cohesion. In the effort to eradicate poverty and ensure dignity for all, families are not peripheral actors. They are actually the foundation of resilience, especially during economic shocks, health crisis, conflict, and demographic shifts. When public systems are strained, families absorb social risks, care for children, the elderly, those with disabilities, and help prevent individuals from falling into extreme poverty. However, families cannot fulfill this role in isolation. Social justice requires policy that strengthen, not replace or marginalize the family. While ensuring that public institutions complement family care through social services, including healthcare and education, policies that overlook the family's role risk deepening inequalities, particularly for women and children. Therefore, we encourage member states to adopt family impact sensitive policy making that explicitly recognizes families as providers of care and protection. This includes policies that recognize the social and economic value of motherhood and family caregiving, while respecting the primary role of parents in upbringing and education of their children. Family impact assessments should also be integrated into social, economic, educational, and digital policies to ensure these policies strengthen family stability and intergenerational responsibility. Madam Chair, resilient care and support systems must also include robust child protection frameworks that safeguard children from third party risks outside the family, particularly in the digital environment. This requires policies that protect children from *********** online exploitation, harmful content, and emerging digital threats, while also empowering parents with the tools, information, and authority to guide and protect their children. Advancing social development and justice, therefore, demands coordinated policies that support families, uphold parental rights and responsibility, and place the dignity, safety, and well-being of children at the center of inclusive and equitable development strategies. I thank you, Madam Chair.

I thank the representative of Global Helping to Advance Women and Children, and I now give the floor to the representative of Udysha.

Chair, Excellencies and Distinguished Delegates, I, Adya Gaur, a 19-year-old student from Delhi, speaks on behalf of Odisha, an Indian civil society organization working for education, employment, and sustainable development, addressing the priority theme, advancing social development and social justice through coordinated, equitable, and inclusive policies. Today, I bring to this commission the voice of India's 104 million tribal women, 8.6% of our population, trapped in a healthcare crisis that demands urgent, coordinated actions. Consider the stark disparities. Infant mortality among tribal communities, 41.6 to 44 per 1,000 live births, far above the national average of 35. Under five mortality, 50%. 50 per 1,000 versus 42 nationally. Only 25% receive complete healthcare. Just 37% get postnatal care within 48 hours. Over 60% suffer severe anemia, driving pregnancy and complications. Because geographical isolation forces women to trek hours over treacherous terrains. Primary health centers suffer chronic staff shortage. Illiteracy exceeds 40%. Poverty creates a vicious health cycle. Odisha calls for coordinated, equitable, inclusive solutions. Firstly, culturally competent health systems that honor tribal languages, beliefs, and traditional healers alongside evidence-based care. Secondly, last mile access through community health navigators mobile clinics and transport networks. Thirdly, strengthened workforce and data systems, including dedicated tribal maternal mortality monitoring. And last but not the least, holistic investment in education, nutrition, water, and sanitation. These are not isolated interventions. They form an integrated policy ecosystem advancing social developmental goals 3, 5, and 10. Distinguished delegates, empowering tribal women is not charity. It is social justice. It is the foundation of inclusive development. When tribal mothers survive and thrive, entire community rises. The United Nations, member states, and partners, we urge you to act. Tribal women's health in India is a moral and developmental imperative. Let us build coordinated systems that leave no women behind. Let us advance social justice through equitable and inclusive policies. Thank you, Madam Chair.

I thank the representative of Odisha, and I now give the floor to the representative of SOS Kinderdorf International.

Excellencies, distinguished delegates, Chair, thank you for giving me the floor. SOS Children Villages International is an organization working in more than 135 countries and territories on the care and support agenda, supporting both care receivers and caregivers. We promote integrated care system, then enable safe, stable, and supportive family environment for every children. We strengthen families in their caregiving roles to prevent necessary child fair separating by supporting inclusive access to the basic and social services that increase resilience to social, economic, and child protection risks. We also deliver care for the children and young people who have lost parental care, employ caregivers and social workers, and work with governments to improve children's care standards at national and local level. In Armenia, we work closely with national government and local authorities to phase out the institutionalization of the children, as it is well established that this hinders children's development and social inclusion. In partnership with child protection and social protection actors, we have for many years supported the transition towards family and community-based care models. We strive to establish the range of the services together, providing the community of quality family care for every child, including preventive services for family at risk, foster care, small group homes, and supported family reintegration or independent living for children and young people. A key element of the process is individualization, need-based support. Each child and family is accompanied by the professional social workers. ensuring community of care protection for rights and long-term stability. Importantly, our work is supported by strong comprehensive between government, institution and civil society, reinforcing the national ownership and stability, while Challenges remain, including capacity building and resource mobilization. Armenia's experience demonstrate that the institutionalization when separated by the government and supported by civil society is a powerful tool for promoting social inclusion and breaking cycles of the vulnerability. In conclusion, social policy feed for children in 2026 mean policies and systems that strengthen families early and ensure community of care, as well as family-based environment when parent care is lost. Our work in more than 135 countries and territories show that this is achievable through multi-stakeholder partnership sustained by government's commitment to children's care reform. Thank you.

I thank the representative of SOS Kinderdorf International, and I now give the floor to the representative of International Coalition for Children with Incarcerated Parents.

Madam Chair and distinguished delegates, I am Dr. Avon Hart Johnson, joined by Megan Camp, speaking on behalf of the International Coalition for Children of Incarcerated Parents, or INCEP. Children with incarcerated parents remain largely invisible within international social development policy frameworks, despite the clear links to poverty, inequality, and intergenerational trauma. While recognized as an adverse childhood experience, affected children are rarely identified, counted, or protected in policy. INSEP seeks to advanced evidence-based recommendations through amplifying children's lived experiences supporting governments and civil society and translating commitments into policy and practice across regions most member states lack disaggregated data on children impacted by parental incarceration this results in their exclusion from sustainable development goals and indicators on poverty quality education and social protection systems. Therefore, we recommend strengthening safeguarded data collection and formal recognition of these children as a vulnerable group within national strategies and UN reporting mechanisms, including the Commission on Social Development, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, SDG, voluntary national review. Megan.

Parental incarceration often occurs without regard for children's best interests, causing trauma, disrupted caregiving, interrupted education, and housing instability. We recommend child-sensitive justice approaches, including child-friendly arrest policies, child impact assessments at sentencing, and non-custodial alternatives for primary caregivers. These recommendations are consistent with the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Bangkok, Nelson Mandela, and Tokyo Rules. Parental incarceration drives poverty through lost income and increased caregiving burdens. Member states should ensure access to social protection, education continuity, mental health support, and caregiver assistance. We also recommend establishing a UN supported expert group to identify and share best practices, recognizing civil society, including INCEP, as key implementation partners. We stand ready to support member states and the Commission in advancing this work. Thank you.

I think the representatives of International Coalition for Children with Incarcerated Parents. And I now give the floor to the representative of Sibling Keeper Corp.

Chair, excellencies, and distinguished delegates, my name is Anvage Mera, and I am a 16-year-old speaking on behalf of Sibling Keeper Corp and its ingenuity STEM program, a cross-regional network operating across Zambia, Ghana, Cameroon, and the United States in collaboration with the Major Group for Children and Youth. The second world summit in Doha is over. The Doha Political Declaration was adopted. The Pact for the Future and its Global Digital Compact have been agreed upon. Member states have already committed to closing digital divides, connecting the remaining 2.6 billion people to the internet by 2030. the current multilateral approach, digital access is still treated as optional aid for social development, while in reality, digital inaccessibility leads to social irrelevance. When a school or home is offline, a chain reaction is triggered from no digital skills to no access to services and then limited opportunity. This contributes to the reality that an estimated 272 million children and youth were out of school as of 2023. Education systems must be technically competent enough for opportunity, participation, and inclusion. Siblings Keeper directly works to remove these issues through community-based education, digital inclusion, and youth empowerment initiatives across multiple regions. Under this, led by me, the Ingenuity STEM program has designed and assembled hundreds of curricula and engineering kit modules and deployed over $20,000 worth of technology, reaching more than 2,000 students. Now, our work proves young people can deliver results. Yet, despite the Convention on the Rights of the Child and General Comment No. 20 requiring that adolescents' view be fully recognized and taken seriously in developing relevant measures, young people, especially under 18, face age-based restrictions in recent youth mechanisms and remain excluded from the processes, the very processes that were meant to serve us. Today, we urge Member States and UN partners to take three key actions. First, institutionalize accountability by requiring Member States to report on school-based digital access within all future Voluntary National Reviews. Second, finance implementation at scale by allowing youth-led community-based organizations like Sibling Keeper and the Ingenuity STEM program to access and receive financing, including through the Secretary General's Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection. Third, prioritize youth co-design by requiring national digital and social development strategies to include formal youth advisory mechanisms, both under and over 18, with written government responses. At this moment, we wish to connect and partner with member states, UN entities, and NGOs committed to social development to address the challenges we mentioned and to turn these commitments into inclusive digital infrastructure and communities globally for the greater good. Thank you.

I thank the representative of Siblings Keeper Corp. We have heard the last speaker in the general discussion under item 3 and its sub-items A and B. The Commission has thus concluded its general discussion of the item as a whole. Excellencies, distinguished delegates, on Tuesday, 10 February, the Commission will take action on draft proposals before it, prior to concluding its 64th session. More information on the programme of work will be available in the IGO portal and the Journal of the United Nations. Following the conclusion of the 64th session, the Commission will immediately hold first meeting of its 65th session for the sole purpose of electing the members of the Bureau of the session. The early identification of Bureau members is crucial for the successful preparation of the upcoming session, and I would like to take this opportunity to urge regional groups that have not yet done so to consider putting forward their nomination for Bureau members for the 65th session as soon as possible. I am grateful to the interpreters, and the meeting is adjourned.