150th IPU Assembly
Tashkent, Uzbekistan (5–9 April 2025)
Assembly
Item 3
A/150/3-Inf.1
6 February 2025
Concept note for the General Debate
Parliamentary action for social
development and justice
Social development is one of three intertwined pillars of sustainable development, alongside economic
development and environmental protection. It refers to the process of improving the well-being of every
individual in society so they can reach their full potential as part of a community of shared values. It aims
to build an equitable, inclusive and just society, ensuring that all individuals have equal access to
opportunities, rights and resources. In short, social development is about placing the well-being of people
at the centre of sustainable development.
In modern times, this people-centred vision of social development was reaffirmed most solemnly by the
1995
Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development
and has been further carried forward by the
2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It has been
affirmed constantly that none of the SDGs can be achieved without addressing structural inequalities and
meeting the needs of the most vulnerable and marginalized. While the social development vision has not
changed much over the years, the underlying ground has shifted considerably.
To begin with, the past three decades have produced a new wave of globalization and the attendant
liberalization of trade and market rules, which have caused severe imbalances within and between
national economies. Financialization has grown exponentially, replacing large segments of the real
economy and promoting short-term speculative gains over long-term productive investments. The
protective role of government has been diminished in favour of the discipline of the marketplace in many
policy areas, including the social sector. The welfare state of the post-war era (where it exists) has been
weakened through fiscal austerity and the privatization of public assets. A new era of technological
development, driven by digitalization – as well as, more recently, artificial intelligence – has emerged to
support a society-wide shift towards heightened individualism. Income inequality, often based on gender,
as well as wealth inequality have grown sharply both within and between countries, resulting in a
relatively small group of individuals owning the majority of the world’s productive assets. Work, even
when abundant, has become more precarious, with real wages rising much less than return on
investments. These trends are occurring against a backdrop of growing climate change impacts, which
are further hindering social development.
The UN Secretary-General pointed out in his 2021
Our Common Agenda
report that what is needed
most urgently at this juncture is a new social contract, based on human rights, between the people and
their governments, and within the international community at large. As the UNSG suggests, elements of
this new social contract should include universal social protections like healthcare and basic income
security, adequate housing, education, and decent work for all. It would have to significantly increase
participation in decision-making at all levels and in all sectors by women, youth and marginalized groups.
And it would have “to measure and value what matters to people and planet”, including through
alternative measures to Gross Domestic Product as the main indicator of progress. What is needed is a
new social contract to foster justice and solidarity as important means of nurturing social dialogue and
strengthening communities. The International Labour Organization’s Global Coalition for Social Justice
offers a potential model for this approach.
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