Thirty years after the landmark World Summit for Social Development in Copenhagen, the world reconvenes in Doha for the second edition of the Summit — a defining moment to assess global progress in poverty eradication, employment, and social inclusion. As nations prepare to renew their commitments to the Copenhagen Declaration, the Summit offers a crucial opportunity to reflect on the evolving role of social protection in advancing the social development agenda. 

In this episode, we look back at the forces that shaped the first Summit and explore how the Copenhagen Declaration helped elevate social protection in global discourse. We trace the evolution of social development and consider what progress has been made, what gaps remain, and how today’s challenges, from conflict and fiscal pressures to climate and geopolitical change, are redefining the global agenda. We also examine the potential impact of the upcoming Summit for universal social protection, sustainable financing, and multilateral cooperation in an era of mounting headwinds. 

Meet our guests: 

For our Quick Wins segment, we are joined by Marta Pedrajas, Deputy Assistant Director for Multilateral Development Policies at the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, to delve into a special side event at the WSSD 2025: the First Leaders’ Meeting of the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty She also explores what this new global initiative to eradicate poverty and hunger could mean in practice. 

References: 

Publication | Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development 

Publication | World Social Protection Report 2024-26: Universal social protection for climate action and just transition 

Publication | Sevilla Commitment: Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development 

Publication | Elements paper for the outcome document of the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development 

Event |  First Leaders’ Meeting of the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty 

Event | Universal Social Protection for Equitable Growth and Equitable Societies