UNDP at the Second World Summit for Social Development

October 15, 2025

Event Details

Date

November 4, 2025 -
November 6, 2025

Location

Doha, Qatar

New York – The Second World Summit for Social Development (WSSD2) will take place in Doha, Qatar, from 4-6 November 2025. At a time of widening inequalities and major demographic, climate, and technological shifts, the Summit will reaffirm the shared commitments of the Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development and its Programme of Action, with a renewed focus on closing the implementation gaps to achieve the 2030 Agenda.

The Doha Political Declaration, to be formally adopted at the Summit, underscores an integrated approach to social development that places social justice and inclusion at the heart of peace, security, and sustainable development. It calls for strengthened international cooperation among governments, regional commissions, UN entities, and financial institutions, as well as strengthened multi-stakeholder engagement with civil society, social partners, youth, academia and the private sector to support its implementation.

The Political Declaration aligns closely with UNDP’s new Strategic Plan (2026-2029), which emphasizes transitions from poverty to prosperity through four interdependent objectives: prosperity for all, effective governance, a healthy planet, and crisis resilience; powered by three key accelerators: digital and AI transformation, gender equality, and sustainable finance, and underpinned by UNDP’s commitment to human rights and leaving no one behind.

For six decades, UNDP has pioneered human-centered development in more than 170 countries and territories, from the smallest island states to the largest economies. At WSSD2, UNDP will leverage this platform to deepen partnerships, share transformative solutions and drive collective action to move from poverty eradication to prosperity. UNDP’s engagement will emphasize promoting full and productive employment particularly for youth, women, and persons with disabilities, reducing inequality, strengthening social protection systems, promoting effective governance, advancing digital transformation, supporting a gender-responsive care economy, and mobilizing financing for sustainable development.

UNDP’S full list of engagements at the WSSD2:

Event, schedule & venue	Description	Organizers/Partners
Youth Assembly - The Future of Multilateralism: The Road from Qatar to New York (and Beyond!) 3 November, Monday Time: 10:00 - 19:00 (UTC+3) The Diplomatic Club, Doha, Qatar	The Youth Assembly will bring together young leaders to prepare them for their active participation in Summit. Participants will build community, explore key social development issues, and co-create statements, interventions, and advocacy strategies to amplify their voices throughout the forum.	Organizer: Major Group for Children and Youth Co-organizer: UNICEF Qatar, UNDP, UNFPA, UN Women
Adaptive Social Protection: Leveraging Insurance and Risk Finance for Climate and Disaster Resilience 3 November, Monday Time: 16:30 - 17:30 (UTC+3) Online	This online event will examine how social protection (SP) systems can serve as effective channels for delivering climate and disaster risk financing (CDRFI) payouts to affected communities. It will feature case studies and identify policy actions to integrate these models into national frameworks, aligned with WSSD2 priorities. UNDP will outline the CDRFI–SP integration model and global trends in risk-layered financing at the discussion.	Organizer: UNDP Co-organizer: Munich Climate Insurance Initiative
Decent Work as a Foundation for Crisis Recovery: Scaling up Solutions across the Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus 4 November, Tuesday Time: 11:30 - 12:45 (UTC+3) Exhibition Hall 7 - Room 14, Qatar National Convention Centre	This session aims to build momentum for integrating decent work into humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding efforts.	Organizer: The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan Co-organizers: UNDP, ILO
Launch of UNDP Policy Paper: Poverty-to-Prosperity Transitions 4 November, Tuesday Time: 12:30 - 13:00 (UTC+3) Auditorium 1, Ground Level, Qatar National Convention Centre	UNDP Acting Administrator will launch a new policy paper at the Daily Press Briefing. The policy paper calls on governments to establish 'national prosperity floors' that measure capability and security.	Press Conference-UNDP
Financing Social Protection and its Impact on Multidimensional Poverty 4 November, Tuesday Time: 13:15 - 14:30 (UTC+3) Exhibition Hall 5 - Room 2, Qatar National Convention Centre	UNDP will participate in the panel discussion and explore with partners how integrated social protection systems, anchored in multidimensional poverty frameworks and supported by innovative financing, can drive inclusive, resilient, and sustainable development. It will bring together partners to align policies, financing, and global commitments toward human-centered transformation.	Organizer: Government of Egypt Co-organizer: UNDP
Rights-Based Resilience: Protecting Climate-Displaced Populations and Environmental Human Rights Defenders 4 November, Tuesday Time: 13:15 - 14:30 (UTC+3) Exhibition Hall 7 - Room 10, Qatar National Convention Centre	This high-level roundtable co-organized by UNDP will examine the human rights dimensions of climate-induced displacement and environmental defence. It will foster dialogue on rights-based, inclusive, and data-informed approaches that strengthen climate resilience, social protection, and equitable governance aligned with the WSSD2 outcomes.	Organizer: Club de Madrid Co-organizers: UNDP, the Government of Brazil, OHCHR, the UN Committee for Development Policy (CDP), the Ford Foundation, OPHI, the LEAD Initiative, C4UN
Transitioning from Poverty to Inclusive, Sustainable, and Long-Lasting Prosperity 4 November, Tuesday Time: 15:00 - 16:15 (UTC+3) Exhibition Hall 7 - Room 12, Qatar National Convention Centre	This is UNDP’s main high-level event, to feature UNDP’s three flagship approaches toward prosperity and poverty reduction: prosperity transitions, growth and post growth transitions, and development planning 2.0. It will bring together policymakers and partners to exchange experiences, highlight country results, and promote inclusive, sustainable, and resilient development strategies for the future.	Organizer: UNDP
Youth Solutions for Climate Action, Circular Innovation, and Inclusive Mobility 5 November, Wednesday Time: 10:00 - 11:15 (UTC+3) Exhibition Hall 5 - Room 1, Qatar National Convention Centre	The event will spotlight youth-led innovations that connect climate action, digital solutions, circular economy, and migration to create green and decent jobs. It will foster exchange among partners to share good practices, strengthen youth empowerment, and mobilize investment and policy support for scalable, inclusive solutions aligned with the 2030 Agenda and the World Social Summit. UNDP will share reflections on youth solutions at the discussion.	Co-organizers: UNDP, IOM Partners: Qatar, Ethiopia, Iraq, Education Above All, QFFD, Youth, Samsung
Community-Based Social Protection in Africa: Innovations for Inclusive and Resilient Social Development 5 November, Wednesday Time: 11:00 - 12:00 (UTC+3) Online	UNDP and participants will explore how community-led models can be scaled, financed, and integrated into national systems to advance the goals of Agenda 2063 and Agenda 2030. This roundtable will be an opportunity to discuss and disseminate the UNDP-AUC joint regional report on Community-Based Social Protection in Africa.	Organizer: UNDP Co-organizer: The African Union Commission
Basic Income: An Emerging Development Instrument for Social Justice 5 November, Wednesday Time: 11:30 - 12:45 (UTC+3) Online	This side event will showcase the transformative impact of Basic Income (BI) as a tool to eradicate poverty and advance the SDGs. The discussion will focus on practical applications of BI in diverse contexts, future partnerships and strategies for integrating BI into national and global development agendas. UNDP will deliver the closing remarks.	Organizer: UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights Co-organizers: UNDP, BIEN
“Learning for Climate Resilience” Integrated Pathways for Poverty Eradication, Jobs & Inclusion 5 November, Wednesday Time: 11:30 - 12:45 (UTC+3) Exhibition Hall 5 - Room 5, Qatar National Convention Centre	UNDP will join the panel and share insights on inclusive education and climate action models that connect learning, livelihoods, and resilience. The event will highlight youth and women’s leadership, explore digital and AI-driven innovations in education, and foster partnerships to scale climate-resilient and advance the SDGs.	Organizer: Education Above All Co-organizers: EAA, UNDP, UNICEF, SLNI, Commission on the Status of Women, The permanent mission of the Gambia
Rethinking Social Development: Economic Solutions and Empowering Community- Based Businesses 5 November, Wednesday Time: 13:15 - 14:30 (UTC+3) Exhibition Hall 7 - Room 12, Qatar National Convention Centre	The event will spotlight community-based businesses as effective tools for local development and poverty reduction. It will showcase Egypt’s national models that link economic empowerment with social protection, highlight the role of women and youth in local entrepreneurship, and foster cross-country learning and partnerships to scale community-led solutions that reduce poverty and strengthen social cohesion. UNDP will participate in the panel discussion.	Organizer: Government of Egypt Co-organizer: UNDP
Shaping Peace From Within: Social Integration Through Local Leadership 5 November, Wednesday Time: 16:00 - 17:30 (UTC+3) Online	Organized and moderated by UNDP, this event will bring together practitioners from local governments, mediation networks, and think-and-do tanks to share insights on how collaborative local leadership and insider mediation can bridge divides, foster cohesion, and complement broader peace efforts.	Organizer: UNDP
Multidimensional Impacts on Social Development and the Social Fabric; Innovative Solutions for Social Protection, Inclusion, and Justice: The Suffering of Palestinian Families Under Occupation. 5 November, Wednesday Time: 16:45 - 18:00 (UTC+3) Exhibition Hall 5 - Room 2, Qatar National Convention Centre	The event will address the devastating and multidimensional impacts of the occupation while highlighting actionable and practical solutions, with a focus on the most vulnerable groups, including women and children. It will call for urgent international protection, highlight scalable and rights-based social protection solutions, and promote global partnerships to rebuild Palestinian society. UNDP will deliver a statement at the event and share perspectives.	Organizer: State of Palestine Co-organizers: State of Qatar, UNDP, UNICEF
Solutions to Internal Displacement for Inclusive and Sustainable Development 5 November, Wednesday Time: 16:45 - 18:00 (UTC+3) Exhibition Hall 5 - Room 6, Qatar National Convention Centre	This solutions session will contribute to a better understanding of internal displacement as a social development issue and present practical and scalable solutions that leverage inclusive social development based on best practices from different displacement contexts.	Organizer: DCO / Global Solutions Hub on Internal Displacement Co-organizers: IOM, UNDP, UNHCR, Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons
Financing Care as Core Economic Infrastructure 6 November, Thursday Time: 13:15 - 14:30 (UTC+3) Exhibition Hall 5 - Room 2, Qatar National Convention Centre	This side event will advocate for moving care from project-based interventions to systemic integration within fiscal frameworks, tax policy, and public investment pipelines. It will feature country reforms and innovative financing models for care-responsive systems, inspiring new national commitments to embed care into budgets, policies, and development planning. UNDP will deliver the opening and closing remarks.	Organizer: UNDP Co-organizer: Gates Foundation, Government of Uruguay
Investing in Human Capital as a Global Public Good: From National Impact to Shared Global Value 6 November, Thursday Time: 15:00 - 16:15 (UTC+3) Exhibition Hall 5 - Room 5, Qatar National Convention Centre	This event will reframe investment in human capital as a Global Public Good essential for resilience, equity, and sustainable growth. It will showcase scalable national models, explore ethical labor mobility and financing innovations, and mobilize political momentum for a global compact on human capital investment within key multilateral reform agendas. UNDP will join the panel to share perspectives.	Organizer: The Government of Egypt Co-organizers: World Bank, UNDP
Re-Thinking Development: Insights for Accelerated Action in Today's World 6 November, Thursday Time: 15:00 - 16:30 (UTC+3) Exhibition Hall 7 - Room 13, Qatar National Convention Centre	This Solution Session will serve to continue and deepen the strategic discussions reflected around rethinking development; fill a critical gap in global science-policy interface through the Social Science Matter Programme; and to engage a broad set of stakeholders in the discussion on the current and future dimensions of global sustainable development. The event will see the launch of the ISC Social Science Matters programme. The Human Development Report 2026 will be announced at the session.	Organizer: International Science Council Co-organizers: UNDP, Qatar Research Development and Innovation Council

Event, schedule & venue

Description

Organizers/Partners

Youth Assembly - The Future of Multilateralism: The Road from Qatar to New York (and Beyond!)

3 November, Monday

Time: 10:00 - 19:00 (UTC+3)

The Diplomatic Club, Doha, Qatar

The Youth Assembly will bring together young leaders to prepare them for their active participation in Summit. Participants will build community, explore key social development issues, and co-create statements, interventions, and advocacy strategies to amplify their voices throughout the forum.

Organizer: Major Group for Children and Youth

Co-organizer: UNICEF Qatar, UNDP, UNFPA, UN Women

Adaptive Social Protection: Leveraging Insurance and Risk Finance for Climate and Disaster Resilience

3 November, Monday

Time: 16:30 - 17:30 (UTC+3)

Online

This online event will examine how social protection (SP) systems can serve as effective channels for delivering climate and disaster risk financing (CDRFI) payouts to affected communities. It will feature case studies and identify policy actions to integrate these models into national frameworks, aligned with WSSD2 priorities. UNDP will outline the CDRFI–SP integration model and global trends in risk-layered financing at the discussion.

Organizer: UNDP

Co-organizer: Munich Climate Insurance Initiative

Decent Work as a Foundation for Crisis Recovery: Scaling up Solutions across the Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus

4 November, Tuesday

Time: 11:30 - 12:45 (UTC+3)

Exhibition Hall 7 - Room 14, Qatar National Convention Centre

This session aims to build momentum for integrating decent work into humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding efforts.

Organizer: The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

Co-organizers: UNDP, ILO

Launch of UNDP Policy Paper: Poverty-to-Prosperity Transitions

4 November, Tuesday

Time: 12:30 - 13:00 (UTC+3)

Auditorium 1, Ground Level, Qatar National Convention Centre

UNDP Acting Administrator will launch a new policy paper at the Daily Press Briefing. The policy paper calls on governments to establish 'national prosperity floors' that measure capability and security.

Press Conference-UNDP

Financing Social Protection and its Impact on Multidimensional Poverty

4 November, Tuesday

Time: 13:15 - 14:30 (UTC+3)

Exhibition Hall 5 - Room 2, Qatar National Convention Centre

UNDP will participate in the panel discussion and explore with partners how integrated social protection systems, anchored in multidimensional poverty frameworks and supported by innovative financing, can drive inclusive, resilient, and sustainable development. It will bring together partners to align policies, financing, and global commitments toward human-centered transformation.

Organizer: Government of Egypt

Co-organizer: UNDP

Rights-Based Resilience: Protecting Climate-Displaced Populations and Environmental Human Rights Defenders

4 November, Tuesday

Time: 13:15 - 14:30 (UTC+3)

Exhibition Hall 7 - Room 10, Qatar National Convention Centre

This high-level roundtable co-organized by UNDP will examine the human rights dimensions of climate-induced displacement and environmental defence. It will foster dialogue on rights-based, inclusive, and data-informed approaches that strengthen climate resilience, social protection, and equitable governance aligned with the WSSD2 outcomes.

Organizer: Club de Madrid

Co-organizers: UNDP, the Government of Brazil, OHCHR, the UN Committee for Development Policy (CDP), the Ford Foundation, OPHI, the LEAD Initiative, C4UN

Transitioning from Poverty to Inclusive, Sustainable, and Long-Lasting Prosperity

4 November, Tuesday

Time: 15:00 - 16:15 (UTC+3)

Exhibition Hall 7 - Room 12, Qatar National Convention Centre

This is UNDP’s main high-level event, to feature UNDP’s three flagship approaches toward prosperity and poverty reduction: prosperity transitions, growth and post growth transitions, and development planning 2.0. It will bring together policymakers and partners to exchange experiences, highlight country results, and promote inclusive, sustainable, and resilient development strategies for the future.

Organizer: UNDP

Youth Solutions for Climate Action, Circular Innovation, and Inclusive Mobility

5 November, Wednesday

Time: 10:00 - 11:15 (UTC+3)

Exhibition Hall 5 - Room 1, Qatar National Convention Centre

The event will spotlight youth-led innovations that connect climate action, digital solutions, circular economy, and migration to create green and decent jobs. It will foster exchange among partners to share good practices, strengthen youth empowerment, and mobilize investment and policy support for scalable, inclusive solutions aligned with the 2030 Agenda and the World Social Summit. UNDP will share reflections on youth solutions at the discussion.

Co-organizers: UNDP, IOM

Partners: Qatar, Ethiopia, Iraq, Education Above All, QFFD, Youth, Samsung

Community-Based Social Protection in Africa: Innovations for Inclusive and Resilient Social Development

5 November, Wednesday

Time: 11:00 - 12:00 (UTC+3)

Online

UNDP and participants will explore how community-led models can be scaled, financed, and integrated into national systems to advance the goals of Agenda 2063 and Agenda 2030. This roundtable will be an opportunity to discuss and disseminate the UNDP-AUC joint regional report on Community-Based Social Protection in Africa.

Organizer: UNDP

Co-organizer: The African Union Commission

Basic Income: An Emerging Development Instrument for Social Justice

5 November, Wednesday

Time: 11:30 - 12:45 (UTC+3)

Online

This side event will showcase the transformative impact of Basic Income (BI) as a tool to eradicate poverty and advance the SDGs. The discussion will focus on practical applications of BI in diverse contexts, future partnerships and strategies for integrating BI into national and global development agendas. UNDP will deliver the closing remarks.

Organizer: UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights

Co-organizers: UNDP, BIEN

“Learning for Climate Resilience” Integrated Pathways for Poverty Eradication, Jobs & Inclusion

5 November, Wednesday

Time: 11:30 - 12:45 (UTC+3)

Exhibition Hall 5 - Room 5, Qatar National Convention Centre

UNDP will join the panel and share insights on inclusive education and climate action models that connect learning, livelihoods, and resilience. The event will highlight youth and women’s leadership, explore digital and AI-driven innovations in education, and foster partnerships to scale climate-resilient and advance the SDGs.

Organizer: Education Above All

Co-organizers: EAA, UNDP, UNICEF, SLNI, Commission on the Status of Women, The permanent mission of the Gambia

Rethinking Social Development: Economic Solutions and Empowering Community- Based Businesses

5 November, Wednesday

Time: 13:15 - 14:30 (UTC+3)

Exhibition Hall 7 - Room 12, Qatar National Convention Centre

The event will spotlight community-based businesses as effective tools for local development and poverty reduction. It will showcase Egypt’s national models that link economic empowerment with social protection, highlight the role of women and youth in local entrepreneurship, and foster cross-country learning and partnerships to scale community-led solutions that reduce poverty and strengthen social cohesion. UNDP will participate in the panel discussion.

Organizer: Government of Egypt

Co-organizer: UNDP

Shaping Peace From Within: Social Integration Through Local Leadership

5 November, Wednesday

Time: 16:00 - 17:30 (UTC+3)

Online

Organized and moderated by UNDP, this event will bring together practitioners from local governments, mediation networks, and think-and-do tanks to share insights on how collaborative local leadership and insider mediation can bridge divides, foster cohesion, and complement broader peace efforts.

Organizer: UNDP

Multidimensional Impacts on Social Development and the Social Fabric; Innovative Solutions for Social Protection, Inclusion, and Justice: The Suffering of Palestinian Families Under Occupation.

5 November, Wednesday

Time: 16:45 - 18:00 (UTC+3)

Exhibition Hall 5 - Room 2, Qatar National Convention Centre

The event will address the devastating and multidimensional impacts of the occupation while highlighting actionable and practical solutions, with a focus on the most vulnerable groups, including women and children. It will call for urgent international protection, highlight scalable and rights-based social protection solutions, and promote global partnerships to rebuild Palestinian society. UNDP will deliver a statement at the event and share perspectives.

Organizer: State of Palestine

Co-organizers: State of Qatar, UNDP, UNICEF

Solutions to Internal Displacement for Inclusive and Sustainable Development

5 November, Wednesday

Time: 16:45 - 18:00 (UTC+3)

Exhibition Hall 5 - Room 6, Qatar National Convention Centre

This solutions session will contribute to a better understanding of internal displacement as a social development issue and present practical and scalable solutions that leverage inclusive social development based on best practices from different displacement contexts.

Organizer: DCO / Global Solutions Hub on Internal Displacement

Co-organizers: IOM, UNDP, UNHCR, Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons

Financing Care as Core Economic Infrastructure

6 November, Thursday

Time: 13:15 - 14:30 (UTC+3)

Exhibition Hall 5 - Room 2, Qatar National Convention Centre

This side event will advocate for moving care from project-based interventions to systemic integration within fiscal frameworks, tax policy, and public investment pipelines. It will feature country reforms and innovative financing models for care-responsive systems, inspiring new national commitments to embed care into budgets, policies, and development planning. UNDP will deliver the opening and closing remarks.

Organizer: UNDP

Co-organizer: Gates Foundation, Government of Uruguay

Investing in Human Capital as a Global Public Good: From National Impact to Shared Global Value

6 November, Thursday

Time: 15:00 - 16:15 (UTC+3)

Exhibition Hall 5 - Room 5, Qatar National Convention Centre

This event will reframe investment in human capital as a Global Public Good essential for resilience, equity, and sustainable growth. It will showcase scalable national models, explore ethical labor mobility and financing innovations, and mobilize political momentum for a global compact on human capital investment within key multilateral reform agendas. UNDP will join the panel to share perspectives.

Organizer: The Government of Egypt

Co-organizers: World Bank, UNDP

Re-Thinking Development: Insights for Accelerated Action in Today's World

6 November, Thursday

Time: 15:00 - 16:30 (UTC+3)

Exhibition Hall 7 - Room 13, Qatar National Convention Centre

This Solution Session will serve to continue and deepen the strategic discussions reflected around rethinking development; fill a critical gap in global science-policy interface through the Social Science Matter Programme; and to engage a broad set of stakeholders in the discussion on the current and future dimensions of global sustainable development. The event will see the launch of the ISC Social Science Matters programme. The Human Development Report 2026 will be announced at the session.

Organizer: International Science Council

Co-organizers: UNDP, Qatar Research Development and Innovation Council