IACD Response to United Nations Global Consultation on Social Development

The International Association for Community Development (IACD) welcomes the announcement that the United Nations is convening a Second World Summit for Social Development (WSSD), scheduled to take place in Qatar from 4-6 November 2025, to address ongoing social challenges and renew commitments made in the 1995 Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development and Programme of Action.

This week IACD has made a submission to the global consultation launched by the UN Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) to collect perspectives and suggestions as key inputs for shaping the outcomes of the second WSSD and associated programme of action.

IACD acknowledges and shares concerns that despite some progress on social issues in recent decades for some communities, equitable progress for all has been held back by the dominance of neoliberal economics and ideology, leading to and reinforcing widespread poverty, inequality, discrimination, social exclusion, environmental crisis, conflict and insecurity. This is reinforced by dominant and divisive narratives that individualise issues, and responsibility for them, marginalising people and communities.

IACD believes that collective international co-operation is critical to re-assert social issues at the heart of development policies and agendas for the realisation of gender justice and human rights, and the promotion of peace, security, democracy and international solidarity.

We further believe that Community Development, as a practice-based profession and an academic discipline that promotes participative democracy, sustainable development, human rights, economic opportunity, equality and social justice, through the organisation, education and empowerment of people within their communities, whether these be of locality, identity or interest, in urban and rural settings, is central to achieving social development goals.

The UNRISD global consultation invited insights on the 3 most pressing social development challenges that need attention today, and the 3 most important asks for Heads of States who will be gathering in Qatar in November 2025.

IACD’s response to the global consultation draws on feedback from our own membership, highlighting globally the key issues and concerns for Community Development practitioners and communities, and reflects commitments we set out in September 2023, at the Scottish Parliament. Our response, submitted by our Trustees across global regions, is set out below:

Today's Challenges

1. Inequality manifests economically, socially, politically and creates systemic intersectional disadvantage based on factors like race, gender, and location. It fuels poverty, marginalization, exclusion, and social division, limiting opportunities for progressive development and collective social change.

2. Discrimination on grounds of race, ethnicity, gender, religion and sexual orientation, is often rooted in colonialism's legacy and fuelled by extremism. It causes fear, mistrust and suspicion and result in marginalisation, inequality, poverty and undermining of social cohesion. It denies opportunity for social development.

3. Climate Change, climate crisis and environmental degradation, principally fuelled by industrial development, is impacting globally and disproportionately affecting marginalised communities, causing displacement, food insecurity, fuel poverty, health problems, social inequality, economic hardship and global instability.

Our Asks for Heads of States

1. Adopt and Resource Community Development in policy and practice to achieve equitable social development and positive change. Champion community empowerment, collective action, solidarity and agency. Amplify the diversity of voices – especially minority and indigenous voices - and community participation in decision making.
2. Protect Human Rights and promote social and economic justice that respects the equal worth, dignity, and diversity of all people. Challenge injustice, inequality, discrimination, and social exclusion ensuring fair and equitable access to resources, services and opportunities.
3. Advocate for Climate Justice and socially just sustainable development, ensuring fair and equitable social, economic, and environmental development. Challenge environmental degradation. Prioritise protection of biodiversity, the natural environment and those communities most adversely impacted by climate crisis.

In response to the request for resources or references for initiatives, services, or policies that can support actions addressing the social issues and challenges we shared a copy of the IACD International Standards for Community Development.

We look forward to engaging further with UNRISD to promote and advocate for Community Development as a means to progress fair, just and equitable social development globally, and to participating in future initiatives contributing to successful outcomes for the second World Summit for Social Development. We will continue to share information and opportunities for engagement in the second WSSD with our members, to support the diversity of voices reflected in Summit planning and decision-making processes.