The World Social Report is the flagship publication of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) on major social development issues.
UN DESA presented the key messages and recommendations of the World Social Report 2024: Social Development in Times of Converging Crises: A Call for Global Action. Since the First World Summit for Social Development held in Copenhagen in 1995, progress has been made across the world in realizing social development objectives such as poverty eradication, full employment, and inclusion.
However, many gaps and challenges remained, even as recently as five years back. Today, amid a confluence of shocks and crises, less than a fifth of the SDG targets are on track, with nearly a half showing insufficient progress, and over a third that are stalled or in reversal. This serves as a wake-up call, signaling the need for extensive changes along different fronts to achieve social development. While national-level efforts for achieving social goals remain vital, they must be complemented by international support and global actions. Such joint actions can greatly reduce the impact of recurrent crises on social development and preserve valuable resources for its further advancement.