The Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development has long been a cornerstone for global collaboration on social development, placing people at the heart of progress. The declaration emphasized the need to prioritize poverty eradication, full employment and social inclusion — goals that remain as urgent today as they were when the declaration was first adopted. The upcoming 2nd World Summit for Social Development is an opportunity to provide renewed momentum to advance social development. To do so, the outcomes of the summit must address both the remaining challenges for inclusive social development as well as those that have newly emerged. 

Rising Challenges: Poverty and Inequality in Asia and the Pacific

Countries in Asia and the Pacific have faced a concerning trend: for the first time in decades, poverty and inequality are on the rise. The COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with the ongoing cost of living crisis, pushed an additional estimated 42 million people in the region into extreme poverty in 2022 — a sharp increase compared to pre-pandemic levels. Income inequality has similarly surged, with over half of the countries in the region where data is available experiencing growing disparities during the pandemic, and reversing gains made in the previous two decades.