Global Coalition for Social Justice Forum 5 November 2025, Doha, Qatar

Global Coalition for Social Justice Forum : delivering the Political declaration through collaboration and action

The Global Coalition for Social Justice will take an active role in the upcoming Second World Summit for Social Development in Doha.

On 5 November 2025, during a Special Event dedicated to advancing the implementation of the Doha Political Declaration, partners of the Coalition will showcase concrete achievements and announce new commitments that drive progress toward greater social justice.

📍 Location: Qatar National Convention Center – Room 106
🕒 Time: 5 November 2025, 11:30–14:30 (AST)- 9:30-12:30 (GMT+1)

The Global Coalition for Social Justice Forum is co-convened by the State of Qatar, the Federal Republic of Brazil, the Swiss Confederation, and the International Labour Organization (ILO).

Chaired by the ILO Director-General, this high-level event will feature:

High-level addresses from global leaders;
A panel discussion with government representatives and social partners exploring how collective action drives meaningful impact;
Spotlight sessions highlighting partners’ contributions under the Coalition’s key interventions showcasing practical solutions, partnerships, and policy pathways to deliver on the commitments of the Doha Political Declaration.

Bringing together Heads of State and Government, social partners, and senior officials from Coalition partner organizations, the Forum will underscore the Coalition’s role as a platform for coordinated, multi-stakeholder action - placing decent work and social justice at the heart of sustainable and social development efforts.

The event can be followed live on the ILO live page and the UNTV Webcast.

The final list of participants will be available soon.

“Social Justice takes us all” says ILO Director General Gilbert F. Houngbo

“Social justice is not an ethereal ideal, but a concrete necessity,” declared Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader, as he opened the second annual Forum of the Global Coalition for Social Justice, held alongside the 113th International Labour Conference in Geneva.

Addressing a diverse assembly of Ministers and senior officials, President Abinader emphasized that sustainable development hinges on the promotion of fairness and equity in the world of work. “If there is one area where that justice must take root,” he said, “it is in the world of work.”

The Forum marked a pivotal moment for the Global Coalition for Social Justice, bringing together more than 370 partners, including governments, workers’ and employers’ organizations, development banks, NGOs, and academic institutions. Since its launch in 2023, the Coalition has rapidly evolved into a dynamic platform for collective action to generate ground impact.

Brazil’s Minister of Labour and Employment, Luiz Marinho, representing both his government and the Coalition’s Coordinating Group as Vice-Chair, affirmed this shift toward implementation. “In 2025, we go from shared ambition to concrete development,” he said, highlighting the Coalition’s commitment to moving from principles to policy.

International Labour Organization (ILO) Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo also praised the Coalition’s rapid progress, noting its transformation into a results-driven initiative. “We are seeing increasingly tangible results that reflect the cooperative vision that animates the Global Coalition,” Houngbo said. “Achieving social justice takes us all.”

Roberto Suárez Santos, Secretary-General of the International Organisation of Employers (IOE), called the Coalition “a concrete and dynamic platform and the consecration of Director-General Houngbo’s vision” to make social justice the heart of the global agenda.

Luc Triangle, General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), echoed this commitment to global cooperation. “This is a key time for history, with a threat to peace and social justice,” he warned. “The Global Coalition is a renewed commitment to multilateralism to reinforce the fight against inequalities.”

This year’s Forum focused on six high-impact areas through a series of discussions between partners to advance the social justice agenda particularly in the lead-up to the Second world Summit on Social Development in November 2025 in Qatar.

Read the record of proceedings in English here

Read the record of proceedings in Spanish here

Read the record of proceedings in French here

All the sessions can be viewed on the ILO live page here.

Voices of the Forum

Programme of the Annual Forum

Opening session, 09:15 – 10:30, Room XX

The opening session, chaired by the President of the International Labour Conference (ILC), will feature high-level addresses and serve as a key moment to reflect on the achievements of the Global Coalition for Social Justice throughout 2024 highlighting its transition into a fully operational platform ready to deploy its key interventions in close collaboration with its partners.

Interpretation will be provided in English, French, Spanish, German, Chinese, Russian, Arabic, Portuguese and international sign language.

Follow on the ILO live page

Video statement by Dina Boluarte, President of Peru

Parallel sessions

Key intervention’s Spotlight: Living Wages, a driver of social and economic development

10:45 – 12:15, Room XX

This panel will discuss the role that living wages can play in addressing broader systemic challenges including in-work poverty and income inequalities. It will also explore their potential to create more resilient local economies and the need to address the root causes of low pay. With increasing global attention to living wages, the session will showcase the initiative’s efforts to promote alignment with ILO principles for estimating and operationalizing living wages. This includes strengthening social dialogue and empowering wage-setting institutions. Partners will share their experiences and ambitions. Their contributions will reinforce sustainable development and social justice.

Interpretation will be provided in English, French, Spanish, German, Chinese, Russian, Arabic, and international sign language.

The panel will be moderated by Sharanjit Leyl.

Follow on the ILO live page

List of speakers

Partners’ conversations: Fostering a just transition through social dialogue

10:45 – 12:15, Room XXIII

The transition to environmentally sustainable, resilient economies is a defining challenge of this decade. Success depends not only on climate ambition, but on how transitions are governed and financed. Global efforts to address the climate crisis and build resilient economies rely on just transitions that promote inclusive growth, business development, and job creation ensuring that no one is left behind. Social dialogue is vital for building consensus and enabling trust and shaping fair solutions rooted in decent work. Despite its proven value, it remains underused in climate policies, finance mechanisms, and global cooperation. This session draws on recent initiatives and provides a platform to assess progress and strengthen social dialogue in climate and development frameworks.

Interpretation available in English, Spanish, Portuguese and French

Follow on ILO live page

List of speakers

Interactive thematic dialogue: Empowering youth for social justice

10:45 – 12:15, Partners’ zone

Despite progress in the global youth unemployment rate, inequalities and decent work deficits continue to limit young people's opportunities in the labour market. One in five young people worldwide is not in employment, education, or training, and many are disengaging entirely. Two-thirds of these NEETs are women, pointing to the urgent need to address gender disparities. This thematic interactive dialogue will harness ILO constituents' expertise to promote more and better jobs for young people. It will also spotlight innovation, encourage intergenerational dialogue, and develop commitments for decent work. Outcomes will contribute to broader youth-focused efforts, including the ILO Global Youth Employment Forum in 2025.

This discussion will be facilitated by ITC and will be in English only.

List of speakers

Key intervention’s Spotlight: Responsible business for inclusive and sustainable societies

14:00 – 15:30, Room XX

The Responsible Business Conduct agenda has become increasingly important in promoting an inclusive and comprehensive approach to sustainability across enterprises of all sizes. At the same time, there is growing recognition of the need to strengthen the social dimension of sustainable finance frameworks, including ESG criteria, and to foster models that balance social, environmental, and economic goals. This session will highlight how the private sector contributes to better jobs, inclusive growth, and social justice. It will examine the role of governments and social partners in creating an enabling environment for responsible business.

Interpretation will be provided in English, French, Spanish, German, Chinese, Russian, Arabic and international sign language.

Moderated by Sharanjit Leyl.

Follow on the ILO live page

List of speakers

Partners’ conversations: Human Rights Economy

14:00 – 15:30, Room XXIII

The Human Rights Economy (HRE) offers both a guiding framework and an operational approach for embedding human- and related labour rights - into economic and social policymaking. It promotes equitable access to resources, addresses inequality and discrimination, and calls for inclusive institutions, social protection and supports systems that uphold the rights of both service providers and recipients. It supports international commitments, informs global policy discussions, and develops tools to integrate rights into fiscal and governance systems. Aligned with the 2030 Agenda, the HRE offers a vision of justice, sustainability, and inclusion. It serves as a key instrument for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals through rights-based, transformative change.

Interpretation available in English, Spanish and French

Follow on the ILO live page

List of speakers

Interactive thematic dialogue: Leading change: AI for Social Impact

14:00 – 15:30, Partners’ zone

The rapid emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) holds transformative potential for societies, especially the world of work. Realizing this potential means balancing opportunities for job creation, innovation, and productivity with challenges related to job quality, working conditions, and employment relations. Addressing the “AI divide” within and between countries - driven by disparities in infrastructure, finance, and skills - is essential to ensure AI supports decent work and social justice. AI must contribute to more productive economies, resilient businesses, and empowered individuals. This session builds on outcomes from the February 2025 AI Action Summit in Paris, where partners launched the Network of Observatories on AI and Work. It reaffirms a shared commitment to strengthening this agenda. By exploring real-world AI use cases, the session will highlight both the opportunities and challenges of AI adoption.

This discussion will be facilitated by ITC and will be in English only.

List of speakers

Closing session 15:45 – 17:00, Room XX

The closing session of the Global Coalition for Social Justice, will be chaired by the President of the International Labour Conference and will serve to reflect on the outcomes of the Forum, featuring high-level addresses and providing a space for partners to reaffirm their commitments, outline concrete next steps and reinforce the Coalition’s collective ambition to advance social justice through impact-driven interventions at national, regional and global level.

Interpretation will be provided in English, French, Spanish, German, Chinese, Russian, Arabic, Portuguese and international sign language.

Follow on the ILO live page

ILO

Inaugural Forum 2024

A call for stronger and more collective actions to advance social justice

On June 13, 2024, world leaders and partners of the Global Coalition for Social Justice gathered at the inaugural forum to call for stronger, more collective action in advancing social justice and to welcome the establishment of the Coalition as a key vehicle for achieving this goal.

Held on the sidelines of the ILO’s 112th Session of the International Labour Conference, the Coalition’s forum aimed to give a space for partners to exchange knowledge and experiences and to highlight concrete actions undertaken in support of social justice.

Never has social justice been so crucial for humanity

More than 1,200 representatives- head of States, partners, ILO constituents, tripartite delegations-participated to the Forum that intends to become an annual gathering. This year, the high-level dialogue was built upon the thematic areas that have been discussed with our partners in closed consultations such as building the resilience of societies; improving the coherence between economic and social policies; and fostering social dialogue for shared prosperity.

“Never has social justice been so crucial for humanity,” said Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President of Brazil, who was the keynote speaker at the Inaugural Forum, as co-chair of the Global Coalition for Social Justice Coordinating Group.

“No country can resolve the dilemmas that affect the international society on its own. We need to look for best practices and experiences wherever they are. The Global Coalition will be a central tool for building a transition with social justice, decent work, and poverty eradication,” he explained.

Established in November 2023, the Global Coalition has now more than 300 members- States, workers organization, employers, civil society, academia- a very diverse-yet unified-set of partners.

Ramchandra Paudel, President of Nepal, stated that taking part to the Global Coalition was a way “to reaffirm our commitment to social justice, to reaffirm our faith in multilateralism.”

A clear roadmap to act

Speaking at the Forum, ILO Director-General, Gilbert F. Houngbo, called the Inaugural Forum, “the kick-off of a long journey, a journey that will bring all of us toward more and better social justice in the world.”

Moreover, the Director-General stressed the importance of transforming commitments to social justice into concrete actions, to bring tangible, positive and sustainable changes to people’s lives.

“The fruitful discussions we have had today must translate into action. And as we move forward, let us remember that our efforts are not just for us but for the generations to come,” Houngbo said. “Our roadmap is clear. We must act, and we must act at the country level.”

Coalition Forum 2025

The next edition of the Global coalition Forum will be held 12 June 2025 and will showcase the concrete transformative actions taken by our partners to build a world better tailored for social justice.

The exact date will be announced in due course and invitations will be send to all partners and interested parties.

Watch the video of the Inaugural Forum

Voice of partners (Inaugural Forum, June 2024)