This November, the Second World Summit for Social Development (WSSD2) will convene in Doha, Qatar, nearly thirty years after the landmark 1995 Copenhagen Summit.
The first summit produced the Copenhagen Declaration, which committed governments to three foundational pillars: poverty eradication, full and productive employment, and social integration.
Since then, progress has been slow and uneven across regions, with poverty and inequality persisting, economic crises stalling investments in social programs, and marginalized groups continuing to face exclusion. WSSD2 is designed as a moment of recommitment and an opportunity to reset momentum toward the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The United Nations has invited governments, select civil society organizations, and academic institutions to contribute to high-level roundtables, side events and solution sessions. These venues give professional bodies, researchers, and practitioners a voice in shaping the Summit’s Political Declaration and action plan.
Illinois as ICSD’s Home
The School of Social Work at Illinois serves as the institutional home of the International Consortium for Social Development (ICSD), a global association committed to advancing social development through research, education, and practice. ICSD traces its roots to the early 1970s, when a group of social work educators in the Midwest United States sought to expand education and practice beyond clinical orientation and respond to structural issues of poverty, inequality, and social change.
Among its most influential leaders were Daniel S. Sanders, one of the early deans of Illinois Social Work, who served as ICSD’s inaugural President from 1981 to 1989; as well as Chuck Cowger, an interim dean of the School and professor emeritus, who served as President from 2001 to 2005. Today, as both the historic and current host institution, Illinois continues to provide symbolic and practical support for ICSD’s mission. Housing ICSD at Illinois helps connect global conversations on social development to the School’s research, teaching, and field practice, ensuring that international perspectives inform both the campus community and the wider profession of social work.
ICSD holds special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), granting it formal recognition and the ability to propose side events, submit statements, and participate in global UN deliberations. This status makes ICSD one of the few professional associations headquartered at a U.S. university with a direct voice in UN processes.
Illinois Professor and Dean, Ben Lough, who serves on ICSD’s Executive Council, will lead one of the accepted side events at WSSD2. Professor Tara Powell will also participate as participant in the side events. Other Illinois faculty who are active ICSD members, include:
These Illinois faculty demonstrate how local expertise, and scholarship can contribute to global policy dialogues on social inclusion and sustainable development.
A Coordinated Social Work Presence at WSSD2
For the first time, the four major global social work organizations are coordinating their presence at a UN World Summit. Each of these professional organizations has a different but complementary mission. By combining and coordinating their efforts, they bring together the voices of educators, practitioners, researchers, and policy advocates to present a unified social work contribution to global social development.
- International Consortium for Social Development (ICSD)
- Advances interdisciplinary research, training, and practice on issues of poverty, inequality, and social justice.
- International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW)
- Serves as the global voice of professional social workers, advocating for ethical practice, labor rights, and the role of social work in building inclusive societies.
- International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW)
- Represents schools of social work and social work educators worldwide, promoting quality education, curriculum innovation, and global standards for professional training.
- International Council on Social Welfare (ICSW)
- Engages governments, civil society, and NGOs on social policy, focusing on integrated approaches to welfare, social protection, and sustainable development.
Together, these professional organizations will co-sponsor and organize four sessions at WSSD2, each highlighting a different dimension of social integration. This coordinated approach ensures that social work and social development perspectives will help shape the Summit’s political outcomes and action plans.
Session 1: Strengthening Intergenerational Solidarity
Title: Strengthening Social Integration through Intergenerational Solidarity: A Foundation for Inclusive, Sustainable Societies
Organizers: IFSW (lead), ICSD, ICSW, IASSW
This solutions session addresses the urgent need for stronger ties between generations as a foundation for cohesive societies. It will highlight innovative practices that connect younger and older people, from community-based programs to national policies, showing how intergenerational solidarity strengthens social trust, reduces exclusion, and supports sustainable development.
Session 2: Social Integration through Workforce Development
Title: Social Integration through Care and Social Protection Systems: Investing in the Social Development Workforce
Organizers: ICSD (lead), IASSW, ICSW, IFSW
This session reframes social integration through the lens of workforce capacity. It argues that without strong, multidisciplinary, cross-sectoral teams, including social workers, paraprofessionals, care workers, and community development staff, social policies remain aspirational. Participants will surface workforce models from different regions, explore digital and AI-enabled tools for service integration, and co-develop next steps on indicators of participation and inclusion.
Session 3: Designing Integrated Social Policies
Title: Designing Integrated Social Policies for Inclusive and Sustainable Development
Organizer: ICSW (lead), IASSW, ICSD, IFSW
This session will address how governments and civil society can move beyond fragmented approaches toward integrated social policies that advance both inclusion and sustainability. It complements ICSD’s workforce-focused framing and strengthens the coalition’s overall presence at the Summit.
Session 4: Universal Social Protection as a Pillar of Just Societies
Title: Universal Social Protection as a Pillar of Just Societies
Organizer: IASSW (lead), ICSD, ICSW, IFSW
This session argues that universal social protection is essential for justice, equity, and resilience, not just targeted programs for the poor, but comprehensive systems that guarantee income security and essential services for all. It will highlight global lessons, financing challenges, and the critical role of social workers in designing and delivering rights-based systems that reduce inequality and strengthen social cohesion.
Illinois’ Contribution to Global Dialogue
These four events spotlight the role of social work in advancing the Summit’s goals of inclusion, cohesion, and shared prosperity. As a coordinated effort, they address social integration from multiple angles: strengthening ties across generations, investing in the workforce that delivers care and protection, designing integrated policies, and ensuring social protection in policymaking. It demonstrates how collaboration across professional bodies of Social Work can shape international debates on equity and justice.
The participation of Illinois faculty underscores the School’s commitment to connecting local scholarship and practice with global policy and action. Faculty expertise in disaster recovery, youth and technology, aging, child welfare, and pedagogy reflects the breadth of contributions that Illinois can bring to the table of global discussions.
Shaping Outcomes Beyond Doha
WSSD2 is expected to reaffirm the commitments of the 1995 Copenhagen Declaration while producing an action plan to accelerate the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. For Illinois and ICSD, participation in the Summit is more than shaping conversations in Doha. Our faculty are committed to staying engaged in the implementation of global commitments as we approach 2030.
Our forward-looking role positions the School of Social Work as a key contributor, and as a convener, using our role to amplify the voices of social workers and social development professionals worldwide. Participating in high-level global dialogue also ensures that lessons feed directly back into classrooms, field placements, and research at Illinois.