Arab Region Perspectives: Paving the Road to the Second World Summit for Social Development

Thirty years after the Copenhagen Declaration’s landmark commitments to eradicate poverty, promote full and productive employment, and foster social integration, the Arab region remains at a crossroads. Despite progress in health, education, and infrastructure, deep inequalities, fragile governance, widespread informality, environmental degradation, and ongoing conflicts continue to define daily life for millions. Rising climate stresses, shrinking civic space, and the digital divide compound these challenges, underscoring the urgency for a new, justice-driven approach to sustainable development. With the Second World Summit for Social Development (WSSD) approaching, the region’s experiences and perspectives hold critical relevance for shaping a more inclusive global agenda. This policy brief distills the insights of the Arab regional consultation convened in May 2025 by ESCWA and UNRISD, which gathered voices from across civil society, academia, and policy circles. It outlines the main challenges facing the region while highlighting the participants’ shared call for a values-based social contract grounded in dignity, equality, and ecological balance. By presenting priority themes and actionable policy recommendations, the brief offers a compelling regional vision to inform the WSSD deliberations. It calls on the summit to move beyond symbolic declarations toward transformative action capable of addressing structural injustices and fostering genuine peace, inclusion, and sustainability.