Key messages:

The proposed World Social Summit 2025 provides an opportunity for a renewed global social contract. The relevance of the Summit will depend on the extent to which the process to agree on its core agenda includes relevant perspectives from around the globe. In this document, we propose some priorities for the Global South: 

  • Social protection should have a universal approach, independent of an individual’s labour status.
  • Governments have to prioritise affirmative action policies. These can significantly increase women’s participation in the labour market, particularly in leadership positions.
  • The global community must develop new ideas and incentives to encourage private investments in critical infrastructure for the Global South, particularly in Internet accessibility.
  • States should give specific attention to enhancing their capacity to develop effective policies in all these priority areas.
  • Young people bring new perspectives and new ideas. They need to be actively engaged in the Summit’s preparation.