The time has never been more ripe for social justice to be at  the top of every global agenda. Social justice is about fairness, equal rights, and making sure everyone has the same opportunities — no matter who they are or where they live. Right now, with human rights under attack, civic spaces shrinking and closing, and marginalized communities experiencing the worst of global crises, focusing on social justice is essential to defeating poverty. 

Enter: The Global Coalition for Social Justice. 

Launched in 2023 by the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Global Coalition for Social Justice aims to address systemic inequalities through collaboration across sectors and expertise. The coalition brings together countries, experts, and industries to integrate social justice initiatives into their policies, particularly with regard to creating decent jobs and driving fair economic growth. Given its focus on creating a socially just future, the coalition has opened its arms to the youth to assist with problem-solving in policy drafting, and creating innovative initiatives that speak to other young people across the globe.

The coalition serves as a platform to encourage political commitments, investments, and concrete actions that support social justice while aligning with national priorities. Though young, the coalition has successfully amassed over 300 members and is set to host its second annual forum in Geneva. 

What Is the Annual Global Social Justice Coalition Forum? 

On June 12, 2025, the ILO will host the second annual Global Social Justice Coalition Forum at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. The event strategically coincides with the ILO’s International Labour Conference, which takes place at the same time.

The coalition forum aims to sustain ongoing conversations and interventions to advance social justice. Central to this effort is the meaningful involvement of young people, empowering them to help shape a fair and socially just future. To this end, the coalition has allocated seats at the decision-making table for youth representatives and invites young people to participate actively in its initiatives.

The forum is a space where governments, employees, employers, civil society, and the youth come together to drive momentum for social justice. It also allows partners to exchange knowledge, tools, and experiences in aid of social justice within their own entities.

This year's forum program will showcase important coalition interventions in a variety of formats, such as partner-led conversations, thematic dialogues, and panel discussions — depending on each intervention's stage of development. 

Among the topics of discussion at this year’s forum are: the importance of living wages in addressing broader systemic challenges; the need to foster a just energy transition to ensure justice for both the planet and humanity; the creation of responsible and inclusive businesses to empower marginalized communities; and a discussion on the human rights economy, exploring how to integrate human and labour-related rights into public and private policies. 

Youth in the Spotlight

This year again, the forum will center youth at the heart of social justice as the coalition continues to strengthen its overall purpose. Young people face disproportionate barriers in accessing decent work and propelling economic growth, particularly those from marginalized communities. The key to lowering these barriers and creating access is including young people and their needs in policymaking and strategic intervention discussions. 

Through initiatives like the Global Initiative on Decent Jobs for Youth, the coalition brings together over 90 organizations to promote youth employment, entrepreneurship, and skills development. If we want interventions for social justice in the workplace and beyond to be sustainable, we must involve young people — not just as beneficiaries, but as decision-makers.

We are in the middle of building the world that young people will inherit, and if we don’t include them now, they will be worse off for it. That’s why the coalition is using 2025 to effectively integrate global youth into its structure, while also continuing to advocate for access to decent employment for them. Along with the efforts to integrate young people in existing decision-making rooms, the coalition also hosts and promotes the Global Youth Employment Forum, which brings together more than 100 young changemakers from across regions, ethnicities, and sectors towards exchanging ideas, presenting youth-led recommendations, and challenging leaders to do better.

How Does Social Justice Impact Existing Global Challenges?

All of the world’s poverty-causing issues are exacerbated through a lack of access to human rights, equality, and resources. Even if global challenges are solved, without the consideration of social justice initiatives in these solutions, poverty and inequality will only persist. A great example of this is the impact of the climate crisis — which Global Citizen is actively campaigning against. 

The impacts of climate change and the need for social justice are deeply interconnected, as the climate crisis disproportionately affects marginalized communities, including Indigenous groups, that contribute the least to the problem, yet suffer the most from its consequences. These communities often lack the resources to adapt to climate impacts such as extreme weather, food insecurity, and displacement. 

Tackling the impacts of the climate crisis through a social justice lens, for instance, in a call to Protect the Amazon for its Indigenous communities and the preservation of its rich biodiversity, means ensuring fair access to climate solutions while also recognizing and correcting historical inequalities. Without this equity-focused approach, climate action itself could deepen existing social and economic divides.

How Can I Support the Coalition and its Forum? 

1. Policy Inclusion

If you are in a decision-making position, work to integrate young people’s perspectives into political debates, policy discussions, and social dialogue. You can also join or promote the Global Initiative for Decent Jobs for Youth and contribute to the 2025 ILO Global Youth Employment Forum by nominating youth participants, funding research and logistics, and amplifying youth-led recommendations. You can find more information here. 

2. Advocacy and Public Awareness

Start or support campaigns that spotlight the importance of youth employment and social justice. Help us increase the awareness of the Global Youth Employment Forum and invite young people to contribute their knowledge and perspectives.

3. Take Action with Global Citizen

Take action with us below or on the Global Citizen app to promote the importance of youth participation in advocacy and strategic policymaking in the name of social justice. 

In a world facing multiple crises — from growing inequalities and the impacts of the climate crisis — young people aren’t waiting for change. They’re driving it. The Global Social Justice Coalition Forum is where their voices will be amplified, where ideas will become action, and where a better future will be shaped — together.

The image in this article was designed by Tariq Lawal, a recipient of Global Citizen's Emerging Creatives Program. You can learn more about him and his work here.