Thirty years ago, in the chill of a Danish March and right on the heels of the end of the Cold War, global leaders gathered at the World Summit for Social Development in Copenhagen to discuss how we work, live, and thrive. They  agreed on a foundational principle:: people should come first in  global development policy. What resulted was the Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development, pledged to eradicate poverty through expanding employment opportunities and fostering social inclusion; commitments that would shape global policy into the early 21st century.

Fast forward to Doha in Nov. 2025, where a new generation of policymakers, advocacy groups, employers, and young workers assembled under a different set of pressures: a world reshaped by conflict and global crisis, rapidly shifting technology, climate distress, and labor insecurity. At the Second World Summit for Social Development, the Doha Political Declaration sought to reaffirm and update that people-centred vision, reflecting today’s economic, technological, and social realities including digital disruption, the social impact of climate shocks, growing inequalities, social protection gaps, and the fragility of decent work in an era of economic uncertainty.

For many entering and sustaining careers now, employment no longer guarantees economic security, stability nor equal opportunity. Doha’s vow to “reposition social development as a shared global responsibility speaks directly to that lived reality — a recognition that the social contract needs reiteration and rethinking.

A Shifting Global Landscape: From Copenhagen 1995 to Doha 2025

The Copenhagen summit was historic precisely because it placed people at the center of development. This was the principle that underpinned the social contract between governments and citizens at a time when nations were redefining their place in a post-bipolar world. Leaders pledged to tackle structural causes of poverty, unemployment and exclusion, recognizing that social justice and peace were closely linked. 

Yet the conditions that shaped the 1995 commitments have evolved dramatically. The explosion of digital technologies, the rise of global supply chains, unequal wealth distribution, a worsening climate crisis, and shifting demographic trends have all transformed how, where, and even whether people work.

Global employment appears resilient, with the International Labour Organization (ILO) reporting global unemployment at near historic lows in 2024. Yet the agency also indicated that youth unemployment remains high, with young people disproportionately affected by job scarcity and fragile protections. 

Across parts of sub-Saharan Africa, for instance, youth labor markets remain fragile. 

In 2023, about one in five young people ages 15-24 were classified as NEET (neither in employment, education nor training) a rate that exceeds the global average. As a result, many face stalled opportunities as formal job creation struggles to keep pace with growing youth populations.

Income disparities persist within and between countries, even when headline employment figures improve. Informal work remains a reality for about 2 billion people worldwide, and gender and  regional gaps further shape labor outcomes.

Doha 2025: Renewed Commitments for an Uncertain Era

Founded to promote social justice and protect workers’ rights, the ILO has continued to argue that decent work and human security are inseparable. This evergreen principle frames both the concerns of today’s labor market and the commitments made in Doha. 

The Doha Declaration reaffirms and picks up on the unfinished business of the Copenhagen declaration, reframing it for the uncertain world we find ourselves in today.

“2025. You have a global disorder. You have polycrises… and a level of uncertainty as to where we go,” explains Juan Somavia, former Director of the ILO. “And who are the first ones to suffer uncertainties? People. It’s human security. It’s people’s security. What the Doha [declaration] does is to reiterate, in that context, the Copenhagen concepts.” 

That renewed urgency is shared by the ILO’s current leadership, which sees Doha as a reaffirmation that economic progress cannot be separated from social justice.

“This Summit has sent a powerful signal: that progress in the economy and in society must go hand in hand,” says Gilbert F. Houngbo, Director-General of the ILO. “The commitment to fairness, decent work and dialogue gives multilateralism a human face and puts social justice where it belongs, at the heart of global policy.”

With that lens, the commitments adopted in Doha take on a renewed urgency. For the ILO, the declaration builds upon past commitments to advance fair transitions in digital and green economies, invest in universal social protection to tackle inequalities, reduce gender equality in workplaces, address youth unemployment, and strengthen labor institutions, social dialogue and collective bargaining to promote decent work and living wages. 

To support inclusive development, Doha also broadened who participates in shaping these solutions. Alongside governments, the summit drew in private sector leaders, workers’ and civil society organisations, and youth networks from across the globe who brought real-world perspectives on how instability — for instance, rising food prices and climate-related displacement — affects people’s ability to work, earn, and thrive. These voices reinforced a central theme of the summit: that decent work is inseparable from human security.

Why Doha Matters for Today’s Workers

For today’s youth, work no longer offers the same certainties it did three decades ago when Copenhagen was introduced. Unless protections are in place, a job is no longer a guarantee against poverty and economic insecurity. The labor market demands flexibility, continuous learning, an ability to adapt to changing digital landscapes, and navigation through political and economic uncertainty; all while essential rights and protections lag behind. Doha’s renewed commitments are vital because they recognise that work is more than income; it is central to dignity, agency and resilience and social cohesion.

Doha’s emphasis on decent work and universal social protection speaks directly to the gaps that young workers experience. By reaffirming global cooperation and inclusive policy frameworks, the declaration emphasises that social development must keep pace with economic and technological change.

For a generation entering work in an age of uncertainty, the Doha Declaration affirms the need for social protections while redesigning what fairness and opportunity should look like. If Copenhagen imagined a world built on stability, Doha confronts one defined by disruption. Its call is simple but urgent: ensure that progress prioritises people, no matter the state of the world. Whether this becomes the foundation of a new social contract will depend on sustained policy coordination and follow-through across countries and institutions.