Civil Society Forum 2020

Civil Society Forum 2020: "Affordable housing and social protection systems for all to address homelessness" | Friday, 14 February 2020 | United Nations HQ, Conference Room 4

The Civil Society Forum was planned by the NGO Committee for Social Development in joint sponsorship with the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) and UN DESA/DSPD.

The year 2020 marks the 25th Anniversary of the World Summit for Social Development (WSSD), held in Copenhagen from 6 to 12 March 1995. Back then, world leaders pledged to make the conquest of poverty, the goal of full employment and the fostering of stable, safe and just societies their overriding objectives. They also pledged to put people at the center of development.

Based on these guiding principles, this forum provided a space for an inclusive dialogue to foster cooperation between Member States, Civil Society and the United Nations and to unify behind a common vision in furtherance of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Specifically, the aim was for participants to develop a global understanding of this year's priority theme - homelessness - and how to effectively address it, reduce it and ultimately end it. The forum featured both governmental voices as well as lived experiences from all over the world.