Social development, up close: UN News goes inside the Doha summit

UN News just tested a new way to cover big international meetings – by reporting straight from the conference floor.

At the Second World Summit for Social Development in Doha, our team piloted a quick, digestible format designed to bring readers closer to the action – what’s actually being said, decided and debated in real time.

Working side by side with the UN’s Meetings Coverage Section – the Press Officers who track every statement and shift in international debate – we distilled hours of discussions into sharp, end-of-day snapshots. 

Each update breaks down where countries stand, where they agree (or don’t), and what’s next.

Over three packed days of plenaries and high-level roundtables, delegates marked 30 years since the landmark 1995 Copenhagen Summit, reflecting on how far social development has come – and how far it still has to go.  

Poverty reduction, decent jobs, social protection and inclusion topped the agenda, along with how climate impacts and rising debt are reshaping policy priorities worldwide.

What you’ll find in the summaries:

The main messages and priorities from governments across regions

Areas of emerging consensus – and tension

How global pressures are changing the social policy landscape

This pilot is part of our push to make UN decision-making clearer, faster and closer to the people it affects.