‘Keep Holding Us Accountable’, Deputy Secretary-General Says at World Social Summit’s Civil Society Forum, as Promise of Copenhagen ‘Needs Your Voice’

Following are Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed's remarks, as prepared for delivery, at the opening of the Civil Society Forum at the Second World Summit for Social Development, in Doha today:

It's an honour to join you to speak at the opening of the Civil Society Forum. I want to thank Member States and all organizations for joining us here to drive this conversation forward.

Let me begin with a simple truth: Thirty years ago in Copenhagen, world leaders made ambitious commitments to a social development that must be people-centred and people-powered. Three decades later, civil society has delivered.

As we look back to that moment, we see how far the global social vision has come, from the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to the Pact for the Future, and now to the Doha Political Declaration.

Here's what we know: Civil society was tireless in keeping those commitments moving forward and turning them into the 2030 Agenda, making sure social justice and inclusion weren't just words on paper.

So, when we talk about implementing the Declaration, when we talk about the last mile of delivery on social justice, let me be very clear: You are our copilots driving that work.

The hundreds of you gathered here from every region, every sector, representing non-governmental organizations, community-based groups, women's rights organizations, youth-led movements, organizations of persons with disabilities, teachers' associations, workers' unions, faith-based groups and grass-roots activists.

You are proof that social development matters and always will, because you make it real - in communities and in people's lives - every day. You have carried this agenda forward for thirty years and the United Nations is matching your leadership with action.

We are practising inclusion and representation every single day. Civil society is co-designing national SDG road maps through the resident coordinator system, shaping food systems pathways in more than 100 countries and helping guide the Global Digital Compact. Women's rights groups are steering the Spotlight Initiative. Youth networks are shaping the Summit of the Future follow-up.

When we tackle financing and debt, when we work on trade and market access, when we push for technology that serves everyone, when we fight for quality education and universal health coverage, when we address poverty and food security, your voices must be amplified in parliaments and policy discussions.

We are here in Doha because the SDGs are at risk and need accelerated action and solutions. Some of you in this room are already doing exactly that. Teachers transforming education in the most marginalised communities. Activists holding Governments accountable on climate action. Networks like SheTrades breaking down barriers for women entrepreneurs.

And let's be clear: Women and youth in civil society are leaders in this work. The majority of grassroots organizations, the backbone of social movements, the persistent voice demanding equality and justice - that's women and young people driving change. When we talk about transforming systems, we need to ensure everyone has power at every level, shaping decisions and leading implementation.

You know what works on the ground and you know what's needed. And we know that when the international system listens to you, we get better policies, better implementation and better results.

Your role is also important in post-conflict settings. Silencing the guns is essential, but it's not enough. Restoring the social fabric, rebuilding trust, reconnecting communities, determine whether peace actually holds - and that work falls to civil society.

In Gaza, we see how conflict tears the fabric of a society and how hard it will be to stitch it back together. Think of Tatreez, the Palestinian cross-stitch tradition. Every stitch matters and every thread connects to another. Pull one thread and the whole pattern weakens - that is what violence does to communities.

Rebuilding that fabric, restoring social justice after such devastation, requires the same patient, deliberate work. Thread by thread. Community by community.

You're the ones on the ground, holding communities together, creating conditions for people to rebuild their lives with dignity. Keep pushing. Keep demanding. Keep holding us accountable.

The UN strives to walk the talk on representation and inclusion every day, and you need to make sure we do. The promise of Copenhagen, the vision of the 2030 Agenda, the commitments in the Pact for the Future and the Doha Declaration, need your voice and leadership to bring them to life. We're proud to stand with you every step of the way. Thank you.