World Day of Social Justice
The
United Nations' (UN) World Day of Social Justice is annually observed
on February 20 to encourage people to look at how social justice affects
poverty eradication. It also focuses on the goal of achieving full
employment and support for social integration.
What do people do?
Many organizations, including the UN and the International Labour
Office, make statements on the importance of social justice for people.
Many organizations also present plans for greater social justice by
tackling poverty, social and economic exclusion and unemployment. Trade
unions and campaign groups are invited to call on their members and
supporters to mark the day. The Russian General Confederation of Trade
Unions declared that the common slogan would be "Social Justice and
Decent Life for All!".
Schools, colleges and universities may prepare special activities for
the day or plan a week of events around a theme related to poverty,
social and economic exclusion or unemployment. Different media,
including radio and television stations, newspapers and Internet sites,
may give attention to the issues around the World Day of Social Justice.
It is hoped that particular coverage is given to the links between
the illicit trade in diamonds and armed conflicts, particularly in
Africa, and the importance of the International Criminal Court. This is
an independent court that conducts trials of people accused of genocide,
crimes against humanity and war crimes.
Background
The World Summit for Social Development was held in Copenhagen,
Denmark, in 1995 and resulted in the Copenhagen Declaration and
Programme of Action. At this summit, more than 100 political leaders
pledged to make the conquest of poverty and full employment, as well as
stable, safe and just societies, their overriding objectives. They also
agreed on the need to put people at the center of development plans.
Nearly 10 years later, the UN's member states reviewed the Copenhagen
Declaration and Programme of Action when they gathered at a session of
the Commission for Social Development in New York in February 2005. They
also agreed to commit to advance social development. On November 26,
2007, the UN General Assembly named February 20 as the annual World Day
of Social Justice. The day was scheduled to be first observed in 2009.
2015 Theme: Ending human trafficking and forced labour
Social justice is an underlying principle for peaceful and prosperous
coexistence within and among nations. We uphold the principles of
social justice when we promote gender equality or the rights of
indigenous peoples and migrants. We advance social justice when we
remove barriers that people face because of gender, age, race,
ethnicity, religion, culture or disability.
For the United Nations, the pursuit of social justice for all is
at the core of our global mission to promote development and human
dignity. The adoption by the International Labour Organization of the Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization
is just one recent example of the UN system’s commitment to social
justice. The Declaration focuses on guaranteeing fair outcomes for all
through employment, social protection, social dialogue, and
fundamental principles and rights at work.
The General Assembly proclaimed 20 February as World Day of Social Justice
in 2007, inviting Member States to devote the day to promoting national
activities in accordance with the objectives and goals of the World Summit for Social Development
and the twenty-fourth session of the General Assembly. Observance of
World Day of Social Justice should support efforts of the international
community in poverty eradication, the promotion of full employment and
decent work, gender equity and access to social well-being and
justice for all.
Human exploitation & forced labour
Forced labour takes
different forms, including debt bondage, trafficking and other forms of
modern slavery. The victims are the most vulnerable – women and girls
forced into prostitution, migrants trapped in debt bondage, and
sweatshop or farm workers kept there by clearly illegal tactics and paid
little or nothing.
In June 2014, governments, employers and workers at the ILO
International Labour Conference (ILC) decided to give new impetus to the
global fight against forced labour, including trafficking in persons
and slavery-like practices.
They voted overwhelmingly to adopt a Protocol and a Recommendation
which supplement the Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29), and
complement existing international instruments by providing specific
guidance on effective measures to be taken to eliminate all forms of
forced labour.