Ukraine chairs UN Commission for Social Development for first time
For the first time, Ukraine is chairing the Commission for Social Development, the UN’s central platform for shaping global policies on poverty reduction, employment, and equality.
This was reported to Ukrinform by Ukraine’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Khrystyna Hayovyshyn, who was elected Chair of the Commission for 2026.
The 64th session of the body, which is structurally part of the UN Economic and Social Council, is being held from February 2–10 at the UN Headquarters in New York.
This session is the first since the Second World Summit for Social Development, held in Doha, Qatar, in November 2025, which set new global benchmarks for social policy, Hayovyshyn noted.
Opening the session, she emphasized the need for joint responsibility among states in addressing global social challenges.
“No country can consider itself successful while poverty, inequality, and social injustice persist in the world,” the Commission Chair said. “The challenges faced by one state must be regarded as a shared responsibility of all.”
Hayovyshyn stressed that the international community must move from declarations to practical action. She also highlighted the importance of multilateral partnerships in achieving social justice and emphasized the critical role of governments, international institutions, and civil society.
During the ministerial forum held as part of the session under Ukraine’s chairmanship, ministers from Qatar, Finland, Colombia, Austria, Peru, Egypt, and other countries took part.
“The Ukrainian chairmanship took responsibility for preparing the draft of the key resolution for this session, titled ‘Promoting Social Development and Social Justice through Coordinated, Fair, and Inclusive Policies,’” Hayovyshyn said.
She noted that she held several rounds of informal consultations with delegations of member states. “The process was complex and sometimes tense and did not guarantee success, but we managed to balance the positions of regional groups so that the document could be approved by consensus,” the Deputy Permanent Representative said.
Active participation in the consultations came from the African Group (representing 54 countries), the EU, countries from Asia and Latin America, and Canada, she added.
“This year, we consciously applied an updated approach to the annual resolution so that it aligned with the outcomes of the Doha summit,” Hayovyshyn said. “We moved away from formally repeating last year’s text and significantly updated the content of the resolution, strengthening its practical focus.”
As Ukrinform reported, the Ukrainian delegation to the 64th session of the UN Commission for Social Development was led by Deputy Minister of Social Policy, Family, and Unity Ilona Havronska, who presented Ukraine’s experience in developing the social sector.