World Day of Social Justice 2021

Today is the World Day of Social Justice, and its commemoration supports efforts by the international community to search for solutions to achieve sustainable development, poverty eradication, the promotion of full employment and decent work, universal social protection, gender equality and access to social well-being and justice for all.The United Nations 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.

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. As inequalities widen, the social fabric of our societies is both stretched and strained. This often leads to a downward spiral of economic and social uncertainty and even unrest.

According to the facts on social justice, by 2019, more than 212 million people were out of work, up from 201 million in previous years. Meanwhile, 600 million new jobs need to be created by 2030, just to keep pace with the growth of the working age population. The theme of World Day of Social Justice 2021 is '' A Call for Social Justice in the Digital Economy”. It aims at fostering dialogue with member States and relevant United Nations institutions and other stakeholders on actions needed to overcome the digital divide, provide decent work opportunities, and protects labour and human rights in the modern era of digital technologies.

We, at the World Assembly of Youth (WAY), believe that the World Day of Social Justice is a call for all countries to take concrete actions that give meaning to the universal values of human dignity and opportunity for all. We uphold the principles of social justice by promoting gender equality and giving young people a voice to speak up as well as removing barriers that young people face because of gender, age, race, ethnicity, religion, culture, or disability.

Let us strengthen our efforts to achieve a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable society built on constructive dialogue, transparency and social justice.