World Day of Social Justice 2022

The World Day of Social Justice is commemorated on 20 February and is an underlying principle for peaceful and prosperous coexistence within and among nations. This day 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. According to the facts on social justice, 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. 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. More than 60 percent of the world’s employed population, that is 2 billion women, men and youth, earn their livelihoods in the informal economy and this is not by choice, but due to lack of opportunities in the formal economy.
Hence, the theme of World Day of Social Justice 20212 is ‘Achieving Social Justice through Formal Employment’ and promoting the transition to formal employment is a necessary condition to reduce poverty and inequalities, advance decent work, increase productivity and sustainability of enterprises and expand government’s scope of action, notably in times of crisis. The 2030 Agenda and the United Nations Secretary-General’s report on Our Common Agenda, acknowledge the transition to formality as a priority. The report also calls for road maps to be established to integrate informal workers and enterprises into formal economies, in order to benefit from women’s full participation in the workforce, and to reduce inequalities more broadly.
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. We need to continue promoting a fair globalisation based on decent work, as well as a practical tool to accelerate progress in the implementation of the Decent Work Agenda at the country level.
Social development and social justice are indispensable for the achievement and maintenance of peace and security within and among nations. Let us strengthen our efforts to achieve a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable society built on constructive dialogue, transparency and social justice.