The United Nations Non-Governmental Liaison Service (UN-NGLS) is an inter-agency programme of the United Nations mandated to promote and develop constructive relations between the United Nations and civil society organizations.
The Social Forum aims to foster open and interactive dialogue on human rights issues, bringing together on an equal footing a diverse range of stakeholders, including UN Member States; intergovernmental organizations; UN agencies; mandate-holders of thematic procedures and mechanisms of the human rights machinery; NGOs; community organizations; trade unions; social movements; private sector entities; international financial and trade institutions; development agencies; and human rights national institutions. The Forum also aims to give voice to newly emerging actors that do not have an institutionalized space within the UN system, such as small groups and rural and urban associations from the North and the South; anti-poverty groups; peasants’ and farmers’ organizations and their national and international associations; voluntary organizations and youth associations. It will take place this year from 31 August to 1 September.
In the lead up to the Social Forum, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has created an online portal, allowing for an exchange of views on the main themes that will be discussed during this year’s Forum:
1) negative impacts of economic and financial crisis on efforts to combat poverty;
2) national anti-poverty programmes: best practices of States in implementing social security programmes from a human rights perspective;
3) international assistance and cooperation in combating poverty.
Established in 2002, the Social Forum was originally an initiative of the former Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, which was the main subsidiary body of the Commission on Human Rights (resolution 2001/24). Since its inception, the issue of poverty in all its aspects has been a principle area of focus for the Forum’s theme and agenda.
After the Commission on Human Rights was replaced by the Human Rights Council in 2006, the latter decided to preserve the Social Forum (resolution A/HRC/6/13).
The renewed Social Forum has a number of new attributes, compared with its predecessor:
1. It is not linked to the Advisory Committee, which replaced the Sub-Commission, but to the Human Right Council;
2. Its Chairperson is no longer a member of the Advisory Committee, but a government representative;
3. It meets for three days instead of two days;
4. Four mandate-holders of thematic procedures (in particular the independent expert on the question of human rights and extreme poverty and the independent expert on human rights and international solidarity) have been asked to assist the Chairperson as resource persons;
5. The High Commissioner (as opposed to members of the Advisory Committee) is asked to present a report as a background contribution for the Social Forum dialogue and debates.
The Social Forum meets once a year and the Chairperson-Rapporteur is appointed for each Forum by the President of the Human Rights Council from candidates nominated by regional groups. In setting the theme and focus of discussion for each Forum, the Human Rights Council underlines the importance of coordinated efforts at national, regional and international levels for the promotion of social cohesion based on the principles of social justice, equity and solidarity as well as of addressing the social dimension and challenges of the ongoing globalization process, including based on sharing best practices. Information on the accreditation procedure, in accordance with the Rules of Procedure of the Human Rights Council, is available online. Documentation for the previous Social Forums is also available online.
Contact: Kevin Koh, Secretariat of the Social Forum, Research and Right to Development Division, OHCHR, 48 Avenue Giuseppe Motta, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland, telephone +41-22/928 9572, e-mail