Turning Up the Heat: Moulding Hardened ‘Cast(e)-in-Iron’ Social Norms into Inclusive Shapes through Social Inclusion and Cohesion as We Look Towards the Achievement of the Copenhagen Declaration and Towards the World Social Summit 

Proposed side event during Commission for Social Development (CSocD63), 10-14 February 2025 (exact time and date will be announced by CSoCD63 secretariat)

This event is co-organized by UN United Nations Population Fund (TBC), Permanent Mission of Germany (TBC), the Permanent Mission of Nepal (TBC), the Permanent Mission of North Macedonia to the UN as well as The Inclusivity Project (TIP), the NGO Committee on Social Development, and key organizations advocating for marginalized communities, including the European Roma Grassroots Organisations Network (ERGO Network), the National Coordination of Rural Black Quilombola Communities (CONAQ – Coordenação Nacional de Articulação das Comunidades Negras Rurais Quilombolas), the African Network on Discrimination based on Work and Descent and Contemporary Forms of Slavery (ANDS), and the National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights (NCDHR).

Descent Communities, representing approximately 270 million people worldwide, span diverse cultural and geographic contexts yet face systemic exclusion from fundamental human rights and freedoms. These communities, shaped by inherited status and entrenched stratification, include groups such as the Haratin, Jongo, Mbororos, and Komo in Africa; Quilombolas and Palenques in Latin America; Dalits and Burakumin in Asia; and the Roma community in Europe and beyond. Despite their unique identities, they share a common struggle against deep-rooted social norms and practices that perpetuate inequality and deny them full societal participation.

This side event aims to uncover actionable solutions to dismantle these barriers and advance the implementation of the Copenhagen Declaration while preparing for the Second World Social Summit in 2025. By addressing the challenges faced by Descent Communities, the event will showcase good practices developed by civil society organizations, UN agencies, and Member States. These include targeted budgetary provisions, dedicated census categories, and employment frameworks already championed by some governments and UN bodies. It will also explore how regional and global mechanisms can align with the growing recognition of Communities Discriminated by Work and Descent (CDWD) as central to achieving global social justice.

Recent milestones illustrate this momentum. The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR)—an organ of the African Union—adopted its first-ever resolution addressing the rights of CDWD in Africa (ACHPR/Res.619 (LXXXI) 2024) during its 81st Ordinary Session in Banjul in November 2024. Another significant development was the recognition of CDWD as a UN Major Group and Other Stakeholders under General Assembly Resolution 67/290 in 2021. These achievements reflect a growing international commitment to addressing systemic exclusion and ensuring dignity and equity for CDWD communities.

The exclusion of Descent Communities is deeply tied to their characterization as “low caste” or “outcasts,” perpetuated by notions of “purity and pollution,” enforced endogamy, and physical segregation. These unwritten cultural norms form a complex web that obstructs progress toward the Copenhagen Declaration’s goals. Women and girls within these communities are particularly vulnerable, facing compounded challenges such as limited access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities. Practices like “Wahaya” in Niger, where women from “low caste” communities are acquired as unofficial or “fifth wives,” exemplify the gender-based violence and systemic discrimination that deny their humanity and perpetuate cycles of inequality.

Addressing these inequities requires urgent interventions, including prioritizing sexual and reproductive health services, investing in data collection and research to amplify initiatives, and making these realities visible. Documenting and disseminating successful interventions, such as education campaigns to combat stigma, community-led development projects, and targeted economic inclusion programs, can inform scalable strategies and inspire systemic change.

To achieve the Copenhagen Declaration’s commitments and prepare for the Second World Social Summit, governments, in collaboration with civil society, must design inclusive policies informed by evidence and good practices. Comprehensive anti-discrimination laws, strengthened social protection systems, and representation of CDWD in governance are critical components of this effort. Recognition and action must extend across all human rights mechanisms, ensuring that CDWD communities are not left behind in efforts to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

This side event will foster dialogue, explore innovative approaches, and emphasize the urgency of solidarity and inclusion as tools to dismantle hardened “cast(e)-in-iron” norms. As we look toward the Second World Social Summit, these efforts are essential to forging a future where all communities can fully and equally participate in society’s progress.

Date and Time: 13 February 2025 (TBC)-1.15 – 2.30 pm