Social Forum 2025

“Education is a fundamental human right. It has long held a special place in the hearts and minds of people across the world, and for good reason. Throughout history, it has been a source of personal dignity and empowerment and a driving force for the advancement of social, economic, political, and cultural development. Yet today, beset by inequalities and struggling to adjust to the needs of the 21st century, education is in crisis. We must respond decisively, with conviction, imagination and in solidarity to transform education.”

  António Guterres

 

The 2025 United Nations Social Forum took place on 30–31 October 2025 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, bringing together State representatives, experts, young activists and leaders, Non-Governmental Organizations, and other stakeholders. This year discussions focused on the contribution of education to the respect, promotion, protection, and fulfilment of all human rights for all.

Building on the UN Secretary-General’s call for a fundamental transformation of education to meet the challenges of our time, the Forum explored how education serves both as a cornerstone and a catalytic force for advancing human rights  across generations, contexts, and throughout the entire life cycle.

IIMA and VIDES participated actively in the Forum’s Interactive Dialogue  on the Panel on Education for Political Rights – Participation, Citizenship and Voice.

VIDES in its statement highlighted how excluding girls and young women from digital education undermines their political rights. The intervention stressed the urgent need to guarantee equal access to digital education for girls and young women – a vital gateway to their rights, citizenship, and meaningful participation (text and video). VIDES called upon Member States to:

• Enforce laws that protect privacy, digital security, and gender equality, particularly within educational and political spaces; and
• Invest in programs that empower teachers and young people to use digital tools for active citizenship.

During the same Panel, IIMA also delivered a statement emphasizing the critical role of Human Rights Education and meaningful youth participation in the empowerment of young people. IIMA’s representative underscored the importance of trust, inclusion, empowerment, and above all, Human Rights Education and participation, to unlock the potential of youth as changemakers. Only through these can conscience be awakened, awareness turned into action, and action transformed into lasting change (text and video).

In conclusion, the 2025 Social Forum through the input of varied speakers and the intervention of Civil Society actors encouraged the need for in-depth reflection on the role and purpose of education in the promotion and realization of human rights. It is the commitment of all – States, UN mechanisms, and civil society – to search for potential avenues for action. 

To watch the UN Social Forum 2025: 1st meeting ; 2nd meeting ; 3rd meeting ; 4th meeting.