Social Forum - Previous sessions

Fourth Social Forum – 2006

The fourth Social Forum was held in 2006 with a focus on the fight against poverty and the right to participation: the role of women.

The 2006 Social Forum was comprised of three panels:

• The feminization of poverty: causes, effects and solutions
• Women, employment, and empowerment through participation
• Discussion of the draft guiding principles “extreme poverty and human rights: the rights of the poor” prepared by the ad hoc expert group on the need to develop guiding principles on the implementation of existing human rights norms and standards in the context of the fight against extreme

In response to the Human Rights Council Decision 2006/102 the last plenary session of the fourth Social Forum was dedicated to discussion of “vision and recommendations for expert advice to the human rights council: the future of the social forum.”

The report of the 2006 Social Forum (A/HRC/Sub.1/58/15) on “the fight against poverty and the right to participation: the role of women”, contains conclusions and recommendations in this regard and was submitted to the Sub-Commission at its fifty-eighth session.

Documents click here>>>

Third Social Forum - 2005

The theme for the Social Forum 2005 was "Poverty and economic growth: challenges to human rights". The session was officially opened by the High Commissioner for Human Rights (for the statement click here).The discussion focused on the principle of accountability, its role and implications, in the relationship between economic growth, poverty and human rights.

The 2005 Social Forum was comprised of three panels as set out in the background note prepared by the Secretariat (E/CN.4/Sub.2/SF/2005/2):

Panelist biographies

• The perspective of those living in poverty
  • Panel 1: Valsa, Reinhart, Ferrand, Mr. Kajege, Sra Castillo
• Growth with accountability
  • Panel 2: Ngo, Chauffour, Omara, Ohemeng-Boamah
• Methods and instruments of accountability
  • Panel 3: Archer, Chanthou, Majodina

Conclusions and recommendations of the 2005 Social Forum focus on suggesting concrete ways to make progress towards the implementation of the principle of accountability in the context of poverty reduction strategies that are focused on meeting the Millennium Development Goals. The report of the 2005 was submitted to the Sub-Commission at its fifty-seventh session.

Documents click here>>>

Second Social Forum – 2004

The second Social Forum was held in 2004 with a focus on the relationship between rural poverty and the rights of peasants and other rural communities.

The 2004 Social Forum was comprised of four panels:

• Poverty and human rights: empowerment of people living in poverty
• Rural poverty and extreme poverty: special groups
• The role of human rights in the development of operational strategies to address poverty
• Recommendations on elements for incorporating human rights into poverty reduction strategies

The report of the 2004 Social Forum on “Poverty, rural poverty and human rights”, contains conclusions and recommendations in this regard and was submitted to the Sub-Commission at its fifty-sixth session ( E/CN.4/Sub.2/2004/26).

Documents click here>>>

First Social Forum – 2002

The first Social Forum, held in 2002, was comprised of three panels:

• Globalization and Human Rights
• Right to adequate food and poverty reduction: the realities of hunger and poverty reduction strategies: experiences, views and visions
• Right to adequate food and poverty reduction: rural poverty reduction strategies and the right to food: what have we learned?

A summary of each panel discussion can be found in the Report of the Social forum in 2002. (E/CN.4/Sub.2/2002/18)

Documents click here>>>

Last update 27 March 2008