Sessions of the Social Forum

Each year the Human Rights Council selects a different theme for the Social Forum. The topics are all related to global social issues. Browse materials for the former sessions below:

Year	Session number	Theme	More information
2023	19^th	Contribution of science, technology and innovation to the promotion of human rights, including in the context of post-pandemic recovery	View session page View report A/HRC/55/68
2022	18^th	Water for human rights and sustainable development: good practices, lessons learned and challenges in the implementation of the International Decade for Action, “Water for Sustainable Development”, 2018–2028, with a view to making a human rights contribution to the conference on the midterm review of the Decade, to be held in 2023.	View session page View report A/HRC/52/73
2021	17^th	Good practices, success stories, lessons learned and challenges in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, with a special focus on international cooperation and solidarity, and from a human rights perspective.	View session page View report A/HRC/49/79
2020	16^th	Good practices, success stories, lessons learned and current challenges in combating poverty and inequalities	View session page View report A/HRC/46/59
2019	15^th	The promotion and protection of the rights of children and youth through education	View session page View report A/HRC/43/63
2018	14^th	The possibilities of using sport and the Olympic ideal to promote human rights for all and to strengthen universal respect for them	View session page View report A/HRC/40/72
2017	13^th	The promotion and protection of human rights in the context of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic and other communicable diseases and epidemics	View session page View report A/HRC/37/74
2016	12^th	Human rights and fundamental freedoms of persons with disabilities	View session page View report A/HRC/34/69
2015	11^th	Access to medicines in the context of the right to health	View report A/HRC/29/44 Illustrated report: Access to Medicines in the context of the Right to Health العربية \| 中文 \| English \| Français \| русский \| Español
2014	10^th	The rights of older persons	View report A/HRC/26/46 Background report
2012	9^th	People-centered development and globalization	View report A/HRC/23/54 Background report
2011	8^th	Promotion of the right to development	View report A/HRC/19/70 Background report
2010	7^th	Adverse effects of climate change on human rights	View report A/HRC/16/62 and A/HRC/16/62/Corr.1 Background reports A/HRC/SF/2010/2 and A/HRC/SF/2010/2/Corr.1
2009	6^th	Impacts of economic and financial crises on efforts to combat poverty	View report A/HRC/13/51 Background report
2008	5^th	Eradication of poverty and social dimension of the globalization process	View report A/HRC/10/65
2006	4^th	The fight against poverty and the right to participation: the role of women	View report A/HRC/Sub.1/58/15
2005	3^rd	Poverty and economic growth: challenges to human rights	View report E/CN.4/Sub.2/2005/21
2004	2^nd	The relationship between rural poverty and the rights of peasants and other rural communities	View report E/CN.4/Sub.2/2004/26
2002	1^st	Globalization, the right to adequate food and poverty reduction	View report E/CN.4/Sub.2/2002/18

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