World Day of Social Justice 2022: Theme, History, Aim, Quotes & Date

World Day of Social Justice 2022: Highlights

• World Day of Social Justice is celebrated annually on February 20.
• The International Labour Organization, an agency of the United Nations, adopted the ILO Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization on June 10, 2008.
• This year’s theme for WDSJ is “Achieving social justice through formal employment”
• This day highlights the need to combat the challenges in the path to achieve social justice including serious financial crises, insecurity, poverty, exclusion and inequality within societies.
• Globalization and Interdependence also play a key role in economic development and improving the standard of living of people around the world.

What Is World Day of Social Justice?

Firstly, we need to understand Social Justice. It is the balance between individuals and society measured by comparing distribution of wealth differences, from personal liberties to fair privilege opportunities. As mentioned by the United Nations, social development and social justice plays a crucial role in maintaining peace and security within and among nations. And in turn both can neither be attained in absence of peace and security nor in absence of respect for human rights and fundamental freedom.

What Is the History of World Day of Social Justice?

In March 1995, the World Summit for Social Development was held in Copenhagen, reaffirming the Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development and the Programme of Action.

Nearly ten years later during the session of the Commission of Social Development in February 2005 , the UN’s member states reviewed Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development and the Programme of Action and recalled the commitment to promote national and global economic systems based on the principles of justice, equity and democracy. And further decided to celebrate a special day for the promotion of concrete activities in accordance with the objectives and goals of the World Summit for Social Development and the twenty-fourth special session of the General Assembly.

When Is World Day of Social Justice Observed?

On November 26, 2007, the UN General Assembly declared that, starting from the sixty-third session of the General Assembly, 20 February will be observed as the World Day of Social Justice. It was first observed in 2009.

What Is the Aim of World Day of Social Justice ?

According to the United Nations, the day urges a need for a collective effort by international communities to search for solutions to achieve sustainable development, eradicate poverty, promote full employment and decent work, universal social protection, gender equality and access to social well-being and justice for all.

Thus, it aims at encouraging dialogue with member States and relevant UN institutions and other stakeholders for actions needed to overcome the digital divide, provide decent work opportunities and safeguard labour and human rights.

What Is WDSJ (World Day of Social Justice) 2022 Theme?

The theme for this year’s observance is “Achieving Social Justice through Formal Employment”. This year’s theme highlights the need to have equality and availability of resources to every individual through formal employment. Till date there is a huge percentage of the population involved in the informal sector for earning their living. The pandemic in recent years has exposed the face of the informal sector of people in terms of earning their living.

The UN believes that the people involved in the informal sector are more prone to poverty and inequality because of their nature of employment and lack of facilities. Further they also believe that it is the lack of opportunities in the formal sector that force these people to enter into the informal sector by choice. Thus this year’s theme focuses on achieving justice through formal employment.

WDSJ Efforts for Attaining Social Justice in Post Covid Times

• To address the issues related to the nature of employment, the United Nations has taken various measures stated below:
• For medium and small enterprises, promote international policy dialogue and coordination to ensure the regulation and applicability of universal labour standards.
• For workers, provide income generating opportunities, ensure fair working conditions, social protection and adequate standard of living, skills utilization, and the right to form or join trade unions.
• For traditional businesses, combat the challenges of unavailability of digital infrastructure, lack of funding and unfair competition.

World Day of Social Justice 2022 Quotes

• There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest.” – Elie Weasel
• “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. ” -Martin Luther King, Jr.
• “Justice? — You get justice in the next world. In this one you have the law.” -William Gaddis
• “Social justice cannot be attained by violence. Violence kills what it intends to create.” -Pope John Paul II