The Gambia social development summit will be held from October 12-16, 2026 at The SDK Conference Center, Senegambia, Gambia.
The organising partners have established this platform to mobilize civil society organizations, community leaders, policymakers, development and international partners in the development of an NGO Framework of Action (2026–2030) for social development. This gathering provides a unique opportunity to elevate grassroots voices and strengthen social solidarity, policy coherence, and community resilience while fostering collaboration around shared development priorities and emerging social challenges across the continent.
This summit will serve as a catalyst for advocacy, awareness, and action to accelerate the implementation of the commitments outlined in the 2025 Doha Political Declaration of the Second World Social Summit (SWSS) for Social Development. It will help to increase transformation of global commitments into practical solutions and measurable outcomes that benefit communities worldwide.
The Theme: “Pathway and Partnerships for the Future after 30 years.” The NGO Affairs Agency within the Ministry of Lands, Regional Government, and Religious Affairs in The Gambia, in partnership with the NGO Coalition for Social Development in New York, USA, will host a regional workshop for the restitution of the Second World Summit (SWSS) on Social Development and the Launching of “Earth Hours Award” at the SDK Convention Centre, Senegambia, The Gambia, October 12-16, 2026.
The aim is to begin uniting civil society through grassroots solidarity, resilience, and coherence, and to develop a Civil Society Framework of Action (CSFA) to monitor and report the progress and commitments of heads of state toward the 2025 Doha Outcome for Social Development. The event will be a historic gathering of over 1500 international social development experts from around the world, including parliamentarians, government officials, UN agencies, civil society members, NGOs, indigenous and first nation peoples, seniors, people with disabilities, people of African descent, youth, women, children, community leaders, religious leaders, academics, social workers, trade unionists, advocates, and human rights activists.
The primary goal is to launch the annual civil society initiative, “NGO-Common Space,” which acts as a platform to mobilize, unite, connect, share, learn, and amplify advocacy efforts to help shape an inclusive global social development agenda. It will also connect with existing international campaigns, showcase NGOs’ efforts, emphasize the need for leaders to act on the world’s most urgent social and development issues, and lay the groundwork for monitoring and reporting the “2025 Doha Outcome”.
Key moments of the Civil Society Action Week in The Gambia will include:
- NGO Mobilization Day on Wednesday, October 21st,
- Community conversations and Indigenous ceremonies on Thursday, October 22nd,
- Meetings with parliamentarians on Capitol Hill, followed by an open house and a Award ceremony and convivial dinner, and
- Sightseeing excursions to a 25-mile beach.
This self-funded event offers a rare chance to start engaging meaningfully in the new social development outcomes after 30 years. The summit goes beyond speeches or presentations; it acts as a collective voice for civil society, aiming to create “The World We Want” and to encourage greater collaboration with local Gambians and civil society worldwide as “everyone involved”.
The Summit covers six interconnected thematic pillars:
- Poverty Eradication & Social Protection
- Decent Work & Livelihoods
- Social Inclusion & Equality
- Access to Quality Social Services
- Climate & Crisis Resilience
- Governance, Financing & Accountability
A call to contribute an article. Please submit here: https://forms.gle/cothbWBvURTqTBRw8
A call to participate. We invite all partners and stakeholders to join us in advancing a collective vision of social progress, equity, and development for present and future generations.
Registration is opened till 30 September 2026.
Register at https://gambia2026.ngocsocd.org/
Email to organisers: info@ngocsocd.org
