Editing Social justice (section)

==== United Nations ====

The United Nations calls social justice "an underlying principle for peaceful and prosperous coexistence within and among nations.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.un.org/en/events/socialjusticeday/index.shtml|title=World Day of Social Justice, 20 February|website=www.un.org|language=EN|access-date=2019-11-08}}</ref>

The United Nations' 2006 document ''Social Justice in an Open World: The Role of the United Nations'', states that "Social justice may be broadly understood as the fair and compassionate distribution of the fruits of economic growth{{nbsp}}..."<ref name="un">{{cite web |title = Social Justice in an Open World: The Role of the United Nations", The International Forum for Social Development, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Division for Social Policy and Development, ST/ESA/305 |publisher = United Nations |location = New York |year = 2006 |url=https://www.un.org/esa/socdev/documents/ifsd/SocialJustice.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170829123826/http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/documents/ifsd/SocialJustice.pdf |archive-date = 29 August 2017}}</ref>{{rp|16}}

The term "social justice" was seen by the U.N. "as a substitute for the protection of human rights [and] first appeared in United Nations texts during the second half of the 1960s. At the initiative of the Soviet Union, and with the support of developing countries, the term was used in the Declaration on Social Progress and Development, adopted in 1969."<ref name="un" />{{rp|52}}

The same document reports, "From the comprehensive global perspective shaped by the United Nations Charter and the [[Universal Declaration of Human Rights]], neglect of the pursuit of social justice in all its dimensions translates into de facto acceptance of a future marred by violence, repression and chaos."<ref name="un" />{{rp|6}} The report concludes, "Social justice is not possible without strong and coherent [[redistribution of income and wealth|redistributive policies]] conceived and implemented by public agencies."<ref name="un" />{{rp|16}}

The same UN document offers a concise history: "[T]he notion of social justice is relatively new. None of history's great philosophers—not Plato or Aristotle, or Confucius or Averroes, or even Rousseau or Kant—saw the need to consider justice or the redress of injustices from a social perspective. The concept first surfaced in Western thought and political language in the wake of the industrial revolution and the parallel development of the socialist doctrine. It emerged as an expression of protest against what was perceived as the capitalist [[exploitation of labor]] and as a focal point for the development of measures to improve the human condition. It was born as a revolutionary slogan embodying the ideals of progress and fraternity. Following the revolutions that shook Europe in the mid-1800s, social justice became a rallying cry for progressive thinkers and political activists.... By the mid-twentieth century, the concept of social justice had become central to the ideologies and programs of virtually all the leftist and centrist political parties around the world{{nbsp}}..."<ref name="un" />{{rp|11–12}}

Another key area of human rights and social justice is the United Nations's defense of children's rights worldwide. In 1989, the Convention on the Rights of the Child was adopted and available for signature, ratification and accession by General Assembly resolution 44/25.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=OHCHR {{!}} Convention on the Rights of the Child|url=https://www.ohchr.org/en/professionalinterest/pages/crc.aspx|access-date=2020-12-21|website=www.ohchr.org}}</ref> According to [[Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights|OHCHR]], this convention entered into force on 2 September 1990. This convention upholds that all states have the obligation to "protect the child from all forms of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation, including sexual abuse."<ref name=":0" />