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NEW YORK CITY: More than 8,000 representatives of governments, the UN, civil society, academia and the private sector are expected to attend the second World Summit for Social Development in Doha next week, the Qatari envoy to the UN, Sheikha Alya Ahmed Saif Al-Thani, said on Tuesday.
Speaking at a joint briefing with president of the UN General Assembly, Annalena Baerbock, Sheikha Alya said the three-day gathering, which begins on Nov. 4, would mark a “defining moment for global social development,” coming as it does 30 years after the first summit in Copenhagen.
“The State of Qatar is delighted to welcome the international community … all coming together in Doha to recommit to social justice and put people at the center of sustainable development,” she said.
At the heart of the summit will be the “Doha Political Declaration on Social Development,” which Sheikha Alya said reaffirms as essential components of sustainable development the “interlinked priorities” of poverty eradication, full and productive employment and decent work for all, and social inclusion.
The declaration also underscores the principle that social justice cannot exist without peace and security, or without respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, she added. It sends out a “clear call to action” that recommits governments to the creation of the conditions necessary for social development for all, and includes strong provisions relating to implementation, follow-up and review of efforts to achieve this to ensure accountability and measurable progress.
Sheikha Alya thanked Sophie De Smedt and Omar Hilale, respectively the Belgian and Moroccan envoys to the UN, for their “skillful leadership” in steering negotiations among member states toward consensus on the text of the declaration.
The summit, she added, will feature several high-level events, including the first leaders’ meeting of the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty; the Doha Solutions Forum for Social Development; and a high-level event focused on education as the new foundation of the social contract, with the participation of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Specific forums for the private sector and civil society will help to “underscore the summit’s inclusive and principled position,” Sheikha Alya added.
Qatar, she noted, continues to build on its legacy as host of major UN conferences in recent decades, including the 2008 Financing for Development Conference; the UN Climate Change Conference, COP18, in 2012; the 13th UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in 2015; and, in 2023, the fifth UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries.
“Doha has emerged as a symbol of dialogue and global solidarity,” Sheikha Alya said. “We are confident the summit will deliver hopeful and actionable commitments; not just statements of intent but real pledges of partnership, implementation and accountability.”
Baerbock said that three decades after the Copenhagen summit, the world is facing mounting social and economic pressures, with more than 800 million people still living in extreme poverty.
“Families are taking loans simply to afford food or housing,” she said. “In every region, people are asking urgent questions: Will I make rent next month? Will I have to choose between school fees and groceries?”
She said the leaders who gather in Doha must act “with purpose” to reduce poverty, expand universal social protections and create decent jobs, especially for youth.
“The world is not waiting for more promises,” Baerbock said. “It is waiting for delivery — for action that improves people’s lives and makes dignity a lived reality for all.”