Opening of the Second World Summit on Social Development. World leaders adopted the Doha Declaration to accelerate social development Economic Development
Amid geopolitical tensions and rising inequality, world leaders on Tuesday adopted the Doha Political Declaration at the Second World Summit on Social Development, reaffirming a global commitment to building more equitable and inclusive societies.
The adoption of the declaration is a collective commitment by governments to fight poverty, create decent jobs, counter discrimination, expand access to social protection and protect human rights.
The document emphasizes that social development is not only a moral imperative, but also a necessary condition for peace, stability and economic growth.
The summit in the capital of Qatar, Doha, brought together more than 40 heads of state and government, 170 ministers, heads of international organizations, leaders of youth movements, representatives of civil society and experts – in total over 14 thousand participants. the commitment of world leaders to the principles of the 1995 Copenhagen Declaration and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Declaration sets out three mutually reinforcing areas of work: ending poverty, ensuring employment and decent work for all, and creating more inclusive societies.
The document links social justice to peace, security and human rights and calls for urgent action on climate change.
It pays particular attention to financing: the declaration reaffirms the importance of the Addis Ababa Action Agenda as an integral part of the 2030 Agenda, welcomes the Seville Agreement on updating financial mechanisms and calls for strengthening the multilateral system. (ECOSOC).
Comprehensive solutions
After the adoption of the declaration, the President of the UN General Assembly, Annalena Baerbock, noted that the level of unemployment in the world has fallen in recent decades and extreme poverty has declined, but significant inequalities remain, which primarily affects women and youth.
Boerbock said economic growth alone was not enough to overcome structural inequalities; they were exacerbated by climate change, demographic challenges and conflict.
Berbock called for comprehensive, interconnected solutions covering poverty and hunger, education, health, climate resilience and gender equality, stressing that the Sustainable Development Goals are “not 17 separate points, but one a system where progress in one area accelerates progress in others.”
“Momentum for Development”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has warned that progress on the Sustainable Development Goals is too much slow.
“The Doha Political Declaration is an impetus for development,” he said, calling it “a plan for the people” aimed at expanding universal social protection, ensuring equal access to health and education and bridging the digital divide.
The UN chief stressed the urgent need to reform the global financial architecture to ensure access to development finance and climate initiatives, especially for debt-strapped developing countries.
The Secretary-General noted that the Doha summit is about mobilizing the political and financial will to deliver on the promises made in Copenhagen. he concluded.