Doha to welcome over 8,000 delegates for World Summit on Social Development - Assalamualaikum
Assalamualaikum - More than 8,000 delegates from governments, the UN, civil society, academia and the private sector are expected in Doha next week for the second World Summit for Social Development, the Qatari envoy to the UN, Sheikha Alya Ahmed Saif Al-Thani, said on Tuesday. Speaking alongside the president of the UN General Assembly, she said the three-day meeting starting Nov. 4 will be a “defining moment for global social development,” coming 30 years after the first summit in Copenhagen. Sheikha Alya said, “The State of Qatar is pleased to welcome the international community … coming together in Doha to renew commitments to social justice and to put people at the heart of sustainable development.” The summit will center on the “Doha Political Declaration on Social Development,” which reaffirms that poverty eradication, full and productive employment with decent work for all, and social inclusion are interlinked and essential to sustainable development. The declaration also stresses that social justice cannot be achieved without peace and security, and without respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It issues a clear call to action for governments to create the conditions needed for social development for everyone, and includes concrete measures on implementation, follow-up and review to ensure accountability and measurable progress. Sheikha Alya thanked the envoys who led negotiations toward consensus on the declaration text. The summit’s programme 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 discussion on education as the renewed basis of the social contract, with the participation of the UN Secretary-General. Dedicated sessions for the private sector and civil society aim to highlight the summit’s inclusive approach. Qatar continues to build on its record of hosting major UN conferences, such as 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 the fifth UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries in 2023. “Doha has become a symbol of dialogue and global solidarity,” Sheikha Alya said. “We trust the summit will result in hopeful, actionable commitments - not just words but real pledges of partnership, implementation and accountability.” The UN General Assembly president noted that three decades after Copenhagen the world still faces growing social and economic pressures, with over 800 million people in extreme poverty. “Families are borrowing just to afford food or housing,” she said. “People everywhere are asking: Will I be able to pay rent next month? Will I have to choose between school fees and groceries?” Leaders meeting in Doha must act with purpose to reduce poverty, expand universal social protections and create decent jobs, especially for young people. “The world is no longer waiting for promises,” she said. “It’s waiting for delivery - for action that improves lives and makes dignity a reality for all.”
https://www.arabnews.com/node/