Doha: The State of Qatar is a role model in boosting comprehensive and sustainable development, whose strong commitment to backing multilateral cooperation and the UN system is commendable, particularly the development system overseen by ECOSOC, HE President of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), Lok Bahadur Thapa, has underlined to Qatar News Agency (QNA).
According to Qatar News Agency, His Excellency pointed out that hosting the second World Summit for Social Development by Qatar underscores the Qatari supportive position on the significance of multilateral cooperation and solidarity among nations. Opting for Doha to host this event after three decades since the Copenhagen Summit 1995 has put in place a platform to renew the global commitment to social development and inclusivity, Bahadur highlighted.
Bahadur further lauded Qatar's leading role in supporting social development and global sustainability, affirming that Qatar's contributions go far beyond mere hosting. Qatar hosted the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) Conference and the Doha Programme of Action 2022-2031, actively supporting LDCs on their path out of this category and fostering mutual learning among nations, thereby bolstering the most vulnerable countries and enhancing their capacity for sustainable development, he stressed.
He added that the Doha summit convened governments, civil society, youth, and the private sector to distill practical solutions to major challenges such as inequality, unemployment, education, health, and social protection. He emphasized that the second summit represents a call to action on the global stage, urging leaders and policymakers to recognize social development as a cornerstone for peace, prosperity, and sustainable development.
The unanimous adoption of the Doha Political Declaration, despite current challenges in multilateral cooperation and differing perspectives among nations, represents a significant milestone and sends a clear message that multilateral cooperation is alive and effective, reflecting the international community's commitment to justice, inclusivity, and sustainable development, Bahadur pointed out.
Bahadur further averred that the summit focused on a trifecta of pillars of social development, chiefly eradicating poverty, achieving full employment and decent work, and promoting social inclusion, with a strong emphasis on placing humans at the center of development and ensuring that no one is left behind.
He stressed the importance of addressing the root causes of poverty and inequality through charting comprehensive strategies, expanding investment in social protection, and ensuring access to food, water, housing, education, and healthcare, with particular focus on women, children, persons with disabilities, and the most vulnerable groups.
Promoting full employment and decent work involves the transition from the informal economy to the formal economy, supporting entrepreneurship and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), investing in green and digital transitions, ensuring equal pay for equal work, and eliminating forced labour, with a focus on women, intergenerational knowledge transfer, and empowering the most vulnerable groups, while reaffirming social justice and inclusive growth, Bahadur noted.
He stated that promoting social inclusion and building inclusive and just communities requires reducing gaps, combating racism and discrimination, strengthening intergenerational solidarity, and ensuring full participation of all groups, including youth, the elderly, persons with disabilities, and marginalized populations.
This likewise goes further to include investing in early childhood, culture, sports, and volunteerism to enhance social cohesion, while addressing issues such as homelessness is a priority to protect human rights and advance social justice, Bahadur outlined.
Highlighting the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Bahadur emphasized that their implementation faces major challenges such as conflicts, debt, widening social gaps, and climate pressures, stressing that it is important to renew global solidarity, strengthen political will, and take collective action.
Bahadur highlighted the importance of sustainable financing for development through debt relief, funding innovation, and reforming global financial systems to provide the fiscal space necessary for countries to implement their development programs, while investing in humans, quality education, comprehensive social protection, and leveraging technology and artificial intelligence to enhance inclusivity.
Finally, Bahadur asserted that this hosting epitomizes the growing role of the Arab region in lending impetus to the global development agenda, offering an opportunity to renew collective ambition, foster partnerships, as well as build more inclusive, just, and enduring communities for all.
He further noted that the success of this second summit hinges on the international obligation to transform words into concrete actions on the ground to achieve social development and justice for all.