Opening Panel of Doha World Summit Calls for Action to Strengthen Poverty Eradication, Employment, Social Inclusion

Opening Panel of Doha World Summit Calls for Action to Strengthen Poverty Eradication, Employment, Social Inclusion

DOHA, QATAR (4 November) - Speakers at the opening panel of the Second World Summit for Social Development today called for renewed global commitment to the three pillars of social development - poverty eradication, full and productive employment and decent work for all, and social inclusion - underscoring the urgent need to translate the commitments of the Doha Political Declaration into concrete action.

The panel discussion, titled "Strengthening the Three Pillars of Social Development: Poverty Eradication, Full and Productive Employment and Decent Work for All, and Social Inclusion", was co-chaired by Jakov Milatović, President of Montenegro, and Edil Baisalov, Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan.

Delivering the keynote address, Juan Somavia, Chair of the Preparatory Committee and the Main Committee of the 1995 World Summit for Social Development, hailed the adoption of the Doha Declaration as a milestone achievement. "The Declaration adopted today is a strong and powerful one," he said. "This was not an easy negotiation, and we have an excellent product."

However, Mr. Somavia cautioned that much remains to be done to fulfil the promise of the 2030 Agenda. "We are far behind in reaching the 2030 Agenda. We cannot shy away from that issue as the UN or as national Governments," he said. "We are very good at being ambitious, less so on how to implement," he said, urging countries to tailor their national strategies to their specific development realities and needs. "Don't give up on your involvement," he concluded.

The discussion was moderated by Gilbert Houngbo, Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO), and featured a diverse panel including Mariëlle Paul, Minister for Social Affairs and Employment of the Netherlands; Naima Ben Yahia, Minister for Solidarity, Social Integration and Family of Morocco; Diana Pokie, Minister for Social Affairs and Housing of Suriname; Luc Triangle, General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation; Amitabh Behar, Executive Director of Oxfam International; and Esther Nagtey, Youth Fellow of the International Disability Alliance.

Stronger Collaboration Needed to Promote Decent Work for All

Mariëlle Paul emphasized that employment remains the surest route out of poverty, but only if it is decent work. "Having a job is important, but to avoid poverty and ensure social inclusion, it needs to be a decent job," she said. She underlined that workers everywhere must be able to earn a living wage and enjoy safe, non-discriminatory workplaces. "There is no place for discrimination, violence or harassment at the workplace or anywhere in society," she said, calling for stronger collaboration between Governments, civil society and the private sector to promote decent work for all.

Speaking on behalf of Minister Naima Ben Yahia, Abdeijabbar Er-Rachidi noted Rabat's comprehensive social protection and poverty reduction strategy, rooted in the concept of a "social State". The Government, he said, has introduced mandatory health insurance that now benefits 20 million people - including 11 million who were previously uninsured.

Other key initiatives include monthly cash transfers to vulnerable families and children, affordable housing programmes for middle- and low-income families, and "empowerment initiatives for marginalized groups" and women in difficult circumstances. These policies have yielded concrete results, reducing extreme poverty to 2 per cent and lifting more than 1 million people out of poverty.

Poverty Eradication Cannot Succeed Without Adequate Investment

Minister Diana Pokie of Suriname stressed that poverty eradication cannot succeed without adequate investment and coordination across Government ministries. "No policy action can succeed without adequate Government investment and allocation of financial resources," she said.

She emphasized that ministries responsible for health, agriculture, finance, education, land policy and labour must work in close coordination to deliver coherent results. Strengthened institutions and clear mandates are critical to ensuring effective policy implementation. "Financial inclusion remains a critical area for improvement," she noted. "Ultimately, the objective is to empower people to become financially independent," she concluded.

Luc Triangle, General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation, welcomed the Doha Declaration as a "strategic advocacy tool for social development in the years to come". He called for structural reforms to address inequality through fair taxation and a strengthened global tax cooperation framework. "Governments must reduce unfair taxes, which disproportionately affect low-income populations," he said, adding that equitable tax systems are essential for funding social development.

He also underscored the need for investment in lifelong learning and skills development, which can help workers adapt to technological changes and the green transition. A fair global tax cooperation framework, he argued, would create a "level playing field" for both developed and developing countries and amplify the voices of poorer nations in shaping global economic policies.

Gap Widening between Rich and Poor

Amitabh Behar, Executive Director of Oxfam International, highlighted the widening gap between the rich and the poor. In the last 10 years, the world's top billionaires have doubled their wealth while hundreds of millions of people worldwide live in extreme poverty.

He further warned that poverty cannot be eradicated without addressing its structural causes, including unjust tax systems, privatization of public services, and wage inequality. Whatever the profits that companies and corporations make do not get redistributed among poorer communities, he said. "We must look at taxing the super-rich," he urged, calling for Governments to reinvest in public goods and services and ensure living wages for all workers.

Representing the voice of youth and persons with disabilities, Esther Nagtey, Youth Fellow of the International Disability Alliance, reminded participants that 16 per cent of the world's population continues to be among the most marginalized.

People with Disabilities Face Higher Poverty, Limited Healthcare Access

Citing the 2024 UN Disability and Development Report, she noted that persons with disabilities are more likely to live in poverty, face unemployment and lack access to healthcare. The Doha Declaration, she said, commits to integrating persons with disabilities as both agents and beneficiaries of development.

Ms. Nagtey called for meaningful participation of youth with disabilities in policy-making processes, adequate funding for their organizations, and strong partnerships with Governments and the UN system. Concluding her statement, she affirmed: "We are not the leaders of tomorrow - we are the changemakers of today."

The following discussants also participated in the interactive panel: Åsmund Grøver Aukrust, Minister for International Development of Norway, and Sima Sami Bahous, Executive Director of UN-Women.