UN Chief António Guterres on Social Development, Inequality, and Collective Action

Progress and Persistent Challenges

• 💡 The first World Summit for Social Development in 1995 emphasized social justice, full employment, and human dignity, not just prosperity for a few.
• 📈 Since then, over a billion people have escaped extreme poverty, global unemployment is near historic lows, and access to healthcare, education, and social protection has expanded.
• ⚠️ However, the world now faces high global uncertainty, divisions, conflicts, and widespread human suffering, with developing countries not receiving adequate support.
• 🌍 Progress on climate change is too slow, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are falling short.

A People's Plan for Development

• 🎯 The Doha Political Declaration is a people's plan requiring action in four key areas.
• 💰 Fighting poverty and inequality is paramount, addressing extreme poverty, hunger, and the lack of social protection, requiring targeted, country-led investments in essential systems like food, health, water, housing, energy, and education.
• 🌳 Governments must present concrete plans at COP 30 to slash emissions and deliver climate justice, with developing countries needing significant financial and technological support.
• 💼 Job creation and employment are crucial, promoting decent work, living wages, and transitions to green, digital, and care economies, with a focus on closing the digital divide and ensuring equal access for women.

Financing and Inclusion

• 💸 Financing for development requires mobilizing domestic resources, tripling the lending power of multilateral development banks, easing debt burdens, and reforming the global financial architecture for greater inclusivity and equity.
• ⚖️ A plan designed for people must bring them together, defending democratic values and ensuring the voices of all, especially vulnerable groups like women, minorities, migrants, and youth, are heard.
• 🚫 Governments must lift obstacles to women's participation and eliminate all forms of discrimination and gender-based violence, ensuring AI algorithms do not perpetuate male chauvinism.

Hope Through Collective Action

• ✨ The summit is a moment of hope through collective action, requiring mobilization of political will and financial resources.
• 🚀 The Doha Declaration provides a roadmap to achieve a far-reaching plan for humanity's benefit.