World Leaders Adopt Doha Political Declaration
Pledging Inclusive Global Growth
Amid heightened geopolitical tensions and widening inequality, world leaders meeting in Doha today adopted the Doha Political Declaration, a landmark agreement signaling renewed global commitment to build more inclusive and just societies.
Adopted during the Second World Summit for Social Development, the declaration marks a major reaffirmation of social progress as a shared global responsibility — positioning equity, decent work, and human rights at the core of economic stability and sustainable growth.
“True development isn’t about prosperity for the few,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres at the opening press conference. “It’s about opportunities for the many, grounded in social justice, full employment, and human dignity.” Calling the document a “booster shot for development” and “a people’s plan”, Guterres urged nations to accelerate action in four areas: ending poverty and inequality through stronger social systems; creating decent jobs through skills and inclusion; unlocking finance for developing economies by reforming global financial systems; and ensuring that no one is left behind.
The three-day summit — convening over 40 heads of state and government, 170 ministerial-level representatives, and 14,000 delegates from international organizations, youth movements, and civil society — comes thirty years after the first such summit in Copenhagen. Then as now, global leaders are confronting the balance between growth and fairness, this time under the added strain of climate change, digital disruption, and geopolitical fragmentation.
The Doha Political Declaration builds on the 1995 Copenhagen framework while expanding its focus to the modern era’s complex realities. It advances commitments to poverty eradication, decent work, and social inclusion, with stronger emphasis on gender-responsive protection systems, equitable access to health and education, and the defense of democratic values against misinformation and hate speech.
At the heart of the summit is the newly announced Doha Solutions Platform for Social Development, which aggregates government and private-sector initiatives designed to turn policy into practice. More than 150 commitments were submitted before the summit’s opening, many focused on employment, digital inclusion, and social protection innovation.
“The world doesn’t need more promises — it needs action that changes lives,” said Annalena Baerbock, President of the 80th Session of the UN General Assembly. “The Doha Solutions Platform is about proving that social development is one of the smartest investments we can make.”
Despite significant progress — including the lifting of 1.5 billion people from extreme poverty since 1995 — inequalities persist. The UN reports that 808 million people remain in extreme poverty, while 1.1 billion face overlapping deprivations in health, education, and living standards. The gender pay gap stands at 22 percent, with parity potentially a century away. Housing insecurity affects nearly 3 billion people, and a third of the world’s population lacks adequate food access.
“Social justice, decent work, and equal opportunity are indispensable for sustainable development,” said Li Junhua, UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs. “The Doha Declaration underscores how economic, social, and environmental progress are inseparable.”
For global investors and policymakers alike, the message from Doha is clear: social stability is the new foundation of economic confidence. As financial systems strain under climate and demographic pressures, inclusion and resilience are no longer moral add-ons — they are now the metrics by which durable growth will be judged.
EDITOR’S NOTE:
Even as Global Wealth Office celebrates wealth, power, and the pinnacle of human achievements globally, we are mindful of our part in preserving the dignity of every human life, especially those who are in most need.
I am committed to ensuring we do our part in spreading peace, love, understanding, and compassion; to helping provide food, supplies, and other resources where needed; and support for education, technology, and research towards eradication of diseases and the preservation of the environment and the world that we share.
Moreover, I firmly believe that we need to create a global eco-system comprised of successful businesses, creatives, entrepreneurs, scientists, inventors, artists, brilliant thinkers, etc. who hold service to humanity as their primary objective–not driven by greed, ego, indifference–but all working together for the common good.
I encourage our clients, collaborators, and partners to consider donating time and resources to charitable causes, whatever they may be. Let’s apply the concept of compound interest from mere financial to a spiritual-humanitarian context. Small acts do make a difference. Together, let’s not just envision but rather create the world we can have–a world where no one is left behind, forgotten or forsaken.
—Loy Carlos, President
Global Wealth Office
