St. Lucia Wednesday welcomed the Doha Political Declaration describing it as a framework to ‘accelerate progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), strengthen implementation of the Copenhagen Declaration and Programme of Action, and foster inclusive and sustainable development.
Equity, Social Development and Ecastical Affairs Minster, Joachim Henry, addressing the second World Summit for Social Development here, said as a small island developing state, St. Lucia seeks to build a resilient, inclusive society where all individuals have access to opportunities, participation and dignity through a ‘people-centred approach’
Equity, Social Development and Ecastical Affairs Minster, Joachim Henry, addressing DOHA conference in Qatar on Wednesday.
He said key initiatives include promoting decent work, making thousands of women permanent employees, establishing a Ministry for Persons with Disabilities, ensuring free maternal and child healthcare, expanding social housing and pensions, and providing early childhood and tertiary education.
Global leaders meeting here have adopted a landmark pledge to build a fairer, more inclusive and sustainable future for all people, a guiding document the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described as ‘a booster shot for development’ and ‘a people’s plan’.
The UN said that by adopting the Doha Political Declaration by consensus, countries agreed to step up efforts to deliver on the promises made 30 years ago at the first Social Summit in Copenhagen and to accelerate progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
The Declaration renews and expands the 1995 commitments to meet today’s complex challenges, strengthening action on the interlinked pillars of poverty eradication, decent work, and social inclusion. It calls for universal, gender-responsive social protection and equitable access to health and education while emphasizing the need to counter misinformation and hate speech that threaten democratic values.
Cuba’s Prime Minister, Marrero Cruz, said that three decades after Copenhagen, humanity faces unprecedented challenges under an unjust international order.
He said millions still suffer from hunger and conflict, denouncing ‘genocide by Israel’ and threats by the United States against Venezuela.
He emphasized that unilateral coercive measures, including the economic blockade imposed on Cuba for over 60 years and its designation as a state sponsor of terrorism, remain among the greatest obstacles to sustainable development.
The Cuban prime minister said most countries, as demonstrated at the General Assembly, stand against this ‘criminal policy’, calling for the establishment of a new, fairer international order.
Several countries focused their statements on expanding safety nets and improving food security and other basic social services.
‘Place people at the heart of development,’ urged the representative of the Gambia, who said his country is prioritizing social development by expanding opportunities for all, particularly women and youth.