UN chief tells Second World Summit for Social Development in Qatar that 700 million people live in extreme poverty.Doha, Qatar – A declaration of intent to fight deepening global inequality is a “booster shot for development”, the head of the United Nations declares.At the Second World Summit for Social Development in Qatar on Tuesday, the president of the UN General Assembly, Annalena Baerbock, announced the adoption of the Doha Political Declaration.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list“Social development and inclusion is essential for strong societies,” she said, adding that the declaration must “end social injustice and guarantee dignity for everyone, prioritising a people-first approach.”In a keynote speech, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on global leaders to unite behind the “bold people’s plan”.“It’s unconscionable that nearly 700 million people still live in extreme poverty while the richest 1 per cent own nearly half of global wealth,” he told the delegations.“It’s intolerable that almost four billion people lack access to any form of social protection at all.” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock attend the Second World Summit for Social Development [Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/Reuters]The summit in Qatar’s capital, Doha, was convened to build on the development goals established 30 years ago during the Copenhagen Summit.According to the UN, about 40 heads of state, 170 ministerial-level representatives, heads of NGOs and 14,000 delegates from around the world were expected to attend.The declaration calls for commitments in several areas, including poverty eradication, access to “decent work”, social integration, gender equality and climate action. Advertisement Guterres noted the progress that has been made over the past th …
