By Anjali Sharma
UNITED NATIONS – The governments, civil society and international partners on Monday convened in Doha to highlight concrete solutions to advance social development and confront today’s most urgent crises from widening hunger and poverty to growing inequality and climate-driven instability as global challenges deepen.
The discussions took place at the Doha Solutions Forum for Social Development and the first leaders’ meeting of the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty held on the margins of the Second World Summit for Social Development.
President of the UNGA Annalena Baerbock at the opening of the Solutions Forum, said the event marked a deliberate shift from “admiring the problem” to acting on proven approaches.
“Too often we face situations where we have no clear solution, no answer to the suffering we see, and it is heartbreaking,” she said.
She stressed “Or we have the solution [but] we are either unable or unwilling to do what needs to be done, which is frustrating.”
“Today is different: we are here to avoid falling into those traps,” she added, “to learn from each other; to benefit from good ideas; to join forces; and to live up to our common principles.”
The meeting is being organized by the State of Qatar in collaboration with France and supported by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the Forum brought together government officials, private sector representatives and a range of stakeholders who highlighted policies and projects that have had an impact in areas including poverty eradication, decent work and social inclusion.
Ms. Baerbock cited examples from around the world, including a Sierra Leone programme supporting persons with disabilities through training, job placement, and micro-loans.
The forum noted that in Sri Lanka, a civil society innovation hub trains young people for employment and reinvests revenue into further skills development, while in India a national digital identity system has helped open more than 300 million bank accounts and expand access to social services.
These initiatives show what is possible when innovation, partnership and resources come together, she said, urging delegates to seize opportunities.
UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed echoed the urgency of moving from commitment to implementation.
She underscored the importance of the Doha Political Declaration to be adopted during the World Summit.
“It calls for social contracts that work for people – fair, inclusive and built for today’s realities,” she said.
“To deliver, we must scale solutions that work,” she urged participants to draw lessons from the solutions highlighted at the Solutions Forum.
“Harness these stories. Let them fuel your determination. Take them back to your communities and turn them into bold action today and for generations to come.”
The focus on solutions continued on Monday, as leaders gathered for the first high-level meeting of the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty.
Ms. Baerbock said that over 670 million people experiencing hunger and 2.3 billion facing moderate or severe food insecurity, stressed that today’s hunger crisis is not due to a lack of food, but to “inequality, conflict and policy choices.”
“That is billions wondering where their next meal will come from,” she said. “Parents having to see their children go to bed hungry .the crisis of hunger is not lack of food. It is entirely preventable.”
She pointed in particular to climate change as a rapidly accelerating driver of food insecurity.
PGA described farmlands in the Sahel turned to dust, called it “the new frontline of food insecurity,” warned that unchecked global warming could push up to 1.8 billion more people into hunger.
The Global Alliance launched under Brazil’s G20 Presidency in 2024 includes nearly 200 members, including national governments, regional bodies, international organizations and civil society groups.
The meeting aimed to strengthen coordinated action, including expanding social protection, supporting rural livelihoods and investing in climate-resilient agriculture.
“In a world of plenty – where there should be more than enough to go around – ensuring that everyone, everywhere has enough to eat is entirely possible,” Ms. Baerbock said.
She concluded her remarks “A world free from hunger and poverty is not a distant aspiration. It is within reach, if we reach for it together.”
