The discussions took place at Doha Solutions Forum for Social Development and the first meeting of leaders of the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Povertykept on the sidelines of Second World Summit for Social Development.

Learn from each other

Opening the Solutions Forum, UN General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock said the event marked a deliberate shift from “admiration of the problem” to action using proven approaches.

“Too often we are faced with situations in which we have no clear solution, no answers to the suffering we see, and it breaks our hearts.” she said.

“Or we have the solution [but] We either can’t or don’t want to do what needs to be done, which is frustrating.»

“Today it’s different: we are here to avoid falling into these traps,”, she added, “to learn from each other; benefit from good ideas; join forces; and live up to our common principles.

Partnerships enable

Organized by the State of Qatar in collaboration with France and supported by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), 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 such as poverty eradication, decent work and social inclusion.

For her part, Ms. Baerbock cited examples from around the world, including a program in Sierra Leone supporting people with disabilities through training, job placements and microcredits.

In Sri Lanka, a civil society innovation hub trains young people for jobs and reinvests revenues into skills development, while in India, a national digital identity system has opened more than 300 million bank accounts and expanded access to social services.

These initiatives show what is possible when innovation, partnership and resources come together, she said, urging delegates to seize the opportunities.

Scale solutions that work

UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohamed echoes the urgency of moving from commitment to implementation.

She highlighted the importance of the Doha Political Declaration which will be adopted at the World Summit.

“This calls for social contracts that work for people – fair, inclusive and built for today’s realities,” she said.

“To achieve this, we must evolve the solutions that work,» she urged participants to learn lessons from the solutions put forward during the Solutions Forum.

“Use these stories. Let them fuel your determination. Bring them back to your communities and turn them into bold actions – today and for generations to come.»

Global alliance meets to tackle hunger crisis

The focus on solutions continued Monday, as leaders gathered for the first high-level meeting of the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty.

With more than 670 million people going hungry and 2.3 billion facing moderate or severe food insecurity, President of the General Assembly Baerbock stressed that the current food crisis is not due to lack of food, but “to inequalities, conflicts and political choices.”

“That’s billions of people wondering where their next meal will come from,” she said. “Parents need to see their children go to bed hungry…the hunger crisis is not the lack of food. This is entirely avoidable.»

As the planet warms, insecurity spreads

She particularly highlighted climate change as a rapidly accelerating factor in food insecurity.

Describing the Sahel’s farmlands turned to dust, she called it “the new frontline of food insecurity”, warning that unchecked global warming could plunge up to 1.8 billion more people into hunger.

The Global Alliance – launched under Brazil’s G20 presidency in 2024 – now has nearly 200 members, including national governments, regional bodies, international organizations and civil society groups.

Monday’s meeting aimed to strengthen coordinated action, including expanding social protection, supporting rural livelihoods and investing in climate-resilient agriculture.

“In a world of abundance – where there should be more than enough for everyone – it is entirely possible to ensure that everyone, everywhere has enough to eat,” Baerbock said. “A world free of hunger and poverty is not a distant aspiration. It is within our reach, if we achieve it together.”

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Guterres spoke by phone with Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness earlier today, later emphasizing in a statement that “international support is crucial” as the country deals with the effects of the Category 5 storm that brought rain, storm surge and catastrophic flooding.

“It calls for the mobilization of massive resources to deal with the losses and damage caused by the hurricane.“, declared the UN deputy spokesperson.

UN injects $4 million in aid

The United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, has allocated $4 million from Central Emergency Response Fund (DEER) so that agencies and their partners can quickly scale up their humanitarian operations in Jamaica.

Five days after the most powerful storm in the island’s history made landfall in the west, many residents are still waiting for help to arrive, according to local media, while many roads remain inaccessible and communities are without electricity and running water.

The government reported Saturday that the death toll stood at at least 28. The top U.N. official on the island, Dennis Zulu, said UN News Friday that around 13 UN agencies were working as quickly as possible alongside authorities to clear roads and carry out essential repairs.

“My team here remains committed… to ensuring that Jamaica gets back on its feet,” he said.

Support for vulnerable children

United Nations Children’s Agency, UNICEFsaid Saturday that more than 700,000 children across the Caribbean had been affected by the hurricane, which also made landfall in Cuba and caused chaos in western Haiti.

UNICEF is helping the Government of Jamaica reach more than 284,000 children to meet urgent nutritional needs, access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene, including mental health support.

In Haiti, UNICEF is deploying emergency hygiene and health kits, cash to at-risk households and engaging communities.

United Nations Aid Coordination Office, OCHAaccompanied UNICEF to Cuba’s José Martí Airport on Saturday to unload supplies for more than 90,000 people affected by Melissa – alongside national authorities – working as one team, leading the emergency response.

International solidarity, a lifeline

UN relief chief Tom Fletcher said on Friday: “In times like these, international solidarity is not just a principle: it is a lifeline.”

An OCHA team has been deployed to Jamaica to strengthen coordination and information management.

UN agencies and NGOs are helping to restore access, provide emergency health and water services and support communities whose homes, schools and hospitals have been hit hard.

Well prepared in Cuba

A $4 million allocation from the OCHA-managed CERF for Cuba enabled UN agencies to put life-saving aid in place before the storm hit.

• The World Food Program (WFP) provided food to 180,000 people;
• UNICEF has deployed mobile water treatment units and hygiene kits for thousands of people;
• the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) flew in medical supplies and generators;
• the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) moved seeds and tarpaulins to protect livelihoods and homes;
• and the reproductive health agency, UNFPA, distributed health and dignity kits.

The Cuban Red Cross provided assistance by organizing preventive evacuations, early warning messages and psychosocial support, in coordination with the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC).

Early warnings across Haiti

In Haiti, a country grappling with a massive humanitarian crisis and deadly armed violence, humanitarian teams are working alongside national authorities to respond to urgent needs. Days before the hurricane hit, a $4 million allocation from CERF helped preposition aid.

Additionally, more than 3.5 million alerts were sent to vulnerable populations, saving lives. UN agencies and partners are now supporting temporary shelters and providing food, shelter, non-food items and cash assistance.

“Local leadership, global solidarity and early action are saving lives across the region,” Mr Fletcher said. “This is the humanitarian reset at work – acting together with greater impact.”

This is the warning presented in a new assessment published Friday by the UN International Labor Organization (ILO), which urges governments, employers and labor organizations to place the dignity and rights of workers at the center of economic decision-making.

“This report brings together the voices, experiences and proposals of unions around the world,» said Maria Helena André, Director of the ILO Bureau for Workers’ Activities.

“Workers defined shared priorities to advance social justice and shape a more inclusive future of work.»

She highlighted that although economies and labor markets are changing rapidly, worker protections and governance systems have not kept pace, leading to growing insecurity and widening inequality.

Call for a human-centered economy

According to the report, technological changes, climate pressures, demographic shifts and weakening social protections are reshaping workplaces faster than policies can respond.

Without action, existing inequalities risk worsening, particularly for workers in informal, temporary or low-wage jobs.

Among his key messages:

• Decent work and labor rights are non-negotiable.
• Economic governance must put people first.
• Technological and climate transitions must be just and inclusive.
• Local realities require adapted solutions.
• Unions are transforming to stay relevant.

A global debate should open in Doha

The findings come as more than 8,000 participants – including heads of state and government, ministers, employer groups, civil society organizations and youth representatives – prepare to gather in Doha for the Second World Summit for Social Developmentopening Tuesday.

Summit will review and update commitments first made at this historic milestone 1995 Copenhagen Social Summitas inequality, insecurity and social fragmentation increase again in many parts of the world.

In a message Ahead of the Summit, ILO Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo urged governments to act with ambition and unity:

“Everyone deserves an equal opportunity to access quality jobs and shared prosperity. Let us come together again – to achieve just, inclusive and lasting progress for people everywhere.»

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The ceremony marked the United Nations’ official takeover of the Qatar National Convention Center (QNCC) as the venue where world leaders will work to reinvigorate the global social compact.

The brief but symbolic event, held at the sprawling conference center, was attended by senior officials from Qatar and the United Nations, accompanied by a formation of UN security officers and members of the Qatari Lekhwiya Police Force, standing on either side of the two flagpoles.

Speaking at the ceremony, Li Junhua, UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, said the moment reflected a shared commitment to cooperation and collective progress.

“This moment officially marks the handover of this historic installation to the United Nations,“, he said. “The QNCC has now been transformed into a space where the global community will come together to propose solutions and renew hope.”

Ahmad Hassen Al-Hamadi, Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Qatar, welcomed the international community, emphasizing the country’s support as host and partner in facilitating dialogue and cooperation at the highest level.

“We are convinced that this The summit will provide a crucial opportunity to reaffirm political will and capitalize on the numerous opportunities to accelerate and stimulate transformative actions to achieve social development and social justice for all.and accelerate progress for the 2030 Agenda [for Sustainable Development].”

A crucial gathering amid global challenges

Over the coming days, more than 8,000 participants – including heads of state and government, ministers, civil society leaders, youth delegates, workers and representatives of the private sector – will take part in plenary sessions, high-level roundtables and side forums focusing on social protection, inequality, decent work and the inclusion of marginalized groups.

Ahead of the Summit last week, UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric confirmed that Secretary-General António Guterres will speak at the opening ceremony on Tuesday.

Mr. Guterres is expected to highlight progress made since the first Copenhagen Social Summit in 1995, while highlighting major global challenges, including widening inequality, unemployment, poverty, conflict and widespread human suffering.

In Doha, the Secretary-General is also expected to participate in a side event on education and hold bilateral meetings with senior officials.

SDG colors in the sky

Adding a striking visual touch to Sunday’s ceremony, a team of Qatari paratroopers performed an aerial display, descending above the QNCC while carrying the 17 colorful Sustainable Development Goals flags, alongside the flags of the UN and Qatar.

Adopted by all 193 UN member states in 2015, the SDGs constitute a common global plan to end poverty, reduce inequality, protect the planet and ensure dignity for all.

The descent drew applause from delegates and spectators, symbolizing the Summit themes of unity, shared responsibility and collective action, and visually reinforcing the message that social development is inseparable from the entire SDG agenda.

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As delegations continue to arrive, final preparations are being made inside the QNCC, where banners, interpretation booths and media facilities are being finalized and security and logistics teams are coordinating movements across the venue.

UN News is on the ground in Doha, providing ongoing coverage throughout the week, including live updates, interviews and analysis from the Summit. Follow our cover here.