Vice President Travels to Doha as World Leaders Reconvene on Social Development, Three Decades After Copenhagen

Vice President Hussain Mohamed Latheef departed for Doha, Qatar, on Monday evening to attend the Second World Summit for Social Development (WSSD2), an international forum convened under the auspices of the United Nations General Assembly.

The summit, which runs from 4 to 6 November, will bring together senior leaders from across the world to deliberate on strategies for advancing social development. Its agenda is anchored in four priorities: eradicating poverty, strengthening social development, expanding productive employment, and fostering inclusive societies.

This year’s gathering marks the first such convening since the inaugural World Summit for Social Development was held in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1995. The return of the forum underscores the continuing urgency of coordinated international action to address persistent socio-economic disparities.

Deliberations in Doha are designed to align with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the global framework that sets out the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Those objectives, adopted by the international community, aim to reduce poverty, inequality, and other systemic challenges by the end of the decade.

Vice President Latheef is scheduled to attend the opening ceremony and to deliver a formal statement during the proceedings. The summit is expected to draw senior officials and policymakers from numerous countries, each contributing to discussions intended to shape a more equitable and resilient international order.