Doha: As Qatar staged the United Nations Second World Summit for Social Development 2025, Qatar Foundation hosted a series of sessions at the global forum – aimed at fostering dialogue on social progress, strengthening partnerships, and promoting inclusive policymaking to ensure equitable opportunities for all.

The three-day summit at Qatar National Convention Centre took place 30 years after its landmark first edition in Copenhagen – the year in which Qatar Foundation (QF) itself was established – and brought together the international community to renew commitment to social progress amid growing inequalities, demographic shifts, and rapid technological transformation.

HE Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani, Vice Chairperson of Qatar Foundation

During the summit, Her Excellency Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani, Vice Chairperson of Qatar Foundation, launched a new partnership between QF's Earthna Center for a Sustainable Future and the Children's Investment Fund Foundation to accelerate sustainable development in dryland ecosystems.

This partnership aims to address the dual vulnerabilities of food system failure and heat stress, and traditional practice and community-driven solutions to achieve land restoration and regeneration, prioritizing the most vulnerable populations.

QF's Doha International Family Institute (DIFI) organized a series of sessions during the summit, emphasizing the pivotal role of the family in social development. These included a discussion focusing on 'Safeguarding Families in Wars and Conflicts: Policy and Program Interventions', where Dr. Sharifa Noaman Al Emadi, Executive Director of DIFI, highlighted the need to develop future strategies that integrate family wellbeing into humanitarian and post-conflict development agendas.

"After three decades, the Second World Summit for Social Development is convening at a time of severe global instability,” she said.“Armed conflicts – from long-standing occupations to new and escalating wars – cause immense harm to civilian populations, with families bearing the heaviest burden of displacement, violence, separation, hunger, poverty, and psychological trauma.”

In another session, titled 'Leaving No One Behind: Advancing Inclusive Development', Dr. Al Emadi emphasized the importance of caring for the elderly, as a deeply rooted aspect of local culture that should be considered in the development of policies and laws. Panelists discussed the need to ensure an inclusive approach that involves youth and people with disabilities.

DIFI was also a partner in hosting summit sessions titled 'The Circle of Care: Families Supporting the Young, the Old, and All in Need', which discussed strategies for supporting families in caregiving roles; and 'Generations United: The Family at the Heart of Social Progress Towards Social Development for All', focusing on family-oriented policies as a cornerstone of social development.

And Earthna participated in a session titled 'Empowering Young Professionals Through Education and Skill Development for Sustainable and Inclusive Growth', organized by the International Institute for Sustainable Development.

"To achieve Qatar National Vision 2030 and long-term prosperity, we must redefine wealth beyond financial assets to include our natural, human knowledge, and social capital,” said Dr. Gonzalo Castro de la Mata, Executive Director, Earthna.“This inclusive wealth approach provides policymakers with a more holistic framework for sustainable and equitable development.”

Throughout the summit, delegates had the opportunity to learn about QF's work and mission through a dedicated space where immersive virtual reality elements allowed them to experience Education City, and stories from people who have been shaped and inspired by QF were showcased.

Visitors to QF's space at the summit were also invited to pause for reflection by interactive cubes that offered thought-provoking quizzes and insights, alongside illuminated outlines of QF's diverse community symbolizing collective progress. Gifts for delegates – such as notebooks created by students from QF's Renad Academy, which supports children with autism and their families, and honey harvested from the Education City Apiary – reflected QF's role as a driver of social progress and community wellbeing.

Meanwhile, QF-founded QatarDebate hosted an interactive session featuring a multigenerational panel that explored solutions to promote intergenerational equity, while QF's Doha Debates organized a virtual Majlis-style discussion in which young people from around the world examined challenges and opportunities related to employment and the future of work.

MENAFN06112025000063011010ID1110307089