04.11.2025

Your excellency, madam chair!

Your excellency, mr secretary-general!

Honourable heads of state and governments!

I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my dear brother, His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Amir of Qatar, for the warm hospitality and excellent organization of the World Summit.

I would also like to extend my special thanks to His Excellency Mr. António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, for his enormous personal contribution to hosting this event.

It is of great symbolic significance that this important summit on global social development is being held in Doha.

In recent years, the State of Qatar has become a global centre for social inclusivity and rapid development. I would like to sincerely congratulate the people of Qatar on these remarkable achievements.

It is noteworthy that the world community and national governments are currently collaborating to promote social well-being and enhance living standards.

Uzbekistan always supports all formats and initiatives of international cooperation towards sustainable development.

Ladies and gentlemen!

In recent years, we have been building a society in New Uzbekistan where the principle of “human dignity” is paramount, social justice is ensured, and the most vulnerable in our society are effectively protected.

Our firm stance on this path has been enshrined in our New Constitution, which has proclaimed our country a "social state".

Previously scattered social protection programmes have been brought together under a single structure — the National Agency for Social Protection.

Our new social protection model covers every household and family, starting from the mahalla, the grassroots level of society.

In recent years, we have reduced the poverty rate from 35 per cent to 6.6 per cent. These reforms will continue.

Esteemed participants!

In the current context of complex socio-economic processes worldwide, I would like to put forward the following proposals:

First. It is crucial to elevate international cooperation to a new level in the fight against poverty.

According to the United Nations, 1.1 billion people worldwide currently live in poverty.

We believe that the time has come to create a new financial architecture to combat poverty, which will attract resources to social programmes in developing countries.

To this end, we propose establishing a “global social justice fund” to provide practical assistance in reducing social inequality and alleviating poverty.

Second. It is crucial to implement new, modern mechanisms to effectively address employment issues.

According to a report by the International Labour Organization, the global unemployment rate was 5 percent in 2024.

The rapid integration of advanced technologies and artificial intelligence is causing the loss of millions of jobs worldwide.

In such circumstances, governments and businesses must prioritise supporting their employees as social partners.

In this regard, we hope you will support our proposal to develop a “global initiative for social responsibility and decent work”.

Third. Expanding educational opportunities for all is an effective solution to social problems.

Currently, the annual economic loss due to illiteracy is estimated at 1.4 trillion US dollars.

This creates obstacles for the younger generation to find their place in social life and the labour market, leading to a sharp increase in inequality.

We fully endorse the decisions made at yesterday's inaugural meeting of the Global Alliance to Combat Hunger and Poverty.

We propose holding one of its future summits in Uzbekistan, making education the main agenda item.

Fourth. There is an increasing need for systemic protection of labour migrants and their family members.

Currently, there are over 300 million migrants working in foreign countries worldwide.

Unfortunately, there are numerous instances of their rights being violated.

I propose holding an international forum on the social and legal protection of migrants and their families in Uzbekistan next year, in cooperation with international labour and migration organizations, and adopting a global programme.

Fifth. We all clearly feel the impact of climate change on social life.

Extreme weather, desertification and loss of biodiversity are having a negative impact on the lives of vulnerable groups, such as farmers, seasonal workers and residents of ecologically challenging regions.

It is crucial to implement comprehensive measures that align the fight against climate change with employment programmes.

In this regard, we intend to launch a new model of socio-economic development in the aral sea region, which has been declared a zone of environmental innovations and technologies by a United Nations resolution. We stand ready to share this experience with the international community.

Esteemed heads of delegations!

The decisions we make today will undoubtedly inspire confidence and hope in millions of people worldwide, contributing significantly to stability and prosperity.

Our primary duty is to renew social consensus for international development and to create a decent standard of living for everyone.

In this sense, we fully support the Doha Political Declaration being adopted today.

We stand ready to fully implement the enshrined principles.

This historic Declaration will undoubtedly strengthen our joint efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

At the end of my speech, I wish you all good luck and success, and the productive work of the World Summit.

Thank you for your attention.

• 
• 
•