President William Samoei Ruto has urged world leaders to take bold action to end inequality, reform global financial systems, and ensure justice for developing countries. Speaking on Tuesday in Doha at the Second World Summit for Social Development, he addressed the gathering on behalf of the African Group of States, highlighting poverty eradication, decent work, and social inclusion as core goals for humanity.
“Thirty years after Copenhagen, we renew our shared promise to place people at the heart of development,” President Ruto said, praising Qatar for hosting the historic summit and reaffirming Africa’s unity on the world stage.
The President acknowledged that progress has been made in areas such as poverty reduction, education, and health, but warned that “persistent and widening inequality within and among nations continues to erode these very gains.” He noted that global trade, financial, and technological systems “remain unequal and exclusionary,” leaving millions in Africa vulnerable to poverty, unemployment, and social exclusion.
“Confronting them is not charity, it is justice for our people,” he told delegates.
President Ruto highlighted the pressure facing health and education systems, energy shortages, and rising hunger in many African and West Asian countries.
He stressed that universal access to healthcare should be a right, not a privilege. “Universal access to affordable and quality healthcare is not a luxury, it is a right for every citizen,” he said.
On the issue of digital access, he described the growing divide as “one of the great barriers of our time,” noting that fair access to connectivity, devices, and education is crucial for inclusion.
The President also emphasized Africa’s dedication to transforming informal sectors and expanding access to global markets through stronger international cooperation, aligning with the Addis Ababa Action Agenda and the Right to Development. To tackle structural inequality, he called for comprehensive reform of the international financial system “to make it fair, transparent, and responsive to the needs of developing nations and their people.”
Ruto urged decisive measures on debt challenges and the creation of a UN Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation alongside a UN Convention on Sovereign Debt. Referencing the Copenhagen Declaration, he reaffirmed Africa’s commitment to the three pillars of social development: “the eradication of poverty, decent work for all, and social integration.”
He welcomed the Doha Declaration on Social Development as a renewed global commitment “to translate principles into action and to build cohesive and resilient societies for generations to come.”
On global representation, the Kenyan leader reiterated Africa’s demand for greater participation in key decision-making bodies. “The African Group reiterates its demand for two permanent and two non-permanent seats for Africa on the UN Security Council with full rights and privileges,” he said.
President Ruto also highlighted historical justice, noting that progress cannot thrive without accountability for past wrongs.
“The African Union has declared 2025 the Year of Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations,” he said, calling it “a defining step towards justice and healing for Africa and its diaspora.”
He reaffirmed Africa’s support for the 2026 UN meeting marking the 25th anniversary of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, urging partners to join efforts to advance reparative justice and equality.
Concluding his address, the President envisioned a shared global future guided by fairness and humanity.
“Together, let us envision a future that is inclusive, resilient, and just, a world free of hunger, poverty, disease, racism, and inequality, a world where prosperity is shared, the digital divide is bridged, and trust in multilateralism is renewed,” he said.
