Story by Josephine Mugiyo, Diplomatic Correspondent
PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa is in Doha, Qatar, for the second World Summit for Social Development which is focusing on ensuring people remain at the heart of sustainable development.
The summit, which is being convened at head of state level, comes 30 years after the first one which was convened in Copenhagen, Denmark.
The Doha Summit will reflect on the 10 commitments of the 1995 Copenhagen summit, with focus on social development.
The commitments were based on eradicating absolute poverty by a target date set by each country, increasing resources allocated to social development, achieving equality and equity between women and men, and supporting full employment as a basic policy goal, among other objectives.
The second summit set to run from November 4 to November 6, seeks to accelerate action on poverty eradication, promotion of full employment and decent work as well as address persistent gaps and reaffirm global commitment to social development.
More than 8 000 delegates drawn from United Nations member states are expected to attend the summit.
Zimbabwe has made notable strides in poverty eradication and inclusion of women and youths in the mainstream economy.
Under Vision 2030, the aim it to ensure development reaches every corner of the country.
The President was received at the Hamad International Airport by officials from Qatar’s royal family and government officials who include Zimbabwe’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Tavonga Mushayavanhu and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Professor Amon Murwira.
Professor Murwira said more than 20 heads of state are expected to attend the summit.
“His Excellency the President is going to deliver his remarks tomorrow, November 4, 2025 and he is then expected to attend one of the plenary sessions as well as a round table to talk about this very important topic on social development. Zimbabwe has done a lot in terms of inclusivity. We even have the disability office within the office of the President and we have a Ministry of Social Welfare that talks about disability as well, that talks and takes care of children who can not pay school fees called BEAM and which takes care of all those people that are living with disabilities, the blind and all sorts of disabilities that we can be talking about,” he said.
“We are talking about the world here, we are talking about society and a world that has hope. A hopeful world is an inclusive world, and His Excellency the President is a champion of inclusivity. As you know, he always talks about leaving no place and no one behind.
“So, this the place that he can make that contribution and show that difference. Zimbabwe has adopted programmes that include the Pfumvudza programme, which is an empowerment programme from the grassroots. It is only an empowered people that can make the society more stable and more progressive. When people feel included and are included, it makes sure that the country achieves or the world achieves the peace and stability that is needed, the economic movement that is needed and also basically the social inclusion that is an ingredient of social cohesion.”
The official opening of the summit is set for this Tuesday.
