Francine Pickup addressing a session at the summit in Doha.
Doha, Qatar: A UN official has emphasised the urgent need for adaptive social and economic policies to tackle poverty, inequality, and climate vulnerability in an increasingly fragile global context.
On the sidelines of the recently-concluded Second World Summit for Social Development, the Deputy Director of the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Francine Pickup, noted that the fundamental goals of eradicating poverty, creating decent jobs, and promoting social inclusion remain as relevant as ever and are strongly reaffirmed in the Doha Political Declaration.
“The priorities of the World Social Summit haven’t changed dramatically since 30 years ago in Copenhagen. They remain eradicating poverty, creating decent jobs and social protection, and social inclusion,” the Deputy Director told The Peninsula.
“But what’s changed is that we have more crises and fragility, runaway climate change, more polarisation and social inequality. Many developing countries are struggling with debt, and we must implement policies that respond to this new, challenging reality.”
As part of the discussions in Doha, UNDP launched a new paper titled ‘From Poverty to Prosperity,’ outlining strategies not only to lift people out of poverty but also to help them remain resilient to future shocks. “This paper is about addressing not just how to keep people out of extreme poverty, but how to support people to thrive and build capabilities so that they stay out of poverty and stay resilient,” Pickup explained. Among the policy tools highlighted were active labour market policies, such as minimum wage initiatives that have successfully boosted productivity and reduced inequality in countries like Albania and Mexico.
The official also underscored the importance of adaptive social protection systems, which can quickly deliver assistance in times of crisis, an approach that proved vital during the COVID-19 pandemic when many governments were able to protect small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and vulnerable populations through rapid social support mechanisms. “When I say adaptive or responsive social protection, I mean policies that account for climate change and related disasters,” the UNDP representative said. “Countries need strong social registries and systems in place so that when crises hit, support can reach people quickly.”
In addition, Pickup stressed the importance of investing in skills development, particularly for young people, to enhance their participation in labor markets and the green and digital transitions.
Community-based and civil society organisations were recognised as vital partners for local solutions, while the private sector was identified as essential for scaling innovations and financing sustainable initiatives.
Pickup added, “Community-driven development is key because local organisations see the problems firsthand and can craft effective responses. And the private sector is critical to bring investment and scale, for example, supporting solar energy and other green transition initiatives.”
