The 23rd edition of the Doha Forum kicked off Saturday in the Qatari capital, with several heads of state and diplomats attending the international conference.
This year's theme, "Justice in Action: Beyond Promises to Progress," is about moving discussions into action, a message reflected in Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani's opening remarks.
"Only just solutions can create lasting peace and prevent the perpetuation of conflict and division," Al Thani said opening the forum.
"The suffering of the Palestinian people under blatant violations of international law, and the tragedies unfolding in Sudan, including massacres and grave human rights abuses, all underscore that achieving justice and protecting rights are indispensable conditions for preserving the region's stability and preventing its disintegration," he added.
Another key topic this year focuses on the growing divide between the Global North and South. The Forum’s Executive Director, Mubarak Ajlan Al-Kuwari, told Euronews that many of today’s inequalities stem from systems built without everyone at the table.
Among those attending the two-day forum are Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, and Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares.
Another prominent guest at the conference is Microsoft founder and Gates Foundation Chair, Bill Gates. In his speech, he emphasised the role of humans as natural problem-solvers, but noted that the right tools are required to effectively do so.
"This will be the generation that can solve childhood death. It can eradicate poverty, it can eradicate polio and it can bring down over 95% of diseases like malaria, HIV and AIDS," Gates said, "We should not stop with the progress we’ve made. Together, we can save the lives of millions of children and empower them, empower them to make great contributions".
