Moroke Sekoboto
LESOTHO has renewed its unwavering commitment to advancing social protection, poverty reduction, and inclusive growth.
Addressing the Second World Summit for Social Development Session in Doha, Qatar, on Tuesday this week, His Majesty King Letsie III reaffirmed Lesotho’s dedication to the Copenhagen Declaration, which continues to guide the country’s development vision through the extended National Strategic Development Plan (NSDP) II.
The summit, which began on Tuesday, ends today.
King Letsie III commended the United Nations General Assembly for convening the crucial gathering, describing it as a platform for assessing progress, addressing challenges, and reaffirming the shared global commitment to the 1995 Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development and its Programme of Action.
It also accelerates the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The Copenhagen Declaration, adopted in 1995, committed world leaders to prioritising social development and human well-being, with a focus on eradicating poverty, promoting full employment, and fostering social integration.
“Lesotho renews its unwavering commitment to the Copenhagen Declaration, which continues to guide our national development vision through the extended National Strategic Development Plan (NSDP) II. We are advancing social protection, poverty reduction, and inclusive growth anchored on the three pillars of the Copenhagen Declaration: poverty reduction, productive employment, and social inclusion,” King Letsie III said.
He highlighted notable progress in expanding social protection for children, older persons, and persons with disabilities.
“Free primary education remains universal, and we continue to support vulnerable households through positive parenting and psychosocial initiatives.
“We have also introduced a universal non-contributory old-age pension, and we are developing sustainable long-term systems for the elderly,” the King noted.
“Our commitment to the inclusion of persons with disabilities is reinforced through a disability grant and a national disability mainstreaming plan.
“Lesotho aligns with the African Union (AU)’s position that decent work for all is fundamental to social justice and sustainable development. As outlined in the AU Agenda 2063, economic transformation must advance hand in hand with human dignity,” he added.
King Letsie III emphasised that Africa remained the world’s youngest continent, with nearly 70 percent of its population under the age of 30, yet youth unemployment remains unacceptably high.
“In response, the Government of Lesotho declared a state of disaster on youth unemployment in July 2025 to fast-track interventions and create meaningful opportunities. We have reserved 40 percent of public procurement for youth-led enterprises and established an investment guarantee fund in partnership with the private sector to expand access to financing for young people.”
The King explained that these measures are designed to reposition Lesotho’s economy from one driven by consumption and public expenditure to one propelled by private sector-led growth, exports, and productive employment.
He told the summit that Lesotho was finalising the drafting of a comprehensive Social Protection Bill aimed at creating an inclusive and integrated social protection system that covers both formal and informal work sectors.
“We also recognise that well-governed migration can drive development. In partnership with the International Labour Organisation and other global actors, we are working to ensure safe, regular, and beneficial labour migration, protect migrant workers’ rights, and promote the portability of social security benefits across borders,” King Letsie III said.
He further commended the outcomes of the Third UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDC3s) and the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4), which reaffirmed global commitments to closing development financing gaps, especially for nations in special situations.
The main outcome of the LLDC3 conference was the adoption of the Awaza Political Declaration and the endorsement of the Awaza Programme of Action (2024–2034) — a 10-year plan to address LLDCs’ unique development challenges.
The key outcomes of the FfD4 conference were the adoption of the Sevilla Commitment and the launch of the Sevilla Platform for Action. The Sevilla Commitment provides a renewed framework to tackle the US$4 trillion (nearly M70 trillion) annual financing gap for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), focusing on catalysing investment, addressing debt challenges, and reforming the international financial architecture.
“We urge the timely and effective implementation of these outcomes to accelerate progress towards the 2030 Agenda. We recognise that gender inequality and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) remain critical obstacles to sustainable development. Lesotho remains steadfast in eliminating GBV, protecting women’s rights, and mainstreaming gender equality in all spheres of life.”
Moreover, he encouraged all governments to enact strong protective legislation and share best practices that accelerate progress.
“As we gather here in Doha, Lesotho calls upon the international community to renew its collective commitment to advancing decent work, eradicating poverty, and extending social protection to every person,” the King said.
