President Vahagn Khachaturyan delivered a speech at the UN Second World Summit for Social Development

Within the framework of his working visit to the State of Qatar, President of the Republic of Armenia Vahagn Khachaturyan delivered a speech at the UN Second World Summit for Social Development.

President's speech:

"It is a great honor to deliver a speech at this important summit, reaffirming our shared commitment to the principles of the Copenhagen Declaration. Thirty years later, its message remains as clear and relevant as ever: the human being must be at the center of development.

For Armenia, this conviction has always been at the heart of our national transformation since the restoration of independence. Our vision of progress is based on human dignity, equality, human rights, and social justice. We believe that a just, peaceful, and inclusive society is one where people are empowered and everyone has the opportunity to learn, work, live in peace, and contribute to the common good.

Over the past decades, Armenia has carried out comprehensive social and economic reforms aimed at building an inclusive, stable, and human-centered state. Through our National Development Strategy, the Strategic Plan for Labor (2025-2031), and the Social Protection Strategy, we are expanding opportunities for decent work, strengthening social safety nets, and ensuring that basic services are accessible to all, especially to the most vulnerable so that no one is left behind.

Our efforts emphasize the creation of high-quality jobs, the economic empowerment of women, and the engagement of youth and socially disadvantaged groups in the labor market. Investments in human capital lay the foundation for sustainable and inclusive economic growth.

The establishment of the Social Emergency Assistance System has introduced new approaches aimed at empowering the most vulnerable, advancing their transition from social dependence to self-sufficiency through income generation.

High-quality, inclusive, and accessible education is a key prerequisite for the development of human capital and one of the priorities of the Government of Armenia. Highly educated and talented people have always been our country's competitive advantage and the backbone of its economy. In this context, government funding for education has increased by more than 25 percent in recent years.

The "300 Schools and 500 Kindergartens" program aims to build and renovate educational institutions by 2026. To ensure proper nutrition and health for schoolchildren, the government has introduced the "School Feeding Program" nationwide and is successfully implementing it in all regions of Armenia. The capital city, Yerevan, will also be included in the program through cooperation with the World Food Programme (WFP).

At the same time, we recognize that peace and security are fundamental prerequisites for social development. A peaceful regional environment and good-neighborly relations enable the free movement of ideas, goods, and people, opening new pathways for mutually beneficial development.

The Armenian Government's "Crossroads of Peace" initiative aims to promote not only transport connectivity and trade but also connections between societies and people-to-people contacts.

Armenia's democratic transformation, and its commitment to good governance, transparency, and the rule of law, continue to guide our policies.

We are working to make our public institutions more transparent, the decision-making process more participatory, and the governance more accountable. In this way, we strive to ensure that economic progress is directly reflected in social well-being and justice for all citizens.

Your Excellencies,

Today, humanity faces global challenges-inequalities within and among societies, poverty, pandemics, and climate change. All these remind us that social progress cannot be achieved in isolation. It requires joint efforts, solidarity, and mutual trust among nations. Armenia highly values the role of the UN system and its development partners in supporting inclusive social protection, promoting employment, and advancing educational initiatives in our country.

Social development is both a moral obligation and an investment in a peaceful future. The success of our societies will not be measured solely by economic growth, but by how well we manage to preserve the dignity and rights of every human being."