Doha, Qatar — Six months after co-chairing a landmark meeting in London, Somalia and the United Kingdom have unveiled a transformative global agenda designed to anchor social protection as a foundation for peace and recovery in fragile and conflict-affected nations.
The launch of the Catalytic Agenda on Social Protection in Fragile and Conflict-Affected Settings, held on the sidelines of the Second World Summit for Social Development in Doha, marks a pivotal step in reshaping how the world approaches vulnerability in crisis contexts.
For Somalia’s Deputy Prime Minister Salah Ahmed Jama, who has been at the forefront of this initiative, the journey reflects both a national and global priority. Somalia’s own experience—emerging from decades of conflict, navigating humanitarian emergencies, and rebuilding governance systems—offers a powerful testament to the role of inclusive safety nets in fostering resilience and social cohesion.
The new agenda builds on months of global consultations with policymakers, humanitarian actors, and civil society leaders. It calls for greater investment in adaptive social protection systems that not only respond to immediate shocks but also strengthen long-term recovery. Central to the agenda is the conviction that social protection—through cash transfers, livelihood support, and access to essential services—can help break cycles of dependency and instability.
In fragile settings like Somalia, the challenges are immense. Millions continue to face food insecurity, displacement, and economic fragility. Yet, as Jama has often emphasized, social protection offers a pathway to stability—by restoring trust between citizens and the state, supporting inclusive growth, and preventing the marginalization that fuels conflict.
The launch in Doha was more than a policy milestone; it was a reaffirmation that social protection is not a luxury for peaceful societies but a necessity for those striving toward peace. The Catalytic Agenda now seeks to mobilize governments, donors, and international organizations to integrate social protection into the core of peacebuilding and development strategies.
For Somalia, the initiative aligns closely with ongoing national reforms aimed at strengthening governance and improving the welfare of its people. It represents the country’s evolution from being a recipient of humanitarian aid to a contributor of global policy solutions shaped by lived experience.
As the world grapples with overlapping crises—from conflict and climate change to economic shocks—the message from Doha was clear: lasting peace and resilience begin with protecting people, especially the most vulnerable.