Doha Forum 2025 kicks off in Qatar’s capital

The 23rd edition of the Doha Forum kicked off in the Qatari capital on Saturday under the theme "Justice in Action: Beyond Promises to Progress."

Speaking at the opening session, Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said the world is witnessing "serious setbacks" in justice, the rule of law and, accountability.

"Justice has, in many cases, become invisible on the path of international law," Sheikh Mohammed, who is also the foreign minister, said, adding that weakened legal mechanisms have deepened global crises.

He said today's conflicts and humanitarian emergencies are rooted in a "culture of impunity," placing the world "in an unprecedented cycle of crises."

The prime minister said Qatar sees mediation not as a diplomatic option but as a core state policy. "Mediation for us is not a political luxury but a deep-rooted and consistent method," he said.

He called for restoring trust in the international legal order, saying the world needs a fairer system.

Regional challenges, he added, cannot be separated from the global decline in respect for international norms.

The two-day event brings together global leaders, including Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares, President and CEO of the World Economic Forum Borge Brende, former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates.

Anadolu is the event's global communications partner.

The 2025 program, developed with global think tanks and research institutions, features sessions such as "The Gaza Reckoning: Reassessing Global Responsibilities and Pathways to Peace," "Gulf-EU Relations in the Age of Strategic Isolation," "AI as a Double-Edged Sword: Strategies for Responsible Use in the Military Domain," and "US-China Relations: Navigating the Risks and Opportunities of a Changing Global Order."

The most recent edition of the forum, held in December 2024 under the theme "The Innovation Imperative," welcomed more than 5,000 attendees, including over 350 speakers.