Minister says DPoA crucial for comprehensive education

HE the Minister of Education and Higher Education Buthaina bint Ali al-Jabr al-Nuaimi, described Doha Programme of Action (DPoA) for 2022-2031, in favour of the least developed countries, as ambitious, noting that it attaches special importance to everyone obtaining good, fair and comprehensive education in addition to the skills needed to ensure learning opportunities.
In her speech during the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of a group of least developed countries, HE al-Nuaimi stressed that Qatar puts the issue of promoting and protecting the right to education at the top of its priorities in its international programmes for development and relief.
She said that Qatar managed, in co-operation with its international partners, to accomplish many achievements that have made a significant change in the course of the lives of millions of children around the world, including the least developed countries, with the aim of contributing to achieving a better future by providing education opportunities for them.
She noted two important initiatives launched by Qatar during the summit of the transformation of education held by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres last September, a contribution to the efforts made to support the achievement of the goals of the education agenda for 2030 and beyond, an initiative launched by Education Above All in co-operation with other partners related to "innovative financing mechanisms for education".
HE al-Nuaimi also pointed to "Rasekh" initiative, one of the initiatives of the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, which was launched with the participation of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education of Qatar, Djibouti's Ministry of Education and the Unesco office in Doha, which is related to localisation of education for a sustainable future.
She emphasised the pivotal role of education in bringing about changes in the least developed countries, noting the importance of encouraging innovative investment, giving priority to education, and intensifying support and co-operation in this field. She said experiences showed that the global development scene has changed during the 50 years, since the establishment of the category of least developed countries, and the challenges have now increased.
HE al-Nuaimi added that it is undoubted that the coronavirus, the climatic crisis, and the existing conflicts have put additional burdens on the least developed countries, and it constitutes a real challenge that threatens the process of economic, social and development progress of these countries, and despite the difficulty of this stage, it is possible to look at these variables as a decisive point to cause the desired transformation of the least developed countries, and to enhance their ability to recover and resist in front of a future crises.
She said there could be no better opportunity than that of this memorial event, and the 5th UN Conference concerned with the least developed countries to highlight the challenges, and to enhance the necessary partnerships and investments, which contribute to accelerating the sustainable development of the lowest growth countries.
She stressed that any new start cannot be achieved without there being a priority granted to the issue of education, as one of the main enabling elements to achieve sustainable development.