His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani’s annual participation in the UN General Assembly (UNGA) meetings in New York, and his presiding over Qatar’s delegation to the 78th UNGA session reflects the state’s important and distinguished global presence, said HE the Permanent Representative of Qatar to the UN Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif al-Thani.
Speaking to Qatar News Agency (QNA), HE Sheikha Alya stressed that the Amir’s speech at the UNGA opening session due today is highly anticipated by heads of state and government, with His Highness defining Qatar’s stances and priorities on many regional and international issues.
She said that Qatar would participate in the General Assembly High-level Week 2023 with a high-profile delegation that includes HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani, and several ministers and officials.
Qatar will participate with a distinguished delegation in the 2023 SDG Summit to help put the world back on the right track towards a greener, cleaner, safer and more just future for all, she added, highlighting Qatar’s presence in several other meetings covering the UN future and issues including health, combating current and future epidemics, climate change, and education. Commenting on Qatar’s active regional and international roles and its close partnership with the UN, HE Sheikha Alya said that the worldwide confidence in Qatar enabled it to establish a close and elevated partnership with the UN that culminated in the inauguration of the Doha-based UN House in March, on the sidelines of Qatar’s hosting of the Fifth UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC5).
She added that the UN House, which comprises 12 international organisations and agencies concerned with important international issues such as combating terrorism, sustainable development, child protection, and education, and has close relations with Qatar, reflects the importance of the international role of the State’s active diplomacy within the framework of multilateral work and its prominent role in several files such as mediation and dispute resolution.
The Doha-based UN House is a testament to the close, strong and deep Qatar-UN partnership in several areas and provides an ideal model for several countries to follow in Qatar’s footsteps in upholding the role of the UN in the region and the entire world, she added.
Qatar plays a prominent international role, possesses active diplomacy that has enabled it to occupy a distinguished position at the global level, and earn the confidence of the international community, she stressed.
HE Sheikha Alya highlighted the September 13 high-level event, organised by the Permanent Mission of the State of Qatar to the UN in partnership with the Education Above All Foundation (EAA), Unicef and Unesco, to mark the fourth International Day to Protect Education from Attack, at the UN headquarters. She noted that the event which brought together high-profile participants was part of the celebration of the International Day to Protect Education from Attack, which was unanimously approved by the UNGA in May 2020 based on a draft resolution submitted by Qatar. The resolution urged the international community to mitigate the plight of students in armed conflicts.
She highlighted Her Highness Chairperson of EAA and UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Advocate Sheikha Moza bint Nasser’s speech during the event which discussed the sufferings and challenges faced by school and university students in several armed conflict-ravaged countries.
HE Sheikha Alya stressed that Qatar had contributed strongly over the past decades to promoting education for the most marginalised children worldwide, and had worked to provide quality education opportunities for the children and youth in need, especially those whose education has been disrupted due to emergencies and conflicts.
The International Day to Protect Education from Attack is a call to take urgent and concrete measures to protect education from attacks, by enforcing the provisions of international law related to education, she added, hailing the event as annual platform to strengthen advocacy and mobilize concrete actions to protect education and achieve sustainable peace for all.
Her Excellency lauded Qatar’s efforts at various levels to find solutions to crises, play the role of effective mediation in many regional and international issues, and support humanitarian and development endeavours in the communities and countries most in need. Qatar’s support for international anti-terrorism efforts was highly praised by all UN-affiliated bodies and strengthened the confidence of the international community in the role that it can play, Her Excellency added.
Qatar has been the primary option in the region for the UN and various international community parties to contribute to solving various issues in recognition for its sincere pro-humanity approaches, and its unrelented efforts to solve suspended issues in the Arab and Islamic region and beyond, Her Excellency concluded. (QNA)
