Qatar urges UN Security Council to stop Israel's crimes against Palestinians 

The State of Qatar renewed its condemnation of the genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity committed by the Israeli occupation against the Palestinian people in Gaza and the rest of the occupied Palestinian territories, and called on the UN Security Council (UNSC) to shoulder its ethical and legal responsibilities by obligating the Israeli occupation to stop its escalation and crimes against the Palestinian people and to fully comply with international law and international humanitarian law.This came in the statement of the State of Qatar delivered by HE Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the United Nations Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani, during the open debate of the Security Council on "Maintenance of International Peace and Security: Promoting Sustainable Peace through Common Development," held in New York.In the context of the vital discussion on the comprehensive approach to maintaining international peace and security and promoting sustainable peace through common development, HE Sheikha Alya pointed to the depth of the interconnected relationship between sustainable peace and common and sustainable development.She explained that the international community must shed light on other factors that hinder efforts to achieve sustainable development and sustainable peace, and threaten international peace and security, such as occupation, stressing that there will be no sustainable peace or development with the presence of occupation and settlement in any country. She also referred to the illegal practices carried out by the occupation, such as the use of violence, excessive oppression, collective punishment, forced displacement, and ethnic cleansing to subjugate the brotherly Palestinian people and prevent them from their right to freedom, peace, and development.HE Sheikha Alya stressed that the State of Qatar seeks for the efforts it makes at the international level in the areas of achieving peace and security to be comprehensive and consistent preventive efforts, taking into account the root causes of conflicts and multifaceted threats that affect regional and international peace and security. This is evident in the ongoing development, humanitarian and diplomatic, regional and international efforts of the State of Qatar, through bilateral and multilateral partnerships, most notably the well-established strategic partnerships between the State of Qatar and the United Nations, she explained.She voiced the State of Qatar's assertion that sustainable development cannot be achieved without establishing peaceful societies in which no one is marginalized, and providing everyone with access to justice, as stated in the 16th goal of the Sustainable Development Goals.The least developed countries and the most vulnerable groups are more vulnerable to being affected by conflicts and post-conflict situations, she said.Referring to the Doha Program of Action for the Least Developed Countries, which was issued by the Fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries in March 2023, Her Excellency outlined that the conference concluded that sustainable development cannot be achieved without peace and security, and stressed that peace, security, development, human rights and humanitarian efforts are complementary elements and must reinforce each other.The conference also noted the positive role that sustainable development can play in mitigating the drivers of conflict, disaster risks, humanitarian crises and complex emergencies, she added.HE Sheikha Alya conveyed the State of Qatar's call to invest in preventive diplomacy efforts, early warning, mediation, dialogue, and preventive efforts to prevent conflicts and address their related root causes, in addition to investing in peacekeeping and peacebuilding efforts with the active participation of youth and women.In this respect, she stated that the State of Qatar welcomes the report of the Secretary-General entitled "Our Joint Plan" and the new plan for peace, underlining the importance of conjuring a multidimensional vision in the context of preparing for the future summit in 2024, and reviewing the United Nations peacebuilding structure in 2025.In conclusion, HE Sheikha Alya renewed the State of Qatar's emphasis on continuing its multifaced efforts in order to contribute to maintaining regional and international peace and security, in addition to its tireless efforts to support accelerating the implementation of the 2030 Sustainable Development Plan.