Dujarric hails Qatar's role in multilateral diplomacy

Spokesperson for the Secretary-General of the UN Stephane Dujarric underlined that Qatar's efforts should serve as an example to other member states, noting that the State's hosting of the UN conferences is based on its major role as a key player in the multilateral world order.

Speaking to Qatar News Agency (QNA), Dujarric highlighted the great role currently being carried out by Qatar to reach a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, pointing to co-operation between the UN and Qatar at the diplomatic and humanitarian levels.

HE the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is deeply grateful to His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani for his efforts and co-operation with the UN, Dujarric added.

The UN Spokesperson said Qatar greatly supports the humanitarian work of the UN, whether financially or through innovative partnerships such as the one with Qatar Airways, which helped the organisation logistically. All areas of co-operation between the two parties are very important, he added, expressing his belief that the generosity shown by Qatar on several levels should be an example for other member states.

Regarding the discussions of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly, Dujarric noted that the focus of this year's General Assembly will be the 'Summit of the Future' which includes proposals submitted by the UN Secretary-General to define the structure of the UN and determine the method of work in the field of artificial intelligence.

"The number of the UN members was very small when it was founded almost 80 years ago. There were basically 50 countries, and now we have 193 countries. The world has changed in many ways, but the structure of the UN, whether the Security Council or the international financial institutions, has not changed. Therefore, member states need to agree to move forward and make it more adaptable to the 21st century," Dujarric said.

On climate change, Dujarric explained that such issues would not be solved overnight. The General Assembly provides a platform for member states to meet to discuss these issues, he noted, expressing the hope that these discussions would result in commitments and recommendations from member states to address these challenges, especially climate change which has a real impact on life, people and crops.

Concerning illegal immigration, Dujarric noted that the problem is not immigration itself, but how to deal with it. He explained that the people in charge of migration policy are not member states, rather criminal gangs and human traffickers, due to the lack of agreement among member states.

He stressed the need for an agreement among the countries where people come from, the countries of origin, the countries of transit and the countries of destination. "Many countries need workers, doctors, nurses, engineers. We need to manage this flow of people," he said.

On the current conflicts in the world and the General Assembly's position on them, the UN Spokesperson said the solution to these issues lies in respecting the laws. The problem is impunity and disrespect for laws. "We need to rebuild our confidence in the laws and recommit to the UN Charter which all 193 countries have signed, and to show true respect for the rule of law," he stressed.

On the ongoing genocide on the Gaza Strip, Dujarric stressed the need for an immediate ceasefire, adding, "for this reason, as I said, we are grateful to the Qatari leadership. Qatar has always been great in terms of diplomacy, which enabled it to talk to different people and bring people together. We saw this in Afghanistan — in the meetings we had in Doha regarding Afghanistan — and the same with regard to Gaza."

Dujarric believed that the two parties to the conflict must find the courage and political will to reach an actual agreement, "because we know that the Qataris, with the help of the Egyptians and the Americans, were working very hard, and we know that the agreement is there, and it has almost been agreed upon." He expressed his regret at the continued violation of international law and targeting of civilian infrastructure because of impunity. (QNA)