The meeting was also attended by Canada Minister of International Development Ahmed Hussen, Canada Permanent Representative to the United Nations Bob Rae, President of the UN Economic and Social Council Paula Narvaez, and Executive Director of Unicef Catherine Russell.
In her address at the event, HE the Minister of State for International Co-operation praised the fruitful partnership between Qatar and Canada and described the meeting as an important platform that brings together a diverse group of stakeholders, including governments, private sector leaders, development partners, civil society, and youth.
She emphasised that Qatar places great importance on the immense potential of young people and has made their development and empowerment a top priority. This has been implemented through various programmes and initiatives aimed at making a lasting impact on the lives of youth. HE AlKhater noted that through the Education Above All Foundation and the Qatar Fund for Development, Qatar provides educational and economic empowerment opportunities to millions of children and youth, working in more than 60 countries.
She highlighted the importance of the Generation Unlimited initiative as a leading global partnership between the public and private sectors and youth, aimed at unlocking the potential of 1.8bn young people worldwide by equipping them with the right skills and opportunities, allowing them to positively contribute to their communities and create a better and more just world. She expressed gratitude to Unicef for its vital role in making a tangible difference in the lives of children globally.
HE AlKhater added that Qatar has an outstanding track record of forming meaningful partnerships and promoting multilateral co-operation, highlighting the commitment of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani to educating one million girls in three years under the Charlevoix Declaration, she noted that Qatar reported educating 1.7mn girls by 2020 in response to this commitment.
She expressed Qatar’s honour in collaborating with the Government of Canada to co-lead such an impactful initiative like Generation Unlimited and highlighted the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the State of Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Canada’s Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade, and Development on development co-operation. She added that it was an honour to sign this memorandum of understanding a few days ago with Canada Minister of International Development Ahmed Hussen, focusing on strengthening joint foreign aid policies, promoting economic and social development in developing countries, and reducing poverty in line with the Sustainable Development Goals.
She also mentioned the establishment of a framework agreement for co-operation between the Education Above All Foundation and Global Affairs Canada to enhance global co-operation in education. Under this framework, the Education Above All Foundation has committed $40mn out of a total budget of $95mn from 2024-2028.
HE AlKhater concluded by saying that solidarity and multilateral action are more important than ever, reaffirming Qatar’s steadfast commitment to working with the international community to address global challenges and prioritising humanitarian and development assistance, especially in areas where it is most needed.
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