The State of Qatar affirmed that it will spare no effort to continue protecting and promoting children's rights, providing a supportive environment for them, and empowering them to create positive changes in their communities.
This was stated in Qatars address delivered by the Second Secretary at Qatar's Permanent Mission to the United Nations, Sheikha Al Maha bint Mubarak Al-Thani, before the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly meeting on agenda item 67: Promotion and Protection of the Rights of the Child, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
Sheikha Al Maha pointed out that Qatar has made significant strides in promoting and protecting children's rights, implementing numerous legislative and executive measures across various fields and sectors, in line with Qatars commitments to the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Qatar National Vision 2030 includes important axes related to the main issues of human rights in various fields, including childrens rights, education and other important fields.
Through these efforts, Qatar aims to empower children, enhance their participation and creative thinking abilities, and ensure their right to express their opinions on issues that affect them. Qatar also adopts a comprehensive approach to addressing violence against children, as evidenced by the continued work of the Social Protection and Rehabilitation Center, AMAN, in providing protection, rehabilitation, and social empowerment services for children, She added.
In line with the great importance that Qatar places on protecting and promoting children's rights, Sheikha Al Maha affirmed that Qatar recognizes the vital role of education in empowering children and building their capabilities. At the national level, Qatar invests significantly in the education sector, with the establishment of high-quality educational institutions being one of its primary goals. The Ministry of Education and Higher Education's 2024-2030 strategy, titled "Igniting the Spark of Learning," is part of Qatar's third national development strategy and represents an important step toward achieving Qatar National Vision 2030. This strategy aims to develop an integrated educational system that fosters creativity and innovation, preparing a generation for successful professional lives, Sheikha Al Maha said.
She expressed Qatar's pride in having institutions that have proven their presence and active role on the international level, highlighting the notable efforts of the Education Above All Foundation, which includes international programs such as the "Educate a Child" initiative. The foundation continues to make a fundamental change in the lives of children and youth through education, successfully providing quality education to millions of out-of-school children worldwide, including in areas affected by armed conflicts and poverty. She also emphasized that Qatar takes pride in its leading efforts to promote and protect the right to education, especially in emergency situations.
Qatar commends the valued efforts of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict in supporting international efforts to enhance the protection of children affected by armed conflicts, she noted.
Based on Qatar's commitment to children's rights and their conditions in conflict situations, Sheikha Al Maha stated that Qatar has strengthened its close partnership with the Office of the Special Representative to support the full implementation of its mandate. This is achieved through providing support for the office's essential resources and by hosting the Analysis and Communication Center in Doha, which is affiliated with the Office of the Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict.
The Office of the Special Representative facilitated, through the Analysis and Communication Center in Doha in February 2024, the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the Education Above All Foundation to provide educational opportunities for marginalized children and youth around the world and to hold workshops to raise awareness about national action plans, Sheikha Al Maha said.
She emphasized that Qatar takes pride in its strong partnership with UNICEF, which is evident in Qatar's ongoing support for UNICEF's essential resources, the most recent being a total of $4 million in 2024. This partnership was further highlighted by the opening of a UNICEF office at the "United Nations House" in Doha, based on Qatar's belief that such partnerships play a crucial role in supporting the organization's core work for the benefit of every child.
Children are undoubtedly at the top of the list of those most affected during wars and conflicts. We express our deep concern regarding what was mentioned in the report of the Committee on the Rights of the Child under the agenda item we are discussing, which highlights the significant increase in the number of children victimized by serious human rights violations amidst escalating conflicts, particularly in Gaza. As we meet today, children in the occupied Palestinian territories, as well as in Lebanon, continue to face the gravest violations of their human rights due to the ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza, which has persisted for a full year, as well as the aggression against Lebanon. In addition to thousands of child victims, the violence has left countless children injured and missing under the rubble, causing long-term psychological suffering from the horrors they have witnessed, the spread of diseases, and the loss of an entire academic year for students, with their schools transformed into shelters, the Second Secretary at Qatar's Permanent Mission to UN said.
