Qatar has called for a global conference on preventive diplomacy and expressed willingness to host the event to sort out contentious issues and usher in permanent peace and stability across the region.
"Qatar believes in the importance of the firm role that preventive diplomacy plays as a main pillar in the vision of the United Nations Secretary General and supports his efforts to achieve peace," HE the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sultan bin Saad al-Muraikhi said on Thursday.
He was speaking on the opening day of the 'Doha Regional Dialogue on Sustaining Peace.'
Al-Muraikhi said the proposed conference would support UN Secretary General's call made while welcoming 2018, which highlights the danger due to the absence of peace and the challenges facing the world. 
"The global community is facing serious threats and obstacles to achieve peace and safety. For the UN, these threats pose a real test for achieving peace," al-Muraikhi said.
"Peace does not only mean no wars, but also means respecting legislations, human rights and handling rising tensions that are a result of all types of conflicts that haven't been fairly settled. 
"Peace is only achieved with justice and balance in meeting the interests of different countries regardless of the size of their wealth or their geographical area. When justice is not met the results are conflicts and instability."
Al-Muraikhi said peace will not be achieved if there is greed, and if international legitimacy is not met, international relations will be based on power which will resort to politicisation of the law to justify its use. 
"The international community is in dire need to adopt a more comprehensive perception with regards to dealing with international safety and security issues from a preventive stance, where it will work on dealing with the roots of conflicts to prevent their outbreak, taking into consideration the organic relations between peace, security and development," the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs said.
"Based on its belief that achieving peace is a shared responsibility between nations, and requires the efforts of all countries, Qatar has adopted a policy based on staying loyal to the commitments dictated by its partnership with the UN to achieve the goals and purposes of that charter," he said. 
"Qatar's commitment to achieving peace and its sustainability is reflected in the policies and steps taken by it within the framework of international co-operation on all issues that are important to the international community."
Al-Muraikhi reiterated Qatar's commitment to implementing the UN development plan 2030 and described it as a plan for development and peace that complies with Qatar's policies in supporting the pillars of peace, promoting human rights, addressing inequality, achieving justice, combating corruption and consolidating noble human values such as freedom of speech and the right to participate in decision making.
At the meeting on Thursday, the President of the 72nd Session of the United Nations General Assembly Miroslav Lajcak highlighted the importance of mediation and dialogue as key tools for attaining peace and resolving disputes.
In the larger interests of the international community each country should be prepared to resolve disputes through peaceful means, he said.
"We, at the UN, reaffirm the importance of mediation at the national, regional and international levels for achieving peace," said Lajcak.
Officials from 30 countries, including many Muslim and Arab nations as well as representatives of several UN affiliates and non-governmental organisations, are attending the conference.
The two-day meeting hopes to reach a mutual understanding and political consensus among UN member states, regional organisations, civil organisations and the private sector on such issues as sustainable development, prevention of conflict, mediation, peacekeeping and human rights.
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