Qatar participated in the 13th Bali Democracy Forum, which was held under the theme: 'Democracy and the Covid-19 Pandemic'. The state was represented at the meeting by HE the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sultan bin Saad al-Muraikhi, which was held via video conference technology.

In his address to the meeting, HE al-Muraikhi said that the theme of this forum reflects the grave challenges that the world faces, as a result of the ongoing repercussions of the pandemic, and the rapid changes in this regard, which calls for intensifying co-operation at the bilateral and multilateral levels to limit the negative effects of this pandemic.

He referred to the appeal of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani to the international community for joint action to ensure justice in providing the necessary medicines and medical equipment to all countries, especially in poor regions of the world. He stressed that facing the pandemic proved the importance of the health sector as the main pillar on which the rest of the economic, social, educational and other sectors are based.

HE al-Muraikhi added that Qatar's health system has proven its importance in the face of the pandemic, as it has recorded one of the lowest death rates in the world, as a result of the efforts made by the state and concerted efforts at all levels, and it has proven the effectiveness of Qatar's long-term health policy and investment in developing the health system with all its components, such as health centers, hospitals, as well as the medical personnel.

He also indicated that Qatar has determined the centrality of the public health sector in building sustainable development and pushing forward growth in various sectors of the state, as it has provided a world-class health care system, available to all residents, to form a basic pillar of the Qatar National Vision 2030, as Qatar is considered first in healthcare in the Gulf region.

He stressed that Qatar believes in the importance of strong teamwork and careful co-ordination to move forward and overcome this crisis, stressing that Qatar has strengthened its ability to quickly respond to face the dangerous repercussions of the crisis.

In this regard, HE al-Muraikhi indicated that Qatar has made financial contributions in the amount of $140mn to multilateral health care institutions that work in developing vaccines, to ensure the efficiency of health care, especially in the least developed countries, and an amount of $20mn, in support of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation, in addition to providing assistance to more than 80 countries to confront this pandemic, and it is also working with the United Nations Development Programme in the Innovation Lab, which includes more than 47 countries, to devise solutions to address the negative consequences of the coronavirus pandemic, which includes business, technological and medical solutions for developing and emerging countries. He reiterated Qatar's continued support for international institutions to develop the health sector to preserve the lives and stability of individuals.

HE al-Muraikhi said that Qatar, in light of these exceptional circumstances, is heading to hold the first legislative election for the Shura Council, after His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani announced the date for holding it in Oct. 2021, to be the culmination of a new reform process and the development of the legislative process with wider participation of citizens, as an important step to strengthen the traditions of the Qatari Shura under the national constitution promulgated in 2004.

He explained that the pandemic has inflicted great damage on all countries of the world in various vital sectors, whether health, economic and social, and has paralysed the movement of individuals and funds around the world, in addition to the great challenges it imposed on the functioning of political institutions and the mechanisms of democracy work around the world, which prompted the world to develop unconventional methods for the continued functioning of institutions, and the creation of an appropriate environment for the protection of political rights, civil liberties and human rights.

HE al-Muraikhi thanked Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi for the well-organised forum. He emphasised that the principles of democratic work oblige everyone to respect the will of the people and the sovereignty of states, wishing that this meeting will achieve its desired goals.


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