A number of United Nations officials stressed that the presence of the UN House in Qatar consolidates the strategic partnership between the State of Qatar and the United Nations, which resulted in many achievements and tangible results, and enhances the future of relations between the two sides.
In statements to Qatar News Agency , UN officials welcomed the strengthening of the United Nations partnership with the State of Qatar, stressing that the establishment of the UN House in Qatar embodies one of the most prominent aspects of this partnership.
They added that the participation of the State of Qatar is reflected in the foundations of multilateral collective action, highlighting the status of Doha’s international position as a center for programs and initiatives that focus on development and peace. The UN House is also the gateway to the developmental, humanitarian and diplomatic work of the United Nations in the region and the world, they noted.
The inauguration of the UN House last March in Lusail added another gem to the Qatari architecture.
The United Nations House includes offices of important organizations, such as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), International Labor Organization (ILO), the World Health Organization (WHO), UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), International Organization for Migration (IOM), the United Nations regional center for combating cybercrime.
It also hosts the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, in addition to United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), UN Office of the UN Development Program, International Hub on Behavioral Insights to Counter Terrorism, the Office on Parliamentary Engagement in Preventing and Countering Terrorism and United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT).
In exclusive statements to Qatar News Agency , HE Special Adviser to the Secretary-General of the United Nations on Public-Private Partnerships and Islamic Social Finance Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Muraikhi stressed that the presence of the UN House in Doha reflects the future of the relationship between the two sides, adding that it also facilitates taking the necessary decisions and helps in understanding the nature of the projects and areas of concern to the State of Qatar, the most important of which are the developmental and humanitarian aspects, due to the strategic importance that the State of Qatar represents in the international humanitarian map.
He added that the efforts of the State of Qatar during the past years, and then the presence of the UN House in Doha, help in speeding up the response and prior coordination between the various authorities in the State of Qatar and the various United Nations organizations, whether it is coordination between the government sector, the private sector, or civil society organizations, noting that the UN House speeds up the procedures and understanding of projects related to humanitarian work and the speed of response to them.
HE referred to the historic relationship between the State of Qatar and the United Nations, which began in 1971, adding that today the relationship has turned into a strategic one aimed at achieving the goals and principles of the United Nations, including maintaining international peace and security, supporting international development efforts and promoting human rights, which at the same time comes within Qatar Vision 2030.
HE Dr. Al Muraikhi stressed that the State of Qatar has spared no effort in providing humanitarian aid, and its efforts in international initiatives are clearly visible in order to address the challenges facing the world. He pointed out that the best proof of these efforts was during the COVID-19 pandemic, as Qatar was one of the first countries to contribute in providing the vaccine to many poor countries; the national carrier Qatar Airways was also used to transport stranded United Nations employees working in relief efforts and humanitarian work.
He noted the significant development of the relationship in recent years,as the State of Qatar became one of the first countries to support the United Nations by signing agreements and providing financing for United Nations organizations by around $500 million, as well as the opening of the UN House, which includes several organizations of the United Nations.
He said that one of the most important areas in which the State of Qatar seeks to strengthen its partnership with the United Nations is promoting interfaith dialogue and supporting the Alliance of Civilizations, as well as playing a mediating role in international crises.
The best evidence of this is the success of the State of Qatar in resolving the Darfur issue, he said, adding that the State of Qatar also plays an effective role in protecting human rights, as well as providing financial contributions to the United Nations, in addition to the role of Qatar Fund for Development as an executive body in providing Qatari humanitarian and development assistance, as the fund plays a prominent role in the commitment of the strategic partnership between the State of Qatar and the United Nations.
HE Special Adviser to the Secretary-General of the United Nations on Public-Private Partnerships and Islamic Social Finance Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Muraikhi spoke to QNA about the effective role of Qatari civil society organizations with United Nations organizations, expressing appreciation for the efforts of Qatari charities that played a prominent role in strengthening partnership between them and United Nations organizations by providing humanitarian and development assistance in many countries in need and participating in international relief with various United Nations humanitarian organizations. In this regard, he referred to the efforts of Qatar Charity, which enjoys advisory status and membership in a number of United Nations bodies and organizations, in addition to consultative membership in the United Nations Social and Economic Council since 1997.
The cooperation between Qatar Charity and the Social and Economic Council is in highlighting the contributions of Qatar Charity and its efforts related to development, humanitarian work and the promotion of world peace. He praised the prominent and effective role of the Education Above All Foundation in taking immediate and concrete measures to protect education through partnership with various United Nations organizations, led by UNICEF and UNESCO. He also noted the role of the Qatar Red Crescent and its distinguished partnership with various United Nations organizations in the implementation of many humanitarian and development projects in various poor countries.
He stressed that the partnership between Qatar and the United Nations did not only include the government sector or civil society institutions, but also the private sector, revealing that through his current work, he seeks to consolidate this partnership between United Nations organizations and the Qatari private sector on a strategic basis, as coordination is taking place with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in Qatar to invite the private sector to meet with United Nations organizations to strategically strengthen this partnership.
For his part, HE Director of UNESCO Doha Office for Gulf States and Yemen Salah El Din Zaki Khaled said, in similar statements to QNA, that the State of Qatar, since its accession to the United Nations, has contributed significantly to the United Nations working group in the areas of sustainable development, human rights, climate change, education, health and youth empowerment. He expressed appreciation for the State of Qatar’s partnership with the United Nations, and its commitment to strengthening this partnership, which resulted in the establishment of the UN House in Qatar.
HE added that this initiative not only meets the aspirations of United Nations agencies, governments and concerned parties, but also strengthens Doha’s international position as a center for programs and initiatives that focus on development and peace. The UN House in Qatar represents a strong contribution to achieving sustainable development.
The Director of the UNESCO Regional Office in Doha explained that the UN House is an important collective space for various United Nations agencies and institutions to work together in close cooperation with the State of Qatar and the main stakeholders to intensify dialogue on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
The various United Nations offices work together to address a wide range of local, regional and global challenges, and participate in strategic planning, policy-making, and implementation of programs and projects compatible with the Sustainable Development Goals and national priorities of the State of Qatar.
He stressed that this collective presence enhances the impact and effectiveness of these agencies in fulfilling their fields of work and specializations, adding that the unified work and implementation from this new building represents an opportunity to create greater efficiency and a more productive working relationship with the host country.
He said that this House is the gateway to the developmental, humanitarian and diplomatic work of the United Nations in the region and the world. UNESCO attaches great value to the partnership that has been established with the State of Qatar over the years, as it was embodied in many important and valuable initiatives around priorities in areas of common interest.
Director of the UNESCO Regional Office in Doha Salah El Din Zaki Khaled said that the United Nations House in Doha works as a cooperative platform and provides the UNESCO with unique opportunities to join forces with other UN agencies to achieve common goals; for example, in the field of education in emergencies, and thanks to the strong leadership of the State of Qatar, UNESCO, UNICEF and the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict (OSRSG-CAAC) are contributing to the creation of a global platform to advocate for the protection of education in conflict.
In this regard, UNESCO recently signed a MOU with the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict to establish a joint unit in Doha – the Analysis and Outreach Hub. He pointed out that UNESCO is cooperating with key organizations and partners to implement a wide range of initiatives related to its main areas of focus, which are education, science, culture, communication and information, in order to support the localization of the 2030 Agenda and in line with Qatar National Vision 2030, adding that as the UNESCO is the UN organization that specializes in education, it is concerned with sponsoring the fourth goal of the Sustainable Development Goals (quality education). The UNESCO also coordinates the process of monitoring, preparing and drafting reports, and reporting on goals and indicators at the national and regional levels. Within this framework, climate change, environmental awareness and education are priority areas for the UNESCO.
In close cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education of the State of Qatar, UNESCO is coordinating the implementation of the Green Education Toolkit at the national level.
Director of the UNESCO Regional Office in Doha also pointed out that there is close cooperation between UNESCO and the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change in the State of Qatar to work on protecting marine wildlife in the Gulf region, which will be strengthened through the establishment of a regional center for research and management of marine wildlife.
Additionally, the organization meets periodically with the organizers of EXPO 2023 Doha to discuss ideas, proposals, visions and activities to be held, as well as the best ways to support the this upcoming huge event.
He added that UNESCO is working with the Ministry of Culture in the State of Qatar to unleash the role and status of culture and its contribution to achieving the 2030 agenda for Sustainable Development, with a special focus on creative industries and cultural heritage. It also cooperates with Qatar Museums to implement preventive conservation interventions for archaeological sites in Marib, Yemen.
Chief of Mission of United Nations International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Qatar Iman Younis Ereiqat affirmed the organization’s pride in the work during its presence in the State of Qatar at the UN House, which was inaugurated in March 2023, stressing that the international organization works together with government agencies in the State of Qatar, especially the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to implement the goals related to migration that are in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030, as well as the Global Compact for Migration and the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. She added that the presence of the UN House in Qatar to carry out humanitarian work around the world has always been needed in cooperation with the Qatari parties, as they are working to build strategic partnerships with local actors to support humanitarian efforts around the world.
She added by saying that their presence in the UN House and their work inside the State of Qatar came as an inevitable and natural result of the great role played by the State of Qatar on the international arena through its support for the international efforts of development programs in developing countries, in addition to its implementation of humanitarian programs in afflicted countries and its mediation to bring the parties and point of views closer.
Source: Qatar News Agency