Qatar calls for immediate lifting of unjust siege imposed on it

New York: Qatar has called for an immediate lifting of the unjust siege, which is about to enter its second year, reiterating that the siege and arbitrary unilateral measures imposed on the country without any legal or realistic justification, aims at achieving special objectives that run counter to the provisions of international law. Also it is incompatible with the fundamental principles of the multilateral international order and the basis of friendly relations and human rights, as well as their negative impacts on regional and international cooperation for maintaining international peace and security.

This was delivered in a statement by the Ambassador Sheikha Alia Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani, Qatar’s permanent representative to the United Nations, at the official meeting of the UN Security Council on “the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question”.

Sheikha Alia said that in light of the international environment, which is fraught with growing tensions and challenges resulting from the continuation of conflicts and terrorism, the worrying slowdown in crisis resolution, and the challenges facing the Middle East region must impose cooperation and response from all to confront them. The continuation of the fabricated crisis against Qatar has serious consequences for the security and stability of the region.

The serious repercussions of this intractable crisis against Qatar on the Middle East and its direct impact on the efforts of your esteemed Council in maintaining international peace and security necessitate the immediate lifting of this unjust siege and the end of unilateral and arbitrary measures against the State of Qatar, she noted.

The Ambassador stressed the importance of dialogue in resolving differences and tensions in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, pointing out that this is what the State of Qatar has been demanding since the beginning of the crisis, based on its responsibility as a member of the United Nations and a key partner of the international community in addressing common challenges.

She reiterated Qatar’s commitment to the mediation of HH Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the Amir of the State of Kuwait, and its appreciation to the countries that supported this mediation in order to resolve this crisis.

On the Palestinian issue, she said that there is unanimity in the Security Council and in the world that achieving peace in the Middle East will contribute to facing all the challenges facing the region, foremost of which is the elimination of terrorism and that the world can reap the fruits of peace, security and stability in the region.

The success and strengthening of the prospects for peace in the Middle East required abandoning the imposition of a fait accompli and the imposition of actions and policies contrary to international law, as they undermined efforts to achieve comprehensive peace in this vital region of the international community, Sheikha Alia underlined .

She stressed the importance of implementing the resolutions of international legitimacy and responding to initiatives aimed at achieving this goal, which is a strong basis for the success of international efforts.

She said that the Israeli military escalation on the anniversary of the Land Day, which resulted in the deaths and injuries of Palestinian civilians, hinders efforts to achieve peace and constitutes a flagrant violation of international conventions and laws, noting that the State of Qatar reiterates its condemnation of these violations and demands that the international community and the Security Council bear responsibilities to protect civilians.

Qatar is convinced that the settlement of the Palestinian issue and the achievement of peace are in the interests of the Palestinians and the Israelis and the region and the world would reap its fruits, she added, stressing the continued support of the State of Qatar to any direction conducive to the resumption of serious negotiations between the Palestinians and Israel, and lead to peace on a clear basis and a timetable, so that the two sides live side by side in peace and security.

She reiterated the commitment of the State of Qatar to the two-state solution, and the establishment of a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, in addition to the respect for the legal status of Jerusalem and the Arab peace initiative as well as the ending of the Israeli occupation of all occupied Arab territories, including the Syrian Golan.

The Ambassador called for the immediate and complete cessation of settlement activities, the lifting of the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip, the return of refugees and the restoration of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.

She noted that the State of Qatar pledged $50 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), explaining that it was a response to UN calls to fill UNRWA’s shortfall to fund its humanitarian projects and based on UN resolutions that affirmed that UNRWA support was an obligation to be met by the international community, whereas Qatar had donated $50 million, during the UN extraordinary ministerial meeting, held last March in Rome.

On the situation in Syria, the Ambassador pointed to the chemical attack on civilians in Douma in eastern Ghouta earlier this month. She said that this attack revealed the dangers of the continuation of the Syrian crisis on regional and international security, the magnitude of the plight of the Syrian brethren, the consequences of the inability of the international community to lift the suffering and the cessation of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Syria.

She reiterated Qatar’s condemnation in the strongest possible terms for this disgraceful act, which reveals the brutality of its perpetrators and expressed its support for the military operations of the United States, the United Kingdom, and France against military objectives used by the Syrian regime in launching attacks against innocent civilians.

She also renewed Qatar’s call on the international community to assume its responsibilities to stop the crimes of the regime and its use of internationally prohibited weapons, in addition, to bring the perpetrators of these crimes to international justice.

The Permanent Representative of Qatar to UN reiterated the support of the State for all efforts to reach a political solution based on the 2012 Geneva Statement and the relevant Security Council resolutions, and to meet the legitimate aspirations of the brotherly Syrian people for security and stability as well as maintaining Syria’s national and regional unity.

She also reiterated Qatar’s commitment to working with partners to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Syria, citing Qatar’s new pledge of $100 million for 2018, which was announced by HE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani at the Second Brussels Conference on the support of Syria and the region, which is added to the previous huge contributions of the State of Qatar to support the brotherly Syrian people.

At the end of the statement, the Ambassador affirmed that the State of Qatar will continue its active and positive contribution in supporting efforts to achieve peace in the Middle East and to work by all legal means to find solutions to conflicts and crises in the region in order to achieve the objectives of the Security Council in the maintenance of international peace and security.