His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of the country, participated in the opening session of the general discussion of the 75th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations, which was held through visual communication technology from the organization’s headquarters in New York City, with the participation of a number of their Majesties, Highnesses, and Excellencies, leaders of countries Heads of government and delegations.
His Highness the Emir Al Moufdi gave a speech, the text of which follows:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Your Excellency the President of the General Assembly,
Your Excellency the Secretary-General of the United Nations,
Ladies and gentlemen ,,
Peace be upon you and the mercy and blessings of God,
At the outset, I congratulate His Excellency Mr. Volkan Bozkar on assuming the presidency of the seventy-fifth session of the General Assembly, wishing him success and repayment, and I also thank His Excellency Mr. Tijani Muhammad Pandey, President of the previous session, for the appreciated efforts he exerted during his tenure, and I take this occasion to commend the role of His Excellency the Secretary-General Mr. António Guterres in promoting the role of the United Nations and achieving its goals.
Mister President,
The convening of this session comes as we celebrate the seventy-fifth anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, and it is right on this occasion to remember that it is an institutional expression of our awareness that we belong to one humanity. There are many historical experiences that prove this fact and show the danger of underestimating it.
The outbreak of the (Covid-19) pandemic has reminded us that we live on the same planet, and that multilateral cooperation is the only way to confront the challenges of epidemics, climate and the environment in general, and we would like to remember this also when dealing with issues of poverty, war and peace, and achieving our common goals of security and stability.
Based on this awareness, and after the State of Qatar hastened to take all preventive measures and measures to protect citizens and residents on its land, it did not see a contradiction between its duty and the provision of aid to more than (60) countries and five international organizations, and active participation in international efforts to mobilize The resources and energies to confront this epidemic and its repercussions, and support research centers in several countries to reduce the dangerous negative repercussions of this pandemic and accelerate the discovery of a vaccine for this virus.
Mr. President,
After more than three years have passed since the unlawful blockade on the State of Qatar, we are continuing the march of progress and development in various fields.
Despite the blockade, Qatar has strengthened its active participation in multilateral international action to find solutions to other crises.
It has also established during the unjust and unlawful blockade its policy constants based on respecting the provisions and principles of international law and the United Nations Charter, especially the principle of respecting the sovereignty of states and refusing to interfere in their internal affairs.
And based on our moral and legal responsibilities towards our peoples, we have emphasized, and we will continue to emphasize, that unconditional dialogue based on common interests and respect for state sovereignty is the way to solve this crisis, which began with an illegal blockade and its solution begins with the lifting of this blockade.
On this occasion, I renew my deep appreciation for the sincere efforts of His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Emir of the sisterly State of Kuwait, as well as the most valuable efforts of brotherly and friendly countries to end this crisis.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
There is an international consensus on the justice of the Palestinian cause, and in spite of this consensus the international community stands helpless and does not take any effective steps in the face of Israeli intransigence and the continued occupation of the Palestinian and Arab lands in addition to imposing a stifling siege on the Gaza Strip, the continuous expansion of the settlement policy, and the imposition of the order policy In reality, this is in flagrant violation of international legitimacy resolutions, and the two-state solution agreed upon by the international community.
A just and desirable peace can only be achieved through full commitment by Israel to the references and decisions of international legitimacy accepted by the Arabs and upon which the Arab Peace Initiative is based, while Israel is trying to circumvent it and act as if the Palestinian issue does not exist. Any arrangements that are not based on these references will not achieve peace, even if they are called peace. It may have goals other than a just solution to the Palestinian issue, other than achieving comprehensive, just and lasting peace.
The survival of the Palestine issue without a just solution, and Israel’s continued settlement and creation of facts on the ground without deterrence, places the biggest question mark on the credibility of the international community and its institutions.
We call on the international community – especially the Security Council to fulfill its legal responsibility and to oblige Israel to lift the siege on the Gaza Strip and return the peace process to its track through credible negotiations, based on international decisions and not on force, that address all final status issues, and end the occupation within a period of time. Defining and establishing the independent state of Palestine on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, and ending the Israeli occupation of all occupied Arab lands.
As part of our endeavor to create an appropriate environment to reach peace and respond to the economic and humanitarian difficulties facing our brothers in Palestine, we have continued, in coordination with our international partners, to provide humanitarian and development support to address the urgent and long-term needs in the besieged Gaza Strip, in addition to enhancing our contributions to the benefit of UNRWA.
Mr president,
Based on our firm belief in resolving disputes peacefully, and thanks to God and his success, Qatar’s mediation efforts culminated in the signing of the peace agreement between the United States and the Taliban movement, in Doha, on February 29, and the prisoner exchange process between the government of Afghanistan and the Taliban movement was successful. During the discussions held in Doha last month.
Our efforts with our international partners culminated in the success of the Afghan-Afghan peace negotiations that began on the twelfth of this month, in Doha, and their success now depends on the Afghan brothers themselves, and we will make our efforts in cooperation with the international community to facilitate dialogue. We hope that peace will soon prevail. And stability throughout Afghanistan, if everyone decides to completely abandon violence, and accept diversity and difference and equal citizenship in this country.
Mr president,
After more than nine years have passed since the Syrian crisis and the unprecedented humanitarian tragedies it witnessed, whose dangerous negative effects are exacerbating year after year, reaching an end to this crisis is still impossible due to the intransigence of the Syrian regime and the failure of the international community, especially the Security Council, to play its role in Maintaining international peace and security and protecting civilians.
The regime in Syria continues to obstruct even the course of drafting the new constitution, which was proposed by Russia. Unfortunately, this is all that remains of the international efforts to achieve a peaceful solution. It deals with this effort with the same strategy of coping with the international community that it followed by participating in the sham negotiations to pass time without intending to make any change.
On this occasion, I reiterate Qatar’s firm position that the only way to end the Syrian crisis is a political solution based on the Geneva Declaration (1) and the implementation of Security Council Resolution No. 2254, and the State of Qatar affirms that it will continue with the international community to support efforts to achieve justice and hold the perpetrators accountable to atrocities and crimes. The war and crimes against humanity committed in Syria.
In the humanitarian field, we will continue to provide all aspects of support and assistance to the brotherly Syrian people in the areas of displacement and asylum until the end of this crisis.
With regard to the raging war in the brotherly Yemen, which continues to destroy Yemen’s urbanization, destroys the foundations of life there, and threatens security in the region, we affirm that the only way to solve this crisis is through negotiation between the Yemenis according to the outcomes of the national dialogue, the Gulf initiative and the relevant Security Council resolutions, especially Resolution No. 2216. We affirm our firm position on the unity of Yemen and its territorial integrity.
As for the brotherly Sudan, we appreciate the signing of the transitional government in Sudan and a number of armed movements on the peace agreement in Juba, and we express our appreciation to the State of South Sudan for sponsoring the signing of this agreement, and we look forward to the remaining factions joining the peace process, and we stress the steadfast position of the State of Qatar alongside the brotherly Sudanese people to cross This transitional period successfully achieved its aspirations for stability and development.
We reiterate the call of the relevant countries to facilitate the efforts of the Sudanese brothers by removing the name of Sudan from the list of states sponsoring terrorism, so that the difficulties and hardships they are facing will suffice. In this context, Qatar stood with the brothers by providing them with support in the face of the flood that severely damaged the facilities and population, and we call on the international community to provide all kinds of support necessary for them to face natural disasters.
On the Libyan issue, we renew our welcome to the ceasefire agreement and to activate the political process in accordance with the Skhirat Agreement and all its outcomes, to achieve a comprehensive political settlement that preserves for Libya its sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence, injecting the blood of its people and preserving their wealth. It is useful that everyone understands the impossibility of imposing a military regime by force in Libya.
We were agonized by what Lebanon went through after the explosion in the Beirut port, and we stood by our Lebanese brothers without conditions. It is not our habit to impose political conditions for solidarity in the face of disasters.
But in the end, it will be up to the Lebanese themselves, and not by dictation, to find compatible ways of reform, and to meet the aspirations of an entire generation for a state based on citizenship and not on any other affiliations. This, by the way, is an aspiration that is shared by the younger generation in the entire region.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Terrorism remains one of the most prominent challenges facing the world because it represents a real threat to international peace and security and impedes the achievement of sustainable development for peoples, and we in the State of Qatar spare no effort to actively participate in international and regional efforts to address this phenomenon and address its roots, especially by supporting education for millions of children. Youth, women and creating job opportunities for youth.
In this context, Qatar is strengthening the strategic partnership with the relevant United Nations agencies, and I am referring here to the opening of a program office of the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Office in Doha next May in order to implement behavioral visions on combating terrorism and violent extremism.
Mr president,
In the field of development aid to developing countries and least developed countries, and support for countries affected by the negative effects of climate change, Qatar has implemented its pledge to provide a contribution of $ 100 million to support the least developed countries and small island developing states to deal with climate change.
We are pleased to host the Fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries in Doha next March, and we are confident that this conference will contribute to supporting their path towards achieving development there for the next ten years, in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
And finally,
We affirm the commitment of the State of Qatar to the declaration adopted by the General Assembly on September 21 with the participation of Heads of State and Government, and which the State of Qatar has undertaken, in partnership with the Kingdom of Sweden, to facilitate international negotiations for its adoption, and we will continue to work with the United Nations to achieve its goals and face common challenges in the interest of our peoples and the good of humanity. .
Thank you, and may God’s peace, mercy and blessings be upon you.
