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INTERNATIONAL

considered a priority for our country, such as continued roles in order to bring about peaceful settlements for a
efforts to prevent intolerance, discrimination, defamation number of crises and conflicts.
ofreligions and their followers and to promote dialogue and
peaceful coexistence to stop violence and extremism, in The State of Qatar has provided humanitarian aid to more
addition to supporting technical cooperation and capacity- than 100 countries in various continents, particularly to
building, implementing sustainable development goals developing countries. This aid is very broad as it includes
2030 and linking them to key human rights issues such as many areas, such as emergency relief, reconstruction
poverty eradication, paying attention to providing quality programmes and contribution to sustainable development
education opportunities and good health, promoting projects, including health and education projects. The
equality and preventing discrimination. We will also State of Qatar's aid has reached almost 2 billion dollars
continue to focus on the right of the Palestinian people a year, which is more than 0.7% percentage rate of its
to its accession to full statehood, on the end of the Israeli national income. This ratio equals the one determined for
occupation of Palestinian and other Arab territories and the Nordic countries and other developed countries.
the importance of keeping the agenda item on Human Conscious of the importance of financing humanitarian
Rights Situation in Palestine and Other Occupied Arab assistance activities, the State of Qatar has provided
Territories as a standing item on the Human Rights support to United Nations agencies and enhanced
Council's agenda to further highlight the grave violations cooperation and coordination with these agencies in
and international crimes committed by Israel against the their humanitarian efforts. In this respect, the State of
Palestinian people, and to ensure that perpetrators of such Qatar has recently pledged US$ 40 million as a non-
violations are held accountable through all remedies and earmarked contribution payable over several years to
justice. We will continue to follow attentively the cause of the basic resources of the United Nations Office for the
the Syrian people and their plight, work to ensure that the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The
Council undertake an effective role in reflecting human State of Qatar thus becomes one of the largest donors to
rights violations in Syria, and to stress the need to hold (OCHA).
accountable all those responsible. The Stat of Qatar's humanitarian action has not
been limited to relief and assistance, but it has been
With the intensifying humanitarian crises, conflicts extended to creative initiatives aimed at preserving the
and the flux of refugees and migrants, what is the role future of coming generations. Notable among them
undertaken by the State of Qatar to meet these crises is Educate a Child program of the Education Above
and challenges? All Foundation, which aims to promote children's
Qatar's foreign policy is based on the principle education in areas of conflict and wars. This programme
of cooperation and partnership to meet common was launched by Qatar Foundation in 2005 to provide
challenges. Qatar National Vision 2030 states that State educational opportunities for millions of children in the
of Qatar, being an active and responsible member of the world in difficult and troubled areas. In the presence of Her
international community, will contribute to attaining Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser, who is a member
international peace and security through political and of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
economic initiatives and development and humanitarian Group, a member of the United Nations advocates for the
assistance. Qatar's active involvement in international Sustainable Development Goals, founder and chairperson
cooperation related to development and humanitarian of Education Above All Foundation, a ceremony was held
field, while defining its focus areas of support, global recently in Geneva and New York marking the success
bodies, developing and least developed countries, are of the programme in its objective of helping 10 million
all efforts aimed operationalizing the 17th International of the most marginalized out of school children, in the
Development Goal (SDG 17) on the International most difficult and challenging areas around the world, to
Partnership for Development, as a collective and shared receive quality, primary education
responsibility varying according to capacities.
In this respect, I would like to mention the significant and
The State of Qatar has consistently sought to strengthen distinct role played by Qatari charitable organizations in
its regional and international partnerships and to play a providing humanitarian and development assistance.
pioneering and distinctive role as an international partner This has been illustrated by the fact that Qatar Charity
that can be relied upon in humanitarian response efforts, has for many years been ranked first in the world in terms
in promoting sustainable development and in building of providing relief of a number of peoples, especially the
international peace and security by launching initiatives Syrian, Palestinian and Somali peoples, according to
and providing development and humanitarian assistance NGOs' classification and the report of Financial Track-
to countries facing economic and humanitarian crises ing Service of international relief assistance of the United
and natural disasters, as well as by playing mediation Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian

INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMAT - DIVA 23