Qatar Affirms Pivotal Role of Youth in Preventing Conflicts, Building and Maintaining Peace
New York – Information Office – 10 September
The State of Qatar affirmed the pivotal role of youth in preventing conflicts and building and maintaining peace, and that they are essential partners in this, calling on member states to play a major role in facilitating youths' participation and giving them a leadership role in preventing conflicts and building peace.
This came in a statement delivered by HE Qatar's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani before the UN Security Council Arria-formula meeting on the implementation of the Council's resolutions on youth, peace and security by UN peace operations.
HE Sheikha Alya expressed the State of Qatar's welcome to host the High-Level Global Conference on Comprehensive Peace Paths for Youth, to be held in Doha on May 29-30, 2021, in cooperation with Finland, Colombia, and the Office of the UN Secretary-General's Envoy on Youth.
HE said that the conference seeks to search for a common ground with the United Nations Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA), UN Women, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the United Network of Young Peacebuilders (UNOY Peacebuilders). The conference will be supported by the Education Above All Foundation (EAA), she added.
Her Excellency indicated that the conference will bring together a large number of actors which are actively participating in peace and peace building processes, pointing out that the conference also builds on the progress made since the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2250 on Youth, Peace and Security in 2015 and on the outcomes of the first International Symposium on Youth Participation in Peace Processes that took place in Helsinki in 2019.
HE Qatar's UN Permanent Representative expressed hope that the Doha Global Conference would be a turning point for the youth, peace and security agenda, not only by generating political commitments at the national level but also by encouraging participation in sustainable and inclusive peace processes for youth, and by opening the door for youth to formulate peace processes around the world.
She also stated that the global conference will present a report on Qatar's progress, as young people contribute constructively to formal and informal peace processes, noting that the report will review progress made in the implementation of the main recommendations of the global policy paper "We Are Here: An Integrated Approach to Youth-Inclusive Peace Processes", which was developed in conjunction with the international symposium.
HE the Ambassador praised the recent report of the UN Secretary-General and his recommendations that encourage the meaningful participation of youth in peace and security efforts, saying that this is a path towards a new and comprehensive approach for youth to be engaged in peace and security and security efforts, and a valuable contribution to a collective commitment to building and sustaining peace and achieving the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
HE Ambassador Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani affirmed that the State of Qatar attaches great importance to the role of youth in many conflicts that it has mediated over the years, and that every mediation carried out by the State addressed important issues related to the aspirations of youth and their role in building peace, noting Qatar's track record in launching innovative project initiatives in cooperation with youth organizations.