Geneva - Media & Communication Dept. - November 02
The State of Qatar affirmed that major sporting events contribute to accelerating the pace of sustainable development, stressing at the same time its firm belief that the right to development is an inalienable fundamental human right, and that its implementation requires taking a number of concrete and effective measures at the national, regional and international levels.
This came during the speech of the State of Qatar read by HE Permanent Representative of State of Qatar to the United Nations in Geneva Dr. Hind bint Abdulrahman Al Muftah at the sixth session of the Expert Mechanism on the Right to Development under article 5-F of the provisional agenda. She said that she personally welcomes all fans to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, with less than three week's from the start of the opening match. She added that sports and major sporting events gather developed and developing countries and brings peoples closer, while also speeding up the implementation of sustainable development goals.
Her Excellency stressed that in view of the growing challenges faced by all countries, especially developing and least developed countries, such as the environmental effects of climate change, the intensification of armed conflicts, the spread of poverty and unemployment, the emergence of emerging health challenges, and the impact of all of this on the development process and its sustainability, The international collective commitment to the realization of the right to development and the removal of obstacles to its implementation is indispensable to address these crises and reduce their effects, as overcoming these challenges and obstacles in most cases exceeds the individual capabilities of states and prevents them from fulfilling their obligations, which requires the existence of equitable partnerships and development cooperation A truly international and regional exchange that allows for the exchange of experiences and good practices, the mitigation of disparities between developing and developed countries, and the removal of obstacles to the implementation and realization of the right to development.
Her Excellency indicated that the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic showed the need for countries to support to enhance their health capabilities to confront the epidemic, and that the State of Qatar spared no effort in extending aid and provided aid to 92 countries, and its contributions exceeded $140 million, in the framework of supporting international efforts. To combat the pandemic, it also provided $10 million to the World Health Organization to support its program to accelerate the availability of virus control tools in countries most in need.
She noted that Qatar's presidency of the Fifth United Nations Conference for Least Developed Countries, of which Doha will host the meetings of the second part of the period from Mar. 5 to 9, 2023, is the culmination of these efforts. She added that the State of Qatar looks forward to this conference being an opportunity to meet the needs and priorities of least-developed countries and support its development efforts during the next decade.
Her Excellency added that there are only eight years left to implement the 2030 sustainable development goals, and yet developing countries face real challenges in implementing those goals.
Her Excellency said that, at a time when many developing and least developed countries are still struggling to strengthen their national economic policies related to poverty eradication like debt sustainability; climate change adaptation and mitigation, these countries are also facing unprecedented challenges represented in the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to severe setbacks in development, affected vital sectors in these countries, and set them back years.
Al Muftah noted that developing and least-developed countries need capital and investment in productive sectors that reduce poverty and increase the resilience of societies, such as creating job opportunities, promoting sustainable agriculture to achieve food security, improving access to global markets, and supporting comprehensive health care. Providing quality education opportunities and technology transfer. The least developed countries also need to support trade and enhance their access to concessional development finance in order to enable them to build inclusive and sustainable economic growth.
Her Excellency explained that these major international challenges necessitate the adoption of the Doha Work Program for Least Developed Countries for the decade 2022-2031, which is a major achievement and an advanced step in strengthening international efforts to support these countries to achieve their legitimate aspirations for development, especially through the implementation of the areas that have been focused on. It should be included in the Program of Action, especially poverty eradication, the promotion of science, technology and innovation, as well as addressing the effects of climate change and recovery from the (COVID-19) pandemic, mobilizing international solidarity and revitalizing global partnerships.
Her Excellency added that the State of Qatar will spare no effort to ensure the success of the Fifth United Nations Conference for Least Developed Countries and called on all countries and stakeholders, including organizations based in Geneva, to actively take part in the conference and mobilize to ensure its success and the implementation of its resolutions in terms of fair international partnerships that empower those countries.