New York - Media & Communication Dept. - March 15

The State of Qatar participated in the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT)'s quarterly briefing to the member states. HE Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the United Nations Sheikha Alia bint Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani represented the State of Qatar in the briefing.
Addressing the briefing, Her Excellency affirmed the State of Qatar's commitment to facilitating the implementation of the UNOCT's mandates and enhancing their key activities. Her Excellency extended thanks to HE Under-Secretary-General for Counter-Terrorism Vladimir Voronkov on organizing the briefing, welcoming the participation of directors of various UN bodies whose partnerships are essential for the successful implementation of the duties of the UNOCT.
Her Excellency stressed the importance of abiding by the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact which the State of Qatar strongly backs, expressing welcoming for the fruitful visit of the analytical support and sanctions monitoring team to Qatar in February, which enhances the mutual coordination between the State of Qatar and the UNOCT.
Her Excellency highlighted the first annual forum for beneficiaries of technical assistance in the field of combating terrorism, jointly organized by the State of Qatar in March 2022 in Doha, in the context of expanding the partnership with the UNOCT. The forum brought together recipients, providers and donors of technical assistance, and the discussions highlighted the significant impact of UNOCT's diverse and integrated projects and programs, and helped evaluate performance in order to improve efficiency and effectiveness.
Her Excellency drew attention to the State of Qatar's FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 hosting, whose objectives are consistent with the vision of the UNOCT for sport as a positive force to promote peace, tolerance and understanding. On the sidelines of the global event, a dialogue was organized on the value of sport as an effective tool to prevent violent extremism by the UNOCT's sports and security program in cooperation with Qatar's Generation Amazing.
Her Excellency highlighted the International Hub on Behavioral Insights to Counter Terrorism (BI Hub), as a UNOCT program established in 2020 in Doha in partnership with the State of Qatar. The BI Hub has achieved tangible successes including a podcast series and guidance note on behavioral insights approach to fostering resilience in countering violent extremism.
In the context of providing the UNOCT with the ability to carry out the activities entrusted to it, Her Excellency hailed the UN General Assembly's December approval to convert 25 extra-budgetary positions into regular budget positions, welcoming the UNOCT's tireless efforts to fulfill its mandate in leadership, coordination, capacity building and resource mobilization. Her Excellency also commended the efforts made to enhance public awareness, through press releases and online and social media stories.
Her Excellency welcomed the unification of the UNOCT's capacity-building efforts in global programs, stressing the State of Qatar's pride in funding these programs and welcoming of the great progress and activities achieved in 2022.