Qatar's Permanent Representative to UN: Cultural Diplomacy Serves National Interests
New York - Media & Communication Dept. - March 20
HE Qatar's Permanent Representative to the UN Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani took part in the second edition of "Libraries Lead Forum," which was held in Doha.
In her speech at the Forum, Her Excellency extended thanks to HE Chair of the Board of Trustees of Qatar National Library Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al-Thani for her kind invitation to deliver a speech highlighting the role and impact of the cultural institutions, initiatives and efforts of the State of Qatar on cultural diplomacy in the United States.
Her Excellency expressed her pleasure at the launch of the second edition of the prestigious forum of the Qatar National Library, and also praised the pioneering humanitarian role played by the library in the field of developing and disseminating knowledge, as an elite research institution that preserves the national heritage of the State of Qatar and the region.
HE Sheikha Alya stated that she deeply believes in the role of cultural diplomacy as an effective tool of soft power influencing the service of the vital national interests of states, and making their influential position in the international arena, adding that cultural diplomacy works to accumulate soft power, whose impact and effectiveness can be stronger and deeper than hard power in many cases.
Cultural diplomacy plays a fundamental role in cementing states' strength and international position, she said adding that the cultural institutions and initiatives in the State of Qatar play a vital and inspiring role added to the role played by development, educational and media institutions, as tools of soft and influential power in the national context.
With regard to the Qatar Museums, Her Excellency stated that the State of Qatar possesses some of the most prominent and ancient international art collections. She also pointed to the 2022 partnership between Qatar Museums and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, which included the Hall of the Islamic World dubbed "Qatar Hall" in the Metropolitan Museum in the heart of New York - as it expresses the symbolic and strategic dimension of this initiative in the context of cultural diplomacy.
He lauded the other creative projects and initiatives of Qatar Museums in the field of cultural diplomacies, such as the initiative to organize cultural years, which included several countries, like Japan, the UK, Brazil, Turkey, China, Germany, Russia, India, France, and the US.
Her Excellency also pointed to the great role of the Cultural Village Foundation (Katara) and the smart strategic partnerships with international cultural institutions, and the membership of the State of Qatar in the largest of these institutions, adding that the international conferences and forums hosted by the State of Qatar every year play a role in building bridges of human and civilized communication, such as The Doha Forum, which is hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) and the World Innovation Summit for Healthcare (WISH), which are organized by Qatar Foundation.
She pointed out that the State of Qatar's hosting of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 was the largest example of integration and harmony between well-known traditional diplomacy, and cultural and sports diplomacy, adding that the State of Qatar succeeded in hosting the most successful World Cup in the history of football.