Qatar Underlines Occupation Policies Complicate Reaching Solution to Palestinian Issue
Geneva – Information Office -19 September
The State of Qatar underlined that the ongoing policies of the Israeli occupation, which have caused high unemployment among the Palestinian youth and the loss of security and the necessities of a decent life, especially in the Gaza Strip, complicate the possibility of reaching a solution to the Palestinian issue and highly escalate the situation.
This came in Qatar's address to the 64th session of the Trade and Development Board of UNCTAD meeting on Item 12 (b) Technical cooperation activities: Report on UNCTAD assistance to the Palestinian people, delivered by HE Qatar's Permanent Representative to the UN Office in Geneva Ambassador Ali Khalfan Al Mansouri, in the presence of Palestinian Minister of National Economy Abeer Odeh.
HE Ambassador Ali Khalfan Al Mansouri expressed Qatar's appreciation for the ongoing efforts exerted by the UNCTAD in support of the Palestinian people, alleviating the suffering resulted by the longest occupation experienced by modern history, which, in addition to the deterioration of the humanitarian situation, led to the suppression of the Palestinian economy and development, and the disruption of most of its engines, especially trade.
He thanked the UNCTAD Secretariat for preparing the annual report on UNCTAD's assistance to the Palestinian people, which clearly points to the disastrous consequences of the Israeli occupation policies on the Palestinian economy in all its agricultural, industrial and commercial sectors, and invites Member States to support the efforts in providing advisory services, research, technical cooperation and capacity-building projects.
HE the Ambassador referred to paragraph 31 of Doha Mandate, adopted at the 13th UNCTAD Conference in Doha in 2012, on the mandate of the Assistance to the Palestinian People Unit, and said that the State of Qatar has consistently supported the efforts of UNCTAD to achieve the economic development of the Palestinian people. In 2015, it responded to the invitation of the UNCTAD Secretariat to finance a post in the Unit for the years 2016-2017.
He also noted Qatar's $1 billion donation at the Cairo conference for the reconstruction of Gaza in October 2014, as well as the $407 million grant from HH the Father Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani for the reconstruction of Gaza.
HE the Ambassador drew attention to the resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly on the mandate of UNCTAD to prepare a report on the economic costs incurred by the Palestinian people because of the Israeli occupation, in particular its recent decision No. 71/20, which stated under paragraph 9 that it called for all efforts to be made in order to provide resources to expedite the completion of the report, including facilitating and coordinating the relevant contributions of the relevant organs, bodies and agencies of the United Nations system.
Despite the unjust siege imposed on the State of Qatar, it continues to support the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people and calls on all Member States to continue their support to activate the UNCTAD efforts in that regard, HE Ambassador Ali Khalfan Al Mansouri concluded.