QATAR’S MEDIATION EFFORTS

 

Overview

Qatar enjoys a global reputation and track record of success as a neutral, reliable and responsible mediator invited to help parties reach agreements.

This reflects a deep-rooted constitutional commitment to resolving international disputes and conflicts peacefully:  Article 7 of Qatar’s Constitution stipulating mediation as a key foreign policy priority: “based on the principle of encouraging peaceful resolution of international disputes.” 

The goal of Qatar’s mediation is to promote and achieve conflict management, and the peaceful resolution of conflicts and disputes. 

Qatar’s mediation occurs at inter-state level, as well as between state and a variety of non-state actors. 

In 2023 Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs established new Ministerial roles, giving greater diplomatic weight to mediation files and augmenting a team of Special Envoys and other Ministerial and High Level Officials on Mediation.

Qatar has worked to frame its partnership with a number of important countries in the field of mediation and dispute resolution by signing a memorandum of understanding of Sweden, Norway, and Finland. Additionally Qatar enjoys other bilateral government relationships which are specifically focused on enhanced knowledge sharing and cooperation on mediation and dispute resolution.

Qatar welcomes partnerships with other actors on mediation, but only in contexts in which all parties to the conflict have agreed to their involvement. 

Qatar promotes mediation of both Track I and Track 2 peace-making and conflict resolution. For this reason, Qatar is supportive of inclusive dialogue processes that gives space to some non-state actors, or otherwise marginalized groups such as women, refugees, IDPs, and other minorities.

Since 2004, the State of Qatar has mediated to bring ceasefires, restore diplomatic relations, hostage releases, prisoner exchanges, national dialogue processes, end border disputes, achieve humanitarian outcomes, and peace agreements in many regional and global conflicts. 

(See Appendices I and II). 

Appendix I - Qatar’s Record of Global Mediation   

 

 Date                                            Mediation                                         Beneficiaries

2004 - February

Qatar mediates release of 100 

Moroccan prisoners of war from Tindouf Algeria to a military base in Agadir Morocco.   

Morocco 

2006 – October

Qatar mediates between Palestinian factions of Fatah and Hamas  

Palestinian people and their factions 

2007 – June

Qatar mediates ceasefire in Yemen 

Yemeni civilian population  

2007 - July

Release of Bulgarian nurses Libya The agreement included the establishment of the "Libyan Fund for Children with AIDS", to which Qatar and the Czech Republic contributed. 

The Government of 

Bulgaria, The Government of Libya 

 

2008 – February

Qatar mediates Yemen Peace Agreement 

Yemen civilian population 

2008 – May

Qatar mediates negotiations between Lebanese factions 

Lebanese people and its governing authorities. 

2008 – September

League of Arab States mandates Qatar to mediate Darfur Peace Talks 

Sudan and its peoples. 

2009 – March

Qatar mediates peace accord between Sudan and Chad signed in 2010 

Sudan, Chad 

2009

Qatar commences mediation between Yemen government and the Houthis 

Yemen 

2010 – March

Qatar mediates ceasefire agreement between Sudanese President Omar alBashir and the Liberation and Justice Movement. 

The Government of Sudan, splinter Darfur rebel group 

 

 

 

2010 – June

Qatar mediates Djibouti and Eritrea Ceasefire Agreement 

Djibouti, Eritrea 

2010 – August

Qatar mediates renewal of ceasefire agreement in Yemen  

Yemen 

2011 – July

Qatar mediates Doha Document for Peace in Darfur between contesting parties (DDPD). The DDPD is the culmination of two and half years of negotiations, dialogue and 

consultations with the major parties to 

the Darfur conflict, all relevant stakeholders and international partners.  The DDPD addresses the root 

causes of the conflict and its consequences, including Power 

Sharing, Wealth Sharing, Human Rights, 

Justice and Reconciliation, 

Compensation and Return, and Internal Dialogue among others. 

DDPD - the Government of Sudan and the Liberation and Justice Movement committing themselves to framework for the comprehensive peace process in Darfur.  

 

2011

Qatar mediates ceasefire between Djibouti and Eritrea 

Government and peoples of Djibouti, Eritrea 

2013 – Feb

Qatar mediates the release of a Swiss citizen held in Yemen  

Switzerland 

2013 - Feb

Qatar mediates ceasefire agreement in Darfur 

Peoples and governing authorities of Darfur and Khartoum.  

2013

Qatar begins mediation between Afghan parties 

Afghanistan groups and factions 

2014 - March

Qatar mediates the release of 13 Nuns from Maaloula held by rebel group in Syria in an exchange of prisoners.     

Syria, including the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate in Damascus.   

2014 – May

Qatar mediates agreement between the US and Taliban for the release of five Taliban prisoners from 

Guantanamo Bay for US Army Sgt Bowe Bergdahl.  

US and Taliban 

2014 – July/August

Qatar mediates ceasefire agreement between Israel and Palestinian Armed Factions in Gaza. 

Israel and Palestinian Armed Factions 

2014 - September

Qatar mediate the release of 45 UN peacekeepers and an American journalist held by rebels in Syria  

UN, UNDOF, including UNpeacekeeping contributor 

nation Fiji, US 

2015 – June

Qatar mediates the release of 4 border guards from Tajikistan held by the Taliban 

Tajikistan 

2015 - November

Qatar mediates Tebu-Tuareg reconciliation agreement in Libya 

Libya 

2015 – December

Qatar mediates the release of 16 Lebanese Security Forces and Soldiers 

held by rebel group in Syria  

Lebanon 

2016 - January

Qatar mediates release of a Canadian citizen held by the Taliban 

Canada 

2016 – May

Qatar mediates release of four prisoners of war from Djibouti held in Eritrea 

Djibouti 

2017 - February

Qatar mediates agreement between the Government of Sudan and the SLASecond Revolution Movement. 

Sudan 

2017 - April

Qatar mediate release of Saudi and Qatari citizens held in Iraq 

Qatar, Saudi Arabia 

2018 – October

Qatar mediates the release of Japanese journalist held in Syria 

Japan 

2019 – November

Qatar mediates exchange of 

Afghanistan detainees and US and 

Australian citizens 

US and Australia 

 

2019-2020

Qatar mediates intra-Afghan dialogue 

Afghanistan, and international parties to promote human rights, humanitarian support, security, peace, stability and sustainable development, including women and other groups. 

2020 – March

Qatar mediates historic Doha Agreement between the US and the Taliban setting a timeline for U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.  

Afghanistan, US 

2021 – May

Qatar mediates resumption of diplomatic ties between Kenya and Somalia and Somalia-Kenya border agreement 

Somalia, Kenya and peoples affected by conflict in border regions  

2021 - August

Qatar mediates US and NATO withdrawal from Afghanistan including agreements to keep Kabul airport open, establishment of a humanitarian airbridge, mediated a series of agreements that led to the largest civilian air lift in history to evacuate more than 110,000 foreign citizens, vulnerable Afghan nationals and unaccompanied children.  

US, NATO, Afghanistan. Mediation of evacuation efforts included Afghan students, teachers, activists, lawyers, doctors, artists, musicians plus UNHCR, WHO, UNICEF, nationals from US, UK, Germany, Australia,  

Wall Street Journal, the 

Washington Post, Walt 

Disney, CBS, ABC, CNN, 

BBC, France 24, Fox News, 

Deutsche Welle, Euronews, 

National Geographic, 

Clinton Foundation, United 

States Institute of Peace, 

Malala Foundation, 

Committee to Protect 

Journalists, German Press Agency, America University of Afghanistan, School of 

Leadership Afghanistan, 

Afghanistan National 

Institute of Music, 

 

 

 

International Trade Union 

Confederation, FIFA, 

National Endowment for 

Democracy, Google, Youtube, United Nations, and various other groups. 

2021 – August September

Qatar mediates evacuation and relocation to Doha to temporarily host the Former-Kabul based diplomatic missions of the US, UK, Japan and the Netherlands.  

US, UK, Japan, Italy  and the Netherlands 

2021 – November

US announces ‘protecting power’ arrangement for Qatar to facilitate/mediate any formal communication between the US government and Afghanistan. 

US , Afghanistan 

2022 - August

Qatar mediates national dialogue agreement between Chadian factions.  

The peoples and governing authorities in Chad. National reconciliation including steps to cessation of hostilities that benefits all Chadian peoples. 

2022 –

August/September

Qatar mediates between US, EU and 

Iran on restoration efforts of 2015 

JCPOA Nuclear Deal 

US, EU and Iran 

2022 – August-October

Preventive diplomacy mediation for deescalation in Libya 

Libyan peoples. 

2023 - February

Qatar joins other countries of France, US, Saudi Arabia and Egypt to mediate end of political and economic crisis in 

Lebanon (The Quintet) 

Peoples of Lebanon 

2023- March

The efforts of the State of Qatar to release the Rwandan oppositionist Paul Ruseba Guina and his arrival to the United States

 


 

2023 – June     

Qatar with Turkiye, US, UK and UAE 

Qunit group for Somalia convenes in Doha  

Peoples of Somalia and 

Somali government in 

Mogadishu (FGS) 

2023-24

Qatar mediates series of family reunification agreements and swaps between Russia and Ukraine 

Russia, Ukraine including children and families.  

2023 - October

Qatar mediates rare prisoner swap between the US and Iran  

US and Iran 

2023 – December

Qatar mediates deal between the US and the Bolivarian Government of Venezuela for a prisoner swap. 

US  and Venezuela 

2024 - January

Qatar mediates between parties in Somalia 

Somalia 

2024 - January

Qatar mediates release of Argentine detainee Benjamin Sinonegui, in Afghanistan

Argentina

2024 - February

Qatar successfully mediates release of Austrian detainee in Afghanistan 

Austria 

2024 – August

Qatar facilitated negotiations between Germany and Afghanistan's Taliban help return Afghans to their country based on their legal status 

Germany , Afghanistan 

2024 – October  

Qatar and other Quint partners affirmed their support for mediation efforts and the imperative of focusing on shared economic and security objectives, particularly to address ongoing and emerging threats from terrorist groups in the Horn of Africa. 

Peoples of Somalia and 

Somali government in 

Mogadishu (FGS) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Annex II – Israel and Palestine (February 2012-October 2024)

Date                        Mediation 

2012 - February

Fatah-Hamas Reconciliation – Doha Agreement concluded 

2014 - August

Qatar contributes to mediation of ceasefire in war on Gaza between Israel and Hamas 

2021 - February

Qatar and EU mediate with and pledge to Israel and Palestinian Authority Gas pipeline supply project to Gaza Strip.  

2021 - May

Qatar contributes to mediation of ceasefire in Gaza between Israel and Hamas  

2021 -

November

Qatar and Egyptian mediated agreement with AHLC-Oslo of aid to Gaza 

Strip.  

2022 - August

Qatar contributes to mediation of ceasefire in Gaza between Israel and Hamas 

2023 – May  

Qatar helps mediate ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza Strip 

2023 –

November 26

Qatar mediates 100 person hostage release and 240 detainee exchange between Israel and Hamas  

2023 –

November

Qatar mediates between the parties for the organization of monitoring and verification processes for hostage and prisoner releases 

2023 –

November

Qatar mediates between the parties for the organization of monitoring and verification processes for rolling ceasefire agreement and implementation of arrangements on the ground. 

2023 –

November

Qatar mediates between the parties for the establishment of a Dohahosted Command and Control Centre for Hostage and Detainee Releases 

2023-2024

Qatar mediates the evacuation of 2256+ injured and other Palestinians 

 

Qatar mediates humanitarian pauses in Gaza Strip 

 

Qatar mediates the evacuation of foreign nationals from the Gaza Strip at request of third country partners. 

 

Qatar mediates the evacuation of some foreign press from the Gaza Strip 

 

Qatar mediates the entry of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip – land, air and maritime 

 

Qatar facilitates intra/inter-Palestinian dialogue.

 

2024 - January

Qatar mediates, in cooperation with France, an agreement between Israel and Hamas, where medicine along with other humanitarian aid is to be delivered to the Gaza Strip.  

2024 - January

Qatar mediates joint UK-Qatar aid delivery to the Gaza Strip under Joint Humanitarian Framework  

2024 – August  

Qatar mediates, along with UNSC MEPP, Egypt and Lebanon for regional de-escalation efforts.  

2024 –

Qatar and the US continue to mediate for hostage and ceasefire deal in 

August/Sept

Gaza