Media Center

Doha – Information Office – 25 October

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in cooperation with the United Nations organizations in the State of Qatar, organized a celebration on the occasion of the United Nations Day, which falls on October 24 of each year, and this is in the context of celebrating the existing cooperation between the State of Qatar and the United Nations.

The ceremony, which was held Tuesday in the Flag Plaza, was attended by HE Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr. Ahmed bin Hassan Al Hammadi, HE Chairperson of the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) and President of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights (GANHRI) Maryam bint Abdullah Al Attiyah, HE President of the Administrative Control and Transparency Authority (ACTA) Hamad bin Nasser Al Misnad, HE Acting Director of the Department of International Organizations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ali Khalfan Al Mansouri, and a number of Their Excellencies directors of departments, ambassadors and representatives of the diplomatic corps in the country, in addition to a number of officials and representatives of the concerned authorities in the country, civil society institutions, educational institutions, and social and charitable work institutions.

HE Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a speech, that the celebration of a new United Nations Day in the State of Qatar is symbolic and of high value, as these events are organized in cooperation with partners in the United Nations, in the presence and participation of members of the diplomatic corps accredited to the State of Qatar, relevant officials in the country, in addition to representatives of development and humanitarian organizations, and academic and research institutions.

He explained that the celebration of the International Day of the United Nations is a celebration of the anniversary of the Charter of the United Nations, which is the cornerstone of this United Nations organization, hence, it is a celebration of its upbringing, its birth and its first founding platform. It is a celebration of the efforts and struggles of our ancestors from the peoples of the world who decided to free ourselves from the tragedies and bitterness of wars and bloodshed, to the prospects of peace, peaceful coexistence, and civilizational dialogue that crosses religions and cultures. It also represents an important pause for future generations who aspire to peace, development, renaissance, and prosperity.

His Excellency echoed the moving words of Dag Hammarskjold, one of the distinguished Secretary-General of the United Nations, that the UN Charter cannot fail us, but it is the responsibility of Member States that must correct any shortcomings and failures in the course of the Organization's work.

HE Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that the State of Qatar and the United Nations have a lot to celebrate on the occasion of this international day, noting that based on the insightful global and humanitarian vision of HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, which includes in its priorities the support of the United Nations in light of the deep and accelerating international challenges and changes, the State of Qatar presented many initiatives in the context of facing global challenges and issues and concluded many strategic international partnerships agreements with various United Nations organizations and agencies.

He pointed out that the initiatives of the State of Qatar at the international level are numerous and difficult to enumerate, noting that the most prominent of them is the presentation of the General Assembly Resolution 76/259 on the "World Cup 2022 organized by the International Football Association in Qatar", Resolution 75/274, according to which the "International Day of Women Judges" was adopted on March 10 of each year, adding that during the past year, with the initiative and funding of the State of Qatar, the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) opened two program offices in Doha, which are the 'International Hub on Behavioral Insights to Counter Terrorism' and the UNOCT Program Office on Parliamentary Engagement in Preventing and Countering Terrorism. The State of Qatar has also initiated the establishment of the United Nations House in Doha, which will host a number of United Nations offices, branches, programs, and regional and country agencies, expressing his aspiration to celebrate its opening soon.

He added that the State of Qatar has recently led international multilateral action in several areas, including the leadership of the climate action finance team and carbon pricing, in partnership with France and Jamaica.

HE Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicated that the State of Qatar continues its cooperation as a close partner of the United Nations, in order to assist its organizations and specialized agencies to optimally implement their mandates and competencies, and with a coherent approach in the fields of peacebuilding, sustainable development, climate, health, education, humanitarian aid, mediation in conflict resolution, and combating the threat of terrorism and violent extremism, in line with the vision and strategy of the State of Qatar in achieving economic and social development, locally, regionally and internationally, to build a world in which the values of peace, justice and equity prevail.

His Excellency noted HH the Amir's directive to provide multi-year support to the United Nations with a total of USD 500 million, in order to enhance the ability of its organizations and specialized agencies to address global challenges and crises that threaten the existence and stability of most of the world's people.

He pointed out that most of Qatar's partnerships with United Nations organizations are designed to achieve the goals and objectives of the United Nations, especially with regard to the 17 sustainable development goals, noting that the State of Qatar has signed with the United Nations Office for Partnerships a cooperation agreement, in order to achieve the goals of the United Nations Plan for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2030.

HE pointed out that the arrangements for the State of Qatar to host the second part of the Fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC5), to be held in Doha from 5 to 9 March 2023, are in full swing, noting that it will be an important platform to address many of the international challenges facing least developed countries.

He said that the State of Qatar's bet on international institutions, cooperation and multilateral partnership, especially through the United Nations system, is a strategic bet, explaining that despite the shortcomings in achieving the goals of establishment and fully foundation in all fields, there is no practical alternative to the United Nations in light of our international reality current complex, therefore, the State of Qatar believes in the necessity of continuing to reform and activate the United Nations and other international institutions to respond to the current international challenges and achieve the aspirations and hopes of future generations, and this is what prompted the State of Qatar to support initiatives within the framework of the institutional development of the United Nations. He reiterated the State of Qatar's commitment to work and partnership with the international organization in all fields.

HE expressed that the State of Qatar's aspiration to welcome the attendees at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, which it has the honor to host as the first ever Arab country, stressing that it will be a distinct and unique tournament, and a high and historical humanitarian event that will enhance the values of peace, dialogue and tolerance among all peoples of the world.

HE Chairperson of the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) and President of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights (GANHRI) Maryam bint Abdullah Al Attiyah, expressed her happiness to participate in the ceremony on behalf of the Committee, noting that despite all the challenges and obstacles that the United Nations has faced throughout its journey, over the course of nearly seven and a half decades, it has been able to achieve its purposes and objectives contained in Article 1 of the Charter, which has had a positive impact on our lives, especially in the field of maintaining world peace in accordance with the principles of justice and international law, developing friendly relations between nations on the basis of respect for the principle of equal enjoyment of rights for all peoples and their right to self-determination, and taking measures to enhance international cooperation in solving global issues of economic, social, cultural and humanitarian character, in particular, including working to promote respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all people, and to encourage this without discrimination based on gender, language or religion.

HE explained that since its accession to the United Nations in 1971, the State of Qatar has been keen to adhere to its purposes and principles in order to establish stability, development and social justice, not only in the State of Qatar but throughout the world, noting that it is possible to note the country's involvement in supporting global concerns and issues identified by the United Nations and its various agencies and mechanisms, as a priority of humanity and the international community.

She added that it is worth mentioning that Doha has become the capital of international multilateral action, especially after hosting many international conferences, events and programs, for example, Doha hosted the 2012 United Nations Climate Change Conference, it also hosts United Nations Human Rights Training and Documentation Centre for South-West Asia and the Arab Region, and signed agreements to host the United Nations Development Program office to support efforts and ways to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, and the United Nations Program Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and UNOCT Program Office on Parliamentary Engagement in Preventing and Countering Terrorism.

Her Excellency indicated that the State of Qatar will continue providing the financial aid to numerous UN organs and entities in the areas of human rights, sustainable development, relief and humanitarian aid.

She praised the participation of the State of Qatar in the international efforts to enable children to have the right to education in conflict zones, and providing USD 100 million to support small island developing countries and least developed countries in addressing the effects of climate change and following up the achievement of sustainable development goals.

She added that every body in the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) should thank the State of Qatar for the continuous support received from all ministries and institutions, especially those related to supporting NHRC's international events in partnership with the United Nations with the aim of highlighting the concerns and the global human rights issues in addition to providing the effective response mechanisms, welcoming all the attendees in the United Nations Climate Change Conference which is convened by the committee in partnership with OHCHR, Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) and the League of Arab States in February 2023.

Her Excellency said that while celebrating its twenty-year anniversary since its inception, NHRC realizes, every single day, the need of this world and its peoples for the United Nations, its values and principles to achieve peace, development and prosperity, adding that NHRC considers that the international human rights system should not have been existed to achieve its objectives, which were unanimously agreed by the international community to make human rights more better even in a relative way, without the assiduous and accumulated action of UN with respect to human rights during the past decades.

She reiterated the commitment to UN charter, noting that it will remain a beacon for NHRC's work, especially that the economic and health disasters that have faced and still facing the world have proved with a compelling evidence that the human rights based solidarity is the sole and efficient means to counter the intricate situations and unify the national and global efforts to protect the human right to life, dignity, freedom, equality and justice which are the primary goals of UN.

In his remarks on behalf of the UN offices and agencies in the State of Qatar, HE UNESCO Representative for the Gulf States and Yemen and Director of the UNESCO Regional Office in Doha, Salah El Din Zaki Khaled

said that the United Nations Day represents an opportunity to honor this longstanding organization, which includes 193 states, and to celebrate our achievements and contributions in the area of peace and development in all over the world.

He noted that since its accession to the United Nations in 1971, the State of Qatar has been steadfastly working to flagging up its premium role and strategic partnership with the specialized UN program and funds, pointing out that the State of Qatar has been and still committed to effectively contributing to the fields of peace, sustainable development, human rights, climate change, education, health, children and women affairs, youth empowerment, mediation in solving conflicts and wars and combating terrorism and extremism in numerous world countries and territories, beside its constant role in offering relief aid to the refugees and displaced people for all countries during the time of natural disasters.

He pointed out that this event is being held in the Flag Plaza, which hosted over ten days the "Communities" festival as a distinct initiative that witnessed the participation of many communities, embassies and diplomatic missions in the country, and witnessed a wide range of momentum and cultural diversity, adding that the it is decorated with the flags of the representative countries in the State of Qatar, which makes it a perfect place to celebrate the United Nations Day.

During the ceremony, there was recorded speeches of the Director of UNESCO's Office, Director-General of the International Labor Organization, UNICEF Executive Director, Representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to the States of the Gulf Cooperation, Director General of International Organization for Migration (IOM), Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Program, President of the International Hub on Behavioral Insights to Counter Terrorism, UNOCT Program Office on Parliamentary Engagement in Preventing and Countering Terrorism, Center of the Special Representative of the Secretary General on Children and Armed Conflict and Director-General of the Office of World Health Organization who expressed their appreciation and gratitude for the efforts made by the State of Qatar to support the United Nations' initiatives in pursuit of achieving the international peace and security.

The offices of the United Nations in the State of Qatar honored HE Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, HE Chairperson of NHRC and HE  Acting Director of International Organizations Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs in appreciation for the efforts of the State of Qatar and its partnership with the United Nations.

Moreover, since music is a universal language, the ceremony of the United Nations Day was concluded by performing songs from the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra, which presented international songs that were devoted to uniting peoples in one language.

The message delivered by the State of Qatar on this occasion affirms its commitment to the international multi-lateral action as an active partner in the international community for the sake of achieving the UN goals for peace, development and human rights.