Qatar Urges Enhanced International Efforts to Address Terrorism Phenomenon

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Paris/ Information Office/ 08 September 2015/HE Assistant Foreign Minister for International Cooperation Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani has participated in the International Conference for the victims of religious and ethnic violence in the Middle East, which was held today in the French capital Paris. HE Sheikh Mohammad represented Qatar as a rapporteur, in the round table meeting for Humanitarian Affairs, which was held on this occasion, chaired by Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni. Addressing the meeting, HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman stressed that the State of Qatar has actively contributed to all international efforts to address the phenomenon of terrorism and ways to eliminate it. He referred to Qatar hosting the 7th meeting of the Coordinating Committee of the Global Forum on Combating Terrorism, which was held last May, for the first time in the Middle East.He also highlighted Qatar's contribution to the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF), as a founding member of the Fund and one of the largest donor countries by donating $5 million. He said, "This fund serves as the first global effort at the community level, aims to enhance the ability to confront the phenomenon of violent extremism, and to create a space for consultation and partnership between governments, civil society and the private sector in the Member States in support of national strategies aimed at addressing extremism violent. He called on all States to accede to this Fund and to provide the necessary support . " HE Sheikh Mohammed underlined that Qatar condemns in the strongest possible terms, all violations and acts of violence committed on religious, ethnic or racial lines, all over the world, including the Middle East. HE Assistant Foreign Minister for International Cooperation Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdurrahman Al -Thani noted that terrorism and violent extremism were targeting all the peoples of the Middle East from different sects and religions, races, a matter which confirms that the vast majority of victims of the Daesh group were Muslims. He stressed that terrorism and violent extremism does not only pose a threat to the Middle East, but it extends to destabilize the international security and stability, and also threaten the economic and developmental achievements and goals that the world seeks to achieve, within the development plan for post 2015. He called on the international community to make more efforts in order to enhance the provision of protection and assistance to people fleeing from areas affected by terrorism and violent extremism, especially those living in difficult circumstances, including women and children, as well as members of ethnic, religious or other minorities. On the other hand, HE Sheikh Mohammed stressed that there is an urgent need to create an integrated international strategy to resolve the Syrian crisis, according to a Geneva 1 statement, and support the political process in Iraq with the participation of all the Iraqi people, and the recognition of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, by ending the Israeli occupation, and the establishment of an independent State of Palestine on the borders the 4 June 1967 with Jerusalem as its capital.