Qatar: Implementing Sustainable Development Goals Key for Combating Extremism
New York – Information Office – 29 September
The State of Qatar has reaffirmed the importance of full implementation of the sustainable development goals as a main and strategic complementary tool to prevent and combat violent extremism, highlighting that this would address several social and economic reasons for violent extremism.
HE Dr. Mutlaq bin Majid Al Qahtani, the foreign minister's special envoy for combating terrorism and mediation in conflict resolution, made the remarks before a seminar organized by the State of Qatar's permanent mission to the United Nations in association with the Center on International Cooperation (CIC), a think tank based at New York University, and Silatech organization on the sidelines of the 72nd U.N. General Assembly under the theme of combating and tackling violent extremism, and the sustainable development goals.
Dr. Al Qahtani pointed to the challenges facing the fight against violent extremism, notably the absence of the rule of law; human rights violations; racial, national and religious discrimination; the lack of political participation; social and economic marginalization; and lacking wise governance.
He noted that the State of Qatar supports initiatives that focus on some sustainable development goals that have direct impact on combating violent extremism, highlighting the State of Qatar's firm commitment to supporting the implementation of goal 16 of sustainable development goals that calls for enhancing peaceful, comprehensive and fair communities.
The seminar focused on a number of aspects, including means of preventing the conditions that lead to violent extremism, the exchange of beneficial expertise and policies in addressing the reasons for violent extremism, and means of increasing the involvement of youths and civil society groups to prevent violence and extremism. The seminar stressed that the full implementation of the Agenda for Sustainable Development would lead to combating violent extremism by tackling its social and economic root causes.
The State of Qatar participated in supporting several international, regional and national initiatives in this regard such as the U.N. General Assembly high-level thematic conversation on children and youth affected by violent extremism on June 3, 2016, which was opened by HE Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani and HE Mogens Lykketoft, president of the 70th session of the U.N. General Assembly.
HE U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime Executive Director Yury Fedotov participated in the seminar along with Sarah Cliffe, director of New York University's Center on International Cooperation; Silatech Chief Executive Officer Sabah Ismail Al Haidoos; International Development Law Organization Director-General Irene Khan; Jayathma Wickramanayake, the U.N. secretary general's envoy for youth; Quilliam Foundation Chief Executive Officer Haras Rafiq; Eric Rosand, director of the Prevention Project: Organizing Against Violent Extremism; Qatar University Law Professor Reem Al Ansari; and Oxford University associate researcher Lulwah Al Khater.