President of the 66th UN General Assembly says the Gulf nation is now a key player in international issues due to its track record of mediation and peace talks.
Qatar’s active presence in various global issues through its mediation efforts has made the Gulf nation a key player in peace and development within the United Nations, according to former United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) President Nassir bin Abdulaziz Al-Nasser.
“Qatar’s hosting of major international conferences and its humanitarian and diplomatic initiatives have strengthened its image as an influential and responsible state regionally and globally, and contributed effectively to advancing the purposes of the UN Charter,” the Qatar News Agency quoted Al-Nasser as saying.
With the 80th session of the UN General Assembly set to start on Tuesday, the former permanent Qatari representative to the UN pointed to the country’s emphasis on preventive diplomacy and “rejection of the logic of force in resolving disputes.”
Al-Nasser, who chaired the 66th session of the General Assembly, recalled Qatar’s Amir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani’s past speeches as helpful indicators of such stances.
“[The Amir’s speeches] before the General Assembly were comprehensive and expressed clear positions that reflect Qatar’s commitment to peace and the strengthening of international cooperation, underscoring its active presence in various global issues,” QNA quoted Al-Nasser as saying.
The Amiri Diwan announced early on Sunday that the Amir had headed to New York from Doha to take part in the annual assembly.
Call for urgent action
This year’s General Assembly comes at a crucial time for Qatar, with the Amir set to speak exactly two weeks after Israeli strikes targeted a residential compound with Hamas negotiators in Doha.
In addition to killing five members of the Hamas delegation and a Qatari Internal Security Forces (Lekhwiya) officer, the attack also completely derailed the latest round of ceasefire talks in Doha.
After what was an unprecedented attack on a mediator, leaders from Arab and Islamic countries descended on Doha for an emergency summit, where Qatar pushed for collective action against Israel while stressing an immediate end to the genocidal war in Gaza. The latter has continued to reflect on Amir’s speeches, according to Al-Nasser.
“The Amir consistently reiterates Qatar’s firm position on the need to halt ongoing violations against the Palestinian people, support their just rights and aspirations, and reject all forms of occupation, particularly in the Gaza Strip,” Al-Nasser said.
Despite a strong pushback from Israel, several formal recognitions of a Palestinian state are expected in and around the UN General Assembly.
France, the U.K., and Portugal will soon join Spain, Ireland, Norway and others in making the move in the face of heightened Israeli aggression and its plans to occupy Gaza and parts of the West Bank.
“The continued occupation and bloodshed require urgent international action,” Al-Nasser said.
Qatar ‘well-placed’ to contribute to UN reforms
Claiming that UN reforms have become an urgent necessity, Al-Nasser said Qatar is able to support the process related to the organisation’s international responsibilities.
“Qatar is well-placed to contribute to this process by supporting negotiating tracks for reform to make the Council more representative and just, while encouraging greater participation of developing countries in UN decision-making,” he added.
Similarly, Qatar’s advocacy for promoting the United Nations as a unifying platform, in the face of mounting challenges, has shed light on the multilateral action for achieving peace and sustainable development, according to Al-Nasser.
“[I] hope that its participation in the upcoming session of the UN General Assembly would continue the path of excellence and leadership it has pursued at both regional and international levels,” QNA quoted Al-Nasser as saying.
