Doha, September 20 (QNA) - HE Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the United Nations Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani affirmed that the well-established and expanding strategic partnership between the State of Qatar and the United Nations stems from Qatar's commitment to active participation as a member of the international community, and its recognition that the scale of the challenges facing our region and the world exceeds the capacity of any single country to address them alone.

She emphasized that multilateral action within the framework of the United Nations is the optimal means of addressing these challenges.

Her Excellency said, in an exclusive statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA) on the occasion of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 81), that the partnership between the State of Qatar and the United Nations is based on three pillars: a steadfast commitment to the UN Charter, international law, and multilateral international cooperation; sustained practical support for the Organization and its agencies; and an active contribution to developing solutions.

She added that this partnership underwent a qualitative transformation in 2018, when HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani directed that multi-year support be provided to United Nations organizations amounting to $500 million over a period of ten years.

As a practical implementation of this directive, several agreements were signed on the sidelines of the Doha Forum 2018, in the presence of HE Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The agreements covered the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), among others.

In this context, the then-Secretary-General of the United Nations described these agreements as a qualitative leap in the Organization's relationship with the State of Qatar, laying the foundation for a lasting strategic partnership. He also described the relationship between the two sides as a model partnership.

This process acquired an institutional dimension with the opening of the United Nations House in Doha in March 2023. Today, it hosts fourteen offices of UN agencies and organizations, making Doha a regional hub for coordination, dialogue, capacity-building, and responses to regional and global challenges.

As for the prospects for the partnership with the United Nations, Her Excellency said they are moving toward greater integration of roles, from mediation and conflict resolution to development and humanitarian action, as well as support for reforming the Organization through the UN80 Initiative, with the State of Qatar serving as a partner in strengthening the effectiveness of the United Nations and restoring public trust in it.

Regarding the State of Qatar's efforts in mediation, conflict resolution, and the maintenance of international peace and security, Her Excellency Sheikha Alya said that the response to these efforts has been positive, noting that Qatari mediation has become part of the terminology commonly used in the halls of the Organization.

In this regard, Qatar's efforts have received numerous positive references in statements and resolutions of the UN Security Council. In Resolution 2720 (2023), the Council expressed its appreciation for the diplomatic efforts undertaken by the State of Qatar to facilitate a humanitarian pause in the Gaza Strip. It subsequently welcomed, in Resolution 2803 (2025), the constructive role played by the State of Qatar, together with the United States, the Arab Republic of Egypt, and the Republic of Turkiye, in facilitating a ceasefire.

The Security Council also welcomed, in Resolution 2513 (2020), the peace agreement between the United States and the Taliban concluded in Doha, describing it as an important step toward ending the war in Afghanistan.

Qatari mediation efforts have also extended to the African continent, as Her Excellency noted that the State of Qatar continues its mediation efforts in the crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in support of a settlement to the conflict and the consolidation of stability in the Great Lakes region.

In this regard, she noted that members of the UN Security Council welcomed, in a press statement dated July 25, 2025, the efforts of the State of Qatar in facilitating the signing of the Declaration of Principles, which was concluded in Doha on July 19 between the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Congo River Alliance /March 23 Movement (M23). They affirmed that the Doha talks facilitated by the State of Qatar had contributed to significant progress on this issue.

She said that the UN Secretary-General has repeatedly commended the role played by the State of Qatar in facilitating dialogue, de-escalation, and the provision of humanitarian assistance, pointing to numerous UN statements that welcomed Qatar's mediation efforts, alongside the Arab Republic of Egypt and the United States, to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, as well as Qatar's efforts, together with other countries, to achieve a settlement to the current crisis affecting the region.

Recognition of Qatar's role has also been repeatedly expressed in statements delivered by UN Member States and regional groups, such as the Arab Group, at UN forums, particularly during Security Council meetings addressing peace and security issues in which Qatar plays an active role, such as the Palestinian question.

Sheikha Alya noted that what lends credibility to the State of Qatar's efforts within the UN system is that they are grounded in neutrality, strict adherence to international law, respect for the sovereignty of states, and the prioritization of peaceful solutions. She explained that the Permanent Mission works to highlight this role and translate this experience into a normative framework by supporting preventive diplomacy and mediation, financing the tools that support them, and promoting international efforts to protect mediation processes and mediators. 

On the development front, HE Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the United Nations (UN) Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani explained that the initiatives Qatar extends to impoverished, needy, and least developed countries, as well as its support for human rights, relief efforts, and interfaith and intercultural dialogue, stem from the conviction that development, in its economic, social, and environmental dimensions, is a foundation for sustainable peace rather than merely its outcome, and that the least developed countries and those with special circumstances have a right to partnership and solidarity.

In this context, Doha has become a hub for major UN conferences, hosting the second part of the Fifth UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC5) in March 2023, while the Doha Programme of Action (DPoA) for the decade 2022–2031 was adopted during the first part of the conference in March 2022.

She noted that the State of Qatar plays a leading role in implementing the program by strengthening partnerships with UN organizations and specialized agencies and providing multi-year support for their core resources, highlighting the announcement made during the conference by HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, regarding a financial contribution totaling $60 million to support the implementation of the program's activities, as the State prepares to host the high-level meeting for the program's midterm review.

In Nov. 2025, Doha also hosted the Second World Summit for Social Development, which resulted in the Doha Political Declaration and reaffirmed the global commitment to decent work, social protection, and poverty eradication.

Translating these hosting commitments into action, the State of Qatar, through the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD), signed two agreements with the United Nations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS) to build resilience in the least developed countries (LDCs) and establish a food reserve storage system to help address food insecurity. Additionally, Qatar allocated 20% of its Special Drawing Rights (SDR) holdings, approximately $1 billion, to the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT) and the Resilience and Sustainability Trust (RST).

Qatar is also a key investor in the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Accelerator Labs, which operate in over 100 countries, and has launched an initiative to increase investment in education in partnership with the World Bank Group, alongside its initiatives to leverage sports for peacebuilding and discrimination rejection.

HE Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani said the perspective of the UN and the international community on these efforts can be gauged by two indicators. First, the State of Qatar’s continued support, particularly its contributions to the core resources of UN organizations, has solidified its standing as a trusted donor nation because core funding is the most difficult to secure and among the most impactful in enhancing the UN system’s capacity to respond to crises. The second indicator lies in the UN’s repeated selection of Doha as a venue for its specialized conferences and meetings, a mark of confidence accorded only to a partner viewed as a bridge between the Global North and Global South, a voice for dialogue among religions and civilizations, and a reliable partner that honors its commitments.

Regarding the International Day to Protect Education from Attack, observed globally each year on Sept. 9 and established by the UN General Assembly at the proposal of the State of Qatar, the Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the UN emphasized the day's significance in embodying the fundamental principle that schools must remain safe havens, even under the harshest of circumstances.

According to Her Excellency, the UN General Assembly’s (UNGA) adoption of this day, initiated by the State of Qatar and supported by a wide range of member states, marks the culmination of efforts led by HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF), to protect education in areas of conflict and insecurity, adding that HH is a leading international figure in the drive to support and safeguard quality education worldwide, having made a significant impact on the lives of millions of children across the globe through the Education Above All (EAA) foundation.

HE Sheikha Alya said the impact of this day can be observed at three levels: first, the level of awareness, as attacks on schools, universities, students, and teachers are now subject to monitoring, documentation, and accountability, no longer dismissed as mere collateral damage of war; second, the level of norms, as the International Day to Protect Education from Attack has bolstered momentum around the Safe Schools Declaration and relevant UN Security Council (UNSC) resolutions, linking the protection of education to the agenda for protecting civilians and children in armed conflict; and third, the practical level, serving as an annual platform to mobilize resources and partnerships for education in emergencies.

In this context, she added that the Permanent Mission views this resolution as a model for initiatives led by the State of Qatar, emphasizing that Qatar not only works to secure its adoption but also strives to ensure its sustainability, broaden partnerships around it, and link it to the broader efforts of the organization, noting that this is particularly significant at a time when education is facing systematic destruction in various conflict zones, most notably Gaza, where rebuilding the education system forms an integral part of any path toward recovery and peace.

Regarding the institutional relationship with UN organizations and agencies and the fulfillment of obligations towards them, HE Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani emphasized that this relationship is one of mutual trust built upon the fulfillment of obligations.

Her Excellency said the State of Qatar remains committed to fulfilling its financial and political obligations to the organization and its agencies on schedule, highlighting that it is also keen to participate at the highest levels in general debates and high-level meetings, and to engage daily in the work of committees and bodies through its Permanent Mission, operating along two parallel tracks, which are monitoring the implementation of commitments and programs through continuous communication with the Secretariat and agencies, and building upon the resolutions and initiatives spearheaded by the State to ensure their sustainability.

This cooperation extends beyond financial and political support to encompass investment in human capital. The State of Qatar prioritizes increasing its youth presence within the international organization. This commitment has been demonstrated in recent years through the placement of outstanding Qatari professionals, including individuals who combine competence, adaptability, and enthusiasm for working within this system, via the Junior Professional Officer (JPO) Programme, under agreements concluded with the UN Secretariat and specialized agencies such as the UNDP and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

She noted that this is a foundation for a long-term partnership, through which Qatari expertise contributes to the organization's work from within. This commitment also aligns with the national trajectory, as the State continues to advance its comprehensive development agenda in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030 (QNV 2030), which has entered its final phase through the Third National Development Strategy 2024-2030. Qatar's progress in education, innovation, healthcare, and social protection further strengthens its capacity to serve as a reliable partner in implementing the 2030 Agenda internationally.

Regarding UN reform, HE Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the UN said that the UN is entering its 81st session as it continues its work under the UN80 Initiative to achieve a genuine transformation in its efficiency, effectiveness, and real-world impact, emphasizing that this is a necessary process for strengthening the role of the UN and restoring people's confidence.

She believes that the importance of this path is magnified by the interconnected challenges facing the world, ranging from wars and armed conflicts to rising inequality, development financing gaps, and the devastating impacts of climate change, as well as the urgent need for a global consensus on the ethical use of artificial intelligence and emerging digital technologies, and the imperative to bridge the digital divide between the Global North and Global South.

HE Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the UN Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani affirmed in her concluding remarks to Qatar News Agency (QNA) that the State of Qatar will remain steadfast in its foreign policy principles regionally and internationally in the face of these challenges, foremost among them supporting peace, prioritizing dialogue, upholding international law, pursuing the peaceful settlement of disputes, and working with the UN toward a world defined by justice, peace, and equality. (QNA)