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LoginUN Official to QNA: Partnership with Qatar Strengthens International Child Protection Efforts
Doha, September 22 (QNA) - The strategic partnership between the State of Qatar and the United Nations on humanitarian issues goes well beyond financial support, extending to dialogue, knowledge-sharing and joint efforts to protect the most vulnerable groups affected by conflict, particularly children, according to Dawoud Almassri, Head of the Analysis and Outreach Hub of the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict (OSRSG-CAAC) in Doha.
Speaking to Qatar News Agency (QNA), Almassri said the Hub had emerged as an important platform for deepening cooperation between Qatar and the United Nations, particularly by maintaining direct and sustained engagement with governments, regional organizations and countries affected by armed conflict.
He said the Hub's proximity to key partners in the region had strengthened its ability to build channels of communication with regional institutions, including the League of Arab States, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the African Union, helping expand engagement with conflict-affected countries such as Afghanistan, Yemen, Sudan, Somalia and Syria.
This engagement provides a deeper understanding of the challenges facing children in conflict settings and helps bring their needs and voices to the attention of decision-makers, he said.
The Hub's presence in Doha has taken on added significance given Qatar's active role in mediation on a range of regional and international issues and its hosting of parties to conflicts for dialogue, Almassri said. Such a role, he added, creates broader avenues for the United Nations to engage on difficult issues and helps translate political dialogue into practical measures to protect children affected by conflict.
Established in Doha with the support of the State of Qatar, the UN's Analysis and Outreach Hub is the only facility of its kind in the region and has played a prominent role in strengthening regional engagement, he said. The Hub was established in 2022 and focuses on promoting child protection in peace processes, preventing grave violations against children, and supporting education in reintegration efforts.
Over the past two years, the Hub has organized regional workshops attended by more than 130 officials and participants from Arab countries to provide training and facilitate the exchange of expertise on issues affecting children in armed conflict. It has also engaged more than 400 participants through seminars and workshops and developed partnerships with around 20 institutions, further establishing its role as a platform for dialogue, knowledge-sharing and capacity-building on child protection.
Almassri said the Hub's cooperation had extended beyond government institutions to organizations working in education and youth affairs, including the Education Above All Foundation, the Ministry of Education and Higher Education and Qatar Museums. These partnerships, he noted, had helped the Hub reach hundreds of children and young people, listen to their views and concerns, and bring their voices into policy discussions.
The Hub has also organized a range of events and activities aimed at contributing to the development of international policies on the protection of children in armed conflict, he said.
Almassri highlighted the Hub's contribution to work on the strategic plan for Africa, which includes practical measures to protect children affected by armed conflict, describing it as a reflection of the Hub's evolution from a platform for communication and knowledge-sharing into a space that also contributes to policy development and practical solutions.
The importance of this role is growing as UN reporting points to continued and rising violations against children in situations of armed conflict, making prevention, protection and accountability increasingly urgent priorities on the international agenda.
The partnership between the Hub and the State of Qatar comes at a time when there is a growing need to translate international political commitments into concrete measures to protect children, he said.
Qatar's diplomatic reach, active mediation role and growing trust among different parties, Almassri added, provide an important space for bringing the voices of conflict-affected children into international decision-making.
Ahead of the UN General Assembly meetings in New York, he stressed the importance of ensuring that the protection of children remains high on the international political agenda.
Protecting children, he said, should not be viewed solely as a humanitarian issue, but as a political responsibility requiring clear commitments as well as measurable and implementable action.
Looking ahead, Almassri said the Hub aims to expand its engagement with countries affected by conflict, strengthen training and capacity-building programs, broaden efforts to hear directly from affected communities and children, and ensure that their voices reach the halls of the United Nations. (QNA)
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