Doha, October 27 (QNA) - Peace and stability underpin sustainable investment, which serves as a catalyst for development and lasting peace, HE Dr. Ahmad bin Mohammed Al Sayed, Minister of State for Foreign Trade at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, said during the high-level closing session of the ninth World Investment Forum in Doha on Monday.
Addressing the session, HE Al Sayed said the world was at a critical juncture marked by mounting geopolitical tensions, fragmented markets and profound uncertainty. He underscored the need to make dialogue the cornerstone of international engagement, warning against discord and stressing that peace and stability are fundamental to sustainable investment.
He added that responsible investment was instrumental in creating jobs, advancing development and fostering lasting peace and shared prosperity. These principles, he noted, underpin Qatar's engagement with the international community and reflect its commitment to promoting peace and stability while advancing development and well-being.
HE Al Sayed said the forum's success would ultimately be measured by its tangible outcomes: partnerships translated into projects, commitments converted into productive investment, and capital mobilized to create meaningful opportunities.
HE Al Sayed noted that the forum attracted more than 5,000 participants to Doha, exceeding expectations, including four prime ministers, more than 60 ministers and over 400 speakers across more than 80 discussion sessions. He said the strong turnout reflected a shared commitment to advancing a more sustainable and inclusive global investment landscape.
He reaffirmed that Qatar's hosting of the forum marked not an endpoint, but a continuation of its commitment to trade openness, constructive dialogue and sustainable investment. He also pledged continued cooperation with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and its partners to translate shared ambitions into measurable progress.
Concluding his remarks, HE Al Sayed said the future of investment was about more than capital flows; it was about shaping a shared future. He reaffirmed that Doha would remain open to investors, offering a welcoming destination for investment and a platform for continued dialogue.
In turn, Nan Li Collins, Director of UNCTAD’s Division on Investment and Enterprise, said the ninth World Investment Forum had advanced the global investment agenda through initiatives to strengthen investment governance, modernize international investment agreements and enhance developing countries' capacity to facilitate investment through targeted technical assistance.
She highlighted the forum's focus on promoting responsible investment in artificial intelligence (AI), scaling up green investment, advancing the blue economy and strengthening ocean-based economies. Other priorities included developing partnerships to support Small Island Developing States and advancing investment, culture and innovation.
Addressing AI and emerging sectors, Collins highlighted collaboration with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to mobilize investors and explore investment instruments that would help developing countries attract funding for critical digital infrastructure. She also emphasized the need to help developing countries keep pace with advances in space technology and harness its potential to improve people's lives.
Collins underscored the importance of building a sustainable business ecosystem by mobilizing additional financing and equipping the next generation of business managers, board members and corporate leaders with the skills needed to embed sustainability in business practices. She also stressed the need for a risk-sharing initiative to help catalyze investment, alongside stronger support for knowledge, research and strategic partnerships, with a focus on investment and closer cooperation with regional institutions.
Pedro Manuel Moreno, Acting Secretary-General of UNCTAD, said the forum had demonstrated Doha's capacity to bring governments, public institutions and the private sector together around shared priorities, showing that dialogue could pave the way for meaningful cooperation.
He said the forum had illustrated how dialogue could turn agreements into lasting partnerships and ensure that development delivered tangible benefits, giving people a greater stake in the future.
Moreno said the forum had generated more than 20 outcomes across six priority areas, including investment frameworks, AI, financing, research and entrepreneurship. Key results included the launch of three regional investment reports, the signing of nine new partnership agreements, efforts to strengthen investment promotion agencies, and the establishment of a supervisory committee tasked with developing principles for responsible investment in AI.
The closing session reviewed the forum's key outcomes and outlined priorities for future action, focusing on strengthening international cooperation and mobilizing investment to advance sustainable development. (QNA)