MoFA Secretary-General HE Dr. Ahmed bin Hassan Al Hammadi addressing the 10th UNAOC Global Forum in Portugal.
Lisbon: Qatar participated in the 10th United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) Global Forum under the theme “United in Peace: Restoring Trust, Reshaping the Future”, which was held in Cascais, Portugal.
Qatar was represented at the Forum by Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) and Chairman of Qatar Committee for the Alliance of Civilizations H E Dr. Ahmed bin Hassan Al Hammadi.
During his speech at the UNAOC Global Forum, he stressed Qatar’s determination and keenness to achieve the goals sought by the UNAOC, which represent the international community’s endeavour to promote the values of peace, tolerance and understanding among societies and peoples, and to achieve a world of mutual respect, which contributes to building a better future for all.
He pointed out that the convening of the 10th forum is of particular importance, in light of the worsening manifestations of extremism and tension on the global scene, noting that this reality imposes the need to intensify efforts and initiatives to spread the values of tolerance and cooperation, combat extremism and terrorism, and provide the necessary environment for the peace sought by the international community.
He reiterated that the world today is in dire need of initiatives like the UNAOC, which aims to lay the foundations for just and lasting peace, adding that the absence of peace and its root causes lead to horrific atrocities, as is witnessed in the Gaza Strip as a result of the blatant disregard for the value of human life and human rights, and double standards in establishing justice and enforcing international law.
The tragic events taking place in Gaza will remain a stain on the conscience of the international community until it takes the necessary steps to stop the bloodshed and unprecedented human suffering, in addition to provide opportunities for a lasting and just peace that will restore people’s dignity and hopes, he stressed.
The MoFA Secretary-General said that the UNAOC played a very important role in confronting the dangers resulting from the rise of trends and ideas that undermine human values and threaten peace and stability in the world. Qatar was among the first countries to support the UNAOC since its establishment, as a mechanism that is consistent with and reflects the State’s policy of effectively contributing to enhancing international peace and security, preventive diplomacy, encouraging the values of diversity, respect for human rights, mutual respect, understanding and cooperation between religions and cultures, and preventing and settling conflicts through peaceful means, he added.
He pointed out that Qatar hosted the 4th UNAOC Global Forum in 2011 and sponsored the 8th, which was held in New York in 2018, in addition to providing generous financial contributions to support the Alliance over the past years, enabling it to achieve its goals.
Qatar’s interest in these important issues and its keenness to enhance its contribution to the UNAOC is seen through the establishment of the Qatari Committee for the Alliance of Civilizations in 2010 to advance the goals of the Alliance, through cooperation with all active parties at the international and regional levels, he added.
