QNA/Geneva


Qatar has reiterated its stance in condemning terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and stressed the fight against terrorism must be through a comprehensive plan and co-ordinated international actions to address the root causes of terrorism.
HE the Assistant Foreign Minister for International Co-operation Affairs Mohamed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani said the scourge of terrorism and extremism arises and spreads out of poverty, tyranny, oppression and repression, adding these causes must be taken into account in the fight against this scourge which cannot be eradicated through military solution alone.
Mohamed bin Abdulrahman was speaking at the Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday.
Qatar’s efforts to address this phenomenon cannot be dissociated from the international community’s efforts, he said, adding that Qatar launched initiatives and supported a number of international mechanisms in combating terrorism, in addition to supporting development projects and programmes aimed at poor communities and unemployment problems in many countries.
He pointed to Qatar’s pledge to support “the Global Fund on Community Engagement and Resilience,” with $5mn, adding that this fund is regarded as the newest international mechanism in combating terrorism by eliminating its root causes.
Mohamed bin Abdulrahman also underlined Qatar’s initiatives, which include “Protecting Education in Insecurity and Armed Conflict” programme and the “Educate a Child” initiative.
He also said Qatar believes in the right of all countries to the peaceful use of nuclear power as a non-negotiable right, particularly for developing countries seeking to achieve progress in economic development in line with legal commitments, the UN Charter and international law, and in co-operation with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Addressing the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman said Qatar has followed a firm national policy on disarmament issues stemming from its commitment to its responsibilities towards preserving international peace and security and its belief in backing disarmament endeavours.
He noted that Qatar has joined major international disarmament conventions, including the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), the Biological Weapons Convention, the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), and the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT).
He pointed out that Qatar has hosted many conferences and seminars on disarmament issues, most recently a seminar on CWC and chemical safety and security for Asian member states of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).
The assistant foreign minister said the conference comes at a critical point that sees an increase in regional crises and terrorist threats as well as a surge in the risks of a spread in weapons of mass destruction, which jeopardizes international stability and security.
He said the Conference on Disarmament must review the expansion of its membership to be more representative and democratic to go in line with its rules of procedure regarding the periodical membership of the conference.
He added that Qatar expressed interest in joining the Conference on Disarmament as a member and submitted a request to the conference’s general secretariat in June 2012 out of its belief in the importance of the event in forging significant agreements in the field of disarmament.


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