In the presence of directors of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Environment, the Global Dryland Alliance (GDA) hosted a dinner reception for the heads of diplomatic missions and representatives of international organisations in Doha.
In his remarks to the guests, GDA executive director ambassador Bader al-Dafa discussed how the GDA initiative was introduced by HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani to establish an international organisation aimed at making dryland countries food-secure and contribute to peace and stability in the world.
Ambassador al-Dafa said the alliance will complement existing international endeavours confronting the challenges of poverty, hunger and food insecurity in dryland countries, which represent more than 40% of the globe’s surface and inhabited by a third of the world’s population.
He added that GDA has pledged that its programmes and projects will help member-countries improve agriculture policies, implement the latest techniques in agriculture, irrigation and fertilisers, adopt early detection of natural disasters and climate change, and enhance co-operation in times of emergency and crises and face price fluctuations in the world’s food markets.
Ambassador al-Dafa informed attendees at the dinner that a ministerial meeting would be held in Marrakesh, Morocco, in May-end to present the GDA foundation treaty to the alliance’s founding member-states and to discuss innovative financing mechanisms to fund the alliance’s
programmes and projects.
Bader al-Dafa speaking at the gathering.
