The Doha Declaration shares commitment and a strong political will to uphold the rule of law and the prevention of crime in all its forms and manifestations, stated the Prime Minister and Interior Minister HE Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani, who was also the President of the 13th UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice.
He announced the closure of the Congress yesterday by approving the Doha Declaration, which calls for the integration of crime prevention and criminal justice in to the broader work of the United Nations agenda to address social and economic challenges and strengthen the rule of law at the national and international levels and public participation.
“The Doha Declaration, which was accomplished through the long months of painstaking negotiations in Vienna, shared commitment and strong political will to uphold the rule of law and the prevention of crime in all its forms and manifestations,” the Congress president explained.
“The Doha Declaration developed a forward-looking and pragmatic approach, such as a quantum leap in the international community’s efforts to prevent crime and criminal justice.
“We have agreed in the Doha Declaration on the programmes and plans at the local, national, regional and international levels to implement our commitments in the Declaration during the next five years. We have also agreed to establish fair and humane systems of criminal justice and unify the joint international effort towards existing and future challenges, including the question of the relationship between the rule of law and sustainable development.
“The Congress helped a lot for the exchange of information and experiences for the world that would add to fulfil states’ efforts for crime prevention and criminal justice in order to realise the sustainable development.”
The president also urged everyone to follow the recommendations of the Youth Forum which highlighted the proposal of involving young people in all crime prevention programmes and plans and the proposal to establish a global youth council, for the consideration of not only the crime prevention but for all local, national, regional and international levels to serve the community and humanity.
HE the Prime Minister referred to Qatar’s initiative to launch a regional fund for the education and training of displaced and refugee children and young people.
“This initiative is part of the State’s commitment to the integration of economic, social and cultural dimensions in crime prevention policies. Qatar chose displaced people and refugees because they are victims of conflict and they are more exposed to crime and extremism than others.”
He hoped that Qatar’s action will be an incentive for other countries to take similar initiatives to integrate economic, social and cultural dimensions in crime prevention policies and to speed up the elimination of ignorance and backwardness, poverty and unemployment, which are the kegs of crime and terrorism and all forms of extremism and violence.
HE Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani at the closing ceremony of the Congress yesterday.
