HE Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations Amina Mohamed yesterday praised Qatar’s pivotal role in supporting and assisting the United Nations in promoting fragile societies, combating poverty, human trafficking and other issues that remain the biggest challenges for the world.
Addressing the plenary session of the 2017 Doha Forum, the UN official welcomed Qatar’s solidarity with the United Nations in working to reduce conflicts and fight climate change, unemployment among youth, violence, nationalism, populism, xenophobia and inequality, stressing that many people have lost confidence in governing regimes for their inability to deal with such issues.
These challenges faced by the world feed each other and represent major threats to human life, she said, urging the international community to establish a secure society that deal equally with all its members and protect them from violence.
Qatar is aware of the serious problems plaguing the planet like climate change, she said, praising its commitment and ongoing efforts to combating this issue by relaying on renewable energy and developing an infrastructure, which is consistent with the pursuit of the United Nations development agenda.
She praised the agenda of this year’s edition of Doha Forum discussing the most urgent regional and international issues, including the situation of refugees and displaced persons along with factors of stability in the world.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Minister of Petroleum and Natural Resources Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said that the Doha Forum 2017 covered all issues that concern on the world’s agenda in a special way.
He added that the forum supports communication by providing an opportunity to everybody to take part in a conversation on issues that concern the global public opinion.
Speaking to Qatar New Agency on the sidelines of Doha Forum 2017, the minister said that the wide-ranging participation of personalities representing government authorities and academic institutions was positive as it allows for an exchange in opinions on topics like refugees, the economy, and terrorism.
On bilateral relations between Qatar and Pakistan, Abbasi said that bilateral ties were growing and has recently seen a signing of an agreement allowing Qatar to supply Pakistan with LNG.
He noted that the number of LNG shipments increased from three a month to five. The figure equates to 4bn tonnes a year, worth $1.5bn in current market prices.
He noted that Pakistan is looking forward to enhancing co-operation with Qatar by attracting investments to Pakistan in the field of energy.
He added that Pakistan has a number of opportunities that the Qatari side can benefit from.
Those opportunities were especially evident in agriculture, infrastructure, and real estate.
President of Mali Ibrahim Boubacar Keita also hailed Qatar’s great role in support of humanitarian issues in general, and the refugees issues in particular, at regional and international levels.
President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita also highlighted the relentless efforts exerted by Qatar to resolve many humanitarian crises in various parts of the world.
Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri thanked Qatar, HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, the government and people of Qatar for their continuous support of the rightful causes and for standing by Lebanon in good and difficult times. Addressing the 17th Doha Forum, Hariri said Doha Forum is proving its importance year after year in discussing the most urgent political, economic and social issues in the region and the world.