Qatar is a strong and effective partner that can be relied upon in building international peace and security, having maintained its top ranking on the Global Peace Index among Middle East and North African countries, HE the Minister of Development Planning and Statistics, Dr Saleh Mohamed Salem al-Nabit said.
Addressing the United Nations High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development 2017 in New York, the minister made a presentation on sustainable development in Qatar, noting that Qatar’s population stands nearly at 2.7mn.
According to the World Bank, the minister said, Qatar ranks first in terms of GDP per capita based on the purchasing power parity at current prices.
The GDP per capita in Qatar amounted $74,000 in 2016 and economic growth for the same year was 2.2% and is expected to slightly grow to 2.8 this year, he added.
HE Dr al-Nabit said that the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) Human Development Report, Qatar ranked 33 out of 188 countries on the Human Development Index (HDI) to lead Arab countries in the report.
Life expectancy in 2016 was 78.3 and adult literacy for both sexes increased from 96.7% in 2015 to 97.8 in 2016, while enrolment in higher education increased from 14% in 2015 to 16% in 2016 for people in the higher education age group, the minister said.
Participation in workforce for those in the age group of over 15 years old was 84.6 in 2016, while unemployment rate dropped in the 14-24 age group from 1.1% in 2015 to less than 1% in 2016.
The ratio of Internet users grew from 91.5% in 2015 to 92.9% in 2016, the minister said, adding that such figures place Qatar near The Netherlands (93.1%) and put it ahead of Finland (92.7%) and the United Kingdom (92%). The minster of development planning and statistics said the Global Competitiveness Index 2016-17 placed Qatar in the second place at the Arab level and 18th worldwide according to the report issued by the World Economic Forum.
He noted that these indicators constitute a clear evidence of the success of the wise economic and development policies of the country, which directly helped in boosting the competitiveness of national economy.
Qatar has won the hosting rights of the 2022 World Cup, HE Dr al-Nabit said, adding that reasons such as credibility, the wide recognition that Qatar enjoys and its sizeable resources and capacities all qualified it to stage the showpiece.
The minister said the whole country believes in His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani’s saying that development and stability go together and rely on each other, and that the comprehensive definition of development aims for the promotion of people and achieving society stability, with wise governance; rule of law; combating corruption and unfairness; establishing humanitarian values; achieving social justice and equality; and avoiding marginalisation and religious and sectarian exclusion all serving as reasons for achieving development goals.
Since launching Qatar National Vision 2030 in 2008, which is based on the four pillars of economic, social, human and environmental development, HE Dr al-Nabit said, it has worked to accomplish sustainable development, promote the quality of life, enhance welfare among the people, and support international peace and security.
He added that to achieve that vision, the government has adopted the first Qatar National Development Strategy 2011-2016, which became the main director of ministries, government institutions, civil society groups and other specialised entities operating in the country.
By following the result-based strategic planning approach, the minister said, economic, social, human and environmental development are no longer separate sectors but have instead become integrated and linked in order to achieve the goals of Qatar National Vision 2030.
HE Dr al-Nabit said the first national strategy made several achievements such as adopting primary care as a basis of healthcare in line with international standards by increasing the quantity and quality of hospitals, while focusing on preventive healthcare and training a skilled national workforce in accordance with the adopted health policy.
Emergency and pharmacy services have also improved.
Regarding education and training, the minister said the education and training strategy emphasised guaranteeing comprehensive and good education for all.
The enrolment rate in higher education raised its quality and strengthened technical education, vocational training, scientific research and innovation, while reaffirming the role of youths in promoting welfare.
Along with its national universities, Qatar hosts a number of prestigious universities in many fields of theoretical and applied sciences, and has a strong infrastructure for research, development and innovation, the minister said.
The first national strategy helped in boosting a competent, highly motivated and productive workforce by implementing a set of measures to develop human capital and increase the efficiency of the labour market, the minister said.
The strategy adopted a system to protect the wages of private sector workers and aimed at developing an integrated approach that takes into account the well-being of the people of Qatar; building a peaceful, secure and stable society based on a cohesive family that preserves moral, religious and humanitarian values; and the establishment of an effective social protection system that provides everyone sufficient income for everyone to lead a healthy and generous life in a secure and stable society under the principles of justice and equality under the rule of law.
The minister of development planning and statistics noted that Qatar has adopted the strategy of family cohesion and empowerment of women, which focused on the importance of a family with a strong structure that takes care of its members, upholds human values and ideals, and pays special attention to women’s capacity building, her economic and social empowerment, and supports her participation in all fields.
On the economic development front, HE Dr al-Nabit said Qatar has aimed to enhance three parallel and interrelated trends related to expanding the production base in order to sustain prosperity, ensuring economic stability, and enhancing efficiency and economic diversification.
Several projects related to improving infrastructure, developing industries and developing the financing sector have been implemented, while emphasising rapid and comprehensive economic growth and providing appropriate work for all, so that no one is left behind, the minister added.
He noted that the issues of climate change, improving air quality, reducing gas combustion and increasing environmental awareness have received great attention in the first national development strategy.
He added that the strategy was also keen on the development of interest in the environment and marine resources, the quality of coastal waters, the conservation and enhancement of fisheries, promoting fish farming, the protection of terrestrial ecosystems, the protection of biodiversity, the reduction and recycling of waste, the establishment of green areas, and the promotion of the efficient use and delivery of drinking water for all at an affordable cost.
He explained that the first national development strategy sought to encourage innovation, develop scientific research, transfer technology and establish the appropriate infrastructure towards that end.
To achieve that, he said, the state has allocated 2.8% of national revenue to support scientific research.
The minister of development planning and statistics pointed to the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, noting that they were incorporated into the second National Development Strategy 2017-2022, which will be launched soon.
He pointed out that these goals have become an integral part of the national development strategy, where forms of governance, ownership, implementation entities and mechanisms, monitoring and evaluation system, and reporting on progress toward the goals were all identified.
The minister highlighted that Qatar adopted the indicator framework that endorsed by the United Nations Statistical Commission and also joined the UN project on transition in official statistics, which is managed by the United Nations Statistics Division, to update the whole national statistical system and provide the required data and indicators to monitor and follow up on the implementation of the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The minister of development planning and statistics addressed the global partnership, eradicating poverty and promoting prosperity in a changing world, saying that Qatar works in partnership with several international organisations to provide support to low-income countries across many health, education and economic fields.
In this regard, HE Dr al-Nabit said Qatar helped and still helps in refugee issues and remains a strong, active and reliable partner in building international peace and security thanks to its great contribution to the organisation of forums and conferences in order to establish dialogue between different civilisations and religions.



Related Story