The State of Qatar has reaffirmed the importance of full implementation of the sustainable development goals as a main and strategic complementary tool to prevent and combat violent extremism, highlighting that this would address several social and economic reasons for violent extremism.
HE Dr Mutlaq bin Majid al-Qahtani, the foreign minister’s special envoy for combating terrorism and mediation in conflict resolution, made the remarks before a seminar organised by Qatar’s permanent mission to the United Nations in association with the Center on International Co-operation (CIC), a think tank based at New York University, and Silatech organisation, on the sidelines of the 72nd UN General Assembly under the theme of combating and tackling violent extremism through sustainable development goals.
Al-Qahtani pointed out to the challenges of fighting violent extremism, notably the absence of the rule of law; human rights violations; racial, national and religious discrimination; the lack of political participation; social and economic marginalisation; and lacking wise governance.
He noted that Qatar supports initiatives that focus on sustainable development goals that have direct impact on combating violent extremism, highlighting Qatar’s firm commitment to supporting the implementation of goal 16 of sustainable development goals that calls for enhancing peaceful, comprehensive and fair communities.
The seminar focused on a number of aspects, including means of preventing the conditions that lead to violent extremism, the exchange of beneficial expertise and policies in addressing the reasons for violent extremism, and means of increasing the involvement of youths and civil society groups to prevent violence and extremism.
The seminar stressed that the full implementation of the Agenda for Sustainable Development would lead to combating violent extremism by tackling its social and economic root causes.
Qatar participated in supporting several international, regional and national initiatives in this regard such as the UN General Assembly high-level thematic conversation on children and youth affected by violent extremism on June 3, 2016, which was opened by HE the Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani and Mogens Lykketoft, president of the 70th session of the UN General Assembly.
UN Office on Drugs and Crime Executive Director Yury Fedotov participated in the seminar along with Sarah Cliffe, director of New York University’s Center on International Co-operation; Silatech Chief Executive Officer Sabah Ismail al-Haidoos; International Development Law Organisation Director-General Irene Khan; Jayathma Wickramanayake, the UN secretary-general’s envoy for youth; Quilliam Foundation Chief Executive Officer Haras Rafiq; Eric Rosand, director of the Prevention Project: Organising Against Violent Extremism; Qatar University Law Professor Reem al-Ansari; and Oxford University associate researcher Lulwah al-Khater.
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