Sustainable development is a process that entails positive outcomes, HE Lulwah al-Khater, official spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has said.
She was giving a lecture on “Development Theory and the Role of Women” at Qatar University (QU). The event was hosted by the Psychological Sciences Department at QU College of Education (QU-CED) in commemoration of the International Women’s Day.
HE al-Khater highlighted the United Nations’ definitions of economic, human and sustainable development and the development epistemological roots.
She provided an overview of the institutionalisation of development theory through the establishment of the UN in 1945, the Unesco in 1946, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in 1965, the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2000, the UN Women in 2010, and the Sustainable Development Goals in Post 2015.
HE al-Khater said the sustainable development goals include no poverty; no hunger; good health and well-being; quality education; gender equality; clean water and sanitation; affordable and clean energy; decent work and economic growth; industry, innovation and infrastructure; reduced inequalities; sustainable cities and communities; responsible consumption and production; climate action; life below water; life on land; peace, justice and strong institutions; and partnerships for the goals. She pointed to the development theories and global standards and to the universality versus locality of international standards.
HE al-Khater noted that Qatar has been ranked 33rd in Human Development in 2017. “The Human Development Index is a composite index that includes education, health, gender equality, human security and other indicators”, she said.
She highlighted the conventions and measures to achieve women’s development such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women in 1979, the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action in 1995, the Gender Development Index and the Gender Empowerment Measure in 1995, and the Gender Inequality Index in 2010.
The audience actively interacted with HE al-Khater following her address, seeking responses on issues related to women’s rights in the world of business, the role of women in higher administration levels, the challenges that women face in the diplomatic field, and more.
The lecture was attended by QU vice-president for Research and Graduate Studies Prof Mariam al-Maadeed, CED dean Dr Ahmed al-Emadi, and Department of Psychological Sciences head Dr Asma al-Attiyah, as well as CED faculty, staff and around 100 students.
