Qatar has highlighted the various, mounting, and unprecedented challenges facing the world, arising from armed conflicts and natural disasters such as climate change, earthquakes, floods, and coronavirus which spawn full dimensional catastrophic humanitarian crises in various world territories, pointing to the tremendous amount of humanitarian needs the international community must respond to.
This came in a statement delivered by HE the Permanent Representative of Qatar to the UN Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif al-Thani before the Security Council's open debate on advancing public-private humanitarian partnerships within the framework of the item: Maintenance of international peace and security at the UN headquarters in New York.
HE Sheikha Alya touched on Qatar's role in providing humanitarian assistance to those affected by disasters and crises, as well as development assistance to consolidate peace, stability and achieve sustainable development, especially in developed countries, least developed countries, countries affected by crises and countries that are emerging from crises, in consistent with its role as a responsible and active member of the international community.
She pointed out that, in the past week, Qatar was the first country that airlifted hundreds of tonnes of urgent humanitarian aid to flood-affected Libya, and a few days before that, it sent aid the earthquake victims in Morocco. Relief shipments were sent to the people in Sudan this year, as well as support was provided to quake-hit people in Syria and Turkiye.
She said that Qatar exerted tremendous efforts during the past two years to improve the humanitarian situations in Afghanistan. This includes the rapid establishment of air bridges to transport tens of thousands of Afghan people and foreign nationals through Doha and ensuring their hosting, and providing special education opportunities for Afghan girls, as well as rehabilitating the airport in Kabul to facilitate the movement of persons and humanitarian assistance.
HE Sheikha Alya affirmed that in light of countering a multitude of global challenges, the joint responsibility for the UN and member states is to explore and take advantage of all available means to bridge the gap in the level of humanitarian response and strengthen its efficiency. Therefore, the inherent transformative abilities of private sector cannot be reduced since private sector is one of the fundamental stakeholders to provide urgent humanitarian assistance or development assistance, in addition to advancing the communities that face disasters, crises and social, economic, and environmental challenges.
She asserted that Qatar realised the added benefit private sector can provide in multiple fields, mainly the humanitarian and development fields, hence the State has given priority to partnerships with this sector at the national level and in many fields, such as cooperation in projects that contribute to reducing carbon emissions and subsequently mitigate climate crisis.
With respect to the contribution of private sector, she outlined that Qatar has contributed to numerous relief campaigns, such as Al Fakhoora campaign for Gaza Strip and engaged with the civil society and private sector in providing financial contribution, adding that trade institutions have much to offer alongside funds, for instance technical and logistical expertise in the areas of digital and cutting-edge technology, communications, data analysis and Artificial Intelligence (AI).
HE Sheikha Alya highlighted the partnership between the international organisation and private sector. In recognition of this, Qatar's support for the Innovation Unit of the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs was part of the contribution agreement signed by the two parties this year. Qatar announced its generous multi-year and non-earmarked support totalling $500mn for core resources to the UN bodies and agencies, that contribute to the UN efforts, including partnership with private sector.