Qatar participated in the 13th ministerial meeting of the Group of Friends of Mediation, which was held on the sidelines of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly in New York. HE the Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Mohamed bin Abdulaziz bin Saleh al-Khulaifi represented Qatar at the meeting.
Addressing the meeting, HE al-Khulaifi hailed the Qatari mediation efforts that lead to many widely recognised achievements in promoting peace, security and stability, starting from Afghanistan and passing through Lebanon to the Horn of Africa and Chad. He added that many parties in conflicts look forward to Qatar's good endeavours thanks to its honest and neutral approaches, which affirms that the concerned parties take the lead themselves.
Qatar's continued focus on comprehensive approaches to addressing conflicts and crises, and addressing their root causes, including by supporting human rights and justice, and inclusion of all components of society is another success factor, he added, highlighting Qatar's efforts to enhance participation of women and youth in peace processes. Last year, Doha hosted the High-Level Global Conference on Youth-Inclusive Peace Processes, which aimed to promote the meaningful inclusion of youth in peace and security.
He added that Qatar sees the UN as an effective and important international body not only as a mediator, but also as a promoter of mediation, and fully supports the comprehensive vision of the UN Secretary-General for the sustainability of peace, which is reflected in his efforts to implement the recommendations related to international peace and security contained in the "Our Common Agenda" report. Therefore, backing mediation, and innovation in mediation are among the priorities of the multi-year contribution agreement signed this year between the State of Qatar and the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, he added.
He pointed out that Qatar has long been calling for meaningful dialogue in the Gulf region on the basis of common interests, respect for sovereignty, and non-interference in the internal affairs of states, noting that Qatar has intensified its efforts, especially since last year, to facilitate indirect talks between the US and Iran, at the request of both parties, in order to build confidence and complete the Vienna talks. The results of this effort were demonstrated in the detainee exchange agreement on Monday, he noted.
He affirmed that Qatar would continue to work with its international partners to prevent and resolve conflicts and enhance the role of mediation.
