By Pratap John/Chief Business Reporter
HH the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani has stressed the need for “domestic stability” to achieve economic and social development, attract and encourage investment as well as promote international trade, referring to the “Arab Spring” in some regional countries.
“Instability in some Arab countries, which is reflected by what is called the Arab Spring uprisings, were not only caused by poverty, unemployment among youth, and disparity in regional development in most cases, but also by other reasons, namely, oppression and suppression policies, lack of popular participation in economic and social decision-making, corruption, lack of equal opportunities, and enriching a small group of regimes’ figures and big businessmen at the expense of the majority of the people,” the Emir said in his opening address at the 13th session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad) in Doha yesterday.
“It has been proved that the economic policies driven by the short-term political interest of rulers, and those motivated by the economic interests of their entourage, and not by the interests of the state and society are catastrophic policies with disastrous consequences. Internal stability cannot be achieved under such conditions, since its realisation requires enabling the peoples to express their choices and aspirations in a free manner and respect all their legitimate rights.
“We hope that after the difficult transitional stages, the Arab countries would make their economic choices based on democratic options that would be in favour of the states, communities and the region, and have positive impacts on the global level.
“But before that, the transitional stages must be organised on the basis of principles agreed upon by the effective social political forces so as to lead the Arab Spring countries to safety and make them a role model for others. They need our economic assistance and support in the transitional stages that precede the achievement of these economic plans.
“The Arab peoples took to the streets for their dignity and freedom, and they paid, and are still paying dearly for them. We are confident that great nations with such a determination would achieve their objectives and usher in their aspired future,” the Emir said.
The success of development efforts and the evolution of relations of commercial cooperation between different countries require the availability of a global climate where justice, security and stability prevail, because the worsening of the tension and conflicts, and the lingering of a number of international issues without final settlement pose a great hindrance to achieving peace and development.
The Emir expressed his appreciation for the efforts of the General Secretariat of the Organisation of Unctad to achieve its lofty goals and for its effort in co-ordinating with Qatar to prepare for the conference and seek its success.
“I am pleased to point out here that Doha has become an important venue for conferences that seek to promote development at the global level, and this reflects the consistent interest of Qatar in development issues worldwide.
“Qatar hosted the Fourth Ministerial Meeting of the World Trade Organisation in 2001, which was the beginning of the so-called Doha Round, which put forward an ambitious working programme to strengthen the role of trade in the development process. It also hosted the 2nd Summit Conference of the G-77 plus China, which was held in 2005.
“We meet today at the 13th United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, which is held during events that posed numerous and significant economic and political challenges and crises in the world after the Unctad XII held in Accra, Ghana in 2008.”
