The High-level International Conference on Countering Terrorism and Preventing Violent Extremism concluded in the Tajik capital of Dushanbe on Saturday.

The conference was organised by Tajikistan and Qatar in cooperation with the United Nations, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the European Union, in the presence of Tajikistan Foreign Minister Sirodjidin Aslov.

HE the Special Envoy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Combating Terrorism and Mediation in Conflict Resolution Dr Mutlaq bin Majed al-Qahtani headed the Qatar delegation.

Addressing the gathering, he said the fight against terrorism and extremism was and will remain a top priority for Qatar. He reiterated Qatar's commitment to cooperate with all countries, international and regional organisations, and with various United Nations bodies related to combating terrorism and combating violent extremism.

He added that the financial, technical and logistical contributions made by Qatar in this regard are an affirmation of its conviction of combating terrorism, combating its financing and preventing violent extremism in all its forms.

Al-Qahtani reminded the participants that member states of the United Nations adopted in September 2006 a global counter-terrorism strategy as a unique global instrument for strengthening national, regional and international efforts to combat terrorism. He said this was the first time that all member states agreed on a unified strategic approach to combat terrorism as a solid and comprehensive basis for the implementation of an integrated approach based on the maintenance of international peace and security.

He noted that since the adoption of the United Nations strategy, Qatar has been keen to fully implement this strategy because of the important measures it has taken in accordance with its four pillars. The first and foremost focused on the need to address the conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism, including but not limited to conflicts, wars and the absence of sovereignty, human rights violations, discrimination based on ethnicity, national and religious affiliation, political exclusion, social and economic marginalisation, lack of good governance and unemployment, and its fourth pillar on measures to ensure respect for human rights for all and the rule of law and respect for states of their obligations under international law in the fight against terrorism as a fundamental pillar in the fight against terrorism.