Qatar participated in the opening session of the second United Nations High-Level Conference on South-South Co-operation, which began its work in Buenos Aires on Wednesday, and continues until March 22.
Qatar’s delegation was led by HE the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sultan bin Saad al-Muraikhi.
In a statement in the opening session of the conference, HE al-Muraikhi stressed that the agenda of South-South co-operation is a fundamental pillar of the country’s foreign policy, pointing to Qatar’s keenness on Doha becoming a platform for the Group and the United Nations to enhance international co-operation and face the threats to international peace and security and respect for the rule of law and achieve development.
The minister said that the current meeting is being held in the same place after 40 years when the Buenos Aires Plan of Action was adopted to promote and implement technical co-operation among developing countries.
The minister added that current meeting is of exceptional importance in the face of the increasing challenges the world is witnessing. “This requires further co-operation and co-ordination for the development and prosperity of our peoples and the world,” he said.
HE al-Muraikhi noted: “There is an urgent need for comprehensive review and adoption of clear positions that will ensure common interests as a group, maintaining Qatar’s positive contributions to international community, especially in the United Nations and assessing progress and move forward to enhance and strengthen investment in our co-operation to overcome the challenges facing the countries of the South, implement the 2030 Sustainable Development Plan, and develop a common vision for the future,” he said.
The minister stressed that, based on the belief of Qatar in multilateral action and its realisation that the potential of the countries of the South play an active and leading role in the international arena, South-South co-operation is a vital and important issue for our countries. It requires further co-operation, expertise sharing and exchange of experiences among the group.
HE al-Muraikhi said that breaking away from the shared principles of the group and the international community enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and international law, namely the commitment to the principles of developing friendly relations among nations, respect for national sovereignty and non-interference in internal affairs, exacerbates the existing challenges of the countries of the South and distracts them from working to achieve their goals.
HE al-Muraikhi expressed regret that some countries have ignored these principles and adopted policies against member-states in the group in order to achieve illegitimate objectives under false pretexts that are contrary to the objectives and purposes of the United Nations and international law. These states violate the principles which the countries of the South stand by, he added.
He reiterated the need to commit to the principles of South-South collective action, fulfil international obligations and abandon any actions or policies that would harm other States under pretexts prohibited by the Charter of the United Nations and international law.
The minister said that Qatar has continued to provide development and humanitarian assistance within the framework of the group and at the international levels.
HE the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sultan bin Saad al-Muraikhi attending the United Nations High-Level Conference on South-South Co-operation, in Buenos Aires.
