Qatar participated yesterday in a high-level seminar held virtually by the South-South and Triangular Co-operation (SSTC) in Arab countries. Assistant Director of the Department of International Co-operation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Shaheen Ali al-Kaabi represented Qatar during the seminar.
Al-Kaabi said that Qatar is focused on enhancing co-operation between countries of the south, and added that it was a main pillar of the country’s foreign policy. He also said that Qatar is keen to be a platform for the group and the United Nations to enhance international co-operation in the face of threats to international peace and stability, and to pursue development.
He stressed that Qatar greatly values the agenda of co-operation among developing countries and multilateral action, noting that Qatar hosted the second South Summit of the Group of 77 and China in Doha back in 2005. It also chaired the Group of 77 and China in 2014 at the 69th United Nations session, in addition to chairing the UNCTAD for a number of years.
He added that at the Arab level, Qatar believes that enhancing co-operation between the region and other countries in the South will help achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
Al-Kaabi explained that in light of the current global circumstances of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the great challenges facing the Arab region, there is a need to increase and strengthen co-operation among the countries of the region, and to give co-operation in the Arab region great importance in order to overcome the major challenges imposed by the pandemic.
He also said that the countries must establish channels to discuss the priorities of co-operation among the countries of the Arab region in the context of implementing the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.
He noted that Qatar has supported many initiatives in the region through institutions like Silatech that help provide employment opportunities and vocational training to young people. The institutions helped provide close to half a million job opportunities in Sudan as well as 400,000 in Tunisia and Morocco. The Qatar Fund for Development also provided support $4bn over the past eight years to support developmental efforts in the Arab world.
Qatar Charity for its part carried out 10,000 developmental projects with a total cost of $440mn over the past three years. He expressed Qatar’s keenness to participate in the third South Summit in Uganda, adding that it will be an important opportunity to enhance co-operation. He stressed Qatar’s support of Uganda’s efforts to ensure the success of the summit.
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