Geneva: The Permanent Mission of the State of Qatar to the United Nations Office in Geneva, in cooperation with the Doha International Family Institute, organised a side event yesterday entitled “Family Well-being and Resilience in Times of Conflict.”
The event was held on the sidelines of the 62nd session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, and was attended by representatives of diplomatic missions in Geneva, international and regional organizations, and civil society organizations concerned with family and social development issues.In her opening remarks at the event, Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the United Nations Office at Geneva, H E Dr. Hind Abdulrahman Al Muftah stated, “The State of Qatar has been keen to keep the issue of the family and its empowerment to fulfill its responsibilities in society among the priorities of multilateral action.”
She noted Qatar’s initiative, in partnership with other countries, of proposing a resolution, adopted periodically by the Human Rights Council since 2014, entitled “Protection of the Family.” This resolution is considered one of the important initiatives that reflects states’ obligations under international human rights conventions to support and protect the family, and highlights the family’s role in promoting the enjoyment of human rights by its members.
Her Excellency emphasised that protecting the family and strengthening its role must remain at the heart of national and international policies and sustainable development agendas. She added that, based on this approach, the State of Qatar has continued to support research and knowledge-based efforts aimed at understanding the challenges facing families and promoting evidence-based policies.
Her Excellency also highlighted that supporting affected families in the Gaza Strip is one of the core humanitarian programs undertaken by the State of Qatar through its various governmental and non-governmental humanitarian and development institutions. Qatar is currently hosting a large number of wounded Palestinians and their families from the Gaza Strip to receive healthcare and social services.
She emphasised the contribution of Qatar’s humanitarian initiatives to supporting millions of refugee, displaced, and conflict-affected families around the world.
In his keynote address at the event, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Social Development and Family, H E Khalifa bin Issa Al Kubaisi stated that the State of Qatar believes that building more resilient societies begins with supporting families and enhancing their well-being.
For her part, Executive Director of the Doha International Family Institute, Dr. Sharifa Al Emadi stated that, according to official UN statistics, more than 473 million children currently live in conflict-affected areas worldwide, equivalent to one in five children globally.
She noted that child displacement rates in these areas have nearly tripled in recent years.
