Qatar has been a staunch supporter of efforts for global peace and peaceful resolution of conflicts around the world and has worked and supported the UN and various international partners to get rid of the scourge of terrorism and violent extremism.
Qatar hosts United Nations Office of Counter Terrorism (UNOCT) International Hub on Behavioral Insights to Counter Terrorism and UNOCT Program Office on Parliamentary Engagement in Preventing and Countering Terrorism within the strategic partnership between Qatar and UNOCT. Since 2019, the State of Qatar has also been supporting the UNOCT with $15m annually to support its strategic initiatives. The initial agreement covering the five years 2019-2023 was signed on Dec. 16, 2018. Last year, Qatar announced to renew its support for another three years, 2024-2026.
“The State of Qatar attaches importance to combating the scourge of terrorism and violent extremism conducive to terrorism, and is committed to international instruments and relevant UN resolutions and the integrated implementation of the UNOCT strategy,” Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani had said on the occasion.
At UNOCT’s quarterly briefing to the member states, Qatar’s Permanent Representative to the UN H E Sheikha Alia bint Ahmed bin Saif Al Thani reaffirmed country’s commitment to facilitating the implementation of the UNOCT’s mandates and enhancing their key activities. Qatar stressed the significance of upholding the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact which Qatar strongly backs.
Qatar has also leveraged the power of sports, especially football and the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, to promote peace, tolerance and understanding. The International Hub on Behavioral Insights to Counter Terrorism (BI Hub), a UNOCT program established in 2020 in Doha, has achieved tangible successes including a podcast series and guidance note on behavioral insights approach to fostering resilience in countering violent extremism.
At the 52nd session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva this week, Qatar reiterated its commitment to continue cooperating with relevant UN counter-terrorism agencies and its condemnation of all acts of terrorism, regardless of their motives, justifications, and place. Qatar’s representative at the meeting said the phenomena of terrorism and violent extremism pose an utmost threat to international peace and security, human rights, and achieving the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The work of UNOCT and other international bodies is vital as terrorism and violent extremism continue to pose threat to communities in and sustainable development in various parts of the world.
