Speaker underlines Qatar’s role in supporting LDCs

Doha: Speaker of the Shura Council H E Hassan bin Abdullah Al Ghanim underscored the importance of the State of Qatar’s role in supporting the least developed countries (LDCs), stressing that Qatar is an active strategic partner in the international community, as it was keen to host important United Nations conferences that are concerned with supporting poor countries.

In his speech at the opening session of the Parliamentary Forum on LDCs, held on the sidelines of the 5th UN Conference on Least Developed Countries (LDC5), which kicks off yesterday in Doha, the Shura Council Speaker explained that this support comes from the affirmation of Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in all economic forums, on the necessity of not leaving poor countries to face the issue of extreme poverty on their own.

The Speaker of the Shura Council pointed out that the State of Qatar signed an agreement with the UN in October 2022 to host the conference as part of Qatar’s efforts to support the development issues of developing countries and LDCs.

In his speech, he referred to the adoption of the Doha Program of Action for LDCs for 2022-2031, under the title “Human Rights related Challenges and Opportunities,” during the first part of the conference that Qatar held at the UN headquarters in New York in March 2022.

He noted that this would help these countries to face the COVID-19 pandemic challenges, economic crises, and climate change.

In his speech, Speaker of the Shura Council Hassan bin Abdullah Al Ghanim noted Qatar’s keenness to support various countries and humanitarian and development organisations, adding that Qatar is one of the largest donors and supporters of LDCs, with more than $700m of humanitarian and development assistance provided by Qatar via the Qatar Fund for Development in 2022. 

He explained that this assistance contributed to implementing UN projects and programmes to support LDCs.

Before the forum, he reviewed the State of Qatar’s efforts and contributions in supporting fraternally and friendly countries, providing healthcare, education, and relief projects, and supporting development efforts and climate change projects, in addition to its great efforts in supporting countries to mitigate the COVID-19 effects, as Qatar’s aid, via QFFD, exceeded $140m.

 Speaker of the Shura Council Hassan bin Abdullah Al Ghanim stated that the State of Qatar’s efforts and contributions to supporting and developing poor and needy communities and LDCs and empowering people and building their capacities comes from its commitment to supporting development and relief programmes and achieving a sustainable impact through aid in various parts of the world.

Regarding the Parliamentary Forum on LDCs, he affirmed that it aims to support the contributions of parliamentarians around the world to the UN-led efforts to assist LDCs to emerge from this classification.

He praised the role of parliaments members of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and their effective contributions to the meetings concerned with the revisions of the ten-year plans, as institutions of good governance, and their ability to secure the inclusion of many of their views in the essential objective papers of government meetings for the benefit of LDCs, which is an affirmation of the parliaments’ role as a partner in supporting LDCs and its responsibility in monitoring the commitment of governments towards those countries.

He added that parliamentarians, whether individuals or organisations, have a great responsibility in implementing the Doha Program of Action by enacting legislation, approving budgets, and performing the oversight role to ensure the implementation of commitments.