Doha, Qatar: The State of Qatar continues to strengthen its presence as a trusted international mediator in resolving conflicts and achieving stability, by pursuing a foreign policy based on dialogue and constructive engagement, grounded in the principles of international law and the United Nations Charter, reflecting its ongoing commitment to supporting international peace and security.
Based on this approach, the State of Qatar has, for more than two decades, played a pivotal and effective role in mediating between parties to conflicts in various regions of the world, harnessing its diplomatic and humanitarian capabilities to achieve lasting peace in complex conflicts.
This approach is consistent with the principles of the Constitution of the State of Qatar, particularly Article 7, which affirms that Qatar's foreign policy is based on consolidating international peace and security by encouraging the peaceful resolution of international disputes and settling them through dialogue and mediation.
This entails maintaining balanced relations with all parties, supporting the right of peoples to self-determination, and non-interference in the internal affairs of states.
In this context, the world has witnessed a significant increase in Qatar's mediation efforts, which have taken various forms, including reaching ceasefire agreements, restoring diplomatic relations, exchanging prisoners, supporting national dialogues, settling border disputes, and finally signing comprehensive and sustainable peace agreements.
The effectiveness of these mediations has been evident in several regions, including Palestine, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Sudan, Chad, and Ukraine, confirming the expanding scope of Qatar's role and its growing ability to contribute constructively to achieving security and stability regionally and internationally.
In shadow of the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023, the State of Qatar played a pivotal role, in cooperation with the Arab Republic of Egypt and the United States of America, leading to a ceasefire agreement on Jan. 19, 2025, which included a prisoner exchange and facilitating the entry of urgent humanitarian aid to the affected areas within the Strip.
With Israel's breach of the agreement and resumption of aggression in March 2025, Qatar continued its relentless diplomatic efforts, in coordination with its partners, to restore calm and achieve a comprehensive and sustainable ceasefire, amid the worsening humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.
Amid these efforts, the State of Qatar was subjected to an unprecedented attack, represented by a treacherous Israeli assault on Sep. 9, 2025, targeting residential buildings accommodating the Hamas negotiating delegation.
This attack was met with widespread international condemnation and clear solidarity with the State of Qatar, in support of its sovereignty and rights, and out of respect for its diplomatic role, free from any threat.
Despite the aggression, the State of Qatar has not retreated from its trusted and effective mediation role, as demonstrated by its recent humanitarian efforts.
On September 19, 2025, Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced facilitating the release of two British citizens detained in Afghanistan, reflecting Qatar's unwavering commitment to diplomatic work, even in the most difficult circumstances.
Qatar's commitment to its role as a responsible mediator is evidence of the international respect it enjoys, built on a proven track record of successful mediation regionally and internationally.
In this context, Qatari mediation marked a significant development on the humanitarian front in the Ukrainian-Russian conflict.
On Aug. 22, 2025, the State of Qatar announced its success in reuniting four children with their relatives in Ukraine, and the return of three children to their families in Russia. This brings the total number of children reunited with their families since the start of the mediation to 107.
As for Africa, Doha hosted the signing ceremony of a declaration of principles on July 19, 2025, between the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Congo River Alliance/March 23 Movement, culminating the Qatari diplomatic efforts aimed at creating an environment conducive to lasting peace in the eastern Congo region.
This development comes on the heels of the peace agreement signed through joint Qatari-American mediation between the Republics of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Washington, D.C., in June 2025.
This agreement followed a series of efforts by the State of Qatar to bring the two sides closer together.
This agreement was preceded by a tripartite meeting hosted by Doha on March 18, 2025, at Lusail Palace, between the Amir HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, the President of the Republic of Rwanda HE Paul Kagame, the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo HE Felix Tshisekedi.
The meeting constituted an important point for direct dialogue and confidence-building between the two sides.
In the same context, Qatar played a pivotal role in Sudan, hosting the Darfur negotiations that led to the signing of the Doha Document for Peace, marking a key milestone in the settlement process and affirming Qatar's commitment to dialogue as a strategic option.
Qatar's efforts also extended to Chad, where the Doha Peace Agreement was concluded in August 2022, paving the way for political and military movements to participate in a comprehensive national dialogue as part of a political transition process.
Doha also played a significant role in bridging the gap between Somalia and Kenya, which helped lead to the resumption of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 2021.
In Lebanon, dialogue sessions hosted by Qatar in 2008 between Lebanese factions contributed to the Doha Agreement, which ended an 18-month political crisis.
As part of its efforts to achieve peace, Doha has been an influential platform in Afghanistan through the "Doha Peace Process," which launched in 2013 and led to the signing of a historic agreement between the United States and the Taliban in February 2020.
Qatar's diplomatic and humanitarian efforts are not limited to these countries alone, but extend to many other regions, within the framework of a vision aimed at promoting peace and sustainable development at the regional and international levels.
Regarding the unique nature of the Qatari experience in mediation and diplomacy, Assistant Professor of Political Science at Qatar University Dr. Nafja Sabbah Al Buafra told Qatar News Agency (QNA) that what distinguishes it is its combination of positive neutrality and practical commitment. She added that the country does not present itself as a neutral mediator in the negative sense, but rather as an active party that accompanies the negotiation process with practical steps that contribute to reducing tensions and building bridges of trust.
She noted that this approach was clearly evident during the Afghan crisis, for example, when Doha hosted negotiations between the Taliban and the United States and subsequently played a pivotal role in organizing evacuations and facilitating humanitarian corridors.
This confirms that Qatari mediation is not limited to managing dialogue and resolving conflicts, but rather translates into practical and tangible steps on the ground.
In this context, Al Buafra indicated that Qatar has adopted the same approach to the Palestinian issue, combining sponsorship of a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip with direct financial aid, as well as support for electricity and fuel infrastructure.
This has strengthened its position as a reliable and influential mediator in the settlement process.
The Assistant Professor of Political Science at Qatar University highlighted that Qatari diplomacy has been clearly evident in a number of other regional crises, such as Darfur in Sudan and the political crisis in Lebanon, where Qatari efforts have contributed to bringing viewpoints closer and mitigating conflicts by adopting an approach based on dialogue and balance.
For his part, Jordanian political analyst Dr. Khaled Mahmoud told QNA that he believes that Qatar's experience in mediation and diplomacy possesses a unique characteristic that positions it as an influential player on the regional and international scene.
He indicated that this distinction stems from a set of integrated elements that form a cohesive fabric of Doha's diplomatic approach.
He pointed out that the key elements are positive neutrality and accumulated trust, emphasizing that Qatar has succeeded in formulating a balanced foreign policy, which has given it credibility with various parties to the conflict.
He added that this growing trust, built over years of continuous engagement with all parties, has enabled Doha to present itself as an acceptable and reliable mediator, particularly in cases where the conflicting parties lack direct channels of communication.
Dr. Mahmoud indicated that institutional flexibility and rapid response constitute a fundamental pillar of Qatar's diplomatic mechanism, as it possesses a tangible capacity for rapid and effective action, supported by a firm political will and financial resources directed toward supporting development and humanitarian relief programs.
He emphasized that this approach enables Qatar to overcome bureaucratic obstacles that may hinder traditional mediation efforts, allowing it to intervene at critical moments of crises, such as providing guarantees or urgent humanitarian aid, with the aim of advancing the negotiation process, as demonstrated by the mediation between the United States and the Taliban, as well as other international issues.
In parallel with these diplomatic efforts, Qatar has strengthened its humanitarian and development presence through multilateral partnerships and comprehensive initiatives focusing on education, health, relief, and development, within a comprehensive vision that reflects a firm commitment to sustainable development as a pillar of regional and international stability.
On this basis, the State of Qatar continues to play a leading international role, through its active institutions, particularly Qatar Charity, the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD), and the Education Above All (EAA) Foundation.
In this context, the volume of projects implemented by Qatar Charity during 2024 alone reached approximately QR 1.57 billion (USD 430 million), contributing to supporting more than 22 million beneficiaries in 70 countries around the world.
Its efforts have been divided between urgent relief in crisis areas, sustainable development in the health, education, water, and food security sectors, and social welfare programs that include orphan sponsorship and support for low-income families.
At the heart of these efforts, the QFFD also stands out as one of the main implementing arms of Qatar's official aid, effectively contributing to transforming the country's commitments into humanitarian and development initiatives and partnerships that have a tangible impact on beneficiaries around the world.
In line with this approach, the QFFD signed 16 strategic agreements last July worth QR 1.92 billion to support humanitarian and development initiatives benefiting more than 17 million people around the world.
The agreements cover relief, health, education, and emergency response in a number of regions, including the Gaza Strip, Sudan, Afghanistan, and others, reflecting Qatar's ongoing commitment to supporting sustainable development efforts and strengthening global partnerships.
In this context, the State of Qatar, through the QFFD, launched specific initiatives in cooperation with the United Nations, including "Women in Conflict Zones" in 2022, which aims to support women and girls in conflict and crisis contexts.
Likewise, Qatar views education as a key strategic tool for enhancing regional and international cooperation, with its investment in this sector aligned with its vision to achieve sustainable development and promote global peace.
Five years ago, the State of Qatar launched the pioneering " Peacebuilding School" initiative through the EAA.
The initiative aims to provide educational opportunities for students fleeing wars and conflicts in their countries, such as Sudan, Yemen, Syria, and Palestine, and who have settled in Qatar, while also providing appropriate education for Arabic and other language speakers.
In the same context, the EAA launched the pioneering "Educate a Child" program in 2012, aiming to provide high-quality primary education to millions of out-of-school children around the world, particularly those affected by conflict and poverty.
The program works with international partner organizations to achieve significant progress in providing children who have dropped out of school due to poverty, cultural barriers, and conflict-affected environments with the opportunity to receive a complete basic education curriculum.
Through the Educate a Child program, EAA has implemented large-scale projects in collaboration with 82 global partners in 50 countries, achieving its goal of helping more than 10 million of the most marginalized and out-of-school children access quality primary education.
Regarding multilateral international action and the comprehensive approach to Qatari foreign policy, Senior Researcher at the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies Dr. Ahmed Qasem Hussein told QNA that Qatar is not limited to diplomatic work alone, but rather pursues a comprehensive foreign policy that includes development, education, and support for humanitarian initiatives.
Hussein indicated that Qatari foreign policy is based on a comprehensive concept of security, where stability is not limited to military or political aspects alone, but rather viewed as a multidimensional process encompassing economic, social, and educational development.
He pointed out that Qatar's support for education and relief initiatives, particularly through organizations such as EAA and Qatar Charity, has enabled it to build strong bridges of trust with local communities and countries, significantly enhancing the effectiveness of its diplomatic role.
He believed that this integration between development and diplomacy gives Qatar additional capacity to address the roots of conflict, such as poverty and marginalization, and thus contributes to building a more sustainable peace in the long term.
In this context, he stressed that Qatar's approach to multilateral cooperation, particularly through the United Nations, demonstrates a deep awareness that contemporary challenges - from armed conflict to climate change and food security - cannot be addressed by any single country alone. He noted that Qatar has invested in building institutional partnerships by funding UN initiatives in the areas of education, refugee support, and youth empowerment.
Hussein concluded his remarks by saying that this active presence in multilateral platforms makes it not only a regional mediator, but also an international partner committed to the global public interest.
Thus, its international cooperation constitutes a strategic tool for strengthening its position as a responsible power on the international stage.
In addition to its active development and relief efforts, Qatar also highlights other important peacebuilding initiatives through its hosting of major events and dialogue platforms, especially the Doha Forum, which will be held this year in its 23rd session from Dec 6-7, 2025, under the theme: "Justice in Action: Beyond Promises to Progress." Leaders and experts from around the world will participate, with the aim of exploring paths toward more just, inclusive, and accountable systems for international cooperation.
These platforms are particularly important because they contribute to bringing viewpoints closer together, fostering a culture of dialogue among various parties, and establishing the principles of cooperation for a more stable and equitable world.
Amidst the current international complexities, Qatar has demonstrated that combining soft diplomacy, humanitarian action, and development within a multilateral framework is not a slogan or a distant ambition, but rather a feasible and realistic path that has yielded tangible results in achieving stability and resolving disputes through dialogue, despite the significant challenges mediation entails, reflecting the complexities and sensitivity of peace processes.
