His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of the country, opened the Fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries, held under the slogan “From Potential to Prosperity”, at the Qatar National Convention Center yesterday morning.
The inauguration was attended by His Majesty King Mswati III of the Kingdom of Eswatini, His Excellency President Mahmoud Abbas, President of the State of Palestine, His Excellency Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, Chairman of the Transitional Sovereignty Council of the Republic of Sudan, His Excellency President Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud, President of the Federal Republic of Somalia, and His Excellency President Mohamed Ould Sheikh Al-Ghazwani, President of the Islamic Republic His Excellency President Ismail Omar Guelleh, President of the Republic of Djibouti, His Excellency President Muhammad Buhari, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency Ibrahim Muhammad Solih, President of the Republic of the Maldives, His Excellency Dr. Muhammad al-Munfi, President of the Presidential Council of the State of Libya, and His Excellency Lieutenant General Muhammad Idris Deby Itno, Chairman of the Transitional Military Council of the Republic of Chad, His Excellency President Oumar Sissoko Embalo, President of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, His Excellency President Evariste Ndayishimiye, President of the Republic of Burundi, His Excellency President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, President of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, and His Excellency Dr. Lazarus Chakwera, President of the Republic of Malawi, His Excellency President Andrzej Duda, President of the Republic of Poland, His Excellency President Wavel Ramkalawan, President of the Republic of Seychelles, His Excellency Dr. Julius Maada Bio, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Her Excellency Mrs. Natasha Berk Musar, President of the Republic of Slovenia, His Excellency President José Ramos-Horta, President of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, His Excellency President Hakainde Hichilema, President of the Republic of Zambia, His Excellency President Aleksandar Vucic, President of the Republic of Serbia, and His Excellency President Nana Akufo-Addo, President of the Republic of Ghana.
Also present were His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Muhammad Al Sharqi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Fujairah, Representative of the President of the United Arab Emirates, His Excellency Dr. Abiy Ahmed Ali, Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, His Excellency Mr. Shahbaz Sharif, Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, and Her Excellency Sheikh Hasina, Prime Ministers of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.
The opening was attended by a number of Their Excellencies ministers, heads of diplomatic missions accredited to the country, senior officials from brotherly and friendly countries, businessmen and decision makers in the field of economy and development, representatives of regional and international organizations, institutions and companies, and guests of the conference.
During the opening of the conference, His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of the country, was elected as President of the Fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries.
His Highness Emir delivered a speech, the text of which is as follows:
In the name of Allah, the most gracious, the most merciful
Peace, mercy and blessings of Allah be upon you. I greet you and welcome you to Doha, wishing you a pleasant stay.
The Conference of the Least Developed Countries is convening in its fifth session, in light of the serious challenges the world is witnessing at the present time resulting from new international conflicts, the global food security crisis and climate change, and some of the continuing effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. And we will have to evoke these challenges as we plan for the common future of our peoples and our countries for the next decade of the life of the group of least developed countries. Millions of people in these countries still suffer from poverty, lack of food, health care and education.
There is no doubt that it is first a structural issue related to the absence of justice in the relationship between the advanced industrial centers and the periphery of our world, but it is also a matter of rational economic development policies in the least developed countries. Some of them succeeded in overcoming marginalization thanks to their development policies. But anyway, it’s all of us. It’s a global issue. This is what developed countries and their societies must realize.
Our meeting is taking place while our brothers in Turkey and Syria are still suffering from the effects of the massive earthquake disaster that hit them and affected millions, and from here, as I affirm, on behalf of all of you, our solidarity with our brothers in Turkey and Syria, I call on everyone to support Turkey’s efforts to overcome the effects of this disaster, and I affirm On the need to extend a helping hand without hesitation to the brotherly Syrian people. I am surprised at the delay in aid reaching this people, stressing the inadmissibility of exploiting the human tragedy for political purposes.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
There is no way through which we can build a new, safer, more just and free world for today and tomorrow except through the path of international human solidarity, and from this standpoint, the convening of this conference represents a renewal of our solidarity and unity of our will in facing common challenges and exploring effective and sustainable solutions to them. This conference represents an important opportunity to assess what has been achieved within the framework of the priorities of the Istanbul Program of Action, which has been going on for more than a decade. In this context, the Doha Action Program, on which governmental negotiations in New York culminated in agreement, is the basis for the road map to support and confront the problems of the least developed countries in the next decade. The success of the conference is not only complemented by its approval, but also by its good implementation.
We value what has been achieved under the five Least Developed Countries target deliverables of establishing a food storage system, virtual pool capability or equivalent platforms for these countries, comprehensive multi-stakeholder measures to mitigate crises and build resilience, and implement investment promotion regimes in these countries and a facility to support graduation from the list of least developed countries in a sustainable manner.
Distinguished guests,
There is a shared global responsibility in facing the challenges of food security, climate change, the energy crisis, and the debt crisis, and finding solutions is a collective and participatory task and responsibility among all countries. However, regardless of our analysis of the backgrounds of the gap between the developed countries and the least developed countries, there is an incumbent moral responsibility on the rich and developed countries to contribute more to helping the least developed countries in order to overcome the global challenges that we are facing. This is a liability, not a favor.
On the other hand, it is imperative for the least developed countries to create the conditions conducive to transforming joint commitments into national action at the level of national strategies, plans and legislation.
These countries are not responsible for the past, but they have a duty to follow rational policies in the present. We say this taking into account the existing structural obstacles, as well as the unequal relations between North and South in our world.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I take this opportunity to commend the positive initiatives to fight poverty, and to meet the urgent food security needs of many countries in need. But the food security crisis cannot be solved through emergency humanitarian aid or temporary remedies alone. Countries must be helped to achieve food security. We have launched initiatives within the context of addressing the root causes of the problem, such as the Global Dryland Alliance initiative, to enable dryland countries to achieve food security. Others put forward initiatives as well.
Perhaps it would be appropriate to revive the slogan of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, “Zero Poverty” in the world. Its realization requires concerted international efforts to implement a human development plan at the global level.
In this context, attention must be paid to the relationship between peace and development. Food security, let alone development, cannot be achieved in conditions of continuing civil wars in a number of the poorest countries.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
In the context of our discussion of the urgent international crises and their dire repercussions on the least developed countries, the debt crisis, which has impeded the path of growth and development in these countries, is strongly evident. Here, we appreciate the efforts made by the G-20, especially the extraordinary summit of leaders hosted by the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on Covid-19, and the steps taken under the Italian presidency with regard to a time suspension of debt service payments for the poorest countries.
However, the issue of debt needs a more comprehensive treatment that seeks justice and realism and breaks the vicious circle in which countries borrow for development purposes such as laying infrastructure and others, and paying off debt exacerbates poverty and prevents development projects from being undertaken.
With regard to the climate crisis, the Sharm el-Sheikh summit in sisterly Egypt made an achievement in establishing a fund for compensation for losses and damages allocated to developing countries. Based on our commitment to combating climate change and the internationally approved policies in this regard, we aspire for the developed industrial countries to fulfill their legal and moral responsibilities in taking more effective and efficient decisions and measures regarding emissions.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The State of Qatar is proud to continue its active role in multilateral international action in various fields, development, humanitarian, human rights, and mediation to promote international peace and security.
In this context, and based on our National Vision 2030, which upholds the values and principles of cooperation, partnership, and solidarity in helping countries, peoples, and communities suffering from humanitarian crises, conflicts, poverty, and debt, the State of Qatar has made many humanitarian and development contributions in accordance with the formulas of bilateral cooperation and cooperation. Multilateral, especially within the framework of strategic partnerships with the United Nations and other leading international institutions.
Based on the State of Qatar’s unwavering commitment to supporting the development process of the least developed countries, I announced a financial contribution of a total of $60 million, of which $10 million will be allocated to support the implementation of the activities of the Doha Work Program for the Least Developed Countries, and $50 million will be allocated to support results foreseen for the Doha Work Program and building resilience in least developed countries. I call on development partners to follow Qatar’s example and take the initiative to support the implementation of the Doha Work Program as part of our humanitarian and development duty towards the people of the least developed countries.
We are confident that this conference, by building on the successes achieved in the process of achieving growth, prosperity and creating sustainable livelihoods, will contribute to supporting the path of the least developed countries towards achieving development in them for the next ten years, in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
In conclusion, I repeat welcoming you to Doha, the city that offers a space for mediation, dialogue, multilateral conferences, cultural activity and intellectual production, the city that recently witnessed the most successful World Cup sessions, wishing this conference to achieve the desired goals and achieve the aspirations of the peoples of these countries whose eyes are directed to what will result from it. This important conference. Peace, mercy and blessings of God.
Al-Rayah
