H.H. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, The Emir of the State of Qatar,
Excellencies,
I am honoured to join you for the 20th edition of the Doha Forum.
The Forum is just another example of the vision of His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in positioning Doha and Qatar at the forefront of global policymaking, promoting critical dialogue, and engaging leaders from diverse policy backgrounds and expertise to address current and emerging global challenges and advance pragmatic solutions.
The success of the Doha Forum and its emergence as the premier forum of choice for the world’s top decision-makers and influencers is also reflective of Qatar’s emergence on the global platform as a key strategic and international partner for conflict resolution, preventive diplomacy, soft power diplomacy, and humanitarian assistance.
I welcome this year’s thematic focus on ‘transforming for a new era’.
We gather at a time of fragility and vulnerability, as we emerge from a generational pandemic, and as conflicts shake the foundations of our multilateral institutions.
Our world faces multiple armed conflicts, rising extremism, nuclear proliferation, cyber threats, disinformation, and the widening impacts of climate change.
Millions of people are suffering the consequences of inequality, regional rivalries, and an erosion of basic freedoms, trends which have been accelerated and amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic.
274 million people, including women and children are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance and protection.
Afghanistan now confronts a grave humanitarian crisis. The economy has tanked. The financial sector is paralyzed. All this comes on top of a punishing drought.
Ethiopia’s crisis continues, and Sudan’s once-promising political transition has veered off course.
The crisis engulfing the Sahel region of North Africa continues to worsen, with inter-ethnic violence increasing and terrorists extending their reach.
Yemen’s war has caused what the UN still deems the world’s worst humanitarian disaster.
Rival military coalitions in Libya are no longer fighting, and the UN has restarted negotiations aimed at reunifying the country. But reaching lasting peace will still be an uphill struggle.
Haiti continues to be tormented by political crises, gang warfare, and natural disasters.
The 2021 coup returned Myanmar to military rule and shattered hopes for democratic progress in a country that has been beset by decades of conflict and repressive regimes.
We are all now witnessing the unfolding of a grave humanitarian crises in Ukraine, a victim of Russian military aggression.
I take this opportunity to reiterate that these tragedies have no place in our world. They are reminiscent of a bygone, brutal age, that we have tried to put behind us for the past 76 years.
I repeat my call for an immediate ceasefire and to resolve disputes through diplomacy and dialogue.
Ladies and gentlemen,
For over two years we have struggled to cope with the immense strain of COVID-19. Many of us have experienced the virus directly, and all of us have experienced it indirectly.
Those fortunate enough to live in a country with high vaccine-accessibility are especially hopeful that this could soon be the case. But in countries with low vaccine-accessibility the pandemic continues to leave its tragic marks.
The danger of more variants emerging is very real, threatening to undo all that we have achieved.
There is only solution: universal vaccination.
Excellencies,
Among the many casualties of COVID-19 has been the ‘Decade of Action on the Sustainable Development Goals’.
This is evidenced by sharp rises in poverty, increased food insecurity, and the erosion of basic social protections, with detrimental effects on women’s rights and access to education, among others.
Yet, we have it in our power the ability to transform the ‘Decade of Action’ into a ‘Decade of Recovery’.
In this regard, I would like to make three recommendations.
Firstly, we must put in place a financial system that helps the most vulnerable countries – LDCs, LLDCs, and SIDS – to better manage the liquidity issues wreaking havoc on their economies and causing their poorest to suffer.
The recent adoption of the Doha Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2022-2031 on 17th March is a welcome development.
The Programme of Action commits the world to a new generation of renewed and strengthened commitments between the Least Developed Countries and their development partners, as well as the private sector and civil society.
Secondly, if we want to accelerate sustainable development, equipping billions of people with the digital tools to excel in the 21st century is a low-hanging fruit.
We must also protect the safety and security of users from cyber threats. And we cannot allow digital platforms to be used to spread disinformation, intolerance and bigotry.
Thirdly, of all the challenges that we confront, none is as broad in scale or as existential in consequences, as the climate crisis.
From geopolitics to food-security, from migration to preserving biodiversity, the sheer range of potential spill over effects of climate change is staggering and puts all of our well-being into jeopardy.
We cannot be serious about addressing 21st century challenges unless we are serious about addressing climate change.
Excellencies,
While I am on the topic of climate, as a diehard fan of soccer, it would be remiss on my part not to mention about the exceptional preparations that the State of Qatar has made to create a lasting legacy for Qatar, the Middle East, Asia, and the world through the FIFA World Cup.
I would like to again applaud the Amir’s leadership in ensuring that the tournament’s planning is based on the idea that generations to come should find our shared planet greener and more equitable.
Qatar 2022 will be the first carbon-neutral FIFA World Cup in history.
The design and construction of the stadiums have factored for lower energy consumption, recycling of water and construction materials, highly efficient cooling systems, green transportation, natural lighting, green landscaping and disabled-friendly access systems.
Essentially, Qatar through the FIFA World Cup is harnessing the power of sports to stimulate human, social, economic, and environmental development in communities across Qatar, and the wider region.
I wish the government of the State of Qatar and its people all success in hosting a spectacular World Cup.
Excellencies,
The past few years have taught us that much of what we took for granted – peace, prosperity and security – are precious and fleeting without our collective commitment, and without our collective action to maintain them.
Our recovery must take account of this and must be infused with the hope that we can act to build a better world.
A world that is equipped to withstand future crises with grace, resilience and compassion and whose younger generations have a renewed faith in the values and principles of multilateralism.
I believe we have it within us to make those choices and spur those transformations.
Let us seize the opportunity and make that our legacy.
I thank you.
