+ Economic development is a condition for stability and security regionally and internationally
Written by Khalil Al-Hanashi.
Our envoy to Doha
The Doha Conference concluded its twenty-first session after a series of urgent international discussions and axes related to a number of urgent issues internationally.
The military and humanitarian events and the open war on Gaza were not outside the attention of the international delegations present in the Qatari capital, Doha, where there was frequent discussion about the reality of the crisis in the Palestinian territories and the possible overcoming mechanisms to stop the Israeli military machine against the Palestinian people.
The interest of the attendees accompanying the work also discussed the reasons for the delay in development in several countries and the increase in poverty and the poor that may result from it, and the possible fears of famines threatening people in these countries.
In view of the importance of these crises and the expansion of the signs of war and poverty that may result from them, the forum tried to direct the crisis to the boxes of searching for solutions, firstly based on the slogan raised for this session under the title “Together towards building a bright tomorrow” and secondly by putting the crisis on the table for in-depth discussion in order to determine Basic lines to reduce its impact and overcome its causes.
The twenty-first edition of the Doha Forum is considered one of the most prominent platforms for diplomacy and dialogue in the world, as the first and second days witnessed the participation and attendance of more than 3,500 participants from more than 140 countries, who constitute an elite group of senior diplomats, experts, policy makers and opinion leaders through 18 main sessions and 35 sessions. Breakout session.
Forum Award…for UNRWA
The opening ceremony witnessed the handing over by the Emir of the State of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, of the Doha Forum Award to UNRWA (the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East), in recognition of its contribution to achieving stability and restoring hope to Palestinian refugees, as it has provided them with assistance over 75 years. Shelters and schools, it currently runs 700 schools across the Middle East. The award was received on behalf of UNRWA by the Commissioner-General, Philippe Lazzarini.
Gaza…present in absence
The holding of this forum coincides with the policies of the Israeli military escalation in Gaza and the destruction, siege, and deliberate killing of thousands of civilians. The Gaza Strip received an important part of the general discussion of the forum. During his opening speech the day before yesterday, the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar, Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman bin Jassim Al Thani: “This forum, which we wanted, is a platform for communication between peoples, not only when this communication is easy, but even in the darkest times and in light of the escalation of polarization in the world, when communication between us is an indispensable need.”
He added, referring to the crisis in Gaza: “This crisis clearly demonstrated the size of the gap between the East and the West, and between successive generations, and the double standards in the international community, as the world was divided into demands to end this war and stop the killing machine, and hesitant even to just call for a halt.” shooting. »
As for Palestinian Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh, he said that Israel must be subjected to sanctions and cannot be allowed to continue violating international laws and Security Council resolutions, calling for an urgent investigation into Israeli crimes.
He stressed that it is unacceptable for Israel to talk about eliminating the Islamic Resistance Movement, because it will not happen, and that the movement is part of the mosaic of Palestinian politics, and that there is a need for a political solution that puts an end to the conflict, as he put it.
The United Nations acknowledges the difficulties
Regarding the position of the United Nations on the events in the Gaza Strip, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, acknowledged the difficulties faced by the United Nations in ending crises around the world, including the current crisis in Gaza, where he said, “The platform for resolving international disputes through peaceful means suffers from paralysis due to divisions.” Geostrategy. This fact undermines finding solutions from Ukraine to Myanmar and the Middle East. The horrific attacks by Hamas on October 7, followed by the relentless Israeli bombing of Gaza, were met with a terrible silence by the Security Council. After more than a month, the Council has finally issued a decision, which I welcome. But this delay has come at a cost. “The authority and credibility of the Security Council has been severely undermined.”
He added: “I called on the Security Council to put pressure to avoid a humanitarian catastrophe and repeated my call to declare a humanitarian ceasefire. It is unfortunate that the Security Council has failed to do so, but this does not diminish how necessary it is. Therefore, I promise you that I will not give up.”
Create a forum
The former Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, launched the Doha Forum in 2000, and its first edition was held in 2001. The Forum brings together policy makers, heads of governments and states, and representatives of the private sector, civil society and non-governmental organizations.
Since its inception, the forum has dealt with important topics and was attended by heads of state, ministers, and leaders from the private sector and non-governmental organizations. The forum has greatly benefited from its presence in the State of Qatar, as Doha has succeeded in being a global gateway to resolving conflicts in the world, which has increased the country’s political weight and made it its dialogue platforms. The focus of world attention, according to the classification of French and American news agencies.
The Forum has maintained its 21 sessions, which indicates the continuity of the meeting since its launch, and despite the circumstances imposed by the Corona pandemic in the years 2020 and 2021, the Forum was keen to hold its two versions in these two years with virtual sessions that included a group of senior policy makers, experts and researchers to discuss a number of pressing global issues.
Since 2018, the Forum has been keen to launch a youth version of the forum, and it is one of the main platforms for the QatarDebate Centre, through which young people gather to discuss and present various solutions to decision-makers and stakeholders.
Khalil Al-Hanashi. Tunisian morning
Doha. Qatar