Qatar declared its condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and presentations, nevertheless of its motives, wherever and by whomever it is perpetrated, and the necessity of differentiating between terrorism and legitimate opposition to foreign occupation and the liberty to self-determination of peoples under occupation.
This came in information during the interactive discussion with the special rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of combating terrorism, which was supplied by the Third Secretary of the International Organisations Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Abdulrahman Sultan al-Marzooqi, before the Human Rights Council at its 55th session.
Al-Marzooqi stated that the spread of terrorism and violent extremism persists to pose a danger to international peace and safety, the basic pleasure of human rights and the achievement of sustainable development objectives. He emphasised the need for efforts to combat terrorism and violent extremism, to manage the root causes, and to be based on a comprehensive strategy that is compatible with international human rights norms, which also performs the balance with security necessities.
The UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy (GCTS) remains the most exhaustive basic framework and therefore must be executed with its four pillars in an integrated and proportional manner, continuously reviewed and taking into account arising challenges and threats, he added. Qatar continues to collaborate with the UN agencies involved with combating terrorism, and to take the necessary actions to reduce terrorism and violent extremism at the national, regional and international levels, he persisted.
He also demonstrated that the comprehensive national strategy to fight terrorism, which was adopted in June 2022, included action items linked to strengthening democratic practices and human rights, safeguarding the rights of victims, and improving the rule of law as well as societal safety and peace.
Qatar has contributed to sustaining many initiatives and centres desired at combating terrorism, most notably hosting the International Hub on Behavioural Insights to Counter Terrorism, and the UN Office of Parliamentary Participation in Stopping and Combating Terrorism, al-Marzooqi added.
Moreover, HE Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the United Nations Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani to the side occasion of the United Nations Joint Appeal for Counter-Terrorism in Africa, held on the sidelines of the Third Counter-Terrorism Week (CT Week), in New York restated the State of Qatar’s claim that the growth of terrorism constitutes a significant threat to international peace and security, especially in Africa. She said that the 10 UN inter-agency flagship initiatives funded by the Joint Appeal represent a commitment to be met and that they create a new generation of multilateral action and joint programming that depends on the strengths of each partner to provide comprehensive and innovative reactions to complex priority challenges across the continent.
Her Excellency noted that sufficient and predictable allocation is a prerequisite for the UN to fulfil its mandates and effectively sustain member states in enforcing the global strategy. She noted that the State of Qatar has dedicated itself to supporting strategic and multi-partner industries for the prevention and combating of violent extremism, through the multi-year strategic acquisition of USD 120 million in the United Nations Trust Fund for Counter-Terrorism for the eight-year-period of (2019-2026).
