Doha, 25 Oct. 2022

By Ashraf Siddiqui

Qatar-based United Nations (UN) offices will get its own building – ‘United Nation House’ – in Lusail by March 2023, Dr Ahmed bin Hassan Al Hammadi,  Secretary General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Qatar, said in his speech on the occasion of marking the 77th anniversary of the United Nations in Doha on Monday.

UN Day was organised by Doha-based UNESCO Office for the Gulf States and Yemen in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Qatar at the Flag Plaza premises near Museum of Islamic Arts Doha.

The event was attended by Maryam bint Abdullah Al Attiyah, Chairperson, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Qatar; officials of Ministry of Foreign Affairs; heads of Qatar-based various United Nations offices; members of the diplomatic corps; civil society institutions, educational institutions, and social and charitable work institutions.

Talking to Qatar Tribune, Salah Khaled, Director, UNESCO Office, hailed Qatar for its generosity in providing a building housing offices of the United Nations.
He said presently there are around 11 UN organizations having their offices in various sectors in Doha, and all these organizations and others in future having their regional base will be accommodated in one building – the United Nations House – in Lusail City.

UNESCO Head for Qatar, Yemen UNICEF Agency thanked Qatar for its outstanding and generous support in helping the needy and under privilege section of the
society.

The Secretary-General, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a speech, that the celebration of a new United Nations Day in the State of Qatar is symbolic and of high value, as these events are organised in cooperation with partners in the United Nations, in the presence and participation of members of the diplomatic corps accredited to the State of Qatar, relevant officials in the country, in addition to representatives of development and humanitarian organizations, and academic and research institutions.

He said that the celebration of the International Day of the United Nations is a celebration of the anniversary of the Charter of the United Nations, which is the cornerstone of this United Nations organisation, hence, it is a celebration of its upbringing, its birth and its first founding platform. It is a celebration of the efforts and struggles of our ancestors from the peoples of the world who decided to free ourselves from the tragedies and bitterness of wars and bloodshed, to
the prospects of peace, peaceful coexistence, and civilizational dialogue that crosses religions and cultures. It also represents an important pause for future generations who aspire to peace, development, renaissance, and prosperity.

He echoed the moving words of Dag Hammarskjold, a distinguished SecretaryGeneral of the United Nations, that the UN Charter cannot fail us, but it is the responsibility of member states that must correct any shortcomings and failures in the course of the organization’s work.

Secretary General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the State of Qatar and the United Nations have a lot to celebrate on the occasion of this international day.
He noted that based on the insightful global and humanitarian vision of the Amir of the State of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, which includes in its
priorities the support of the United Nations in light of the deep and accelerating international challenges and changes, the State of Qatar presented many initiatives in the context of facing global challenges and issues, and concluded many strategic international partnerships agreements with various United Nations organisations and agencies.

He pointed out that the initiatives of the State of Qatar at the international level are numerous and difficult to enumerate, noting that the most prominent of them is the presentation of the General Assembly Resolution 76/259 on the “World Cup 2022 organised by the International Football Association in Qatar” and Resolution 75/274, according to which the “International Day of Women Judges” was adopted on March 10 of each year.

He added that during the past year, with the initiative and funding of the State of Qatar, the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) opened two programme offices in Doha, which are the ‘International Hub on Behavioural Insights to Counter Terrorism’ and the UNOCT Programme Office on Parliamentary Engagement in Preventing and Countering Terrorism.

The State of Qatar has also initiated the establishment of the United Nations House in Doha, which will host a number of United Nations offices, branches, programmes, and regional and country agencies, expressing his aspiration to celebrate its opening soon.