Qatar Underscores Importance of Enhancing African Nations’ Role in Countering Security, Global Development Challenges
The State of Qatar has affirmed that, in addition to bolstering international peace and security and accelerating the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030, it is extremely significant to reinforce the role of African countries in addressing the challenges facing security and global development in Africa. Qatar emphasized that Africa’s strategic importance, abundant resources, and expanding population—which is expected to surpass 2.5 billion by 2050—centralize the continent and make it an essential force in determining the course of the world.
This was said in a statement made by the State of Qatar’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Jassim Sayar Al Maawda, during the open UN Security Council discussion on preserving world peace and security and enhancing the role of African states in tackling issues related to global security and development that took place at the UN headquarters in New York.
Al Maawda emphasized that the State of Qatar has been working tirelessly to promote peace in Africa, mediate disputes, and engage in preventive diplomacy. The State of Qatar is proud of its advanced relations and strategic partnership with the African nations at all levels. He said that Qatar is dedicated to carrying out these actions in line with the UN-led peacekeeping missions in Africa and the African Union’s determination to put an end to gun violence.
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He emphasized that in addition to its humanitarian and development initiatives in numerous African countries, the State of Qatar was involved in mediation efforts involving Sudan, Chad, Somalia, and the boundary conflict between Djibouti and Eritrea.
The statement clarified a few instances in this regard, mentioning that the State of Qatar declared in November 2023 that it would be contributing USD 20 million to the ‘Grain From Ukraine’ initiative, which aims to assist African nations in obtaining Ukrainian grain exports.
The second phase of the ‘Building Resilient Communities in Somalia’ project (BRCIS) is being funded by the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD), in partnership with the British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) in Somalia. The State of Qatar pledged USD 12 million in humanitarian aid for the Horn of Africa in September 2023 to combat the threat of famine and food insecurity challenges.
The statement added that this is on top of the State of Qatar’s unwavering humanitarian efforts in Sudan and other countries, as well as its donation of USD 60 million for the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) during the conference it hosted in March 2023.
The statement noted the fourth Qatar Economic Forum (QEF), which was held in early May of 2024 in Doha, and expressed the State of Qatar’s pride in forging advanced strategic partnerships with the African countries in the investment fields. It highlighted how Qatari investments are diverse and sustainable, with a primary focus on renewable energy, agriculture, and infrastructure. In light of the expanding alliance between the State of Qatar and the African nations, the event carefully examined strategies for strengthening economic development in Africa in order to foster connections between the Middle East and Africa.
The statement noted the country’s participation in the high-level meeting on bolstering regional cooperation and institution building to address the evolving threat of terrorism in Africa, held in May 2024 in Abuja, Nigeria, and highlighted the State of Qatar’s appreciation for partnership with the African countries in the bilateral global counter-terrorism efforts through the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism (ICCT).
The statement stated that the State of Qatar is once again in favor of the suggestion made in the UN Secretary-General’s new strategy for peace, which is reflected in the creation of strong regional institutions and frameworks. In order to support the idea of “African solutions to African problems” in relation to peacekeeping efforts in Africa and around the world, the agenda advocated for establishing a collaboration between the UN Security Council and the African Union (AU).
The statement went on to say that the State of Qatar supports stepping up regional and international efforts to carry out the AU’s 2013 initiative to silence the guns and emphasizes the significance of putting UN Security Council resolution No. 2719 into action to guarantee steady and stable funding for AU-led peacekeeping operations.
The statement further stated that the State of Qatar reiterates the significance of bolstering conflict prevention efforts and addressing their root causes that impede the efforts to curb the challenges facing stable governance, sustainable peace, security, and development in Africa in order to strengthen the role of African countries in addressing security and global development challenges.
A just agenda for climate change that would openly meet Africa’s needs for funding the efforts to counter the challenges posed by climate change, as well as capacity-building and technology transfer so as to mitigate the adverse impacts of climate change and enhance sustainable development, were also emphasized in the statement by the State of Qatar.
