Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Opens United Nations House

United Nations House opening in Qatar

HE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani affirmed that Doha will remain an address and a forum for multilateral action, and a reliable platform for dialogue and cooperation between the parties believing in the importance of joint work to face global challenges.

This came in His Excellency's speech delivered on the occasion of opening the United Nations House in Lusail, on the sideline of the 5th UN Conference on Least Developed Countries (LDC5), in presence of a lineup of Their Excellencies ministers and UN officials.

HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani noted that the positive momentum and the high-level audience present at the opening of the United Nations House is the result of a serious and tireless work, and the fruit of a path that started many years ago within the framework of the strategic partnership between the State of Qatar and the United Nations, which included the opening of many of its offices and bodies in Doha, and that work is underway to host more offices of other United Nations entities, adding that work is underway to host more offices of other United Nations entities.

His Excellency voiced the State of Qatar's pride for what was achieved in the context of the partnership with the United Nations system, noting that Qatar has raised its donations to the United Nations agencies, and signed many agreements with various United Nations bodies, which resulted in realizing numerous and concrete results.

HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs pointed out that the State of Qatar is keen to always be a platform for multilateral work, which is evident by hosting a group of high-level personalities to participate in the official opening of the United Nations House, expressing his appreciation for the presence of HE Secretary-General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres in the opening, and praising his leadership role at the United Nations, and his relentless efforts to continue realizing hopes for this organization, which has made remarkable progress in preserving peace and security and promoting sustainable development.

His Excellency reiterated the State of Qatar's appreciation to the contributions and experience of the UN Secretary-General, especially in this exceptional stage which have shown that no country is capable of addressing multi-faceted challenges on its own, praising at the same time the active role of HE President of the current session of the UN General Assembly Csaba Korosi.

HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani went on saying that the Doha-based United Nations House will be a platform for continuing cooperation, dialogue and exchange of experiences, expressing hope that the UN House would strengthen the bonds of cooperation between the State of Qatar and the UN.

He added that the State of Qatar announced, during the 18th Doha Forum in 2018, its USD 500 million support to fund various UN bodies and agencies, adding that with the opening of the United Nations House, the State of Qatar renews its commitment to continue its support and close cooperation with the United Nations entities.

HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs stated that the opening of the United Nations House coincides with convening the LDC5, expressing pride in the opportunity to host such a historic event that takes place once every ten years, and hope that this conference would contribute to bringing about the desired change in the lives of millions of people of the least developed countries, and contribute to alleviating the burdens of the crises and challenges facing these countries.

His Excellency voiced confidence that the opening of the UN House is another positive step, and a successful example of the depth of the strategic partnership and vital cooperation between the State of Qatar and the United Nations system, looking forwards for the event to be a renewed start for this partnership and a motive to enhance the outputs of the work of the various UN agencies and institutions in order to realize the common aspirations. 

The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that the UN House Because this is a place to unite the work of the United Nations in Qatar and beyond, bringing together development, humanitarian, and diplomatic work under one roof and also a symbol of UN's strategic partnership with Qatar. 

He pointed that the world is facing enormous global challenges, from conflicts, climate change and mass displacement, to poverty, hunger and deep inequalities. These challenges cry out for collaboration on a global scale and demand that all countries stand in solidarity to find solutions, he said.

Guterres praised the spirit of collaboration and solidarity that has defined the United Nations' partnership with Qatar from the very start as well as Qatar's generosity to assist the most vulnerable, its steadfast support of the Sustainable Development Goals, its "extremely valuable" contribution to the work of the UN fighting terrorism and violent extremism and its efforts to bring people together around solutions to address challenges.

He also affirmed that UN-Qatar strategic partnership is growing stronger by the year,  and that the LDC5 is another example of Qatar's global commitment to contribute to drawing roadmap for the world to deliver progress and results for the hundreds of millions of people who call Least Developed Countries home.

Antonio Guterres thanked the government and people of the State of Qatar for committing to building cooperation and partnership and supporting the United Nations efforts, expressing his hope that the United Nations House would create the conditions to demonstrate that this strategic partnership is also a fantastic tribute to modernity, beauty, and the brotherhood between the State of Qatar and the United Nations and the international community.

For his part, HE the President of the UN General Assembly Csaba Korsi said that the "United Nations House" is new architectural gem added to Qatar's collection. "The United Nations House stands as a symbol of our collective efforts to work towards a more peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable world for all. It also serves as a testament to Qatar's commitment to international cooperation, and to the principles that we, as the community of nations, hold dear," he said.

The United Nations House contains offices of United Nations Education, Sciences and Culture Organization (UNESCO), International Labour Organisation (ILO), World Health Organisation (WHO), United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), International Organization for Migration (IOM), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Office of the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict (SRSG CAAC) and United Nations Office of Counter Terrorism (UNOTC).

Source: QNA