Qatar Participates in Opening Session of UNCTAD Investment Commission

Geneva, August 31 – HE Dr. Hend Abdulrahman Al Muftah, Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the United Nations Office in Geneva, took part today in the opening of the 16th session of the Investment, Enterprise and Development Commission of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), held at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

Qatar Extends Invitation to World Investment Forum

In Qatar's statement during the opening session, delivered in relation to the country's hosting of the World Investment Forum, Her Excellency affirmed Qatar's full readiness to welcome world leaders, ministers, policymakers, and chief executives to the ninth edition of the forum, set to take place in Doha from October 25 to 27 under the theme "Investing in the Future."

Forum Designed to Bridge Global Capital and Development

Her Excellency said the World Investment Forum in Doha has been designed as an international platform aimed at strengthening collective action and forging actionable partnerships between global capital and development priorities. She pointed to the strong international momentum building around the event, noting that around 20 ministers have already confirmed their attendance, alongside senior figures from organizations including the World Trade Organization, UN Tourism, and the International Telecommunication Union, as well as representatives from development banks, the private sector, the International Chamber of Commerce, and leading economists from around the world.

Qatar Backs Modernization of Investment Agreements

Her Excellency reaffirmed Qatar's support for UNCTAD initiatives aimed at accelerating the modernization of international investment agreements (IIAs) and reforming older-generation agreements, while preserving states' regulatory and sovereign policy space in support of development goals and a just environmental transition.

New Guidelines, Talent Initiatives to Launch in Doha

She noted that the upcoming forum in Doha will feature the launch of UNCTAD's new guidelines for aligning investment agreements with sustainable development, along with specialized dialogues focused on nurturing future talent for small and medium-sized enterprises in cooperation with the Qatar Development Bank, in addition to a series of joint events with relevant entities.

Strategic Partnership Rooted in National Vision

Her Excellency also addressed the close strategic partnership between Qatar and UNCTAD, emphasizing that Qatar National Vision 2030 and the Third National Development Strategy (2024-2030) prioritize knowledge- and innovation-driven economic diversification, private-sector empowerment, digital transformation, and sustainability. She added that these priorities reinforce Qatar's standing as a trusted international partner in safeguarding the sustainability of global energy supplies and the resilience of supply chains.

Qatari Diplomat Elected Vice-Chair of Commission

The session also saw Qatar strengthen its diplomatic engagement, with Qassim Nasser Al Darwish, Commercial Attaché at the Permanent Mission of the State of Qatar to the United Nations Office in Geneva, elected Vice-Chair of the Investment, Enterprise and Development Commission for its current 16th session — a reflection of international recognition of Qatar's active role in supporting UN bodies focused on trade, investment, and development.

Source: QNA