Qatar Supports UNOCT with USD15 Million Annually for Three Years

HE Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi

The State of Qatar has announced the renewal of its support for the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) of USD15 million annually for three years (2024-2026) as it attaches high priority to supporting counter-terrorism efforts at the national, regional, and international levels and the UN central role in that.

This came in a speech by HE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi before the opening session of the Annual Forum of Beneficiaries of Technical Assistance, held by the State of Qatar and UNOCT.

His Excellency affirmed the State of Qatar's commitment to making all possible efforts in continuous cooperation with the UN and various international partners to get rid of the scourge of terrorism and violent extremism.

He expressed the State of Qatar's aspiration to the forum's findings of guidelines, best practices, and recommendations for designing, implementing, and strengthening technical assistance and capacity-building provided by UNOCT and its implementing partners in the future.

HE the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs expressed Qatar's pleasure in cooperating with UNOCT to hold this meeting within the framework of the shared belief in the importance of coordination between technical assistance providers, beneficiaries, and donors based on the principles of accountability, efficiency and comprehensive response in program management.

He explained that the State of Qatar attaches importance to combating the scourge of terrorism and violent extremism conducive to terrorism, and is committed to international instruments and relevant UN resolutions and the integrated implementation of the UNOCT strategy.

He added that the State of Qatar, believing that preventing and combating terrorism are among the areas that require international coordination and cooperation, actively participates in the various relevant international mechanisms, in addition to cooperation between national bodies and their counterparts in friendly countries.

His Excellency pointed out that the UN plays a central role in activating multilateral cooperation, pointing out that the State of Qatar has been keen to support the activities of the international organization in various fields, including combating terrorism. He added that Qatar has strengthened close cooperation with various relevant UN bodies, including the UN Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate (CTED), the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), and UNOCT.
In this context, the contribution agreement between the State of Qatar and UNOCT to support its strategic initiatives, signed on Dec. 16, 2018, covering the five years 2019-2023, formed the nucleus of an expanded and extended partnership between the two sides, he explained. Accordingly, the contribution of the State of Qatar to the Trust Fund for Counter-Terrorism of USD15 million annually places it at the forefront of countries funding the office's core resources, he explained.

His Excellency explained that by taking advantage of this grant, UNOCT has strengthened the performance of its basic mandate tasks, including leadership, public policy and coordination at the level of the UN system, organizing international and regional meetings, implementing the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact, and planning and implementing new initiatives, projects and diverse integrated programs for capacity building and technical assistance, implemented in cooperation with UN stakeholders, covering diverse areas, from legislation and law enforcement to coordination between national agencies.

He said that the State of Qatar, as a funder and participant in the UNOCT activities, is pleased to see the tangible and increasing impact of these activities in identifying the most prominent risks and the most urgent challenges, developing and implementing solutions, enhancing international and regional cooperation, and improving UN activities in areas important to member countries.

He pointed out that many countries have benefited from technical assistance and capacity-building programs, explaining that the number of countries participating in the UN Countering Terrorist Travel Program has reached nearly 50 countries.

His Excellency stressed that to achieve the maximum benefit from these activities, this forum aims to gather the beneficiaries and providers of technical assistance to assess the progress achieved, and discuss ways to improve the design and implementation of programs, taking into account the needs and priorities of member states, as well as evaluating the positive impact of financial contributions and the allocation of resources accordingly.

HE the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs stated that Qatar's national expertise and capabilities contribute to the UNOCT activities, such as the Global Program for the Security of Major Sporting Events and promoting sport and its values as a tool to prevent violent extremism, which is implemented in partnership with the International Centre for Sport Security in Doha.

He pointed out that Doha hosts two program offices of UNOCT, the first is the International Hub on Behavioural Insights to Counter Terrorism, which was opened in December 2020, and has become a global center of excellence for research, knowledge, and capacity-building in this emerging field, and the second is the Office on Parliamentary. Engagement in Preventing and Countering Terrorism, which was opened in June 2021, in cooperation with the Shura Council of the State of Qatar, aims to strengthen the capacities of parliamentarians and facilitate dialogue and cooperation between parliaments on taking measures to combat terrorism.

He explained that the two offices are part of UNOCT's drive towards strengthening its field presence at the regional level, through program offices in Spain, Kenya, Morocco, and Hungary, in addition to the State of Qatar.

His Excellency said that the State of Qatar welcomes this trend, which facilitates the implementation of programs closer to the beneficiaries, enhances their impact and cost-effectiveness, and develops cooperation with national, local, and regional actors, including providers and beneficiaries of assistance.

(QNA)