New York /Information Office/9 November 2015/ The State of Qatar supports the international efforts to find a political solution to the Syrian crisis on the basis of Geneva Declaration (1), HE Qatar's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani said. Speaking at a meeting with professors and students of New York University's International Studies Program "Global Leadership", HE Sheikha Alya underlined that the state of Qatar stands with the will of the Syrian people, and only the Syrian people have the right to determine their destiny. She pointed out to the aid which was and still provided by the State of Qatar to the Syrian people. She stated that Qatar received Syrian brothers not as refugees, but as part of the Qatari society. HE Sheikha Alya stressed the need to address the root causes of terrorism, referring to the policy of repression by the Syrian regime. She added that addressing the root causes of terrorism is capable of eliminating the Daesh organization and extremist violence. Speaking about Qatar's relation with Hamas, HE the Ambassador said that this relationship stems from the overall vision of Qatar, which is not biased in favor of one party or the other. She underlined that the State of Qatar has sought and continues to seek to achieve the Palestinian unity, and believes that the Hamas movement is an important component of the Palestinian social fabric. The Ambassador reiterated that Qatar supports the peace process in the Middle East and on the basis of the Arab peace initiative and the two-state solution. Meanwhile, HE Sheikha Alya highlighted Qatar's big progress in the field of human rights, referring to the Qatari woman's role in all state institutions and in the economic, social and cultural sectors. The dialogue was attended by a large number of students and professors at New York University who are interested in international affairs and foreign policy. The University's program hosts each semester a number of the world's leading political and diplomatic figures.