Qatar Concerned Over Violations Against Children in Armed Conflicts

Qatar Concerned Over Violations Against Children in Armed Conflicts

Geneva/Information Office/ 09 March 2016/ Qatar expresses its concern and condemns all violations committed against children in armed conflict , stressing the need to punish perpetrators of these violations and to develop proactive measures to protect children. This came in a speech delivered by Noor Ibrahim Al Sada, the second secretary at the Permanent Mission of Qatar to the United Nations Office in Geneva during an interactive dialogue with Marta Santos Pais, Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children, Ms. Leila Zerrougui, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Children and Conflict armed in the framework of the 31st session under the item (3) held in Geneva 29 February - 24 March 2016. Al Sada said we share views with Ms. Marta Santos Pais that the violence against children requires its prevention and elimination with taking into account all issues related to the rights of the child, noting that Qatar had focused on inserting issue of children protection and their well-being in a number of key national references , topped by Qatar National Vision 2030 and National Development Strategy 2011-2016, which addressed the issue through a comprehensive and integrated approach that is not limited to simply identifying violations and punishment of perpetrators, but working to develop pre-emptive measures to protect children by focusing on the effects that endanger them . She noted that Qatar had enacted the necessary national legislations and created a set of institutions that tooke care with protection of children and promote their rights such as Qatar Social Work Foundation, which includes under its umbrella a number of children institutions, pointing to the Launch of Haseen (Cyber Safety Learning Program) , which aims to provide students with the skills and knowledge necessary to achieve safe, ethical and responsible use of means of technology . She added that Qatar agreed with what had been reported by Ms. Leila Zerrougui towards the importance of education, especially for children, its role in peace-building , economic growth and sustainable development, emphasizing that Qatar has attached great attention to creating a safe environment for educating children in all circumstances and protecting educational facilities against attacks , where its efforts in this regard did not stop. Al Sada noted that Qatar recently announced an initiative to educate and train Syrian children in the neighboring countries and continued its support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) to back five-year educational plan for the Palestinian children as well as Education Above All Foundation in collaboration with the UNICEF, implemented programs to protect the right of the children education at amount of $ 46 million over the 2011-2016 period.