New York/Information Office/07 September 2016/ The State of Qatar underlined that the continuing trend of record high civilian casualties, forced displacement, mass migration, and the risks of instability in the world, makes the implementation of the principle of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) an issue of utmost importance. The State of Qatar stresses that the protection of civilians from terrible crimes is based on the Charter of the United Nations, as well as the provisions of the international humanitarian law, the international human rights law and international law for refugees, HE Qatar's Permanent Representative to the United National Ambassador Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani said in a statement before the UN General Assembly's informal interactive dialogue on the "Responsibility to Protect". Ambassador Alya said that the establishment of security of mankind is a collective responsibility of all Member States, pointing out that the Security Council, by virtue of its mandate under the Charter, shoulders a special responsibility to prevent the terrible crimes and should carry out this responsibility by refraining from the use of Veto in cases involving egregious crimes. She added that the progress that has been made in building international consensus on the principle of the R2P offers a glimmer of hope for the protection of the lives of millions of people suffering from conflicts and grave violations of human rights, the international humanitarian law and relevant international conventions. However, Ambassador Alya noted, what has been achieved practically did not lived up to the expectations of the international community to prevent such terrible crimes, which are increasing in more than one region in the world, which are likely to continue unless the international community was more determined and consistent to take an action to fulfill its responsibility to protect civilians. She pointed out that the R2P principle addresses the crimes of genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and the crimes against humanity, which are among the most heinous acts that are rejected by the conscience of mankind, whatever the circumstances. Tolerating such crimes is contrary to human nature. Those crimes require concerted collective efforts to put an end to them, through the international commitment to the realization of this principle, and to protect the future of humanity. She commended the important efforts made by civil society organizations to raise international awareness about the R2P principle, adding that the growing support for the R2P and broad support for the relevant General Assembly resolution, confirms the insistence of the international community to protect civilians, through continued efforts to uphold justice and to promote human values and the rule of law. HE the Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani said that the State of Qatar will host this year a high-level workshop on the Responsibility to Protect for the Gulf Cooperation Council. Qatar will also host the 7th meeting of the National R2P Focal Points in 2017. She noted that Qatar's support for the R2P principle is based on its commitment to the provisions of international law, and its ongoing efforts to put an end to serious violations of the international humanitarian law and international human rights law, as well as its policy to work and cooperate with partners in the international community to promote international peace and security. Qatar joined the Group of Friends of the Responsibility to Protect, and appointed a senior government official as a R2P focal in order to facilitate the national mechanisms to prevent atrocities and to strengthen international cooperation in this area. In the same context, the State of Qatar joined the Accountability, Coherence, and Transparency Initiative, and Limiting the Veto in Cases of Mass Atrocities initiative. Ambassador Alya underlined that Qatar is working with the international community to assist other countries to create effective institutions and systems to ensure access to justice and effective resolution of conflicts, based on the sixteenth objective of the UN Sustainable Development Plan 2030, which stresses the vital relationship between peace and security, the rule law and development, good governance, and conflict prevention. She highlighted the important role of the Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies of the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies (DI) in supporting the 16th objective of the UN Development Plan in the framework of addressing challenges in the Middle East and North Africa, and ways to respond to conflicts, peaceful settlements and reconstruction, and supplying the region with experts, researches and proposals.