New York/Information Office/08 October 2016/ The State of Qatar confirmed its commitment to implementing the recommendations of the Doha Declaration issued by the Thirteenth United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice held in Doha in April 2015, at the national, regional and international levels. This came during the statement of the State of Qatar delivered by member of Qatar's delegation to the 71st Session of the Unite Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Sarah Abdulaziz Al Khater, before the Social, Humanitarian & Cultural Third Committee on Item 106: Crime prevention and criminal justice and Item 107: International drug control. The statement stressed Qatar's keenness to further enhance cooperation with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in order to contribute in the promotion of communities free of crime and drugs, which enjoy sustained levels of comprehensive security, peace and justice. The State of Qatar expressed appreciation for the efforts being made in the preparation of the reports of the UN Secretary-General under Items (106) and (107), which included a number of important conclusions and recommendations,it added. Crime prevention and criminal justice efforts would contribute to promoting sustainable development efforts while the inclusion of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development would promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development and provide access to justice for all reflecting the international community's awareness and keenness to deal with this issue. The statement noted the contribution of the State of Qatar in the establishment of the Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform aimed to promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions as part of its ongoing obligations to implement the Doha Declaration's recommendations. The statement expressed Qatar's pride for hosting the Thirteenth United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal as part of its international responsibilities, stemming of its awareness of the criminal justice and the establishment of secure national and international societies governed by the rule of law and the principles of freedom and justice. The conference was crowned with success, culminating with the Doha Declarations' recommendations and commitments, which contributed to enhancing efforts aimed at integrating crime prevention and criminal justice in the United Nations agenda to address social and economic challenges and strengthening the Rule of Law at the national and international levels. The statement said that the State of Qatar has taken several measures to fulfill its obligations towards the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, through the establishment of the National Committee for Integrity and Transparency, which carries out its mission independently and objectively at all levels. According to international indicators, the State of Qatar excels at regional rates in the perceptions of Fighting Corruption and Anti-money Laundering. At the international level, the State of Qatar has provided financial contributions to support the Review Mechanism for the Anti-Corruption Convention and has contributed at the regional level in the organization of the 4th session of the Arab Forum on Asset Recovery in Tunisia, it added. The State of Qatar has ratified the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children, Qatar is also a member in the Group of Friends United against Human Trafficking as part of its commitment to support efforts to combat and eliminate trafficking in persons at the national, regional and international levels, it said. The State of Qatar has adopted a number of legislative measures to strengthen the national legal system to combat trafficking through the issuance of laws that guarantee the criminalization of these practices and ensure the protection of victims and witnesses, it said. With regard to the efforts to combat the problem of drugs, the statement said that the UN Secretary General's Report includes a number of important recommendations, which have been implemented by the State of Qatar for a long time to intensify efforts to combat the spread of drugs in the community through the implementation of prevention and awareness programs, strengthening cooperation in the field of exchanging information and building capacity and cooperation in investigations at the regional and international levels. The statement hailed UNODC' efforts to ensure proper follow-up to the implementation of the Doha Declaration as well as providing technical assistance for the implementation of international conventions and protocols relating to terrorism and the fight against the problem of drug reflected in the reports of the UN Secretary-General before the Committee.