New York– Information Office – 20 December
The State of Qatar has reiterated that the unjust siege that it has been subjected to violates the international law and U.N. Charter, stressing that these unilateral illegal measures have nothing to do with reality and lack evidence and justification.
HE Ambassador Sheikha Alia Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani, the State of Qatar's permanent representative to the United Nations, made the remarks before the open debate of the Security Council on "Addressing complex contemporary challenges to international peace and security" at the U.N. headquarters in New York.
HE the ambassador said the changing nature of the challenges facing collective security, the growing size and complexity of long and recent conflicts, and the persistence of different forms of extremism and terrorism require a holistic view of international peace and security, preventing conflicts and settling them through peaceful means.
She noted that the current challenges compels all sides to positively contribute to address the problems facing the world, adopt dialogue instead of confrontation, stop creating crises, and abide by international law.
HE the ambassador said that the prevention of conflicts through dialogue is enough to achieve international peace and security, adding that the absence of dialogue complicates crises and increases instability.
She reaffirmed that the State of Qatar believes that achieving international peace and security depends on enhancing the collective prevention of crises and resolving disputes in line with the provisions of Article 33 of the U.N. Charter, noting that Doha has been actively involved in the peaceful settlement of disputes in cooperation with concerned U.N. entities.
According to this vision, HE the permanent representative said, the State of Qatar is satisfied and appreciates that conflict prevention and resolution is a top priority of the secretary general as these crises and human conflicts cost enormous losses and undermine the capacities that can be employed to achieve the U.N. goals of peace, development and human rights, which the secretary general confirmed in his report on the restructuring of the pillar of peace and security at the United Nations on Oct. 17.
In line with Qatar's policy to support U.N. peace efforts and objectives and to contribute to the promotion of preventive diplomacy, which is a priority for the secretary general in the area of peace, HE Ambassador Sheikha Alia Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani said, Doha will host regional consultations on peace sustainability in the Middle East and some Muslim countries on Jan. 18 and 19 in preparation for the next high-level meeting of the General Assembly on peace sustainability in April.
HE the ambassador added that the sizable and complex challenges facing the Middle East pose a serious threat to international peace and security, which necessitates intensifying cooperation between countries of the region and the international community so as to deal with long and current crises and conflicts and eradicate terrorism and extremism and other challenges.
It is unfortunate though, she added, that the region is creating additional crises that increase instability in the region and affect international efforts to achieve peace and security in the region and combat terrorism.
In this regard, she said that continuing the imposed siege and the unilateral illegal measures against the State of Qatar under pretexts that lack evidence and justification in disregard for the unjust siege's violation of international law and U.N. Charter and the basics of friendly ties among countries, creates a precedent that legalize the violation of sovereignty of states, and founds an unstable regional and international environment that undermines efforts to establish international peace and security.
HE Sheikha Alia Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani said that among the challenges facing the international community is the security of electronic information and cybersecurity. She added that misusing it to achieve special objectives undermines international peace and security, noting that the world has seen serious violations of the electronic systems of international institutions and many countries, including the State of Qatar.
As the U.N. secretary general said in his statement at the opening session of the General Assembly, HE the ambassador noted, cyberwarfare has become a reality that can't be ignored and is increasingly capable of disrupting relations between states and destroying the structures and systems of modern life.
She added that the State of Qatar, as a victim of cyber hacking, affirms that the absence of international institutions and legislation governing this dangerous and vital area and the punishment of the perpetrators of transnational piracy crimes poses a threat to international peace and security, and becomes a source of concern to the international community, which requires strict measures against perpetrators and holding them fully accountable for these crimes and their consequences.
HE the ambassador reiterated the State of Qatar's readiness to participate in any joint international effort to save mankind from the misuse of scientific progress in the field of cyber security.
She said that the State of Qatar's delegation supports the conclusions of the U.N. Group of Governmental Experts (GGE) on cybersecurity and backs GGE's emphasis on the importance of strengthening multilateral international cooperation to enhance information security and secure national interests on the international information network.
Concluding the statement, HE Sheikha Alia Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani renewed the State of Qatar's commitment to actively and positively contribute to international efforts to address emerging and complex challenges in order to achieve the goals of the U.N. Charter and support the Security Council's efforts in preserving international peace and security.