Lausanne, Switzerland / Information Office / May 30
The State of Qatar has doubled its contribution to the Global Community Engagement & Resilience Fund (GCERF) to reach $10 million, after pledging an additional $5 million during its participation in the eighth meeting of the GCERF Governing Board held in Lausanne, Switzerland.
At its meeting which began today and will continue on Thursday, Qatar was represented by HE Ambassador Dr Mutlaq bin Majid Al Qahtani, the Foreign Ministers Special Envoy for Combating Terrorism and Mediation in Conflict Resolution, a member of the Board of Directors of the Fund.
The move is in line with Qatar's position as one of the founding members, key players and supporters of the GCERF, as well as the only GCC and Arab country to contribute to the fund, along with the United States of America, Switzerland, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, France, Japan, Sweden and Norway.
The State of Qatar, which has become the biggest contributor to the GCERF, called on all other countries, especially the countries of the region, to follow the example of Qatar and participate in this global fund as the only fund in the world dedicated to supporting local communities to confront violent extremism leading to terrorism.
Qatar's contribution to the GCERF aims to support the financing of projects to combat violent extremism and build peaceful societies in various regions of the world, including Mali, Nigeria, Kenya, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Kosovo, as well as other countries supported by the GCERF including Tunisia, the Philippines, Somalia and Afghanistan.
The Geneva-based GCERF was established in 2014 to serve as the first global effort to support local, community-level initiatives aimed at strengthening resilience against violent extremist agendas. Operating at the nexus of security and development, GCERF is committed to working in partnership and consultation with governments, civil society, and the private sector in beneficiary countries to support national strategies to address the local drivers of violent extremism.
The State of Qatar hosted the seventh meeting of the GCERF Governing Board on 5 and 6 December 2017, and that meeting came out with critical recommendations and decisions being implemented by all of its players.