New York-information office - July 25

The State of Qatar has hailed the decision of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to approve the State of Qatar's request for interim measures against the UAE in the case of discriminatory treatment against Qatari nationals, which obliged the UAE to ensure the reunification of families separated by the measures taken by the UAE and to give Qatari students affected by these measures the opportunity to complete their studies in the UAE or obtain their educational records as well as access of Qatari nationals affected by such measures to courts and judicial bodies in the UAE.

This came in a statement delivered by the Acting Charge d'affaires of the Permanent Mission of State of Qatar to the United Nations, Abdulrahman Yacoub Al Hammadi, before the UN Security Council session on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question, where he welcomed the ICJ decision on July 23, 2018.

Al-Hammadi noted that more than a year has passed since the fabricated Gulf crisis, the unjust siege and arbitrary unilateral measures imposed on the State of Qatar, which are contrary to the fundamental principles of international law and international instruments relating to human rights and basis of international relations, as well as their negative effects on regional and international cooperation for maintaining the international peace and security.

He recalled the commitment of the State of Qatar since the beginning of the crisis to dealing with it within the framework of international law and relevant international and bilateral conventions and within existing international mechanisms for conflict resolution.

He stressed that the State of Qatar has always affirmed its call for dialogue to resolve the crisis and its commitment to the mediation led by HH Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the Amir of the State of Kuwait, in line with the policy of the State of Qatar, which stresses the importance of maintaining peace and security and the settlement of disputes through peaceful means, dialogue, constructive collective action and good-neighborly relations.

Al-Hammadi warned of the serious repercussions of this intractable crisis and its direct impact on international peace and security, which necessitates the immediate lifting of all unilateral measures against the State of Qatar and the unjust siege imposed on it and the adoption of dialogue as a means to resolve any dispute.

He stressed that Qatar's continued participation in the Security Council meetings on the Middle East situation reflects its keenness to consolidate peace and stability in the Middle East, not only because it belongs to this important region but also because it believes in resolving crises by peaceful means in accordance with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations, and it believes in the importance of the role that the Security Council can play in addressing the serious and multiple challenges facing the region.

He added: "While the challenges and crises facing serious consequences for the countries and peoples of the region are first and foremost, their effects extend even further, which underscores the importance of concerted efforts of the international community to achieve security and stability and resolve crises in the region, foremost of which is the Middle East issue. "

With regard to developments in the Gaza Strip, Al-Hammadi pointed out that the escalation of regrettable and disturbing events in the Gaza Strip was a reminder to the international community of the urgent need to reach a lasting, just and comprehensive settlement of the Palestinian question, as that was the only guarantee to avoid a recurrence of crises and their grave humanitarian consequences.

He said that the general framework for this settlement was known to all, namely the settlement according to the agreed criteria and the Arab Peace Initiative, in a way that ensures that the two sides would live side by side in peace and security based on the two-state solution and the establishment of a viable Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, as well as respect for the legal status of Al-Quds Al-Sharif, in accordance with the relevant Security Council resolutions, the end of the Israeli occupation of all occupied Arab territories, including the Syrian Golan and the occupied Lebanese territories, the immediate and complete cessation of settlement activities, the return of refugees right and the restoration of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.

In this regard, Al-Hammadi renewed the support of the State of Qatar for any direction that would contribute to the resumption of serious negotiations between the Palestinian and Israeli sides to ensure the achievement of the desired peace. He noted that the State of Qatar assumes its responsibility, stressing that it will continue to do what it can in various fields to achieve peace in the Middle East and to create the conditions that are conducive to it. He called for sincere efforts to achieve this end and to ensure that no action is taken that would undermine these efforts.

He also strongly condemned the so-called national law adopted by Israel and provocative acts that affect religious sanctities, including the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, stressing that the deterioration of the humanitarian situation resulting from the continued siege imposed on the Gaza Strip undermines international efforts to achieve peace.

With regard to the Syrian crisis, Al-Hammadi stressed that this crisis is having serious consequences for peace and security in the region and the world, as it is one of the greatest humanitarian catastrophes and refugee crises of recent history. The State of Qatar reaffirms that there is no alternative to a political solution to the Syrian crisis, based on the 2012 Geneva Statement and the relevant Security Council resolutions, that meet the legitimate aspirations of the brotherly Syrian people for security and stability and preserves Syria's national and regional unity, he underlined.

The Acting Charge d'affaires of the Permanent Mission of State of Qatar to the United Nations reiterated that Qatar would continue to be an active partner in supporting international efforts to achieve peace in the Middle East and to resolve disputes peacefully and to contribute to the achievement of the Security Council's objectives for maintaining international peace and security.