Qatar Signs Statute of Arab Environment Facility

Qatar Signs Statute of Arab Environment Facility

Cairo– Information Office – 25 December

HE Qatar's Permanent Representative to the Arab League Ibrahim bin Abdulaziz Al Sahlawi signed today the statute of the Arab Environment Facility with the Director of the Department of Treaties and International Law at the Arab League Counselor Ihab Makram. The signing took place at the headquarters of the General Secretariat of Arab League.

The Permanent Representative of Qatar to the Arab League said that Qatar's signing of the statute of the Arab Environment Facility comes within the framework of its keenness on environmental issues in light of the increasing international attention to such issues in order to optimize the use of resources, stressing that the principle of preserving the environment in all its aspects is one of the priorities of the State of Qatar, through the optimal use of energy and natural resources.

It is noteworthy that the Arab Economic and Social Council approved the establishment of the Arab Environment Facility in March 2008, as approved by the Arab League Council at the level of foreign ministers in September of the same year.

The statute had already been signed by Kuwait, Jordan, Tunisia, Syria, Iraq, Oman, Yemen, Morocco, Lebanon and Palestine.

It had also been ratified by five Arab countries: Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Palestine and Morocco. In order to enter into force, the instruments of ratification must be deposited with the League by seven Arab countries.

The Arab Environment Facility aims at financing environmental projects in Arab countries and providing technical and institutional support for any initiatives to preserve the environment. The financing of these projects is carried out voluntarily through countries and through Arab funding institutions and international donors.

The facility seeks to address the environmental problems in the Arab region, especially with regard to pollution and desertification, and to stimulate the role of the Arab private sector to participate in addressing environmental problems.