Doha / Information Office / April 24

HE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi inaugurated a high-level workshop on responding to natural and man-made disasters - the role and challenges of relief and development work.

The workshop is organized by the International Cooperation Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in cooperation with the Permanent Delegation of the State of Qatar to the United Nations in Geneva with the participation of HE Permanent Representative of Qatar to the UN in Geneva Ambassador Ali Khalfan Al Mansouri.

The workshop is attended by the Permanent Committee for Emergency at the Ministry of Interior, permanent committee for the work of rescue and relief in the affected areas in brotherly and friendly countries at the Internal Security Force (Lekhwiya), representatives of Qatari humanitarian, charitable and development institutions and a number of embassies accredited to the State.

The workshop was also attended by HE Sheikha Hessa bint Khalifa bin Ahmed Al-Thani, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General of the Arab League for Humanitarian Affairs, Director of Sustainable Development at the Arab League Nada El Agizy, HE UN Envoy for Humanitarian Affairs Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Muraikhi, head of response services to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Zola Dowell, Under Secretary General for Partnerships, International Federation of Red Cross and Crescent Societies (IFRC) Dr Jemilah Mahmood.

At the end of workshop, memorandum of understanding was signed for a cooperative agreement between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and IFRC. From the Qatari side, the MoU was signed by Department of International Cooperation of the Ministry Ambassador Tariq bin Ali Al Ansari and from the IFRC side Under Secretary General for Partnerships Dr Jemilah Mahmood.