Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen, and thank you very much Your Excellency for the very kind introduction.
It is truly a great honor to be here in Norway and to address such a prestigious audience.
I’m reminded of a conversation I had with a colleague, after my appointment as Qatar’s Foreign Minister. I was describing my hope that Qatar could become a platform for peace, a forum for dialogue, and a catalyst for reconciliation.
“So,” he said, “It sounds like you want Qatar to be like Switzerland.” I said, “No, I’d like to be like Norway.”
Not only is Norway the home of the Nobel Peace Prize, but your nation has been a major player in conflict resolution for decades.
You have supported and facilitated peace and reconciliation processes in many nations such as Guatemala, Colombia, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Nepal, the Philippines, Somalia, Sri Lanka, and Sudan.
Norway’s track record as a standard bearer for conflict resolution and peace is second to none.
By European standards, Qatar is a young nation. We joined the United Nations in 1971.
But just like Norway, we are determined to be a force for good in the world, and to play an active role in promoting peace.
Qatar’s foreign policy is based on four main pillars:
- Consolidating international peace and security by encouraging the peaceful resolution of international disputes.
- Supporting the right to self- determination.
- Non- interference in the domestic affairs of other states.
- Cooperation with all nations that seek peace.
Since Qatar took up a two-year rotating seat at the UN Security Council in 2006, our nation has been an active mediator in cross border and intranational conflicts in the Middle East, North Africa, and East Africa.
As always, Qatar’s objective has been to maintain global peace and security and to promote positive relations with all state and non-state actors.
- In 2008, Qatar successfully brokered the Doha agreements between rival Lebanese factions, which ended an 18-month long political crisis in that country.
- In 2010, Qatar took a leadership role in peace efforts in Sudan, hosting peace talks in our capital city, Doha. Three years later, we hosted an International Donor Conference for Reconstruction and Development in Darfur.
- In 2014, we secured the release of a US army sergeant held by the Taliban in exchange for five Taliban prisoners.
- More recently, Qatar successfully mediated between the rival Toubou and Tuareg tribes in Libya, resulting in the signing of a peace and reconciliation agreement in Doha.
- Qatar also helped resolve a border dispute between Djibouti and Eretria in 2010… and, earlier this year, we helped facilitate the release of four Djiboutian prisoners held in Eretria – in fact, I personally accompanied them back to Djibouti.
In every mediation effort, we kept our doors open to all parties in the dispute in order to bring about a lasting peace.
Doha is “neutral territory,” where Fatah can talk to Hamas; where the US can negotiate with the Taliban; and where rival factions can reconcile their differences.
And I think it is obvious to all of us that the importance of peace-making and reconciliation efforts in the Middle East has never been more critical than it is today.
Let’s start with Palestine:
As you are all well aware, Norway was host to negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis that aimed to commit both parties to a negotiated settlement of their conflict, and which envisioned the creation of a Palestinian state.
It has been more than 20 years since the signing of the Oslo Accords and as you are again surely aware; the Palestinians have not yet gained their promised independent state.
Looking forward, we will continue to press members of the United Nations to uphold their moral and legal obligations towards the Palestinian people, and to recognize Palestine as an independent state.
Qatar has been a strong supporter of Palestinian independence, and we have made significant contributions to the economic development of Palestine (especially in Gaza, which continues to be under blockade).
Beyond Palestine, Qatar – like all Arab nations – has been fully absorbed with the social, political, and humanitarian consequences of the Arab Spring.
We believe that the events of the Arab Spring and the counter-revolutions that followed have resulted in the most significant changes to the political and geographical landscape of the Middle East since the Sykes-Picot agreement.
In our view, the counter-revolutions in many Arab states have, unfortunately, reversed the initial gains of freedom and liberty achieved by the people in the early years of the movement.
Even worse, the brutality of tyrants like Bashar Al-Assad, who have resorted to military force to crush popular dissent-and, in the process, the hopes of their people-have led many disillusioned young men and women to become extremists.
Similarly, the brutality of former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki against civilians in Mosul and the lynching and killing of demonstrators has led to despair, and to the radicalization of citizens desperate for a better future.
As hard as it is to believe, the war criminals who have organized and conducted these mass murders have still not been held accountable – morally or legally – by the international community.
We therefore reiterate our strong support for a political solution in Syria to end the most catastrophic humanitarian crisis in recent history and we will continue to demand that Bashar Al-Assad be held accountable for war crimes.
And, we hope that diplomacy can bring justice, and finally peace, to the people of Iraq. Sectarianism has nearly destroyed Iraq, and we believe it is time to heal the wounds, bring the perpetrators of violence to justice, and establish a government that is truly representative of the Iraqi people.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The fighting in Syria, Iraq, Libya, and Yemen must come to an end.
Because the longer the fighting goes on, the greater the sacrifice of human capital, and more children will be deprived of their right to an education.
And the longer the fighting, the more likely that moderate young men and women will be radicalized and lured into the extremist camp as a result of their desperation and hopelessness.
And sadly, to this toxic mix of desperation and hopelessness, a third catalyst has been added-humiliation- as those fighting for their freedom are subjected to cruelty, abuse, and even torture at the hands of men desperate to hang on to power.
In that context, it is worth noting that we are now witnessing the largest number of young people transitioning to adulthood in the region’s history, approximately 108 million young men and women.
Young men like Omar Mustafa, a 22 year-old Egyptian who was once a secular revolutionary chanting, “Bread, freedom and social justice,” in Tahrir Square, and who later became a militant – fighting with Daesh – out of frustration and despair.
Or the young man I personally met in Istanbul who lost most of his right arm and shoulder fighting for his freedom in Libya.
He left his hospital bed to testify at a UN meeting - to plead with the international community to save his country. Weeks later, I learned that General Hafter’s forces had burned his home to the ground. And more recently, I saw his picture on a social media site, wearing a black headband, and standing in front of a black flag.
Who will next wave the black flag?
Years from now, it could be Omran, whose body was pulled from the rubble in Aleppo, and whose picture moved the world to tears. What kind of a future are we creating for the Omrans of this world? Where will they turn for hope?
In Iraq, Daesh found fertile ground for recruitment in the sectarian political environment that was created in the aftermath of the American invasion.
The so-called Islamic State then spread like a plague across Syria and into Libya, as a result of escalating political turmoil and intensifying sectarian divisions.
Iraq’s borders have now been redrawn on the basis of these sectarian differences, and Syria might unfortunately follow suit.
Like the plague, the disease of terrorism knows no borders.
Inspired by the radicals in the Middle East, young men and women in Europe, America, Africa, and the subcontinent have taken up the extremist cause.
The people of the Middle East did not choose to live in an environment of terrorism and sectarian violence. History shows that we are a people of tolerance and coexistence, regardless of our different backgrounds, ethnicities, religions, or sects.
In world history, sectarianism has often been a precursor to armed conflict. Here in Europe, long ago, the bloody Thirty Years' War was fought over the issue of religious intolerance. More recently, Christians in Northern Ireland took up arms against one another over sectarian differences.
The lesson for us in the Middle East is that we must actively seek to promote our ancient culture of tolerance, and base our identity on our common citizenship, not on our sectarian differences.
And we must do more to give the people of the Middle East the opportunity to hope for a better future.
The people of the Middle East deserve governments that are responsive to their hopes and needs, and which ensure that their rights are protected.
The people of the Middle East deserve to live in a society that ensures equity instead of inequality.
And our people deserve the right to practice their various faiths without fear of discrimination or repression.
These were the freedoms that people fought and died for during the Arab Spring, and we believe that they are as important today as they were then.
For our part, we in Qatar have been committed to youth empowerment and supporting initiatives that promote large-scale job creation, entrepreneurship and the engagement of young people in economic and social development.
We have, further, made a bold commitment to education, because we believe that education is a necessary precondition for both social and economic empowerment.
Through endorsing the “Safe Schools Declaration” last year in Oslo, we – and you here in Norway – are not only on the path towards saving schools and protecting education.
We are also saving the lives and securing the safety and well-being of students and educators in conflict zones.
We are investing in education as a human right, and as a tool for prosperity and sustainable development. But we are convinced that education is also the best preventive measure we can take against the threat of radicalization and terrorism.
For this reason, we have supported programs that reach millions of out of school children across the Middle East and North Africa, with the goal of protecting the region and the world from the rise of violent extremism.
To date, Qatar’s investments in teachers and classrooms have reached more than 6 million out of school children, and allowed more than 600,000 children in Syrian refugee camps to continue their education.
We believe that if we fail to provide these educational opportunities, generations of young men and women will grow up without hope for a better future, and will be vulnerable to the call of terrorist groups like Daesh.
Along with our partners, we seek to replace guns with pens, despair with hope, and stagnation with innovation.
As a nation that has been blessed with wealth and natural resources, we also believe that it is our moral and humanitarian responsibility to provide developmental and humanitarian aid.
So we have committed $500 million dollars to Darfur’s development that has, so far, benefited more than 150,000 people.
In southern Lebanon, we contributed $300 million dollars to help the Lebanese people – Sunni, Shia and Christians – to rebuild the homes, schools, and hospitals that were destroyed by Israeli artillery and air strikes in 2008.
In Gaza, we pledged $1 billion dollars towards the reconstruction of roads, schools, and hospitals that were destroyed following the brutal Israeli assault on Gaza in the summer of 2014.
In Jerusalem, we committed another $250 million dollars for development programs.
And through a variety of on-going programs and initiatives in Japan, Haiti, Tunisia, New Orleans – and throughout the world – we are committed to providing global aid and development to people in need. Not just Arabs. Not just Muslims. But people in need – everywhere.
If I may, I’d like to end my remarks by making a brief philosophical point.
Twenty years ago, most of you will recall, Samuel Huntington published a book called “The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order,” in which he predicted that the post-Cold War era would be dominated by conflicts between cultures and religions.
Huntington’s thesis was challenged by many historians and scholars- some in the Arab world thought it sounded like a justification for aggression by the West against Muslim nations.
But today, sadly, the discredited “Clash of Civilizations” narrative has been given a new lease of life by radicals in the Middle East seeking to stir up the masses, and by nativists in the West – political radicals – looking to exploit terrorist incidents for political advantages.
Both the radicals and the nativists have an obvious interest in promoting this idea of a clash of civilizations – it frightens people and makes extremist groups and individuals more popular.
But my experience tells me that the “Clash” argument is a losing proposition, and that – in our globalized world – the forces of division will ultimately lose out to the forces of cooperation.
In remarks I delivered at the United Nations in June, I suggested that we counter the radicals’ agenda by promoting a dialogue of civilizations, which is what I am hoping to do here today-and what I hope Qatar and Norway can do together in the months and years ahead.
Our nations have much in common. We are both moving towards the diversification of our economies.
We are both working to develop renewable energy sources, and seeking to leverage human capital more efficiently.
In Qatar, we are making significant investments in solar power technology, and in education, as we transition from a carbon-based to a knowledge-based economy.
But more importantly, Qatar and Norway share a commitment to peace.
We favor diplomacy and negotiations as a means to solve disputes – as opposed to war and bloodshed – and I believe this is where we can forge a lasting partnership.
With Norway anchoring the effort in Europe, and Qatar representing the “peace coalition” in the Middle East, I believe we can better facilitate dialogue, encourage conflict resolution, and promote reconciliation.
And in so doing, ladies and gentlemen, I believe Norway and Qatar can truly become partners for peace.
Thank you, your excellency, and thank you all for your kind attention.