Qatar calls for intensifying efforts to prevent conflicts

The State of Qatar stressed yesterday that tangible progress in establishing peace and security requires serious co-operation and commitment in light of the increasing conflicts and crises that threaten international peace and security, calling for intensified efforts to prevent and resolve conflicts and crises and abide by international law through the implementation of international conventions on disarmament and proliferation of weapons, including those related to nuclear, chemical and biological weapons.

This came in the statement during the meeting of the second committee of the 73rd UN General Assembly, read out by Second Secretary of Qatar’s Permanent Mission of the State of Qatar to the United Nations, Talal bin Rashid al-Khalifa.

The meeting was a general discussion on the disarmament and proliferation of weapons and maintaining international security.

Al-Khalifa stressed Qatar’s commitment to disarmament, as part of being a partner in the international efforts to achieve international peace and security and as part of its efforts to ensure the success of the committee.

He noted that it was a cause for concern that the continuation of these crises and armed conflicts was closely linked to the proliferation and use of weapons by the conflicting groups.

He added that the threat of the use of conventional weapons was not limited to armed conflicts, but had evolved into an increase in the use of chemical weapons and the threat of using nuclear weapons.

Eliminating such dangers requires strong international co-operation in that regard, he added.

The Qatari official stressed that the security and prosperity of societies is a top priority for the international community, adding achieving this goal is dependent on the elimination of the current tensions in the world, noting that this in turn requires actors at the international level to engage in a dialogue on all issues concerning nuclear weapons, and other issues that threaten security and stability.

Al-Khalifa said that Qatar believes in the importance of prevention when it came to crises, as in investing in that can save many human and financial resources that are being spent on weapons at a time of increasing tensions.

He said that in spite of the positive results achieved in disarmament and its impact on peace, security and stability in many regions of the world, the Middle East still lacks security and stability, expressing the deep concern of the delegation of Qatar at the lack of significant progress towards the Middle East nuclear disarmament, the failure to implement the commitments resulting from the 1995 Review and Extension Conference and the steps taken at the 2000 Review and Extension Conference and the 2010 Plan of Action, as well as the failure of the 2015 NPT Review Conference.

Al-Khalifa said that the security of electronic information and cybersecurity is a great challenge for the international community, pointing out that the world witnessed serious violations of the electronic systems of many countries and private institutions in recent years.

He added given the risks posed by the rise of cybercrime and the urgent need to provide cybersecurity to countries and individuals, the organisation of dealing with them is very important to prevent such crimes and to benefit from the scientific progress in information, and it is the responsibility of Qatar and its commitment to international co-operation in the face of common challenges Qatar has announced its readiness to host an international conference on ways to regulate cybersecurity under the provisions of international law.

He stressed that Qatar was keen to adopt a firm policy on disarmament and non-proliferation issues based on its firm belief that the achievement of international peace and security was the common responsibility of member-states, and that the multilateral framework was the only way to deal with disarmament and non-proliferation and international security issues in general, and to get rid of weapons of mass destruction in general and nuclear weapons in particular.

He reiterated Qatar’s commitment to implement all the obligations resulting from its accession to international conventions in the area of disarmament, stressing that National Committee for the Prohibition of Weapons, which was established in 2004, continues to advise the competent governmental bodies in all matters related to arms embargoes in order to achieve the objectives contained in the relevant international conventions to which Qatar has acceded and Doha Regional Centre for Training on the Conventions on Weapons of Mass Destruction, established in 2012 in co-operation with the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), is also providing training services at national, regional and international levels on WMD related conventions.

Al-Khalifa concluded by saying that achieving security and stability in the world is a shared responsibility, and this goal will be achieved only by the fulfilment by all states of their obligations towards disarmament, in particular with regard to nuclear weapons and all other weapons of mass destruction.