Her Excellency Mrs. Lulwa bint Rashid Al Khater, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs, praised the wide and high-level international participation in the Fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries, and its comprehensive agenda, and said that it represents a glimmer of hope for the least developed countries that count on tangible results and specific commitments and pledges, while fulfilling promises. Which helps it to meet the exceptional challenges.
In an exclusive interview with Qatar News Agency (QNA), Her Excellency said: "This conference will constitute a milestone to support the aspirations of the least developed countries and confront their problems in the next decade, through the Doha Work Programme, which the Secretary-General of the United Nations has previously described as representing "lifeline" Provides assistance to least developed countries, in the short term, and achieves the Sustainable Development Goals, in the medium term, and"Evolution and prosperity" The long-term".
She continued: "The Doha Work Program (2022-2031) is based on a package of ambitious goals, most notably the eradication of extreme poverty, enabling more countries to graduate from the category of least developed countries, facilitating access to sustainable and innovative financing, addressing inequalities, and various forms of support provided. Least Developed Countries to forge the broadest possible coalition of multi-stakeholder partnerships".
She pointed out that the least developed countries face interest rates eight times higher than those offered to developed countries, and that 25 percent of developing economies spend more than 20 percent to provide and bear the costs of debt.
Her Excellency stressed that Qatar’s hosting – as the first Arab and Gulf country – of the conference in its fifth edition represents a success added to the internationally recognized Qatari diplomatic successes, and an affirmation of the international community’s appreciation and unlimited confidence in the State of Qatar, which is demonstrating day after day its great and distinguished capabilities in organizing and hosting international conferences and events. And major global events, and not far from mind its exceptional success in organizing the FIFA,Football,Soccer,Football,Soccer World Cup Qatar 2022.
The Assistant Secretary of State added, "The confidence of the international community in the State of Qatar has been strengthened by its firm support and permanent solidarity with the least developed countries, and its relentless keenness to make all efforts that would support these countries to achieve their legitimate aspirations for development and progress.".
In the same context, she indicated that the State of Qatar always extends a helping hand and provides the urgent needs of countries, peoples and societies suffering from conflicts, humanitarian crises, poverty and debt. The value of humanitarian and development assistance provided by the State of Qatar in the past year through the Qatar Fund for Development exceeded $700 million, and it contributed to the implementation of a number of projects and programs for a number of United Nations organizations to support the least developed countries.
The last contribution of the State of Qatar was the announcement of His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of Qatar, at the opening of this conference, to provide a financial contribution of a total amount of 60 million US dollars to support the development process in the least developed countries, and His Highness followed the declaration by inviting development partners to follow suit Qatar and to take the initiative to support the implementation of the Doha Work Program as part of the humanitarian and development duty towards the people of the least developed countries.
On the other hand, Her Excellency Lulwa bint Rashid Al Khater affirmed that the challenges facing the world today are increasing, and the negative repercussions resulting from the Corona (Covid-19) pandemic and the crisis between Russia and Ukraine have greatly contributed to increasing these challenges, and that geopolitical tensions and successive changes inevitably affect On the plans to support the least developed countries, explaining that the State of Qatar always seeks to work with its international partners to provide the necessary support, and to contribute effectively to facing these challenges and bridging gaps. The State of Qatar is also keen to implement the outputs of the Doha Work Program and turn them into tangible results, which is what it has already begun to do.
At the end of her interview with QNA, she reaffirmed that the development partners have a great responsibility to ensure that these countries receive the required level of support to achieve the desired goals, as international efforts have contributed during the past years to the exit of a number of countries from the category of least developed countries, The Doha Work Program sets other important goals, such as enabling fifteen additional LDCs to achieve exit criteria from the least developed country category and doubling export and aid quotas for trade with these countries.
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