United Nations/ UN Official to QNA: UN Highly Appreciates Qatar’s Global Conflict Resolution Roles

The United Nations highly appreciates the State of Qatars efforts as a mediator and peace talks sponsor to settle global disputes, said HE UN Assistant Secretary-General for Rule of Law and Security Institutions, Department of Peace Operations, Alexandre Zouev. Speaking to Qatar News Agency (QNA), Zouev hailed Qatar as a highly important UN member state and highlighted the many multi-sector initiatives being discussed between UN and Qatari officials. He also spoke about the collaboration between the Office of Rule of Law and Security Institutions and the Doha-based Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Center (ROLACC). "For my Office of Rule of Law and Security Institutions, it's very important that Qatar is hosting in Doha Regional Anti Corruption Center, which we strongly support," he told QNA. Zouev praised the Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani Anti-Corruption Excellence Award (ACE Award) as "a very big initiative". He said: "I was honored myself to participate together with HH the Amir in several presentation s of his personal prize for anti corruption success...in Kigali, Rwanda, in Doha, Qatar, in Tashkent, Uzbekistan". He added that he was looking forward to going to Costa Rica where the next round of ACE Award will be held. Elaborating on Qatars mediation efforts across various areas in conflict, Zouev said: "I already had a chance to tell His Highness personally how we appreciate in the UN this leadership that contributed enormously to all negotiations around Darfur conflict in Sudan, then Afghan peace process. For Lebanon, Qatar helped broker the Doha agreement in 2008 which ended 18 months of political crisis in this Middle East country". He also hailed Dohas efforts to hammer out a deal ending Djibouti-Eritrea border dispute. His Excellency voiced concerns about the situation in the Middle East, especially in Lebanon and Gaza, noting the joint mediation by Qatar, Egypt and the US to reach a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip. Commenting on the upcoming UNGA meetings, His Excellency spoke about the Summit of the Future 2024 due September 22 - 23 at UN Headquarters as a separate high-level event with the participation of many heads of state. The key speakers at the sessions will include heads of state, heads of government and ministers. "It's very important that in respect to international humanitarian law is included in all final documents, and Qatar can play very important role in assisting to facilitating these documents, including Pact for the Future which is supposed to be approved by the Summit for the Future," he said. Zouev warned of the deterioration of the situation in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and recently in Lebanon, revealing UN concerns that the war may spill over into other Middle East parts. He said, "Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said on many occasions that we must respect international law and international humanitarian law in all situations, and particularly in the case of the conflict in Gaza". He highlighted that nearly 200 UN staffers were killed in Gaza, the highest price the international organization since its establishment in 1945. Hailing Qatar's positive negotiations to hammer out a cease-fire and release the hostages, Zouev said Qatar was making great efforts to protect the most vulnerable groups, especially with thousands of children, women and elderly people, being affected by the various military operations compounded by a polio virus outbreak. He added that the UN had embarked on a campaign to vaccinate against polio and provide food and hygiene supplies to the affected people in Gaza despite the posed challenges. "We in the United Nations hope that Doha-based negotiations will conclude with a positive result and at least with humanitarian ceasefire. We hope that all efforts of the government of Qatar will be appreciated in this conflict and in many situations where it is playing very positive role," he said. Concerned about the ongoing conflicts in Sudan, Ukraine, Yemen and eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Zouez stressed that the UN Security Councils primary re sponsibility is maintaining international peace and security in accordance with the UN Charter. Yet, he said other many regional military and political organizations should contribute to solving disputes. "We have a relationship with all regional and global organizations which do not belong to the United Nations, like NATO, but in any case, we are being guided by the Security Council because its primary responsibility is maintenance of peace and security globally," he said. Source: Qatar News Agency