The speech is given by the Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, which also marks the 75th anniversary of the organization’s founding. He emphasizes the importance of this since the UN highlights that despite different backgrounds, everyone belongs to “one humanity.” Both historic events as well as the recent COVID-19 pandemic are a reminder that humanity shares the planet, and multilateral cooperation is required to address crises such as this pandemic as well as climate change or dealing with social issues the likes of poverty. The Amir once again emphasizes that common goals such as security and stability both regionally and globally are in the interest of all countries. He goes on to describe preventive measures taken by Qatar in light of the pandemic, while also providing aid to other countries and participating in the international efforts to address the pandemic.
The topic transitions to the blockade of Qatar that has been implemented by other Gulf States more than three years ago. The Amir notes Qatar’s resilience and support for international law and sovereignty of other countries, despite the blockade being illegal and inherently intervening with the internal affairs of Qatar. He emphasizes Qatar’s commitment to diplomatically solving the crisis but suggests that the blockade must be lifted for progress to be made.
The Palestine issue is then raised, as the Amir recognizes the international consensus for Palestine’s existence, but nothing is being done about Israel’s blatant violations of international law and treaties. It is emphasized that peace can only be achieved if Israel collaborates, but so far, their actions have shown the opposite. Meanwhile, the inaction of the UN and international community poses a risk to credibility. The Amir calls upon the Security Council to intervene and obligate Israel to lift their siege come back to negotiations. He voices Qatar’s support for an independent Palestine and actions undertaken to offer humanitarian assistance.
The Amir goes on to describe the role of Qatar as a mediator between the U.S. and the Taliban. These international diplomatic efforts are key to establishing stability in the region and ending the wars, allowing Afghanistan to rebuild as a diverse and equitable country. The speech then transitions to regional conflicts including Syria, Yemen, and Sudan. It is noted that the Syrian regime is obstructing any peaceful resolutions, including proposed by allies such as Russia. Qatar reiterates its position for local peace and diplomatic resolution based on the Geneva agreements and an end to atrocities and war crimes, including bring perpetrators to justice. The Amir briefly mentions Yemen, suggesting that Qatar supports the territorial integrity of the country and relevant regional and international initiatives made to end the destructive war. Sudan is then discussed, including progress made regarding the peace deal among the transitional government and other warring factions. Qatar calls upon others to remove Sudan from countries of state-sponsored terrorism as it continues to economically affect an already suffering nation. The Amir makes brief mentions of Libya including a ceasefire agreement and support of territorial integrity and national sovereignty. Meanwhile, Lebanon is mentioned in the context of the 2020 explosion and political unrest. In all cases, Qatar is voicing universal support for international measures and aid to these regional Muslim countries which are affected by war, disaster, and economic instability.
The final two sections of the speech focus on terrorism and strategic aid/partnerships. The Amir condemns terrorism as not only a threat to international security but as a barrier to sustainable development, vowing that Qatar will combat terrorism regionally and internationally. One of the ways of countering terrorism is building strategic partnerships, including Qatar offering development assistance to poorer countries, including meeting its pledge of $100 million in support, particularly when facing climate change. The Amir ends with an emphasis once again on the global nature of humanity and the role that the UN plays as international organization in addressing common challenges.