World leaders marked the 75th anniversary of the world’s largest annual diplomatic event, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), taking place this year virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic. The UN celebrated its 75th birthday yesterday with the theme “The Future We Want, the UN We Need: Reaffirming our Collective Commitment to Multilateralism”.
Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani participated in the high-level meeting of the General Assembly via video conference at the UN headquarters in New York.
H H the Amir, in his speech (unofficial translation), said that the United Nations has made great strides in achieving the goals agreed upon by the international community, and has made many contributions for the advancement of humanity, saving millions of people and changing their lives for the better, through its various institutions and organizations. “But it is still falling short of finding the necessary mechanisms to impose its principles on its members, while the right of might still outweighs the might of right in different regions of the world and in different areas of our life.” H H the Amir said.
H H the Amir reaffirmed Qatar’s steadfast position in supporting and embodying the principles and objectives of the United Nations charter. “We stress the need to implement the political declaration by promoting multilateralism and preventive diplomacy, respecting the sovereignty of states and dealing with them on an equal footing, addressing resolutely the use of force in international relations, finding solutions to protracted crises and conflicts based on international law and decisions of the international legitimacy, respecting the rule of law on the national and international levels, activating the role of women and youth in all fields, using the scientific progress in proper and legitimate manner, implementing international declarations and accords and achieving the goals of the United Nations Sustainable Development Agenda 2030.”
H H the Amir also reiterated Qatar’s commitment to work with the United Nations, pursue its support for it and promote partnership with its agencies to enable it to face the common global challenges and achieve its desired goals. This year’s high-level meetings, starting today for a week, will focus on COVID-19 pandemic, multilateralism, biodiversity, gender equality, sustainable development goals and nuclear disarmament. World leaders and representatives will also address climate change, racism, intolerance, inequality, poverty, hunger, and armed conflict while overcoming the obstacles of working virtually.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said recently that the pandemic has exposed the world’s fragilities. World leaders will be urged that they need to work together at a time when there is a surplus of multilateral challenges and deficit of solutions.
