Qatar’s role in global development and peace process and its financial and capacity contributions to those sectors are drawing praise from across the world. Yesterday, the President of the 74th session of the UN General assembly, Dr. Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, praised Qatar’s efforts in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) saying that the country plays a pivotal in all fields and achieved a lot in realising these goals by the targeted deadline of 2030. Dr. Tijjani acknowledged Qatar’s role in even laying the foundations for supporting other countries and helping many countries and civil society institutions in need.
Dr. Tijjani said that he has had discussions with several officials in Qatar and discussed several issues on collective cooperation and concerted efforts, because the challenges facing the world are complex and sensitive adding that his talks included issues such as terrorism and climate change and focused on means to support and unite efforts to address the various challenges.
The SDGs agreed by the United Nations member countries in 2015 are a follow-up and fulfillment of its precursor Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The 17 SDGs such as no poverty and zero hunger, good health and well being, quality education, gender equality, clean water and sanitation, affordable and clean energy, decent work and economic growth, industry, innovation and infrastructure, reduced inequalities, sustainable cities and communities, responsible consumption and production, climate action, life below water, life on land, peace, justice and strong institutions, and partnership, are aimed at bringing about eradication of poverty, mitigation of conflicts, providing education and healthcare to everybody on the face of the earth and most importantly tackling climate change, which is the paramount factor in keeping our planet a livable one for centuries to come.
Each country has to act upon and exercise its duties in order to achieve the SDGs through making better its domestic situations and welfare of its own people through providing at least the basic needs of the population such as food, education, shelter, healthcare, employment and clean environment to live in. But some countries, especially the poor and underdeveloped ones, are struggling to meet the goals, mainly because of economic woes and sometimes internal struggles. Countries which are blessed with enough resources can play a major role in bringing these states aboard by extending them material, financial and advisory help.
Qatar has been acting as a powerful catalyst in achieving such goals across the world, especially in the conflict-ridden poor countries and developing island states. The country, through its diverse institutions and agencies, is extending enough and even more than what is expected whether it is financially or otherwise, for other countries to help them achieve the SDGs. The contribution of Qatar’s Education Above All is the best example, which is successfully educating millions of out-of-school children and providing lively hood to people across the continents, especially in regions which were lagging behind badly.
