United Nations House opened in Qatar
Diplomat Times (Doha)- While affirming Qatar’s commitment to the United Nations and its support for the efforts to maintain international peace and security, Qatar on Saturday witnessed the opening of United Nations House at Lusail in the presence of HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani and UN Secretary General António Guterres.
The House will function as a platform for all UN agencies to work more closely with Qatar while facilitating increased cooperation between the country and UN agencies.
The United Nations House will host UN offices that cover the countries of the region while promoting development and consolidating human rights.
In 2018, an agreement was signed by Qatar and the UN regarding the establishment of the UN House in Qatar. HE the Foreign Minister, while addressing the gathering, said the United Nations House makes Doha a place and a platform for dialogue and a positive step for cooperation between Qatar and the UN.
The new @UN House in Qatar will unite our work in the country, bringing together development, humanitarian & diplomatic collaboration under one roof.
I thank the Government & people of Qatar for their commitment & wish for many years of productive partnership. pic.twitter.com/ysFbMLch08
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) March 4, 2023
“We look forward to the United Nations House being a successful model for laying the foundation for action and dialogue,” he said, adding that Qatar’s goal will remain for Doha to be a center for multilateral action and a platform for dialogue.
The house coordinates regional functions of International Organization for Migration (IOM), International Labor Organization (ILO), United Nations Education, Sciences and Culture Organization (UNESCO), Office of the
High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), Office of the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict (SRSG CAAC), United Nations Office of Counter Terrorism (UNOTC), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and World Health Organization (WHO).
Through their projects and initiatives, these offices will empower, develop and enhance the capabilities of the region through training opportunities, projects and seminars while providing expertise and technical assistance in their fields of specialization.
The UN Secretary General noted that the house will work as a center that coordinates UN functions in Qatar and beyond while strengthening the agency’s works and diplomacy in the region. “These challenges cry out for collaboration on a global scale.
They demand that all countries stand in solidarity to find solutions. This spirit of collaboration and solidarity has defined the UN’s partnership with Qatar from the very start,” he said.
He hailed Qatar’s generosity to assist the most vulnerable and valuable contribution to the work of the UN fighting terrorism and violent extremism.
“With the Doha Programme of Action, this city is now synonymous with a roadmap for the world to deliver progress and results for the hundreds of millions of people who call Least Developed Countries home,” he said.
