H E Abdulla Shahid
New York: President of the 76th session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly H E Abdulla Shahid affirmed that the State of Qatar has always represented the voice of reason.
He highlighted the efforts of Qatar, represented by Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the United Nations H E Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al Thani, in the intergovernmental negotiations on Security Council reform.
In an interview with Qatar News Agency (QNA), he praised the Doha Forum, saying that it provides an important platform for discussing the most prominent issues and challenges facing the world, and works to unify countries’ positions on urgent matters.
President of the 76th session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly Abdulla Shahid said that the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 will be the first-ever carbon-neutral international championship, adding it was a great achievement by the State of Qatar.
He said that the tournament, due to be held from November 20 to December 18, will be outstanding and will bring peoples together.
“Everyone is eagerly waiting to witness this huge sporting festival,” he added.
He also stressed that “Qatar is a voice of reason,” highlighting the efforts of the State of Qatar represented by the efforts of the Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the UN H E Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al Thani in the intergovernmental negotiations on Security Council reform.
The President of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly praised the Doha Forum, noting that it provides an important platform for discussing the most prominent issues and challenges facing the World, and works on forging a consensus regarding urgent matters.
On the most-prominent issues on the agenda of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly, Shahid noted that they will include the war in Ukraine, and the crises caused by it in terms of energy and food security. He added that other prominent issues are climate change and the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic.
He highlighted that crises and conflicts come down the hardest on the most vulnerable, and that the latter groups take longer to recover from these conflicts.
He said that this was evident in the COVID-19 pandemic, the climate change crisis, as well as the food and energy crises, its least-developed countries and the small island developing countries who were facing the blunt of these crises.
He stressed the need for fundamental changes in international financial institutions and a revamp of the international financial system, noting that this was what the “common agenda of the Secretary general calls for.”
On the impact of the war in Ukraine and fears of a potential World War III, he expressed his believe that there could be a resolution to the war in Ukraine. He noted that the war has led to an economic slowdown that affects the lives of many people.
On potential solutions to the energy shortage crisis, Shahid said that turning to green alternatives would be a solution and said it was an outstanding opportunity for countries to do so. He said that the world should “use environmentally friendly technology, harness the power of nature to make sure that we do not destroy our environment.”
