New York/  07 March 2016/ The State of Qatar has called on the International Community to act effectively and decisively to make more efforts to improve and enhance the opportunities for higher education in emergencies.

This came during a meeting held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York at the initiative of the Permanent Delegation of the State of Qatar to the United Nations.

During the meeting, which was held in coordination with Portugal, the British Council, Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Institute of International Education and the Global Platform for Syrian Students, HE Qatar's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Sheikha Alia Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani emphasised the importance of enhancing the current education opportunities in emergencies.

HE Ambassador Alia highlighted in her speech to the State of Qatar's initiatives to enhance the opportunities for higher education in emergency situations, including the "Fakhura" programme funding which was launched to provide opportunities for higher education for secondary and university stages in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

For his part, President of the Institute of International Education Dr. Allan Goodman, who participated in the meeting, praised Qatar's leading role in putting the issue of Education in Emergencies on the UN Assembly agenda through its decision (641), which affirmed the right of education in emergency situations.

Participated in the meeting were former Portuguese President and former UN High Representative for Alliance of Civilizations Jorge Sampaio and Chairman of the Global Platform for Syrian Students Dr. John Sexton.

The meeting was a review for the results of the high-level meeting held in New York in September 2015 on "ensuring universal right to education in emergency situations in the development plan of the post-2015".

New York meeting also came prior to the World Humanitarian Summit scheduled for May in Istanbul, and it precedes the UN General Assembly high-level meeting to be held in September 2016 on "large movements of refugees and migrants." The meeting highlighted the need for coordinated efforts in financing education in emergencies, and the importance of the reconstruction of educational institutions after conflict resolution. It also stressed the importance of the private sector in promoting higher education in emergencies.