Remarks of H.E. Alya Ahmed S. Al-Thani
Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar at the UN
At
the ARRIA FORMULA MEETING OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL

What’s next for Women, Peace and Security in the Middle East and North Africa: The Potential of National Action Plans

 

I would like first of all thank the Permanent Missions of Germany, the United Kingdom and Peru for co-hosting today’s Arria formula meeting.

Conflicts in the region have generated millions of internally displaced and refugees, of which women and children are the vast majority. Women have been impacted by the disruption of livelihoods, access to resources and essential services. Women and girls have been especially vulnerable to trafficking and to various forms of exploitation, including sexual and gender-based violence. 

Throughout the years, Qatar has supported the Women, Peace and Security Agenda in many ways, including financial support for the study on the implementation of UNSCR 1325.

Qatar’s humanitarian and development assistance programmes are committed to strengthen the protection of women in conflict, and ensure their rights are protected. Moreover, we strongly support the efforts of the UN in this area.

Let me share with you some examples:

Qatar’s Educate A Child, a global program of the Education Above All Foundation (EAA), that aims to significantly reduce the number of children worldwide who are denied their right to education, and works with partner organisations, including several UN agencies, toward providing out of school children an opportunity for quality primary education, girls are on average 49.3% of the total enrolments. In 2018, a total of 3,408,322 girls were enrolled and learning in supported projects, with a budget totalizing $42,960,081. It is estimated that this number will increase to 4,470,528 girls by 2020, with a respective budget of $64,808,337.

Al Fakhoora, also a programme of Education Above All Foundation, which focus on education for children and youth in conflict and post-conflict regions, ensures that all of its initiatives are gender balanced. For instance, between 2015-2017, Al Fakhoora maintained and refurbished 43 UNRWA schools in Gaza, of which approximately 50% were girls’ schools.  This project valued at 4.5 million USD impacted the education needs of approximately 43,000 girls in Gaza. 

Also, between 2015-2017, Al Fakhoora in partnership with UNDP, constructed and rehabilitated 51 educational institutions, at a cost of 21 million USD.  Approximately 49,500 of these beneficiaries were girls and young women. 

Al Fakhoora’s Dynamic Futures Gaza scholarship program provides a comprehensive scholarship and empowerment program for 514 young women, costing approximately $15,420,000.  Moreover, Al Fakhoora’s comprehensive Dynamic Futures Global Program provides Bachelor, TVET diploma, and TVET certificate level education for 2,587 female refugee and IDPs across six countries - Palestine, Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq. This program will run through 2019, with an investment of approximately $10,850,000.

We also support a number of projects that provide legal assistance for the victims of sexual violence. We have donated $1 million to the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism – better known as IIIM - to assist in the investigation and prosecution of persons responsible for the most serious crimes under international law committed in Syria since 2011. The IIIM plays an important role in independently and impartially supporting the investigation of sexual violence and gender-based crimes and in supporting the prosecution of the perpetrators of such crimes. This is a valuable step towards transitional justice for women in Syria, and the State of Qatar is assisting in every way possible to secure its success. 

I will stop here, again, thank you very much.