The State of Qatar participated today in the Ministerial-level Peacebuilding Commission meeting on the perspectives of the 2025 Peacebuilding Architecture Review, held on the sidelines of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The State of Qatar's delegation was led by HE Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulaziz bin Saleh Al Khulaifi. In his speech on behalf of the State of Qatar, His Excellency said that today's meeting is taking place amidst existential challenges that threaten international peace and security, particularly with the ongoing conflicts and humanitarian crises, especially in Gaza, Sudan, and other regions. He expressed Qatar's regret over the continuous violations of the Charter, international law, and the Four Geneva Conventions of 1949, which have led to unprecedented increases in civilian casualties, displaced persons, and refugees. His Excellency emphasized the importance of keeping these challenges in mind as the 202 5 Peacebuilding Architecture Review approaches, while capitalizing on the momentum generated by the Summit of the Future, which concluded earlier this week. The summits Charter included numerous strategic recommendations in response to peacebuilding challenges. HE The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs highlighted several key points and Qatari proposals, noting that the State of Qatar, through its long-standing experience in preventive diplomacy, conflict prevention, and peacebuilding, underscores the intrinsic connection between positive outcomes in humanitarian and development efforts and sustainable peace, in line with the recommendations of the UN Secretary-General's new peace agenda, which emphasizes preventive efforts to avoid conflicts. His Excellency called for the empowerment of youth, women, and marginalized groups, encouraging their participation in peacebuilding efforts. He noted that the State of Qatar has spent over $6.4 billion in recent years on humanitarian and development projects in mo re than 100 countries, particularly those affected by conflicts and humanitarian crises. His Excellency reiterated the State of Qatar's welcome of the progress made by the Peacebuilding Commission in supporting countries and communities during or after conflicts. He called for enhanced coordination between the Commission, the UN Security Council, the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council, and other UN bodies, especially in supporting efforts related to reconstruction, justice, reconciliation, and political transition in the concerned countries. His Excellency also stressed the need to enhance the role of regional organizations in peacekeeping and peacebuilding efforts through more consistent and inclusive partnerships and appropriate mechanisms. His Excellency added that the need to accelerate the UN reform process, especially the UN Security Council, describing it a key step in reviewing the peacebuilding architecture to strengthen its impact in ending conflicts and maintaining international pe ace and security. His Excellency emphasized the necessity of implementing relevant Security Council and General Assembly resolutions on existing conflicts, particularly those related to the ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza and the conflict in Sudan. His Excellency pointed out the importance of strengthening cooperation between the Peacebuilding Commission and regional and international financial institutions through clear mechanisms and strategies, including developing joint frameworks that outline peacebuilding strategies, funding priorities, and goals aligned with national and regional peacebuilding agendas. HE the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs announced Qatar's appreciation for the success achieved by the Peacebuilding Fund in fulfilling its mandate, noting the need for the fund to intensify its efforts to secure sufficient, predictable, and sustainable funding for peacebuilding and the maintenance of peace. He stressed the importance of synergy and close coordination between the Peacebuilding Commission and the Peacebuilding Fund. His Excellency concluded by expressing the State of Qatar's pride in its membership in the Peacebuilding Commission and its partnership with the Peacebuilding Fund. He noted that the State of Qatar has contributed $400,000 to the Peacebuilding Fund's budget for 2023-2024, as part of the Unified Administrative Arrangement agreement between the Government of Qatar and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The State of Qatar's total contributions to the Fund since its establishment have reached $1 million. Source: Qatar News Agency