Advisor to HE Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr. Majed bin Mohammed Al Ansari noted the soft diplomacy and soft power that Qatar follows, saying that HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs said, in an interview with Qatar TV in April, that some people wonder about Qatar's need for soft diplomacy and soft power. HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs said that as a small country, Qatar considers soft power and soft diplomacy as an integral part of proving its existence and protecting its security, which is a fact and not something to be said randomly. It is a highly significant and central issue in Qatar's foreign policy.
He added that the State of Qatar, in terms of its geographically small size and presence in a turbulent environment, needs to be influential internationally and for its voice to be heard to have an international influence that directly serves its interests and security.
He indicated that Qatar's policy, diplomacy, and soft power in its various cultural, sports, and other forms essentially serve to place Qatar on the international map and ensure Qatar's interests in the long term through Qatar's heard voice. A prominent example is the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, which introduced various people of the world not just to Qatar but also to the regional culture and values, as well as removed a lot of the stereotypes around the region, allowing Qatar to move toward several new initiatives and reactivate its position as an attractive environment for international tourism and investment. That is why we cannot separate between Qatar's soft power and diplomacy and the supreme national interests of the State of Qatar.
Regarding Qatar's efforts in the field of protecting women and children in conflict zones, he noted QFFD's support for various educational projects around the world through EAA, in addition to the Women in Conflict Zones Initiative, through which Qatar stressed the need to provide protection for women in conflict zones. Furthermore, Qatar continues to fund a group of projects concerned with humanitarian and developmental assistance to provide women and children in conflict zones with tools and awareness that help them lead a decent life and live in a way that guarantees their dignity and humanity.
He pointed out that in December 2022, Qatar and Indonesia cochaired the International Conference on Afghan Women's Education, in which more than 40 countries, regional and international organizations, and the private sector participated, revealing that a second edition of that conference will be held in Doha in November 2023.
He also pointed to the draft resolution that Qatar had submitted to the UNGA 74 on the International Day to Protect Education from Attack, which stipulates that Sep. 9 of each year be considered an international day for the protection of education from attacks and urges the international community to alleviate the plight of millions of children living in countries affected by conflict. The resolution has been adopted and celebrated ever since.
He indicated that children are the most affected group in conflict zones as their education gets interrupted throughout the conflict, which can go on for years, creating a deliberately uneducated generation that is raised by the culture of conflict and fighting instead of an upright generation capable of contributing positively to the social framework.
Source: Qatar News Agency