Qatar has donated $1 million to the trust fund of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), HE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Ahmed bin Abdullah Al Mahmoud announced.
HE Al-Mahmoud made the remark as he addressed the ministerial meeting of UNAOC friends, which is taking place on the sidelines of the Alliance of Civilizations Sixth Global Forum in the Indonesian island of Bali. He said the donation aims to rapidly grow the fund in order to help in the expansion of UNAOC activities.
He pointed to Qatar’s previous contributions to UNAOC, saying that Doha donated $1 million to the UNAOC Trust Fund upon its inception in 2006 and $1 million in 2011 before donating $1.5 million to the office of UNAOC high commissioner to meet its needs.
HE Al-Mahmoud conveyed to participants greetings of HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and his wishes of success to the forum to come up with recommendations that help in enhancing dialogue among civilizations.
He expressed Qatar’s gratitude and appreciation to the government and people of Indonesia for hosting the forum and the hospitality. He also thanked UNAOC High Representative HE Ambassador Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasr and everyone who helped in preparations of the forum to make it a bridge for constructive dialogue and cultural and intellectual communication between societies.
He highlighted the active contributions of the friends of the alliance, particularly the two sponsor countries of Spain and Turkey as well as previous host nations of the Global Forum; Qatar, Brazil and Austria.
Al-Mahmoud said Qatar established the Doha International Center for Interfaith Dialogue in 2008 to promote peaceful coexistence between cultures and created the Qatar Committee for Alliance of Civilizations to point out the contribution of Arab and Islamic civilization to other civilizations. It also hosted the fourth edition of the Global Forum in 2011.
HE the Deputy Primr Minister said diversity is a universal norm and an effective means of unity, which requires dialogue and exchange of ideas. “We, in the State of Qatar, believe in the necessity of respecting cultural diversity to all societies and civilizations.” HE Al-Mahmoud said Qatar takes pride in being a country that loves friendship, coexistence and peace as it hosts people from the different countries, cultures, beliefs and religions, adding that Qatar considers this diversity a source of richness as it adds to the humanity of people through positive and voluntary participation and working and living together in peace and dignity.
He noted that the belief in diversity is deeply rooted in the Islamic civilization, which lived side by side with the existing civilizations through dialogue and exchange of ideas and commodities.
U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon attended the meeting along with HE Al-Nasr, a number of foreign ministers and heads of delegation and diplomatic missions accredited to Indonesia.
HE Qatar’s Ambassador to Jakarta Mohammed Khater Ibrahim Al-Khater was also present as well as members of the delegation accompanying HE Al-Mahmoud.
Source : Qatar News Agency
