QATAR


Statement

by

His Excellency Shaikh Abdullah Bin Mohamed Bin Saud Al-Thani
Head of Qatar Delegation

at the
World Summit on Sustainable Development

Johannesburg, South Africa
02 September 2002



In the Name of God,
The Most Compassionate, The Most Merciful

Mr. Chairman,

At the outset, it gives me great honor to convey to Your Excellency the compliments of H.H. Shaikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, Amir of the State of Qatar, coupled with his warmest congratulations on your election to preside over this conference. At the same time, I would like to thank the Government of South Africa and its friendly people for their hospitality and hosting of the sessions of this conference. At this occasion , I must in this respect commend the efforts of H.E. The Secretary General of The United Nation in preparing for and sponsoring of this conference.

Your Highnesses,
Your Excellencies the Heads of Delegations,

This conference held at this level and size demonstrates the great concern which countries of the world attach to the continuity of the process of sustainable development, by all of them discharging their historic responsibilities in sustaining harmony and integration between the environment and other human activities to satisfy present needs without detracting from those of future generations in commitment to the implementation of the 21st Century Agenda agreed upon ten years ago at Rio Earth Summit.

We call through this meeting that all previous steps be reviewed and evaluated with the objective of focusing on the efforts needed for the implementation of the adopted resolutions and recommendations and dealing with all obstacles that faced us, without reverting to the process of renegotiating them.

Convinced of the paramount importance of the environment and the necessity of providing appropriate ground in society to protect it and preserve natural life with the objective of bringing about real change in human and institutional behavior to realize sustainable development and enhance the state capability to draw relevant policies and programs, my country has created a Supreme Council for the Environment and Natural Reserves presided over by H.H. The Heir Apparent. It is an autonomous body having control and supervision over all executive quarters that contribute to the realization of sustained development.

Moreover, the State of Qatar has, since 1992, joined and signed a large number of environmental conventions, and promulgated a considerable number of national environmental laws, as well as subjecting all development projects in Qatar to a mechanism of assessing and controlling their impact on the environment. We have joined the treaty on the Protection of Biological Diversity and the CITES Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. We are presently working on increasing the area of natural reserves in the country to become in the next ten years more than 10% of the overall area of the State of Qatar.

Mr. Chairman,

Though the State of Qatar has during the last ten years realized in the economic, social, environmental and institutional spheres what confirms its commitment to the preservation of the environment and effecting sustainable development, it emphasizes that all countries of the world, especially those of the advanced world, must necessarily carry out their commitments through persistent collective action in the sphere of realizing sustainable development, on the principle of shared and varied responsibility between countries. It is also their duty in this respect to work for the following:

First:
Helping developing countries face the impact of globalization which might hinder the possibility of effecting sustained development in them;

Second:
Urge the donors and United Nations Organizations to support the academic and research capabilities in developing countries, especially in the field of developing programs relating to desalination technologies, bio-technology, and rationalization of the uses of water.

Third:
To affirm that WTO works toward freeing trade and opening the markets for exports. In this respect, we emphasize the need for implementing the recommendations of Doha Declaration of WTO Fourth Ministerial Conference, held in Qatar in November last year, which was called "Doha Development Round" for driving the process of sustainable development towards wider horizons in a just and equal manner.

Fourth:
Assisting developing countries in drawing policies and programs which limit deterioration of the environment and natural resources, and to work toward managing them in a sustainable manner in order to achieve water and food security, preserve the ecological system, and biodiversity and combat desertification.

Fifth:
Urge the advanced countries, particularly the industrialized countries, to control the destructive norms of consuming environmental resources, as these countries are primarily responsible for the increasing rates of global pollution.

Sixth:
Offering support to the private sector in order to convert to cleaner means of production.

Finally:
It is important to point out here to a critical question, that is, the need of the international community to condemn countries which cause, in one way or another, the loss, destruction or deterioration of natural resources during wars and conflicts and compel such countries to pay and reimburse the incurred costs.

Mr. Chairman,

In urging the summit to adopt explicit policies on the use of unsafe energy the State of Qatar, being a producer of natural gas which is regarded a clean and safe energy, , affirms before this international conference its keenness on implementing its commitments in the area of fulfilling sustainable development , and it's making efforts toward the realization of human development by focusing on building the potentials and promoting individual standard as well as improving the standards of hygienic and housing services, childhood and maternity care and that of those of special needs, preserving family ties, and providing educational opportunities and decent living conditions for all sectors of the society.

Mr. Chairman

Before closing, I wish you all at this international conference every success.

Wassalam Alaikum Warahmatullah Wabarakatoh