Al-Attiyah Confirms Qatar's Keenness on Women Empowerment

Doha, February 13 (QNA) - HE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr. Khalid bin Mohammed Al-Attiyah stressed that since HH the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani assumed power, the State of Qatar firmly believes in the importance of empowering women to exercise all their political, social and economic rights. He explained that this was devoted through the Constitution and the Laws in the country, especially the principle of equal rights in duties among all citizens, men and women. In his speech delivered today in the opening ceremony of the Third Ministerial Meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement on the Advancement of Women which kicked off in Doha, HE the Minister of State noted that Qatar joined a number of agreements and international and regional conventions on the rights of women. At the institutional level, numerous institutions and governmental bodies were established to promote and protect women's rights and eliminate all forms of discrimination against them, Al-Attiyah said. Qatari women have assumed the highest positions in the State's institutions and the private sector, including ministerial positions, he said, adding that they also contributes significantly to the country's renaissance. In this regard, Al-Attiyah highlighted the pioneering role played by Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser in promoting humanitarian affairs and empowering women through her economic, social and development initiatives and contributions. He stressed that Qatar National Vision 2030 also seeks to strengthen the capacities of women and empower them to participate in all fields, particularly in decision-making roles, as well as to increase their opportunities to receive professional support. To achieve this vision, HE Al-Attiyah said that the State of Qatar launched the National Development Strategy 2011/2016, which includes national priority programs to ensure the empowerment of women through capacity building and restrictions removal. HE the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs explained that the Third Ministerial Meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement on the advancement of women comes to complete the achievements reached during the two previous meetings, which contributed to strengthening the efforts for the advancement of women. He said that this shows the real Keenness of the Non-Aligned Movement for the advancement of women as an essential pillar of development. HE Dr. Al-Attiyah added that most countries of the world witnessed in recent decades a shift in terms of women's legal entitlements in various areas of life to promote and protect their rights. Despite all efforts made by UN governments and relevant agencies and civil society organizations in this area, women are still facing many challenges and obstacles, he said, adding that societal and legal discrimination between women and men is a frightening obstacle. Women are the ones who suffer the most poverty and need, and are more vulnerable to the negative effects of armed conflict than others, Al-Attiyah said, noting to the maternal mortality rate which is still unacceptably high in many developing countries. The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, emphasized that this discrimination is unacceptable as we are in the Third Millennium, and this is the main obstacles facing the human development. HE the Minister of State stressed on the importance of such a meeting, adding that its subjects are compatible with the developments taking place in the international community. He said that empowering of women will be one of the main factors in the advancement of the Arab region, particularly in light of the Arab spring which saw a significant contribution by women. He noted in that regard that creating the suitable environment for women and boosting her participation in all fields, contribute significantly in moving the world forward. He called on governments to play their role in the advancement of women and enhancing their participation in different fields, either the economic, social , cultural , political and civilian areas. He further said that it's the governments that need to place strategies and carry them out in order to guarantee equal opportunities for women with men. HE the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs also called on the international community to back the national efforts made for the advancement of women, particularly in developing countries. He stressed in that regard that the State of Qatar is going forward with its efforts to empower women economically, socially and politically ,stressing meantime the importance of direct support to the least developed countries to assist them in taking effective steps to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. HE Dr. Khalid bin Mohammed Al-Attiyah has welcomed the For her part, Dr. Najwa Khalil , the Egyptian Minister of Insurance and Social Affairs and Head of NAM at the Ministerial level concerned with the women's topics, expressed her deepest thanks to the State of Qatar for hosting the meeting, particularly for holding it at a "crucial" time, where women are looking to play a central role in their society. The Egyptian Minister also praised the State of Qatar for the effort it put in to come up with the schedule for the meeting which, the Minister said, will enhance cooperation between member countries. The meeting represented a good opportunity for member countries to recommit to women issues in their respective societies, She said adding that the future will always remain one of the main priorities that NAM was formed for. For her part, Director of the NAM Institute for the Empowerment of Women Rafia bint Selim thanked the State of Qatar for hosting the meeting and expressed hopes that the final document of the meeting would entail resolutions that are in keeping with the ones made in Guatemala. Rafia bint Selim went on to say that the institute, which was formed in 2005, currently has 54 member countries. She said that the institute has a number of plans in place that aim at enhancing women's rights. The institute had carried out a plan last year that that aimed at decreasing poverty and ensuring the social and economic rights of women in Cambodia, Bint Selim said noting that the plan cost was over $2 billion. The works of the Third NAM Ministerial Meeting on Empowering Women began earlier Sunday in Doha, with more than 500 personalities participating from across the globe. Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr. Khalid bin Mohammed Al Attiyah was the head of the Qatari delegation. HE the Assistant Foreign Minister for International Cooperation Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Jaber Al Thani inaugurated the meeting and stressed, in his address that activating the Doha Document for Gender equality is a necessity. The meeting did approve the document and referred it to the Ministers for approval. HE Dr. Khalid bin Mohammed Al-Attiyah has welcomed the members of the meeting at the beginning of his word, and expressed thanks to the Arab Republic of Egypt for its efforts as the current chairman of the Non-Alignment Movement (NAM) and for the country's cooperation to make the meeting a successful one. He also praised Malaysia and Guatemala which hosted the first and second Ministerial meetings, wishing all involved an active participation to reach the goals of the meeting. (QNA)