Minister of Education and Higher Education H E Buthaina bint Ali Al Jabr Al Nuaimi
Doha: Minister of Education and Higher Education H E Buthaina bint Ali Al Jabr Al Nuaimi has said that Doha Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries focused on providing access to quality, equitable and inclusive education and the skills necessary to ensure lifelong learning opportunities to all.
The Minster of Education and Higher Education was speaking at a session during the 5th United Nation Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC5) at QNCC yesterday. The session ‘Commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Group of LDCs under a theme: A New Generation of Partnerships for Progress’ was chaired by Minister of State for Foreign Affairs H E Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi.
Addressing the session, the Minister said any new breakthrough cannot be achieved without a priority given to the issue of education, as one of the main enabling elements for achieving sustainable development.
The Minister stressed the key role of education in bringing about the desired radical changes in the least developed countries, noting the importance of encouraging innovative investment, giving priority to education, and intensifying support and cooperation in this field.
“The scenario of global development has changed during those 50 years, since the establishment of the category of least developed countries, and today’s challenges have become more complex and diverse,” said Al Nuaimi.
She said that COVID-19 pandemic, the climate change, and the existing conflicts have placed additional burdens on the shoulders of the least developed countries, and they constitute a real challenge that threatens the economic, social and development progress of these countries.
Despite the difficulty of this stage, the Minister said these variables can be viewed as a decisive point to bring about the desired transformation of the least developed countries, and to enhance their ability to recover and withstand future crises. The Minister said that LDC5 provided a golden opportunity to highlight the challenges, and to promote the necessary partnerships and investments that contribute to accelerating the sustainable development of the least developed countries.
The Minister said that Qatar places the promotion and protection of the right to education at the top of its priorities in its international development and relief programmes.
“Qatar, in cooperation with its international partners made many achievements that have made a significant change in the lives of millions of children around the world, including those in the least developed countries, providing them with educational opportunities for a better future,” said Al Nuaimi. She said that two important initiatives were launched by Qatar during the Transforming Education Summit organsied by the UN Secretary-General in September, as a contribution to the efforts made to support the achievement of the goals of the Education Agenda for 2030 and beyond. The Minister said that it is an initiative launched by the Education Above All Foundation in collaboration with other partners related to “Innovative Financing Mechanisms for Education”.
She noted Qatar’s “Rasikh” initiative, the digital platform launched by Qatar Foundation with the participation of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education of Qatar, the Ministry of Education of Djibouti, and the Unesco Office in Doha, related to the “Localization of Education for a Sustainable Future”, which is a model to follow.
