Speaker of the Shura Council H E Hassan bin Abdullah Al Ghanem and other dignitaries at the event.
Doha: The first coordination meeting of the parliamentary assemblies to combat terrorism for international and regional organisations and federations, organised by the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) and the Shura Council, opened in Doha yesterday.
The meeting will last three days. It aims to exchange expertise on the steps that can be taken to tackle terrorism and prevent violent extremism in a comprehensive manner.
Speaker of the Shura Council H E Hassan bin Abdullah Al Ghanem said, in a speech he gave during the meeting, that the event was part of the activities of UNOCT, which opened officially in Doha in July. He said hosting the event reflects directions of the country’s wise leadership and the insight of Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and his wise policy in all fields, especially in the field of combating terrorism.
He pointed out that Qatar’s hosting of this office is an explicit global recognition of the efforts made by the country in combating terrorism and eliminating all its causes as an obstacle to sustainable development and a major challenge to international peace and security. He stressed at the same time the support of the Shura Council to the office’s activities.
The Speaker explained that the importance of this office stems from the fact that its activities cover all parliaments of the world, in full coordination with international and regional parliamentary organisations and unions. He added that the office will be an international centre specialised in supporting parliamentarians, building capabilities, and coordinating efforts in the field of combating terrorism.
He said the office was interested in raising awareness of political issues and developments related to combating terrorism and violent extremism, and providing guidance to parliamentarians on ways to facilitate the implementation of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, as well as resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council, in addition to facilitating dialogue between governments and parliaments, and cooperation between them in everything related to combating terrorism, increasing the participation of women and youth parliamentarians in efforts to suppress terrorism and violent extremism, and raising awareness in this field.
He expressed his hope that the meeting would achieve its desired goals by developing an effective strategy for cooperation and coordination in order to eliminate terrorism in all its forms, spare humanity its scourge and dangers, save innocent lives and facilities, create favourable conditions for sustainable development and enhance international peace and security.
